“But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14 HCSB
As we consider Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we should be greatly humbled. Today, as we come to Him in prayer, we should do so in a spirit of humble devotion. Christ humbled Himself on a cross for us. He shed His blood, for us. He has offered to walk with us through this life and throughout all eternity. As we approach Him today in prayer, think about His sacrifice and His grace, and be humble. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6
In truth, God is always close to us when we genuinely seek after Him! The real problem is, we drift away from God, we lose interest in God, and we leave God’s presence. As a child, we long to know Him, as a tender Father knows his child. We have to seek His nearness to know His presence. Let’s seek God and receive His grace and His help while we recognize He alone is the one who truly saves Us! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! Praise be to the Lord for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.” Psalm 28:6-7
Despite the cynicism of our age, God can still perform miracles! Every time someone is healed in answer to prayer, God has performed a miracle! Every time we experience peace in our hearts after a time of tension and suffering, or when our grief finally becomes bearable, a miracle has occurred! We can hand our problems over to God in prayer today and wait on Him in faith. If there is something we need to do, do it without delay. We will not let despair overwhelm us. In the right time and in the right way, God will answer our prayers and we will be astounded by the results! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.” -
True prayer is to personally experience the presence of the living Christ in our quiet times and throughout the day. It is the joyous assurance the Lord keeps His promises and He lives in us and we in Him. Such prayer becomes a faith exercise which teaches us, as we lay our requests before Him, He will give us what we need according to His wisdom, and we will recognize and accept His answers! In His Love, Do All You Can, While You Can, As Long As You Can, To All You Can….Have a Beautifully Blessed Day! “So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.” Psalm 58:11
Serving God isn’t easy. You’ll encounter trouble from the strangest places. You’ll try to help people and others will criticize what you’re doing. You’ll work long years trying to make a difference, but you won’t see the outcome you expected. Serving God is difficult, but it’s wholeheartedly worth it. There is a great reward for those who do God’s work on earth. Not only is He pleased while you’re obeying Him, but you will see the fruit of your labor in heaven. All the love you pour out will generate unimaginably wonderful results in His kingdom! So have faith and keep serving Him! Live in Your God-given Blessings Today “Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.” Romans 6:4
God’s Word is clear; when we welcome Christ into our hearts, an old life ends and a new way of living, along with a completely new way of viewing the world, begins. Each morning offers a fresh opportunity to invite Christ to rule over our hearts and days. Each morning presents another opportunity to take up His cross and follow in His footsteps. Today rejoice in the new life that is ours through Christ, and follow Him, step by step on the path that He first walked. “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.” Colossians 1:3
As believing Christians, we are blessed beyond measure. God sent His only Son to die for our sins. God has given us the priceless gifts of eternal love and eternal life. We, in turn, are instructed to approach our Father with reverence and thanksgiving. When we slow down from our busy schedules and express our gratitude to the One who made us, we enrich our own lives and the lives of those around us. God has blessed us beyond measure, and we owe Him everything, including our eternal praise. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty…The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness.” Psalm 29:4, 8
At the sound of His voice, the winds and the waves obey and calm down. At His command, the rains fall or the rivers recede. He opened His mouth and the stars appeared, and the entire universe with them. When God speaks, all of creation responds and trembles. His word is powerful, it’s the foundation for everything that exists. Listen to Him and don’t be afraid when His voice shakes you. Embrace His message because He’s creating things for you that are better than you can imagine. “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” James 4:14
The average life span may be 75 to 80 years, but who can say that you or I have that long? We may have less than two years or, for that matter, less than two weeks. Since this is true, let’s do our best to make the time we have count. Rather than live with reluctance, let’s live with exuberance. Instead of fearing what’s ahead, let’s face it head on with enthusiasm And because life is so terribly short, let’s do everything we can to make it sweet. “If God is for us, who is against us.” Romans 8:31
I’m comforted when I realize that God is in sovereign control of all of life. He not only knows the times and the seasons; He is also Lord of the unexpected and the unpredictable. Our times and our trials are in His hands. Even when we feel embarrassed or confused or do something really weird. Whether we are on cloud nine, enjoying His blessings, or caught in the thicket of some tangled predicament, He hasn’t let us go. By His grace, He remains “for us.” |
Pastor Derrick RichardsonPastor of Community Abundant Life Church Archives
June 2022
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