DID YOU EARN THAT PROMISE?

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 

II Peter 1:4

I think what is amazing is that the promises of God are given, not earned. The opportunity to participate in the divine nature is a gift of grace not a state of being to be reached by some effort on our part. 

His promise is that he has given me everything I need for life and godliness. His glory and goodness in me is his promise. 

When I don't feel righteous I remember I Corinthians 1:30, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." 

When I don't feel like God is working in my life I remember Philippians 1:6, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." 

When I sin I remember I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (Emphasis mine)

What is a promise that helps you remember? 

Father, help us to remember your promises and participate in the divine nature. Praise be to you in us today!

REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR PRAISE IN SHAPE

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
   Sing the glory of his name; 
   make his praise glorious. 
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
   So great is your power 
   that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you;
   they sing praise to you,
   they sing the praises of your name.”
Psalms 66:1-4 (NIV)

My son and I went camping with his Boy Scout troop this past week end. It was a nice overnighter, my son's first backpacking adventure and my first and too long. I knew I was out of shape, but man alive, that just proved it. I am very sore today. 

I tried to stop and enjoy the view, but because I was out of shape I really didn't get to soak it in. I think that is a little like praise and thankfulness. If we don't make it a practice to take the time to be thankful and praise God for the things he provides like our daily bread, jobs, families and friends, we will miss out on much of what warrants our thankfulness and praise. 

So I encourage you to, spiritually speaking, keep your thankfulness and praise muscles in shape. 

Father, open our eyes to see all that you do for us each and every day. Praise be to you in us today!

DO YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED?

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

II Peter 1:3 

The first year I was the assistant principal for summer school I was trying to follow the principal's lead and I was not really taking charge. Finally, the principal told me they wanted me to run the program. Once I knew the principal wanted me to pretty much take charge of everything, I could go at it with full confidence. 

Sometimes we are hesitant in our faith because we either don't know or forget what God has given us which is everything we need. 

The key is knowing Christ. Paul said, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11). Knowing Christ isn't just about church. Knowing Christ is where your daily life and faith fuse together. 

Take just a moment and remember that knowing Christ is trusting him right where you are at. 

Father, help us to know you in what we are going through right now. Praise be to you in us today!

HAVE YOU LOOKED EVERYWHERE?

From the LORD comes deliverance. 
   May your blessing be on your people. Selah
Psalm 3:8

For some reason it is easy to forget that God is in control and that he is Sovereign over all things. Maybe you are at one of those places in your life where you have exhausted every opportunity, contact and idea you could think of to help get you out of the circumstances you are in. 

I am not going to be pious and tell you to pray because I assume you already have prayed and are praying. The other day my youngest son was in the kitchen looking for some hot sauce. He was actually standing right in front of it and it appeared that he was starring directly at it. But, he wasn't seeing it. Finally, he saw it and grabbed it. Sometimes maybe that is what waiting on God is like. We are looking in the right spot, we just don't see it yet.

I don't know why God makes us wait for deliverance sometimes. He does. He sees the end from the beginning and his desire is to shape us into the image of his Son, Jesus Christ. So, keep looking. 

Father, help us to know you as we wait on you and you shape us into the image of your Son, Jesus Christ. Praise be to you in us today!

IT WILL FEEL BETTER LATER

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:10-11 (NIV)

I have been pretty busy lately. One thing that I have neglected is my personal fitness. I finally got in a little exercise this past week. I feel a bit better. You see, I have seen the result of exercising. I know that if I keep a consistent routine I will be healthier and feel better all around. 

I know this is a bit of a stretch trying to connect the idea of exercising and I Peter 5:10-11, but, let's go with it. Yesterday I was getting in a little cardio. My left calf muscle kept cramping up a little. When I got home and stretched, drank some water and relaxed, I felt a lot better. The connection is that in our lives we may suffer for a while, but, God himself will restore us and make us strong. In the same way that exercise can make us stronger, trials make us stronger in Christ. 

Whatever the trial you are going through know that God's plan is to bring you through it and then restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 

Father, bring us through our trails, restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast. Praise be to you in us today!

WHAT MATTERS IS THE TRUTH

 O Lord, how many are my foes!
   How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
   “God will not deliver him.”
But you, Lord, are a shield around me, O LORD;
   you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the LORD,and he I cry aloud,
   and he answers me from his holy hill.
Psalms 3:1-4 (NIV)

It doesn't matter what people say, what matters it the truth. The truth is that God is our shield, he will deliver us, and he will answer us from his holy hill!

GOT SELF-CONTROL?

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

I Peter 5:8

The first thing I want to point out is that if the God, in his Word, tells you to do something, then you can do it. So, if the Bible says to be self-controlled (sober-minded in the ESV) then you can have control of yourself. That doesn't mean you won't be tempted. It just means you can choose to keep your mind clear. The idea of being sober in contrast to drunk is pretty clear. When something else is influencing your mind, your decision making and your ability to foresee danger will be weakened or nullified. 

Having control of your mind is really what the enemy wants. If the devil, because that is our enemy, can get you to make decisions based upon desires and fears then he knows you won't make them by faith in Christ. 

Our job is to be self-controlled and alert and to do that we need to be acting in faith, humbly seeking Christ. Casting our cares upon him because we know he cares for us is part of the process. The enemy is roaring, trying to distract us and we need to stay focused on the truth that God loves us and is Sovereign over all. 

Jesus, we cast our cares upon you. Thank you that you are Sovereign and reign over all and will work all things for our good. Praise be to you in us today!