You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.—Psalm 73:24 (NIV)
Know that God is thinking and working along with you. Put every problem in His hands; ask Him to give you the right answer. Believe that He is doing just that, and take the guidance as it comes.
Father, help me find solutions to my problems. Guide me to apply Your wisdom to my life.
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.—1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)
The Bible makes it clear that a humble heart is essential to spiritual growth. How do you aim for humility? When you submit to God, He will raise you up. By humbly depending on His strength, and following His instructions, your life will be wonderful.
Merciful Father, rescue me from foolish pride. Help me be a faithful steward for You.
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.—ROMANS 14:7 NKJV
Some days we wonder why we got ourselves into this caregiving situation. Friends or family may treat us as if we’re foolish to give up so much of our lives for such a demanding, unpaid job. Be it ever so subtly, they’ll remind us that our careers are really important. Or they’ll imply that our immediate family suffers from our current commitment.
As an intense caring mode consumes our lives, we learn the realities of living to serve another. It’s hard to think of the future when the immediate present takes so much of our strength. We may even wonder if we have a future.
Friends and family may mean well, but now is not the time to be distracted from the critical needs at hand. We shouldn’t stop loving those who don’t understand what we do. But we should use our lives to show the doubters how important each of God’s children is—even those in less-than-perfect health.
As we live to serve the Lord and a failing human being, God blesses us. The needs of the future will wait. But don’t worry—the Lord will deal with them at their proper time.
Thank You, Lord, for supporting me, even when others don’t understand my mission.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.—Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Lent is the perfect time to listen to the voice deep in your heart and to be guided by God’s wisdom. Steer away from things that you know aren’t good for you and make habits and choices that lead you toward living your best life.
God of All Grace, You are my guide. Help me live a life that frees me from discomfort in my heart. Help me make choices that please You.
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”—ZEPHANIAH 3:17 ESV
What is causing you unrest today? Inadequacy? Lack of strength? Poor finances?
God wants you to know that He is with you. He sees your circumstances, your concerns, your worries. And He wants you to know that He’s the mighty one who will save you. He is rejoicing over you with gladness, exulting over you with loud singing. Why?
Because He loves you. And He wants to wrap you in His love that’s like a thick comforter on a cold winter evening. He wants us to rest in His love. For only His love can calm the fear that hinders you from doing what He’s tasked you to do.
God’s love sent His Son to die for you, that you might receive everything you need pertaining to life and godliness.
His love enables you to keep on going even when you’re ready to give up. His love allows you to rest, to gain strength, to be still in the midst of the storm that is raging all around you. The waters will not rise enough to drown you, nor will the raging fire consume you.
Father, I thank You for the gift of Your love. It calms me, it soothes me, it gives me peace in the middle of the storm. Please fill me with Your love and peace today.
Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath.—Exodus 16:29 (NIV)
Some describe the Sundays in Lent as “Little Easters,” a day of feasting rather than fasting, a time of joyful expectation of the resurrection. Today, on this first Little Easter, rest, reflect and rejoice in celebration of Christ’s resurrection.
Heavenly Father, I come to You today, in awe of all You have done for me. I love You, Lord Jesus.
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.—GALATIANS 1:10 NIV
Sometimes we work ourselves to the bone because we have no choice. Other times, we do it to win the approval of others.
Today, let’s be honest with ourselves. Are we run-down? Worn out? If that’s the result of situations we can’t control, let’s ask the Lord to give us the strength we need to keep going. But if we’re exhausted because we’re afraid of letting someone down or hurting his or her feelings, it might be time to reassess. If we’re up to our eyebrows in work, overlooking other options for the people under our care, then we might be caught up in the “man-pleaser” game.
Here’s how the game works: We do our best to make others happy—at any expense. Our health, our finances, our time. We sacrifice in unbalanced ways because we’re concerned about what people will think of us.
Today, let’s aim to be God-pleasers. Let’s do the things He calls us to—nothing more and nothing less.
Lord, You see my heart. You know what struggles I have in accomplishing these tasks. Redirect my thoughts, Father, to pleasing You rather than men.
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”—Joel 2:12 (NIV)
Fasting is an ancient practice that can draw you closer to God. You may fast from a pleasure or a habit. Whatever you fast from can do wonderful and unexpected things in your life and in your relationship with God.
Dear Lord, strengthen my faith and fix my eyes on You, so that I may resist temptation.
“Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.—2 Kings 20:3 (NIV)
King Hezekiah was an honest and good ruler. When he became ill, he prayed the above words and God gave him fifteen more years of life. If you are in desperate need of God’s help, model your prayer after King Hezekiah.
Heavenly Father, I have walked before you faithfully. See my tears and hear my prayers.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.—1 John 4:18 (NIV)
One of God’s greatest promises is that no matter what happens, nothing can separate you from His love and protection. When you build up your spirit with this truth, your faith becomes unshakable and you become able to handle any problem with grace and strength.
Mighty God, I can relax because I know that You are in control. You are working for my good.
Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.—Joshua 21:45 (NIV)
God keeps his promises. Throughout the Old Testament, whenever His people fell into trouble, God restored them and delivered on His promises. He will do the same for you.
Wonderful Counselor, I trust You and Your promises because I am on this journey with You and I know that You are faithful.
…So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.—Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)
Rick Warren said, “God’s love is like an ocean. You can see its beginning, but not its end.” His love for you is unconditional and eternal. He loves you on good days and bad ones. He loves you no matter what. His love never fails.
Heavenly Father, fill my heart and bless my soul with Your precious gift of love.
Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly…—1 CORINTHIANS 9:26 (NIV)
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.—PROVERBS 12:25 (NIV
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God— this is your true and proper worship.—Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.—Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.—Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.—Luke 6:27 (NIV)
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.—Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)
But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.—Jonah 1:3 (ESV)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.—Romans 3:23–24 (NIV)
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.—James 1:27 (NLT)
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.—Matthew 5:4 (NIV)
And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.—Matthew 14:19 (NIV)
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.—Ephesians 6:16 (NIV)
I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.—Job 42:5-6 (NLT)
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.—Joel 2:13 (NIV)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”—Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.—1 Samuel 18:1 (ESV)
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”—Galatians 5:14 (NIV)
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.—John 15:12 (ESV)
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.—2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)
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