Proverbs 14:30 – “A tranquil heart is Life to the Body, but jealousy is rottenness to the bones.”

The Heart is one area that the Lord always addresses and seeks in us.  Jesus made it clear that it was out of the heart’s overflow that we express what is truly in it. When the Holy Spirit mentions a topic repeatedly, it is usually a reason to examine our hearts.  It is wise to ask that He shine His heavenly spotlight upon our lives and reveal the flaws and the pathway to being what and who He desires.  He has been doing that with me, and I am sharing this with you.

Once I have done that, I move to the second consideration, which is to seek to understand or see the larger reason the topic is being impressed upon my heart and mind. Is there a message for the Body of Christ?  Is there a message for my circle of friends? Is there something I am to do, write, or speak?

That which is in the heart (what we believe, who we are, etc.) is the basis for our thoughts, which are expressed in verbal expressions (words). That is interesting because that indicates that it has physical health effects and touches the marrow of the bones.

• Jealousy is not an emotion or expression that is limited to romantic relationships but touches all aspects of life. It is linked to envy and covetousness. Envy, jealousy, covetousness, bitterness, hate, unforgiveness, and anger are all destructive. They destroy spiritually, emotionally, socially, societally, economically, and physically.

• Bitterness has adverse effects on the body, and there is an indication that it is one of the root causes of arthritis. I did not say the only cause, but it can contribute. If that is accurate, we must rid ourselves of it and its destructiveness.

Proverbs 16:24 – “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

That is remarkably interesting!  Once again, the writer refers to the bones and how words affect them. Remember that words are expressions of thoughts verbalized, and thoughts originate in the heart. Remember the words of Jesus: It is not what goes into man’s mouth that defiles but what comes out.

Proverbs 17:22 – “A glad heart is a good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

Bones without marrow (dry) are both brittle and dead.  Hearts without the Spirit of God and the Love of God flowing inside are also dead.

It is God’s design and desire for us to walk in total freedom and live in the fullness of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, we must guard our hearts and calculate our words.  If our words and hearts match His Promises, we will see walls crumble and strongholds destroyed and live in the miraculous. I did not say that just saying something magically makes it happen, but our words are expressions of our spiritual and emotional condition. They impact our lives. If we agree with God, we will see what God promised.

I urge you to determine that you will consciously align your words with God’s Word and say what God says about everything, not what you feel or someone else says!  

May the Lord God of All Creation go with you today.  God be in peace, and know He is always there!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

I conducted an unscientific and meaningless poll about Monday a few years ago.  I was curious why Monday has such a bad reputation and is so despised by so many.  I discovered that it was not about Monday at all.  It was about the individual.  It was about personal preferences.  It was about having more leisure and feeling more in control.  Monday was simply a reminder of personal responsibility and obligations that required work.

That may not be the case for you, but it was for most of those I asked. As I contemplated the Monday hate, I was reminded of Psalm 118:24 –“This is the Day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  If we embrace that view, it is a bit inconsistent to hate Monday.

Now back to our devotional. Let’s glean some beautiful truth from Ecclesiastes 3.  Let the words “in its time” sink in. Everything may not seem beautiful at any given moment, but in God’s timing, it is!  We are not yet what we should be or could be, but in God’s time, if we keep pressing in, we will be!  Hallelujah!

The writer continues, saying, “He has also set eternity in our hearts…”  Think about that!  Each of us has eternity in our hearts, which is why we cannot escape the pricking of our consciences and the tugging to climb higher and be more than we are.  Eternity calls to our inner being, and we have an innate longing that can only be satisfied with God and His Love!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that there is a time and place for everything; believe God gives us choices – (Obey or disobey – Believe or disbelieve – Embrace or reject).

My heart’s cry is, “LORD, help me to have eyes to see the real, the eternal, that which is in You even if it is not visible on the Earth. Help me to embrace the idea and truth that what is in You, what was is in You, and what will be is in You!”

Remember, God is!  God was!  God will always be!  He wants to give us the kingdom.  For that to become a reality, we must believe that He is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  Therefore, we must stop asking Him to do what He has already done and start enforcing the Victory of Calvary.

If God is telling the truth, and He is, then our objective should be to abide in Jesus and have the Word of God abide in us. Then, we become who He says we are and have what He says we have. We move from begging to receiving and saying, Thank You! God is not reluctant to answer our prayers, but we are reluctant to believe we can receive what we do not deserve or earn.

Let me challenge you to decide today that you will believe the Bible no matter your current station in life.  Determine that you will believe His promises no matter how far from you they may seem. We must embrace the declaration of Acts 16:31 that we and our family will be saved. We need to receive the promise that if we train our children correctly, they will return to God. If we are sick, He is the healer. If we are bound, He is the deliverer. If we are lonely, He is the comforter. If we are needy, He is the provider. He is the Great I AM!

Maybe it is time to have a little talk with Jesus and bare our souls to Him, hear His response, and proceed along the path of His direction. We are not and will never be abandoned! As you go forth today, go with a heart overflowing with joy, love, and expectation! God is like a parent on Christmas morning, watching their children open the presents with joy and excitement. Jesus said that it gives the Father pleasure to give us the kingdom! Why not say thank you and tell the devil to go to… Well, you know! 

May the Lord’s peace, power, presence, protection, and provision be your guide today and every day!

Colossians 3:1-4 – “Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you died and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.”

Let us discuss the subject of “Focus.”  What we Focus on affects our faith and forms or transforms our life view. What we focus on is reflected in our words and actions.

If we focus on Jesus and His finished work on the Cross, our hearts sing with jubilation because we know He defeated the devil totally. We know He disarmed the powers of darkness and triumphed over them. We know He opened the door to salvation and victorious life in the present and eternity. We are Free! We are Victorious!

When difficulties arise, and problems abound, what do we instinctively do? Most would say, “I turn to the LORD.”  

• If that is true, then why do our words contain elements of fear or doubt?
• If that is true, why do we focus on the problem rather than the problem solver? 
• If that is true, then why do those difficulties occupy so much of our thinking?

What we focus on affects our faith and either builds or weakens it. If we focus on the problem rather than the promise and problem solver, we empower the problem. It is not mind over matter or simply speaking something that makes it happen—it is genuine, linking our hearts to His heart and allowing His faith to overflow in our hearts.      

Most believe that Jesus overcame the devil.  The question is, “Do we genuinely believe we have?”  If we are IN Him and He is abiding IN us, we have been granted authority over all the enemy’s power.  

I have discovered that when my focus is wrong, my speaking, thinking, and actions will also be wrong. I have found that when I speak to myself in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, making melody in my heart and focusing on Him, His Promises, Provisions, Person, and Power, my focus changes, and my faith is strengthened.  David encouraged himself in the LORD, and so should we.

I recommend that every day, you find a passage of scripture that contains a promise of God that addresses a need or condition in your life and meditate on it.  Once that promise takes root in your heart, you embrace it and instinctively trust that Word, add to it another and another until you have filled your heart and mind with Him!  If we are full of Jesus and our focus becomes God and His Word, we will find it easier to deal with difficulty. Our expectations will change, our faith will become solid, we will discover the ways of the Lord, and His guidance will become clear.

Make a conscious decision today to rejoice regardless!  Decide to be joyful when all is well and when nothing is well.  But, in Everything, Give Thanks! Commit to making Jesus your focus!  You will be amazed how difficult it becomes to doubt as you behold Him in your heart! As you see the Finished Work of the Cross, you will find it impossible to doubt. We take our burdens to the altar and pray, then pick them up and go out into the day. STOP IT! Leave it there!

May the Lord of Hosts guard and guide you throughout this day!

Romans 8:37-39 – “ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

How we think about things matters and affects every aspect of our lives.  Our mindset can be fixated on the present and dominated by the past, causing us to live with a life view that is more wishful than expectant.  The other option is to live with a mindset that embraces the eternality of the present because we are IN Christ, and He is IN us. We are one with Him, and through His Victory, we are victorious.

If we make God out there, over there, or up there, we will struggle with many things in the Bible. However, if we can embrace the reality that as a believer, God is not out there, over there, or up there, He is IN us! We are to live the Life of Christ being lived in and through us. We have the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us. We are Victorious! That is what God says!

If we relegate God’s Promises, Power, and Miracles to the past, we rob ourselves of many precious promises and provisions of God’s Covenant. If we think we can only be victorious when we get to heaven, we miss the rich potential of this life. God has given us weapons of warfare and the armor of God so that we can walk victoriously and enforce the Victory of Calvary. He is the same, past, present, and future, and His Word never fails!

We need to change our mindset. We need to stop thinking theologically or theoretically and start thinking eternally. What does that mean? 

• It means seeing Jesus’s Full Victory as our present promise and hope.
• It means seeing ourselves as being IN Him and He IN us.
• It means seeing ourselves as abiding in Him and His Words abiding in us. See ourselves as One with Him!

We need to stop viewing life through human frailty and view it through God’s limitlessness. What is it that God cannot do? He cannot and will not Lie, Die, or Fail, but there is Nothing He cannot do outside of that. He also said that because we are in Him and believe, there is Nothing impossible for us. Therefore, stop thinking carnally, naturally, or theoretically and start thinking the way God thinks.  

I ask that you pray this prayer: “Father, give me the vision to see, faith to believe, and the courage to do what You have directed and desire in me.  Amen!”

Have a fantastic day, and walk into the richness of God’s provisions, purpose, and power!

Lamentations 3:22-23 – “The lovingkindness of Yahweh indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

What truth, promise, and hope that passage affords.  We need encouragement as we near the End and the Coming of Jesus. 

Isaiah 24:11 – “There is an outcry in the streets concerning the wine; All gladness turns to gloom. The joy of the earth is taken away into exile.”

In these verses, we have both a warning and a promise of encouragement. You may say, “That is not a very good or encouraging word.”  Maybe not on the surface, but the prophet spoke of the growing evil and destruction in the world.  He told the people of God to enter their rooms and close the door for a time.  Does that sound familiar?  Remember what Jesus said about prayer?  Enter your closet (room) and pray!

The prophet declared that God would visit the iniquity (judge) of the earth’s inhabitants and expose the corruption. He gave a powerful word of hope and promise.  Isaiah 26:3 – “The steadfast of mind, You will keep in perfect peace BECAUSE they trust in You!” The way of the righteous is upright, and He makes their paths level.

Remember the old song that contained the words, “Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear. Evil is abounding on every hand…”  For the believer, we have the promise of peace and protection.

There is a limitless condition in which we can live: abiding in the vine. Jesus said in Luke 15:7, “IF you abide in Me, AND My words abide in you, ask WHATEVER you wish, AND it will be done for you.” Done for, not just given to. God will be an active player in the process. He will do it. That means we just believe and receive. Do not muddy the stream trying to do His part.

In Luke 16, Jesus said that Luke 15 was given to keep us from stumbling. Given to provide us with a steadfast mind by which we are kept in Perfect Peace!

Several thoughts:

• Focus on God, not the conditions around us.
• Engage in hopeful intercession, not fretful pleading.
• Know that in order for a fruit tree to bear fruit and the most fruit possible, it has to be properly pruned.

Pruning means cutting away all the useless and unnecessary things. Then we produce fruit prolifically. Dark times are coming and, in a measure, already are here. Evil will become even more evil, but those abiding in the Vine with steadfast minds will be Kept! Have No Fear!

Our call is to trust and pray. The promise is peace and protection. We have hope even in times of hopelessness. We have peace in the midst of storms. We are steadfast, and that assures us of His peace, power, and protection. Today, we have Hope because we are IN Him, and through Him, we are more than conquerors. Do not fear what is coming or what you see, but rather Look to Him at All times and In All Things.

Therefore, I challenge you to begin seeing yourself as God sees you, Victorious! Then, you will see God’s goodness in your situation and walk in perfect peace.

May the LORD of Hosts guard, guide, and provide for you today and every day!

Acts 13:52 – “And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”  LSB

The word today is “Continually.”  The disciples were continually unceasingly filled.  This speaks of a state of mind and condition.

The order of how these are listed is interesting.  Joy is listed first.  They were continually filled with Joy!  Joy is an emotion and contains the expectation and anticipation of gaining an earthly possession or experiencing something.

It is a condition void of despair, doubt, fear, or hopelessness. It is infectious and becomes a doorway for entrance into God’s presence. We enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise. The Joy of the LORD is our strength.

Being continually full of joy, their hearts and heads were prime receptors for the continual flow of the Holy Spirit. Some have occasional moments of Joy but not continual Joy. Many have occasional infillings of the Holy Spirit but are not continually filled.

We seem to marvel and almost fictionalize the New Testament Book of Acts Church with zero expectation that we, too, can have that presence, power, and result. We can have what that had IF...The “If” is the clincher. If we become as they were, we will see what they saw. 

• Their focus was continually on God.
• They continually meditated on God’s word.
• They were in a continual mindset of prayer.
• They were 100% committed to Him and His purposes.

They knew persecution, difficulty, and tests would come, but they were continuously filled with Joy and the Holy Spirit. Part-time Christianity held no appeal for them. They had jobs, duties, families, and obligations, but God was their First and Primary focus. The result—they lived in a state of overflowing Joy and the overflowing presence of the Holy Spirit.

They feared nothing, expected God to fulfill His Word, and knew they were More than Conquerors through and in Jesus. Their key to victory is embodied in the word “Continually.” They continually sought God, rejoiced, received, and expected to hear and see God daily. Too often, we are okay with part-time Christianity, occasional JOY, and infrequent outpourings of the Holy Spirit.

Let us decide to go All-In for Jesus.  When we do that, we will begin to see what they saw, experience what they experienced, and do what they did.  Today, make the decision that you are All In and watch the flow of Joy and the Holy Spirit completely change your world.

May the Grace of God guard you and the Peace of God lead you from victory to victory!

Jeremiah 17:15 – “Behold, they keep saying to me, “Where is the word of Yahweh?  Let it come now!”

Rejoice; this is the Day the Lord has made, and we have an endless number of reasons to rejoice!  I have attained the age chronologically where family is foremost, second only to the Person and Purposes of God. I pray that today will be a day of revelation, purpose, productivity, and peace for each of you, my friends.

The text resonates powerfully with me and many today: “Where is the word of Yahweh? Let it come now!”  Have you ever cried that prayer?  Many of us have and are praying for it now.

The people of Jeremiah’s day were troubled and even fearful as they asked about the word of the Lord.   Jeremiah was troubled in his heart.  As we reread the previous chapters, we discover that Jeremiah had declared that God had said, “My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes.”  He had declared that God declared that He (God) would cause them to Know His Power and Might. They would know His name – YAHWEH, in its fullness.

The prophet warned against following their own human hearts, minds, and desires. They were to reject a mixed or divided heart and trust God completely. That is His word to us today, too! Yet, they were clamoring about seeking to know the Word of the Lord!

In Jeremiah 21:8, the prophet spoke from God’s heart: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.” God had placed two doors in front of them (choice). The choice is between what we want and what God wants; if there is a conflict between the two, one leads to life and the other to death. We sometimes confuse or mix our desires with His and make that mixture the purpose of God, failing to achieve His purposes and enjoy His abundant provisions.

In Acts 28, the apostle Paul quoted Isaiah and declared that it is possible to hear, not hear, see, and not see and become so filled without mixed or divided minds that we hear and see but do not understand. We become spiritually blind, and that leads to death. Understanding results in the heart becoming enlightened and returning to God fully. That produces healing for the whole person, body, soul, and spirit.

Where is the Word of the LORD?  It is in our hearts, minds, and mouths, in our circumstances, in our yearnings, and in our total surrender to His purposes.

It would behoove us to remember that God is not taking something from us when we give up something to seek Him first and foremost.  He gives us more! But it is more that is rooted in and devoted to Him.  He must be First, Second, Third, etc.  If He is First, what we call second becomes a part of Who He is and becomes better than we could make it.

The Word of God today is – “Come unto Me and rest. Seek FIRST the Kingdom and His Righteousness; THEN all will be supplied.”  So, I ask, “What is the Word of the LORD?”    He is Lord!

I encourage you to purpose in your heart to allow Him to be Lord of All, and He will lead you to the highest and best. You will lack nothing because He is everything! What a Life He is offering, and that life is yours! Hallelujah!

Pray this prayer: “Father, help me become one with You just as You and Jesus are.  Help me to surrender my heart fully so that You are LORD OF ALL in my life!  Please make this a day of incredible victory for me.  Amen!”

May you enjoy the wonderful presence of the LORD today in your walk with Him!

Romans 5:1-5 – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we boast in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not put to shame, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

A typical day for me begins with waking up, getting dressed, making a cup of coffee, taking my Bible, and spending time sipping or gulping my coffee, reading, and praying.  In that alone time with the Word and the LORD, I find my inspiration for the day and frequently my instructions. I cherish that time and protect it.

When my day is to begin extra early, with other duties or needs, I rise a bit earlier to ensure that my morning routine is kept intact and my time with the Word and the LORD protected.  I remember the Words of Jesus, “Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” I receive that as my directive. I have learned the truth of that statement and the value of hearing from God daily through His Word and Spirit.

The reality that Peace with God is achieved through Faith and Obedience is uplifting and encouraging. Paul said something very interesting in that verse: “Through whom (Jesus) have we obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand…” Wow!

Consider some words and thoughts that are important:

• Introduction. If you are introduced to something or someone, does that mean you have a thorough knowledge of them or it? An introduction is a door or entryway, not the finished product. It is the beginning. This grace into which we have been introduced through faith and the new birth is Amazing and introduces us to the process of growing from grace to grace and glory to glory. God desires maturity in Him in us so that we can not only navigate life’s events but also help us.

• Difficulties and trials come to every believer, and rather than mumbling and grumbling about our lot in life and having a why me attitude, we should reread Romans 5:1-5. The difficulties of life bring about perseverance.

• Perseverance, Proven Character, and Hope.  Perseverance is learned through experience. Perseverance brings about proven character, and proven character produces Hope!

That is incredible! Hope does not allow shame to grip us because the Love of God is poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

The Christian Life is not a life without problems, but it is a life of victory and transformation. We are not to desire trouble, but when it comes, rather than lamenting it, we should use God’s promises to learn how to walk victoriously in and out of it. We are more than conquerors through Jesus!

The Bible teaches that all who live godly in Christ Jesus will experience tribulation, trials, and difficulties. That fiery trial is not to punish us but to enable us to grow, and as we learn to walk victoriously through it all, God empowers us with His Spirit. We can then set captives free and exercise authority over all the power of darkness.

Today, rather than grumbling about problems, rejoice that God is God, and through Jesus, you are more than a conqueror! Today is your day to rejoice and take another step toward spiritual maturity that enables you to walk in the fullness of Kingdom Victory! This is the day the Lord has made, and we are His and Joint Heirs with Jesus, so it is our day – Why Not Begin to Rejoice?  

May God’s Grace and Peace Guard you today and every day!

Romans 8:1 – “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Life is a fleeting thing, and the brevity of human life is never more at the forefront of our minds than when someone we know and love crosses over to the other side.  Our mortality becomes an unavoidable reality, and we think, or should, about life and eternity.

Many people live in turmoil because they face the dilemma Paul addressed in Romans 6 and 7.  They realize that in their mind and hearts, they love God and want always to do what is right, but there are times when their flesh does things that directly violate what they believe is right and good. They lament, I want to do better, so I am a terrible person, and God could never love me; I am so sinful. They allow the devil to shipwreck their faith and live in condemnation.

We are three-part beings: Spirit, Soul, and Body. God transforms us in our Spirit, and we express ourselves through our Soul (mind, will, and emotions) and live in a house of clay our Bodies.  Our bodies will die, but our spirits will live forever!  We are imperfect and have not attained spiritual perfection, but we are or should be pressing toward that goal.  With the help of the Holy Spirit and by the Grace of God, we are being transformed into His Image and moving from glory to glory.  We are not yet what we shall be, but we are not what we once were.

Romans 8:1 gives hope and comfort if we can and will receive it. Therefore, it links back to the previous verses in Chapter 7 and reminds us that Condemnation is not part of our inheritance. We are not defined by our mistakes and shortcomings but by our Faith in Jesus and our surrender of our hearts to Him. We are all flawed vessels, but through the Blood of Jesus, we are New Creations and growing in Grace! Hallelujah!

We must become able to see ourselves as transformed and rejoice in our Hearts!   We must refuse to allow actions or mistakes of the flesh to become the qualifier for receiving from God. You cannot earn favor; it is by Grace, not Works!

Therefore, since we cannot earn it and it is a Gift by Grace from God, learn to live with the expectation that He will do what He said and give you His best even if you are not your best!  His Love for you covers a multitude of sins.

Today would be a great day to declare – I am Saved, Being Saved, and will be Saved!  I am the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, and I Overwhelmingly Conquer Through Him! That is Who I am, and Who I am is not defined by my flesh but by my spirit!

I ask that you pray this prayer: “Father, help each of me to trust You to enable us to overcome the temptations of the flesh and become who You designed me to be. Help me reject condemnation and run to Your Light and Love! It is Christ IN me that is my Hope! It is Christ THROUGH me that is my expression of life. It is Christ WITH me that enables us to be overcomers! Thank you, Father!  I receive it from you.  Amen!”

May today be filled with God’s goodness and peace!

Jeremiah 51:15 – “It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom, and by His understanding, He stretched out the heavens.”

The prophet reminds us that the Living God, our God, is the Creator of all things!  The consciousness of God’s immensity looms large as we read this.  His incredibly deep love explodes before us, and His peace wraps around us like a glove. God desires that we understand our responsibility to Him, ourselves, and others. Most believers realize that we have a responsibility to God, and many understand that we have a responsibility to ourselves. But what about our responsibility to others? Often, that idea is absent.

We reflect on our hurts and wounds and say, “Wait a minute, God, don’t You know what they did to me? Don’t You know how they are living?  Don’t You know that they keep making the same irreligious mistakes?”  In that mindset, it is difficult to grasp and embrace our responsibility to others.  We ask, what is our responsibility to others?

Jeremiah 51:15 reminds us that God is the Creator of Everything! He has All Power and Wisdom. In Jeremiah 51:36, we discover that God has committed Himself to plead our case, and when retribution is proper, He exacts vengeance—We Do Not, or We Are Not to Do That! Yet, try; we will, and sometimes it feels so good, or we think it does. Momentary gratification is not victory!

Romans Chapters 12-15 consistently teach us that the spiritually strong are to care for the spiritually weak. This is taxing and requires more effort, compassion, and patience than most have learned. In Romans 12, we are informed that we belong to God totally! We have a gift or gifts to be used to bring peace and nurture those in the faith. In Romans 12:18, “If POSSIBLE, (big word), so far as depends on you, be at peace with everyone.”   Wow!   That is a tall order, God!

Romans 13:10 reminds us that love does not do evil against others. Our love for God allows us to love ourselves rightly, which is translated into loving the unlovable and the loveable. Difficult order? Absolutely! But it is God’s directive and is not to be manufactured or pretended, but an outflow of the Love that is IN us!

Romans 14:1 directs us to accept the one who is weak in the faith, not judge them or look down on them as lesser than us. Remember, we were weak and are still in some areas. We live for, in, and through Jesus! In that light, we live for others and are our brother’s keeper.

Romans 15:1 – “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weakness of those without strength and not just to please ourselves.” It is not about us! Romans 15:7 tells us to accept one another JUST AS Jesus accepted us. Be careful accepting someone is not to be viewed as endorsing or condoning wickedness. We are to pray for love and provide godly examples rather than spewing forth condemnation and judgment. We are not God! We also have flaws!

Romans 16:17-20 gives us a powerful and revelatory directive and explanation. A professing Christian who causes division and dissension is to be noted. They cause others to stumble and wage war against the unity of the Body of Christ. We Never embrace or enable Evil, but we do love and pursue peace (God’s Peace, not just the absence of conflict.)

When we focus on our responsibility to God and get that in order, to ourselves, and in harmony with God’s Word, we can respond to others JUST AS Jesus… When we do that, we discover the fulfillment of the promise in Romans 16:20: the God of peace will bruise satan under our feet! Peace will come to our house (ourselves and our homes, businesses, and churches.)

How do we do this?

• The first step is to get a right view of God.
• The second is to develop a right view of our purpose, who we are, and how we are to live and think.
• Third is others – We are to strengthen the weak, encourage everyone, and demonstrate the Love of God.

I ask that you pray this prayer with me:  “Father, help me prioritize rightly and relate to others biblically and godly. Transform me into manifestations and demonstrations of Jesus. I give myself to You. Make today the beginning of a new journey that produces Your Peace and Power.  Please help me remember that no weapon formed against me can prosper, and no stronghold can remain. I bow to You and set my heart on You and being Who You said I am – An Overcomer!  Amen!”

May the Lord guide your footsteps as you embark on today’s victorious journey of faith!