Only God can truly forgive sins, because He is ultimately who all our sins are against. When I’m mean to my husband, or lie to a friend, or covet someone else’s life, I’m breaking God’s laws and hurting God’s creation. My sin is against the Holy, Almighty, God of the Universe, so He would be totally just to condemn me as the guilty wretch that I am.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
Psalm 51:4
And yet, in His great love and mercy, He has paid the price for me, laying my sin upon His own shoulders. I have been forgiven and the sinless God-man was condemned in my place. All I can say is THANK YOU!!!
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your forgiveness. Thank You for Your grace. Thank You for Your love, poured out on the cross for me. I pray for my friends and family who are still paralyzed in their sin, unable to walk by faith, please heal them and forgive their sins, for Your glory and their eternal good. In the Name of Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord I pray. Amen.
I decided to switch around the order of the 2-Year Bible reading, so I could read some New Testament in the weeks leading up to Resurrection Sunday. So, if you’re reading along with me, let’s do Mark, 1-2 Peter, and James between now and March 31.
So, today I read Mark 1, and I was struck by verse 35,
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
Mark 1:35 ESV
If Jesus needed His Heavenly Father’s help, so do I.
If Jesus had a packed day ahead and woke up early to pray first, so should I.
If Jesus needed to pray, so do I.
How about you?
Heavenly Father, I need You every day and every hour. I need You early in the morning before life gets crazy because life is crazy. My family needs me to pray. My friends need me to pray. The lost world and my persecuted brothers and sisters need me to pray. Help me, Father, to seek Your wisdom and to sit at Your feet. I love You, Lord. Lead me in Your love and grace. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: 2 Kings 3:1-5:14
In 2 Kings chapters 3-5, we read about one miracle after another. God sends water into the desert. God fills vessel upon vessel with oil. God conceives a child in a barren woman’s womb. God brings a boy back from the dead. God makes pure a poisonous stew, and God heals a man of leprosy.
This is a light thing in the sight of the LORD.
2 Kings 3:18a ESV
Yet, to the Lord, all of these things are light. None of these incredible events are hard for him. God isn’t exhausted after doing them. He didn’t struggle or labor night after night to achieve these mighty feats. What is a few jars of oil or one little baby to a God who can speak the entire universe into existence by the sheer power of His voice?
In light of the truth (pun intended) that all things are easy for God, we need to remember that there is nothing too big for Him, but also there is nothing is too small for Him.
Out of work and need a job? No problem.
In a hurry and need a parking spot? Got it.
Struggling with discipling and disciplining your children? He can help.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible for Him. And nothing, absolutely nothing, is too little for His care.
I love it when my adult children ask for my advice and my help, no matter how big or how little it is. Likewise, our perfect Heavenly Father loves His children to seek His help in all areas of our lives.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6 ESV
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7 NLT
Heavenly Father, thank You for always being there for us. We know that nothing is impossible for you, that you are able to do all things. Help us to trust You and turn to You. Whether the thing to us looks too big or too small, may we entrust it into Your watchful, loving care. In the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior we pray. Amen.
In 2 Kings 2, Elisha remained rock solid in his commitment to Elijah, doggedly insisting, “No, I won’t stay behind. I’m going with you!” But shortly thereafter, Elisha failed to persevere when he was urged persistently, “till he was ashamed” by the “sons of the prophets who were at Jericho.” And that resulted in three days of fruitless searching for Elijah.
For as strong-willed as I am, I, too, can be swayed by peer pressure and make excuses that it’s “no big deal” to just go along with what others want. Reading today’s passage encouraged me to stand firm in my convictions, to ‘let my yes be yes and my no be no’.
Heavenly Father, please give me wisdom and patience in making decisions and give me strength to be like a solid rock that cannot be moved by the urging of men. Help me to cling to what is right and not be swayed by the opinions of others. I pray that I will be trustworthy and true, that my yes will be yes and my no will be no, for Your glory and honor. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Do you ever just feel like just a random cog in the vast machine of life? Do you ever feel like you’re nothing more than an inconsequential human being among billions of others?
Reading today about when King Ahab, dressed as a simple soldier rather than a king in an attempt to hide himself during battle, was struck down by an arrow launched by a random soldier that just so happened to strike him precisely between his armor and breastplate, reminded me again that God is in charge of our lives (1 Kings 22:34). God had ordained the number of King Ahab’s days. He couldn’t hide from God, and neither can we.
God knows precisely where you are, and he knows precisely what you’re thinking. He knows what you did yesterday, He knows what you will do today, and He is in control of what your day holds.
Does this thought scare you? Or comfort you?
Your answer will depend on two things: (1) the character of God and (2) your relationship with Him. Do you think God is harsh, cruel, distant, impotent, or uncaring? Or do you think He is loving, kind, patient, forgiving, and faithful? Do you think He loves you? Is He your all-powerful Shepherd and loving Father?
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your watchful care over Your creation. You see me. You know me. You know my thoughts and my way. You are always aware of me. I cannot escape from Your watchful care. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me. I know that You are good and that everything that You allow into my life is ultimately for my good and Your glory. Increase my faith, Father, that I might be able to give thanks in all circumstances and walk by faith all the days of my life. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, Lord, and Friend, I pray. Amen.
Do you ever feel like you’re the only one who is still pursuing God with your whole heart? Well, you’re not alone in those feelings. Elijah felt that way, too.
[Elijah] said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
1 Kings 19:14 ESV
The truth is that God preserved a remnant in Israel three thousand years ago and He has preserved a remnant today, too. Press on, friend, God is with you. Don’t lose heart. The Lord Almighty is on your side. And so are thousands of others around the globe.
Heavenly Father, I’m praying for my brothers and sisters around the world today who are despairing, feeling like they are the only ones holding fast to the hem of Your garment. Encourage them, Father. Strengthen them with Your Word and the comfort of Your Holy Spirit. Uphold them with Your righteous right hand and shelter them under Your wings. Please, Father, give them someone to fellowship with, a Christ-lover to walk with through the valleys and mountains of life. In the Name of Christ who sticks closer than a brother we pray. Amen.
I had my first boyfriend when I was 13. He was the first of a long string of boyfriends, one after the other. Each relationship’s ending simply caused me to look for a new boyfriend. Even after dating the same young man for 3.5 years in college, when we broke it off I was back on the prowl. I could never be content without someone to call mine, someone to make me feel valued. 🥺
In spite of all that brokenness, I never would’ve dreamed of having two boyfriends at once. If I became interested in someone else, I’d break it off with the first guy before pursuing the next. For some reason, that is what popped into my brain when I read Elijah’s words,
“How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
1 Kings 18:21 ESV
The Israelites wanted to worship both Baal and The Lord God Almighty. They wanted to play the field, to keep their options open. Aren’t we like that sometimes?
We don’t want to limit ourselves to a single-minded devotion to God and God alone. We turn to Facebook, food, friends, family, and fun to meet our needs and to make us happy. These things aren’t bad as long as they’re kept in their proper place, but when they’re competing with the Lord for our hearts, they’ve become idols.
Heavenly Father, You are our only hope. You are the One True God; all the other things that compete for our attention and allegiance are nothing more than lifeless idols. Forgive us, Lord. Show us Your power and might, that our hearts and lives would return to You, for You alone are worthy of our obedience and praise. In the Matchless Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Heavenly Father, please, increase my faith. Give me the faith of a mustard seed and then grow it. Multiply it. Make it spread and take over every aspect of my life. As I feed morning and evening, day after day, on Your Word, may it take root deep into my heart and bear the fruits of repentance and obedience and faith. I want to hear Your voice and obey. I want Your Spirit to guide me in what I say, what I do, and where I go. Make me Your faithful worker, a steadfast laborer in Your vineyard, for Your glory and fame. By the blood of Jesus Christ, poured out for me I pray. Amen.
In a perfect world, there would be no division. Everyone would live at peace; there would be peace with nature, peace with man, and peace with God. And that is how God created the world. Everything God had created had a purpose, and everything fulfilled its purpose. There was perfect unity between Adam and Eve. They were one flesh, both naked and unashamed. Yet, that crafty deceiver crept in and planted a seed of doubt in the woman’s mind, whispering to her that God was not good and that she would be happier if she disobeyed Him. Sin entered in, and that perfect peace came to an end. There was no longer unity between men, between men and nature, or even between men and God Himself.
A chasm had been formed that could only be crossed on the bridge of the blood of Christ.
Reading about the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, I was reminded of Christ’s words recorded in Luke 11:17, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.” Again and again, the Lord intervened to remove an evil king and establish a better one, but again and again sin prevailed and both Israel and Judah remained divided within and without. The horizontal relationship between men, as well as the vertical relationship with God, has been severed, and no human being, no matter how hard they try, can restore it.
As members of the human race, we long for peace. We long for peace within our families, and we long for peace between nations. We search high and low for that feeling of “shalom” in our hearts, but it is no where to be found.
It is only logical that there will be division in our earthly families and our earthly nations because our families and nations are made up of members of opposite teams. Like Cubs fans and Cardinals fans, we’re rooting for the opposite team to win. Truly, no one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). When you score a point for Satan’s team, you’re working against the Lord, and when you score for the Lord, you’re working against the evil one. I was reminded of Christ’s words in Luke 12:52-53 ESV — “For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” As much as I want there to be peace, I realize that is only possible when we’re playing on the same team and aiming at the same goal.
Heavenly Father, You are perfect. You dwell in perfect unity. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Three in one. I pray that Your body here on earth may we be one, even as You are one, so that the world may know that You, Father, sent Jesus Christ to save us and that You loved us even as You loved Him. (John 17:22-23) I pray that Your whole body will be joined and held together by every joint working properly, that the body may grow and built itself up in love (Ephesisans 4:16). I pray that every member of Your body will be bound together in perfect harmony as we love one another with the love that You first had for us (Colossians 3:14; 1 John 4:19) I pray that those who have a counterfeit faith will come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil so that they will hear on the last day, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” rather than, “I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness (2 Timothy 2:26; Matthew 25:21-23; Matthew 7:23). For Your glory and our good I pray in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.
What do you do when you find yourself in a pickle? Do you cry out to God for help? Do you beg Him for mercy? Do you plead for Him to save you?
I think many Americans run their lives on their own terms 95% of the year and then suddenly remember God when they find themselves in a jam, much like Jeroboam in 1 Kings 14.
As we read earlier in 1 Kings, Jeroboam had set up his own houses of worship complete with altars and golden calves in the Israelite cities of Bethel and Dan. And yet, when his own son, Abijah, became sick, where did Jeroboam turn? Did he send his wife to Bethel or Dan to inquire of those golden calves that he had erected? No, he didn’t. He sent her to Shiloh to inquire of the Lord’s prophet, Ahijah.
Is this genuine faith? No, it isn’t. Jeroboam’s faith is the faith of demons, not the faith of born-again believers.
Counterfeit faith says, “I know God is real, but I won’t submit my life to him.”
Friends, genuine faith will result in obedience, daily obedience. Genuine faith says, “God is real, so I want to live my life for Him.”
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! …
You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
James 2:19, 22-23 ESV
Do you have genuine faith? Or counterfeit faith?
Heavenly Father, You are the one true God. There are so many imposters, but You are the only One who is true. Search my heart and test me. Show me where I’ve fallen prey to the lies of the devil. Show me where I’m faking faith. Please don’t let me come to the day of judgment when my deeds will be laid bare and it will become clear that I was among those who never knew you. Do what You need to do to bring me into a right relationship with You. I want to know You more that I would love you more and walk in the daily obedience of faith. I pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb who died in my place, Amen.
Teach What is Good 
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