CONNECT VIA:
 
[John 3:14]
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."

:: Surrender
Believing is the essence of the Gospel, and an act of submission. To claim to believe, yet live one’s life apart from Jesus, in obedience to His will, is fallacy. When the Isrealites were stricken with poisonous snakes because they sinned, God commanded Moses to make the image of a snake out of bronze and lift it up before the assembly. The only way they would be well was if they believed, by looking upon what they feared most. Where are you today? Are you claiming to know Jesus, yet unable to look upon the cross and believe everything it stands for, namely, self-sacrifice, obedience, and humility? Do you reject it because it asks too much of you, is too uncompromising, inconvenient, or inflexible? Would you rather live with the curse or be set free from it? Will you choose to truly believe? 

Submission means to depend upon His saving grace, His power, and to walk in obedience to His plan. 

:: Prayer
Heavenly Father, when I choose not to believe all that Your Word says, I am deliberately unwilling to submit to You. I am relying upon my own efforts to save me, and that is not what Your Word teaches. No matter how hard I strive, only by believing will I truly be saved. LORD, help me overcome the power my will has over me that keeps me from submitting myself through the simple act of believing in You. Only then will I know true freedom and the promise of eternal life.  
Amen.
Add Comment
 
 
[Matthew 16:25]
 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

:: Surrender
What is your life worth to you? Are you willing to lose it if you know there is something better waiting for you?

When I value the earthly life and live to protect it, unwilling to relinquish my hold on it, am I truly living called by God? Living a surrendered life goes beyond just being devoted to Jesus. It is complete trust in following Him, giving up what I value most, myself. I am no longer occupied with my own agenda, but I’m trusting completely in His sovereignty. Losing my life for Jesus is not motivated by my personal benefit, but is self-sacrificing. It is realizing that true growth in my relationship with Christ can only come if I am willing to sacrifice myself, even if inconvenient. If I am living to protect my temporal home, who am I truly devoted to? 

Be willing to let go of everything you value, releasing it into the complete control of Christ. Cease striving and know that He is God, and realize that your reward is not to be found in this temporary shell, but in Him.

:: Prayer
Dear LORD, I confess there are times when I am  comfortable in my present surroundings, unwilling to let go of them. Help me to realize that my life here is temporary, and is passing away at each moment. Keep my eyes on Your Kingdom, and the riches and glory I can’t even begin to imagine you have waiting for me. Yours is the eternal, unchanging, everlasting! May I begin to truly live for your glory today. 
Amen.
1 Comment
 
 
[John 20:17]
Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

:: Surrender
The risen Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, but she is unable to recognize Him. Her thoughts are fixed on earthly things, and she is awash in uncertainty, trepidation, and fear. Jesus appears, still dressed in His earthly form, not yet having ascended into heaven. Maybe it’s fear of the unknown, or shock from witnessing the recent catastrophic event, but she clings to the familiar- the form of Jesus she had known, and fails to fix her eyes on the miracle of heaven now glorified in front of her.

How often do we miss seeing God because we are clinging to earthly things? When tumultuous circumstances come crashing in, will fear of the unknown keep you in darkness, desperate, and without hope? When we stop clinging to this life and surrender ourselves to Jesus, we want to be in His presence, where there is peace. Surrender is an unwavering belief, that recognizes that we cannot control the situations we are thrown into, and acknowledges that God can. When you are faced with moments of overwhelming fear, when you are anxious because you cannot see the outcome, do not let fear control you. Don’t cling to this earthly dwelling and put your hope in it, but set your thoughts on the presence of His light where there is no fear. Know that He is directing your path and promises to deliver you through every trial.

:: Prayer
Almighty God, Your word tells me that I shall not fear. Help me to stop clinging to the familiar and take a step of faith that causes me to surrender more of myself to You. Give me a mind that discerns Your presence even in the darkest moments, and desires to be present with You as You carry me through my trials. Enable me to adopt a mind that is fixed on Your profound glory and is not overcome by darkness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Add Comment
 
 
[Matthew 15:30]
Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

:: Humility
God takes compassion on those who surrender to Him. Those who are exhausted of being in control of their burdens, and are willing to lay everything at His mercy, without fear. How often do we try to fix our own needs? Do you find yourself coming to God only as a last resort, thinking your problems are too insignificant for Him, or you don’t believe you are worthy to be healed, or perhaps believing you are to blame for your suffering? Humility lies in seeking out the One who is able to heal, and not letting pride keep you from His generous mercy. Don’t live another day in fear of how you measure up to the watching world. 

Jesus came, not for those unwilling to see their illnesses, but for the truly humble, who recognize that to be well means letting God heal them.

:: Prayer
Most Merciful God, the sin of my pride has made me sick, unwilling to admit that I cannot fix myself, and it has left me drowning and lost. Have mercy on me today, and open my eyes, so I can behold your glory and know my insignificance in light of it. You are my healer, my God who saves! The only One to free me from my burdens. May this be the day I draw near to You with humility and a sincere faith, knowing that You have compassion on me. 
Amen.
1 Comment
 
 
[Luke 22:26]
“But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”

:: Humility
Jesus is the greatest example of what true humility means. To lay down one’s life for the sake of others, is the epitome of a servant’s heart. Clothing ourselves with humility means we are actively looking for the opportunities to attend to the needs of others. This outpouring of our self is a way to worship and love God. It is the transforming power of the Spirit in us when we lay aside our dignity and love others as Jesus did. 

When we live empty of self, and pursue not just our own interests but concern ourselves with the welfare of others it brings glory to God.

:: Prayer
Holy Father, transform me today into the image of Your Son, My Savior, Jesus Christ. Help me to lay aside my selfishness and pursue a life that lives to glorify You by serving others. Forgive me, for my unwillingness to demonstrate love in the past. And for failing to see others as those created and loved by You. Cause me to remember daily what it means to lay down my life and give it to you. To be emptied of self, and an example of your grace, mercy, and compassion. 
Amen.
Add Comment
 
 
[Matthew 11:29]
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

:: Humility
Choosing to be humble means that I don’t think less of myself, I think of myself less. It means laying down my expectations about who I am to the world in order to do what My Lord asks of me. When I strive for my own glory, I am exhausted and unfulfilled, like a caged rat spinning incessantly on it’s exercise wheel. When I finally give up trying to satisfy myself, and obey God, I find the work is fruitful and I am not weighed down striving for something I cannot attain. I experience the blessing God promises to those who are faithful. They are not the world’s idea of blessing - material wealth, fame, or glory- but they are the riches of knowing that I am pleasing God. I am living for Him. I have found a home of safety, unburdened by the constraints of seeking approval from others, or amassing a name for myself. 

:: Prayer
LORD, I have been wrong in my desire to fulfill my needs, to live comfortably for myself, continually striving to ease my own burden. I have not always run to You first, but thought I could handle my issues, on my own. I know now, that the only way to true peace is to come to You. I am humbled by your generous invitation, and grieved by my past reluctance. Help me today to start new, to surrender my fears and expectations. Pour out Your grace on me and give me a teachable spirit. 
Amen.
Add Comment
 
 
[John 9:39]
Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"  Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

:: Humility
Pride. It keeps us in the dark, afraid to admit we are sinful and have made poor choices. Jesus’ words expose self-centered, prideful ways. When we dismiss His word because it is too hard for us to accept, when we refuse to understand, we are walking blind, and His judgement is upon us. 1John 1:8 tells us that rejecting to admit our sin will keep us in darkness and His truth cannot be found in us. Like the Pharisees, pride will cause us to be hardened to the truth. It makes us defensive and protective of our self, and refuses to recognize weakness. If there is hardness in your heart, if you have been unwilling to accept truth out of fear of confronting something in you you have been in denial about, confess it to God. Ask Him to remove the pride that keeps you from accepting His word, even when you don’t fully understand it, or it challenges what you thought was true. 

Don’t allow yourself to be blinded, or assimilate the world’s ideas as your own because Jesus’ word is too difficult right now.

:: Prayer
Father, my pride has caused me to be hardened toward Your truth. It has blinded me and made me unwilling to believe. Open my eyes so I can see where my pride has offended You. May I never assert to know all things, but only the wisdom which You reveal to me. Help me to have ears to hear You, a heart to receive, and a mind to obey. 
Amen
Add Comment
 
 
Humility means being lowly and unassuming. Jesus embodied this characteristic by taking the form of human and bringing God to us. We are called as believers to be like-minded and humble in nature.

[John 5:14]
Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

:: Humility
Earlier in this passage, Jesus asks the man if he wanted to be made well. The beauty of God’s design is choice. We are never forced into anything, but it takes humility to recognize our need. Will you humble yourself to obey? Do you want to be free? Do you want to get well? Do you want the blessing? Here, Jesus has just made this man able to walk again, and commissions him to “stop sinning.” He has just been given a clean slate and an opportunity to walk anew. This takes perseverance. Don’t make excuses. Do all you can to stop sinning. Sin causes hardness in us. Each time you choose to obey and turn from your sin, your humility glorifies God and invites Him to remove the hardness from you and conform you to his image. 

It takes determination to obey Jesus. Examine your motives today. Who are you living for?

:: Prayer
You, O LORD, are a God of redemption. You know my weaknesses and my shortcomings when I will fail and when I will succeed. You have stretched out your hand, now it’s up to me to grab hold. Help me to stop sinning and strengthen me in my weakest moment. I will fix my eyes on You today, and trust You, even if it requires a sacrifice on my part. 
Amen.
Add Comment
 
 
[Luke 19:45]
 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be a house of prayer; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

:: Preparation
Is your “house” - your temple - a refuge for prayer or are you masquerading in deceit? Choosing to fill your body and mind with unholy things? Before Jesus came to cleanse the temple, He wept over Jerusalem, for the people who were blinded by their own sin. They refused to recognize that the Messiah was among them. They had stopped regarding the temple with reverence, as God’s holy dwelling, corrupting them. When we allow sinful behaviors to run amok in our life, there is no room for His holiness to dwell. 

1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that our physical body is the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, whom we have received as a gift from God, and that we do not belong to ourselves, but to Him, who has paid a tremendous price for us. Do you value your temple and are you doing all you can to glorify God in your body by keeping it from sin? Honor God today by asking Him to examine you fully. Pray that He will show you areas you have been trying to control and have been unwilling to give to Him. 

Don’t live in denial but embrace the freedom He offers.  Respect your body as His sanctuary.

:: Prayer
Most Merciful God, I admit that I have not respected my body, nor kept it holy for You. I have not honored You by choosing to be self-controlled in my physical and spiritual body. I have rejected You by my lack of obedience and my desire to be in control. I ask for Your forgiveness. Help me to purify my thought life, my physical being, and my spiritual life so that I can reclaim my body and commit it once again to being an acceptable dwelling for Your Spirit. 
Amen.
Add Comment
 
 
[Matthew 6:24] 
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

:: Preparation
When we are occupied with other things, or we put a value on something that takes the place of God in our life - be it another person, an ambition, or a belief - we have an idol. God is jealous for your life and your love. Part of the cleansing process of repentance is realizing the presence of idols and the interference they cause in our ability to draw near to God. 

Today, think about what is holding onto you. What do you value more than God? Be honest with yourself. When you devote your time and fill your mind with ways to increase your personal identity, you are no longer living to serve God’s kingdom but your own. Do you really esteem a Mighty, Holy, God, and live to obey Him even at the cost of everything you hold dear? Have you invited God to fill the place your idol occupies? 

Be free of worshiping “unknown gods” and repent of the sin you have committed against the One and Only God - and be forgiven. 

:: Prayer
LORD, forgive me for choosing to occupy my time and resources on things other than You. For the times I deliberately chose to esteem myself, my ambition, or my physical needs, rather than seeking Your Kingdom and Your will first. I acknowledge that I have wronged you LORD, I am and humbly ask for your forgiveness. Amen.
Add Comment
 
HTML Codes