Day 109  Love Isn’t Always “Me First”

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 (The Message)

   Love never gives up.
   Love cares more for others than for self.
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
   Love doesn't strut,
   Doesn't have a swelled head,
   Doesn't force itself on others,
   Isn't always "me first,"  

Oh my!!  Does the Bible really get that specific??  Take a minute and read the lines slowly, thinking about what you are reading.  That’s quite a list and I don’t know about you, but I have a lot to work on!!

Even if we are in a place of leadership like being a parent or a group leader of some organization, and have to administer tough love, we are always to do it to benefit the person.  As a parent, we still believe the best for our children.  As a group leader, our prayer should be that the person would learn from this experience so his or her life will be more productive.  If we find ourselves still “crucifying” them in our thoughts and comments, it is not the love of God operating in us.

Now in regards to the line which says, “(Love) isn’t always “me first.”  Several years back I had to listen to my own voice talking all about me.  When I heard it for the first time,  I was mortified!!  Did I really sound so self absorbed??  I was so astounded that I went to God right away and asked His forgiveness.  In doing so, God helped me to see others and their needs more clearly.

GPS  (Directions)

·         Go through each line of our verse and think about your life and how it aligns with what God is saying.

·         Ask yourself if you have ever given up on someone…..ever thrown them in the “trash heap” because they frustrated you or done something to you.  Write in your journal.

·         Evaluate the areas where you “think of yourself more highly than you ought.”  (Romans 12:3)

·         Take several days if necessary, to think on these things.

Prayer Focus:

As God begins to reveal those “self” areas to you, ask Him to forgive you.  Then let it go and don’t dwell on it because God is quick to forgive us and we know when He forgives, He forgets.

 (Read Ephesians 4:31, Colossians 3:12 and Psalms 103:12) 

Perhaps it is time to do a spiritual “housecleaning.”  That always feels good when it is done!!

I would love to hear from you today.  Feel free to post a comment on something I have written over the last few days!

God bless your day!

Karol

Day 108   I’m Bankrupt Without Love

1 Corinthians 13:2-7 (The Message)

If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

This makes me want to fall to my knees and say, “Teach me to love, God!”  Nothing means nothing!!  If I can’t love, I am nothing!!

Sometimes we are afraid to love because that means we will have to invest ourselves in someone else’s life.   What if we have been disappointed before?  We put ourselves out there and it backfired.  They ended up disliking us and worse than that, talking against us to others.

In typing this I am thinking,  “How trivial!”  Jesus loved and put Himself out there and look what they did to Him!  That makes my little “betrayal” look pretty pitiful.

In the above verse, we are called to overcome our flesh and love those God puts us in touch with.  As we see the people through the eyes of Jesus, we can love.

Galatians 5:22 (New International Version, ©2011)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

As Christians we should be producing the fruit of love.  People need to know that they are loved so they can receive the love of the Father.  We are to reach out to them and put them in touch with the Father’s love.  That’s our purpose in life.

God wants us to bear fruit.  We are carriers of the love of God in this earth.  That means we need to get rid of our “self” so that we have the room to carry His love.

GPS  (Directions)

·         For the next 24 hours take note of the times when “self” in you rises to the top and takes precedence over your thoughts, behavior and choices.

·         When thoughts of “self” do surface, surrender them before God and think about what your purpose is in that particular situation.

·         Write in your journal those choices that you ended up making in each situation.  In doing so, you will find that you are training yourself in “selflessness.”  You will then have more capacity to carry the love of God to those who so desperately need it.

Prayer Focus:

Father, show me those areas where I put myself, my thoughts and my will before Yours.  Forgive me for those times, Lord, and help me to be more sensitive to what You want me to do in each circumstance.

Day 107   We Are God’s Own Handiwork

Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified Bible)

For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

The Bible tells us in the above verse that God designed us for a specific plan.  Like we said on Day 106, we were born at this particular time, live in this particular place, work at this particular job, etc. so we can share the love of God with the people there.  For example:  I live at this address so I can fellowship with my neighbors.  My prayer is that God would make my life a testimony of His goodness and His greatness.

In the foundation of all of our “doing,” we must have love.  Here’s what the Bible says about love:

1 Corinthians 13

The Way of Love

 ¹ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

I don’t want to sound like “rusty gate,” do you??  “Teach us how to love like You love, God.”

Not only did He design for us to be where we are at this particular time, He also gave us our personalities and our unique ways of relating to the people around us.  The Bible says, “We are God’s own handiwork.”  We are uniquely designed by God Himself.

Ephesians 2:10 goes on to say that in walking out God’s plan for our lives, we will be “living the good life.”  For Christians that is the satisfaction that we are doing the work of God with the ability He has given us.  In doing so, we are fulfilling God’s plan and purpose for us.  And oh what joy that brings.  That is the Christian’s definition of “the good life.”

GPS  (Directions)

·         What do these scriptures mean to you?

I Corinthians 12:15

Ephesians 4:1

Ephesians 5:2

Prayer Focus:

Ask God to make your life a testimony of His goodness and greatness.  Ask Him to give you warning signs should you deviate from the love walk.  If you should leave the path of love, ask God to forgive you because He surely will.  We are all learning how to love like He loves and we are not perfect.

Day 106  Single-Mindedly Serve Christ

Romans 14:17-18 (The Message)

God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.

What does it mean to “single-mindedly serve Christ?” Before we surrender our lives to Christ, we are pretty much serving ourselves.  Everything is all about us…..what people have done to us, withheld from us, said about us……etc.  When we make Jesus our Lord then it’s no longer about us, but it’s about how we can be a blessing in the kingdom of God. 

At first we think maybe we can hold on to some of our “old stuff,” like bad habits, wrong attitudes, wrong patterns of thinking and behavior.  The truth of the matter is----we can’t.  We can’t excuse our way into a place of compromise.  In doing so confusion sets in and then it’s impossible to have the mind of Christ.  If we don’t have His mind, we’ll want to shrink back into serving ourselves once again.

The ways of God’s kingdom are far different than the ways of our present world.  As we learn God’s ways, He will show us how to walk them out in our existing environments.  He is aware of where we live and He knows just how He wants us to live so that many will see our love for Him and for people and be drawn to Christ themselves.

God knows what family we are in, where we work and fellowship and what territory we reside in.  We are there because God wants to use us there.  Our first instruction is to pray and ask God to remove the “self” from our lives, and then to pray for those around us so that we will know how to share His love with them.  When we are doing that, we will be serving Christ “single-mindedly.”

GPS  (Directions)

·         Spend some time thinking how you can put these scriptures into practice in your life.

Ephesians 4:23  Amplified Bible

Romans 12:2

Ephesians 6:7 NIV

Note:  If there is not a version listed after the reference (for example:  NIV) then use the version of your choice.  If there is a version listed (for example: Amplified) and you don’t have it, go to http://www.biblegateway.com/   You will find your study more meaningful as you go to the specified version.

Prayer Focus:

Ask God how to make more room for Him in your daily life.  Rearrange things in your life so that you have time to meet with Him each day.  Ask God to equip you to serve Him in all that you say and all that you do.

If you are joining me for the first time, I encourage you to go to Day 1 in the Archives.  We are on a spiritual "journey" and all journeys begin at a starting point.  My prayer is that you will enJOY the ride!!

In the meantime, if you have not met Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, this is your time.  Continue reading......

How To Receive Jesus Christ As Savior

Maybe you are thinking, “I don’t feel like I am a part of this.  It’s like I am outside looking in.”  I want you to know that Jesus’ arms are wide open to you.  They were opened at the cross because of His overwhelming love for you.  (John 3:16)   Right now He is calling you unto Himself.  He knows that you are not perfect.  You don’t have to be to come to Him.  That’s why He went to the cross in the first place---for your sins.  Yes, for the sins of the whole world, but personally for your sins.  You can come into His outstretched arms and find rest for your soul.  You can put your head upon His chest and hear the beating of His heart of love for you.

We’ve all sinned and He died for all of us.  Some of us come to Him and some do not.  This is your time to come!!  You are not reading this by accident.  God is calling you to come right now!

Take a few minutes and meet Him at these verses below.  Let Him speak to you through them.

We are all sinners:

Romans 3: 10, 23,    Romans 5:8,     Romans 6:23

We can ask God to forgive us:

Romans 10:13,    Acts 3: 19

We can put out trust in Jesus and become His child.

John 1:12

We can confess that Jesus is our Lord:

Romans 10: 9-10

As you ask forgiveness of your sins and express your desire to live for Him, you will enter the family of God and never feel on the outside again!!

It’s time to pray.  Let me help you.

Prayer:

Father, I understand that Jesus Christ went to the cross and shed His blood for me.  I also understand by the scriptures that I am a sinner.  Jesus, forgive me for all my sins.

 (Let them come to mind.  Then see yourself giving them to Him.  As soon as they are in His hands, they disappear forever!!  Amazing!!)

 Be my Lord and my Savior.  I commit my whole life into Your capable hands.  Father, help me to hear Your instruction and direction,  and help me to live for You all the days of my life.  Thank You.  Amen.

Day 104 and 105

These last five days we have been studying the very closeness of God.  We can live our entire lives and not ever experience this closeness with God.  We can attend church every time the doors are open and miss the very presence of God.

Here’s a review of the last five days in a nutshell:

·         I won’t leave you  (Genesis 28:15)

·         I’ll keep every promise that I have ever made to you  (Genesis 28: 15)

·         Not one word will be left out  (I Kings 8: 56)

·         I’ll watch over you wherever you go  (Genesis 28:15)

·         I want you to know the truth about Me (John 8:32)

·         I want that truth to set you free (John 8:32)

·         You can come near to Me  (Hebrews 4: 16)

·         I want you to understand My mercy and My grace  (Hebrews 4:16)

·         I want you to pass this grace on to everyone you see and to encourage their hearts with My love  (Acts 11:23)

When we have been with Jesus, it is recognizable:

Acts 4:13 (New International Version, ©2011)

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

The grace of God is evident.  Others will see God at work in our lives:

1 Timothy 1:14 (New International Version, ©2011)

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Prayer Focus:

Use this time to talk with God about His abundant grace poured out in your life.

Day 103  Encourage One Another

Acts 11:23 (New International Version, ©2011)

When he (Barnabas) arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Men from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.  The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.  (Vs. 20-21)

The grace of God was on these men giving them the confidence to share the Gospel with those who did not believe.  The result:  “A great number were brought to the Lord.”  (Vs. 23)

God wants us to continually have a testimony of His goodness and His greatness on our lips.  Those who are hurting and confused and feel like they are down and out need to hear about a God who cares and who wants to help.  The best way to encourage someone else is by sharing what God has done for you.

Each morning you can go into the Throne Room and get your supply for anything that will surface for your day.  In doing so, you become a carrier – not only of your supply but enough to supply to others.  That is true encouragement!

Barnabas’ very name meant “encourager.”  Hmmmmm……I wonder what my name means??  What do I have the reputation for??  Complaining …..whining….shrinking in fear….. emotionally out of control…. Depressed…… weak???  Or am I a person who is comfortable in the awesome presence of God, who encourages herself and has plenty left over to encourage others?  Doesn’t that just make you want to continue these “meetings with God” every day??

GPS  (Directions)

·         Look up these scriptures and make some quality decisions about your own life.  Write your thoughts in your journal.

Romans 1:12

Romans 15:5

Philippians 2:1-4

Prayer Focus:

If you need encouragement today, go directly to God and ask for His help.  Then thank Him that He knows your name and He recognizes you, welcomes you and gives you what you need—with plenty left to give to someone else!

Day 102  Approaching His Throne

Hebrews 4:16 (New International Version, ©2011)

¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Can you imagine—approaching the throne of God??  The Bible says that we can do that without fear because we are not being judged for our sins.  When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we were stamped “RIGHTEOUS.”  That’s why they call it “amazing grace!!”

In these daily “meetings with God” hopefully you are becoming comfortable in the presence of God.  No matter what comes up in your day or in your life, you can say, “God, what’s up with this?”  God then will clarify things for you and give you instructions and direction.  Amazing!

Paul was a notorious hater of Christians and thought his calling in life was to take them prisoner.   We read in Acts 9:3 that Jesus confronted Paul as he was out to round up some more Christians.  In a moment of time Paul’s whole life changed and in just three days time Paul was out spreading the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.   

In verse 15 it says, “….This man (Paul) is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”

Talk about forgiven….talk about amazing grace!!  God chose a notorious sinner to be his spokesman for the Good News of Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 3: 8 Paul says, “Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given to me…”

Wow!  Do we really understand the grace of God??  Its grace that removed the filth of our sins from us and stamped us with the word “righteous” and then gave us a personal invitation to spend time with Him in His throne room so that we can serve Him with our whole hearts.

GPS  (Directions)

·         If you want to truly understand the grace of God that invites you to be up close and personal with Him, read the book of Ephesians.

Start with these scriptures:

Ephesians 1:7

Ephesians 2:7

Ephesians 3:12

Prayer Focus:

Thank Him for what He accomplished for you at the cross.  Thank Him that you’ll never have to spend another day alone----lonely, confused, disillusioned, but that you can meet with Him and find direction for your life.

Day 101  You Shall Know The Truth

John 8:32 (New International Version, ©2011)

 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The word “know” is of great significance to us.  To “know” someone or something means to “become intimately acquainted with.”

Look what Mary says in--

Luke 1:34 (King James Version)

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

It’s not that Mary did not know a man because of course she did.  She knew her neighbor, her cousin’s husband, her dad, etc. It meant that she did not have an intimate relationship with a man. 

We can have an intimate relationship with God so that when He tells us something, we know and understand.  We then become intimately acquainted with the truth He is telling us.  It becomes precious and it takes root in our souls—our thoughts, our emotions and our choices.  Everything revolves around this truth.

It’s because of the cross that we can come close to God.  Jesus made that possible for us.  Without the death of Jesus on the cross, we would still be bringing our blood sacrifice before God once a year and begging Him to forgive our sins.  I am so glad that part is over!!

I can hardly comprehend the love God has for us in that He assigned the cross to Jesus on our behalf.  That was His very own son He sent into this incomprehensible suffering and He did it out of His love for us when we didn’t even care.   He did it anyway because He knew eventually we would come to Him.

He not only provided for our salvation on the cross but He made it possible for us to know Him intimately.  Each day we can meet with Him and He will show us more truth from His Word.  Each day we can be freer that we were the day before.  That’s what this “journey” is all about!!

GPS  (Directions)

Note:  Read these scriptures in both The Amplified Bible and The Message.  You can find both versions on www.biblegateway.com and it will be well worth your time. 

·         Acts 22:14

·         Philippians 3:8, 10

·         Colossians 2:2

Prayer Focus:

Talk to God about your relationship with Him and thank Him that He loves you so much that He provided the work of the cross just for you.

Day 100  Not One Word Failed

1 Kings 8:56-57 (New International Version, ©2011)

“Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.  May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us.

Read the scripture above in its entirety and then go back and read the words in bold print.  Over and over in the scriptures God says He is with us and He will give us what He has promised—“not one word has failed….” 

As people of faith, we must wrap our belief around this promise.  If things don’t happen right away it is our tendency to say, “It’s not working.”  What we actually are doing is letting go of the promise.  When we let go, we lose out and then we tend to think one of the following:

·         God didn’t really promise that to me

·         God is holding out on me.

·         God isn’t big enough to bring it to pass

It’s at times like these we feel like giving up. That’s the precise time we should go back to God and say, “Could you give that to me again?”

He would love to do that!  He loves that you’ve turned to Him.  His desire is always to strengthen your faith in Him.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (New International Version, ©2011)

 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

The “Amen” is spoken by us!!  God makes the promise and we say “Amen!”  He is asking us to trust Him once again!!

GPS  (Directions)

·         What do these scriptures mean to you?

2 Peter 1:4

Romans 4:20-21

Isaiah 12  (The whole chapter)

Prayer Focus:

Take Isaiah 12 and write it in personal prayer form in your journal. 

Here’s a thought—perhaps someone after you (a child, a friend, a grandchild) will read your journal and realize that it is possible to have a personal relationship with God.