Unstructured Free Time

Most children love for adults to play with them. This gives them the feeling that we are interested in them, care about them, and value them as part of our life. They blossom in our undivided attention, and benefit from our nurturing interest and direction.

Children feel cherished by our attention, and that impression will bond our relationship with them, even into their adult years. While engaging in free-play with their peers, they learn to cooperate, to solve problems together, to resolve conflicts, and to share rather than to dominate.

Play teaches us to access the creative side of our brain, regardless of how old we are. This serves as a healthy channel for us to express our true emotions, to thrive in our activities, and to enjoy our relationships and circumstances.

We handle stressful situations through problem solving and enthusiastic inspiration. This improves our productivity, attitude and focus on the job at hand. Many companies incorporate a game room, library, gym, basketball court, etc. for break times during the day.

As parents we often replace creative, unstructured playtime with organized activities that reduce fun and produce stress in our child's life. Schools even reduce recess time in favor of more time for academic achievement, but this is not productive.

Children and adults lose our right to choose our activities as we are forced into molds that do not fit our nature or personality. This causes us to feel restricted, to lose our ability to make wise choices, and to foster our unique creativity. We end up deprived and resentful, and we experience a loss of interest in life in general.

During unstructured free time, we see anxiety fade, inter-office relationships improve, and unhealthy competition is reduced.  Through playtime we experience improvements in our physical, emotional, social and mental health. We feel less secluded and lonesome, and we enjoy better self-esteem in a family atmosphere.

Prayer:

Father God, You are constantly creative in all of Your ways. Teach us, as Your children, to come to You for inspiration on how to foster our creative side. Show us what we need to do in order to bloom where You plant us, and to enjoy the life that You provide for us.

Remind us that we can also improve our relationship with You by giving our self unstructured segments throughout the day to pray and praise You for who You are and all that You do for us. We want to walk in Your Spirit and to fulfill Your will for our life; the center of Your will is our happiest place on earth.

Thought for the Day:

Playtime fosters creativity in both children and adults, reduces stress, restores our joy in living, and helps us to improve our interpersonal relationships; therefore, it is healthy for us to schedule relaxing and joyful pursuits into each day.

A Good Marriage - Intimacy and Connection

Marriage is a fluid lifestyle with both individuals changing through the stages of life. We may grow apart, or become more like one another. The happy medium between these two is to accept each other as we are, to embrace our differences, and to make each other our priority in life.

Over the years we let down our guard, remove the masks we used to wear, and get more comfortable with one another. This puts us in the position to accept each other's vulnerabilities and to rely on the other's strengths.

We learn to be more comfortable with our fears and insecurities and to share them with each other. This enables us to have more compassion for our mate, and to help protect them and to support them as life's trials assault us.

We grow more comfortable with our self, and we have more confidence to request changes in our relationship that will bring us more comfort and assurance. We learn to reconcile our differences and to resolve conflicts through compromise.

All humans are both gifted and imperfect. As we embrace these characteristics in each other, they stop irritating us. We give one another the space to find our own balance, to enjoy independence, and to pursue our own interests.

This increases our intimacy during our increasingly frequent times of togetherness. We learn from one another, rejoice when our mate rejoices, and show genuine concern when our partner experiences difficulties or loss. Our love and care grow.

Praying together about our concerns helps us to embrace the opportunity to walk together through our trials. We grow individually and as a couple in our spirit and soul. Our unity with God increases and we plan our days under the guidance of His Holy Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, even when our life appears to be falling apart, You still cause the sun to rise, the stars to shine, the earth to maintain its precise orbit to sustain life, the grass to flourish before it withers and dies, and a miracle to come from every trial. We want to start each new chapter in our life under Your guidance and care.

Thank You for using our trials to make us stronger, to increase our faith and to draw us closer to each other and to You. Shine Your light through our relationship, so that other people will glorify You. When they see us trust in You with a positive attitude and Godly behavior in spite of our unbearable circumstances, they will gain the courage to trust You in their issues too (Matthew 5:16).

Thought for the Day:

God's Agape love takes our focus off our self-centered perspective, and enables us to see a need in others, and to lay our life down for them as Christ did for us (Galatians 5:14); as we serve even those whom we feel no natural affection toward, our love for them grows and our intimacy increases. 

Fulfilling God's Destiny for Us

Almost every commercial on TV is centered on maintaining our youth, improving our gusto, or getting ahead in this life. They offer us impossible results if we will simply buy their product. Our emphasis and pursuits in life often mimic these ideologies.

We want what the world has to offer us, because we believe its lies about what is most important for our life. We often purchase their products to give them a try, and we spend thousands of dollars to achieve our carnal goals.

Yet, God offers us incorruptible beauty (1 Peter 3:3-6). He points out that a better goal for us is to speak wise words, and to allow kindness to be the rule for everything we say (Proverbs 31:26). He calls us to a life of holiness, not worldliness.

Louisa May Alcott is one of my favorite authors. I love the “old world” charm of her characters, as well as the Victorian styles and picturesque settings of her stories. Her heroes are either heart-stopping cavaliers or stalwart gentry.

Generally, both of these types of gentlemen are more attracted to the allurement of the kind, generous and sweet spirit of her heroines than to the flashy women with outer beauty. Many men appreciate this same quality in a woman.

God's Word exhorts us not to be overly concerned about outward beauty. He counsels us not to use exquisite jewelry, expensive clothes, or elaborate hair arrangements to attract attention (1 Peter 3:3).

Instead, He advised us to concentrate on exhibiting beautiful character in our hearts. He recommends that lasting charm radiates more from a sweet character than from a matching outfit, worldly success or precious gems.

Similar to Louisa May Alcott’s characters, this deep inner beauty is also evident in many of the saintly women of the Bible. They trusted God and fit in with their husbands' plans, which is a foreign concept in today’s society (1 Peter 3:1).

However, true fulfillment for a woman does not necessarily come from a successful career, or from amassing worldly goods, or from traveling the earth, or even from going to the moon in a spacecraft, but from fulfilling God’s destiny for our life (Ephesians 2:20).

PRAYER

Father God, help us to value Your divine character is us as more treasured than silver and gold. Put a guard on our tongue so that we do not ever speak from frustration or anger, but always with humility and kindness. Keep us ever faithful to Your precepts and walking in Your eternal beauty.

Help us to let go of our own agenda for our life and to find our fulfillment by following Your Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. True joy comes from serving You with all of our heart, mind, spirit and strength. We want to walk in Your ways and to fulfill Your destiny for our life.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit is very precious in the sight of God; the key to contentment and accomplishment is to have a soul filled with Godly character, and to follow His Spirit’s leading in our lives, so that we fulfill His plans for us.

- 1 Peter 3:4; Ephesians 2:10

The Hand of God

When we see the hand of God in our life, blessing us in ways we may otherwise overlook, the foundation of our faith skyrockets in magnitude. Our life erupts into one of praise and gratitude for who God is and what He does for us.

His faithfulness encourages us to pursue moral excellence, Biblical knowledge, self-control, godliness, and love for God's family, as well as patient endurance (2 Peter 1:5-8). These attributes increase our usefulness and productivity for the Lord and His Kingdom.

His divine power, in us and surrounding us, provides us with everything we need for a holy life (2 Peter 1:3). Impatiently, we want to skip the elementary teachings of God's Word and to feast instead on the deeper Biblical truths and principles (Hebrews 5:12).

However, to truly grow in the grace and wisdom of God, we first need a good, solid, spiritual foundation based on the basic doctrines of our faith (Colossians 1:9). We secure our salvation by repenting of the dead works of sin and by putting all of our trust in Christ.

Through baptism, we follow our repentance by making a public profession of what happened in our heart. Then, we start the discipline of daily Bible reading and prayer. We find a church in which to learn and to grow, as we fellowship with other Believers.

Then we start telling others about what Christ did for us. We also learn how much God loves us and that He has a perfect plan for our life. These simple bed-rock truths keep us balanced as we grow in our intimacy with Christ in us (Colossians 1:27).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to listen to Your Holy Spirit's promptings on a daily basis. Teach us to discern which thoughts You inspire in our mind, and which come from Satan or our human reasoning. Lead us into a ministry in which we can serve You - even if it is as a nursery caregiver, in church building maintenance, mentoring younger men and women, serving in various ministries, prayer and praise for You, and/or encouraging people in all walks of life.

Help us to continue to grow in Your grace and to never fail to show love to those You bring our way. We praise You because Your loving devotion to us reaches to the deepest hell, Your steadfast faithfulness reaches up to the distant clouds, Your righteousness is like mighty mountains, and Your wisdom is like the fathoms of the sea (Psalm 36:5-6).

Thought for the Day:

God's salvation is just the beginning of our wondrous journey with Him; we can excitedly anticipate and look forward to growing in our intimacy with Him and His Saints, both now and throughout eternity.

Deliverance in Christ

Memories of my younger school days are not thoughts that I cherish. With a melancholy personality and a quiet, almost withdrawn manner, I grew up lonely, unintelligent, unpopular, unattractive and a social misfit.

I tried to fit in, but I was tall for my age, skinny and awkward, and I had long, stringy hair. However, in high school, I decided to make friends with people who shared my principles about life, and my life turned around.

I had more dates than I could accept, wrote for the school newspaper and worked on the yearbook staff, went to the Senior Prom at two different schools, and I accepted a marriage proposal from my twelfth grade sweetheart.

He went into the Green Beret and served in Viet Nam, and I went to our local junior college. At the Baptist Student Union on the college campus, I met the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. My fiancé and I grew apart and eventually broke up.

Then, I met a young man at the BSU; and a year later, we married, started a family, and initiated a twenty-year union in service to the Lord. Yet, I harbored disappointment and resulting resentment in my heart, because my soul was still full of dead men’s bones (Matthew 23: 27).

Paul struggled with getting free from the flesh too. What he wanted to do, he could not seem to do. What he did not want to do, he did; and he despaired of being delivered (Romans 7:14-23). Then he had a revelation from God. “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Paul teaches us that we do not receive the Spirit by keeping the law, but by believing in Christ. Therefore, we do not deserve God's love because we obey Him, read the Bible more, pray harder, fast longer, serve in a multitude of church ministries, and witness to more people (Galatians 3:1-5).  

God loves it when His people come to the realization that we cannot earn our way to heaven (Ephesians 2:8-10). When we cast our life on Jesus, He graciously receives us with all of the love and mercy that He demonstrated for us by suffering His horrifying death on the cross.

Prayer:

Father God, even though our salvation is secure in Christ, with the down payment of Your Holy Spirit within us, we still suffer in this life (Romans 7:24; Ephesians 1:14). Jesus guarantees that we will agonize at times, but He encourages us to remember that He abides within us, and He already overcame the world (John 16:33).

Help us to realize that without You, we can do nothing (John 5:30); but with You, all things are possible (Philippians 4:13). Set us free from bondage to the flesh and remind us that sin is not our master. We no longer live under the requirements of the law, but we enjoy the freedom of Your grace to walk in righteousness and to pursue holiness. Remind us that we live out our faith by walking in the guidance of Your Spirit.

Thought for the Day:

In Christ, "we live and move and have our being,” because Jesus accomplished everything we need for justification, sanctification and glorification when He sacrificed His life for us all; God gave us the free gift of justification and He gets all of the glory.

- Acts 17:28; John 19:30; Romans 8:33; Ephesians 1:19-21

Lasting Pleasures

Some people careen through life, fulfilling their every desire and refusing themselves no pleasure. They love their vocation and find temporary fulfillment in it. Amassing worldly possessions becomes a habit.

Having a string of different romantic encounters adds a spark to their need for conquest. Yet, at the end of their life, they survey the product of their hard work and realize that after chasing the wind, they gained nothing under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11).

They regret most of their decisions and have a list of things they wish they had done differently. Feeling like their life was actually meaningless, fleeting and futile, they take many regrets to the grave (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

Glaring missing pieces of their goals still bother them, because worldly pursuits were never easily accomplished or very satisfying. Most of them were vain and empty. Can you relate to any of these feelings?

Only our pursuit of God supplies us with lasting pleasures. Solomon, who traveled the world, discovered what the Psalmist realized on the hillside watching sheep. God's plans for us and presence in us engulf our soul with His love, joy and peace (Psalm 16:11).

Seeking God first with our life provides us with fulfillment in every area. He opens doors for us that no one can close, supplies all of our needs with His glorious riches, and never ever leaves or forsakes us.

His first order of business for us in His Kingdom is that we allow Him to make us complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). Then His Spirit teaches us His Word so that we are grounded in His truth. Unity with Him allows His Spirit to fill us, to lead us and to instruct us.

Prayer:

Father God, our life is like a breath on a cold winter's day; it is like a fleeting shadow (Psalm 144:4). There is nothing and no one who fulfills us like You do. Teach us to value eternal treasures and to seek Your will for our lives each and every day. Help us to make You the focus of our life, and to enhance all of our relationships through your wisdom and love.

Even as a single person, we are not "half" a person when we have You abiding within us. In order to find fulfillment, we do not need anything or anyone but You. Remind us that You provide all of our needs from Your glorious riches when we call on You to supply them. We are truly complete in You (Colossians 2:10).

Thought for the Day:

Serving God together as His body is the most fulfilling aspect of any relationship; it bonds us in His love and provides us with opportunities to shine with the light of Christ within us.

Leaving our Gift at the Altar

Jesus came to fulfill the law, and He exhorts us to love our neighbor, but to also love and to pray for those who persecute us to come to God for salvation (Matthew 5:43-45). This often requires forgiveness and faith on our part.

He offers us a reward for the perfection that comes from doing more than just loving our family and friends, but by loving our adversaries as well (Matthew 5:46-48). They are people too, they make mistakes and they have their own pain from their past haunting them too.

When there is an offense between us and another person, God requires that we lay our gift at the altar (Matthew 5:24), and go to this person in an effort to clarify the issues and to make reparation for any offense on our part.

If someone sins against us, Jesus advises us to go in private and to discuss the fault, reminding us that if they listen to us, we mend our relationship (Matthew 18:15). He points out that God has requirements in this area as well.

God knows that we humans do not communicate clearly and some of us are harder to connect with than others. We misinterpret a look or the meaning of a word, and then we adopt a negative attitude toward one another.

We inadvertently leave out important information in what we say, which gives the wrong impression. We exchange unkind words and actions that wound one another, and we cannot take back or erase the effects of these hurtful confrontations and behaviors.

If they are truly His children, God will bring circumstances to bear in their life to humble our offenders, and to cause them to be more conciliatory toward us. Once we attempt to reconcile, however, we can then go back to the altar, regardless of how the other person responds to our efforts.

When we comprehend life from an eternal perspective, it is easier to adopt a humble attitude. We offer friendship in place of their anger or despiteful use of us (Matthew 5:44). They may or may not accept our offer. 

When we really understand the glory we will one day see in heaven, and how soon all else will fade away when we do, we become much less concerned about how things appear in the eyes of other people.

Prayer:

Father God, help us not to allow our daily endeavors and distresses to affect our walk with You. Our strained relationships, lack of financial assets, and our poor physical health may cause us uncertainty, giving rise to fear and insecurity. Sometimes these issues may require that we spend inordinate amounts of time, which we do not have to spare, in order to restore equanimity to our life.

However, it is what You call us to do. We offer to You our every breath, every action, every thought and every word as an expression of our gratitude for what Jesus did for us on Calvary’s cross, and for what You continue to do in our daily lives. Help us to reconcile with our fellow humans, and to enjoy the freedom to worship You with clean hands and a pure heart until You come again.

Thought for the Day:

We come to understand that God alone is our judge and that eternity will tell the truth about the matter between us and others; therefore, we trust God to provide for all of our needs, to lead us on the path of life, and to fill us with the joy of His continual presence.

- Acts 2:28

Fun in the Son

All work and no play makes us dull, passionless and hard to relate to as a friend, family member or co-worker. The purpose of play is to diffuse our negative emotions, redirect our thoughts, develop healthy relations with our self and others, and to stir up our endorphins.

Play gives us a chance to deepen our relationships, forge emotional connections, establish new friendships, and to relax and release stress and anxiety. Communicating with other people helps our brain to strengthen and our emotions to develop more positively.

Continually focusing on the serious side of life impacts our overall wellbeing. We lack a support system and feel lonely, unfulfilled and stressed. We view our self as isolated in this world, which encourages our body to develop health issues that shorten our lifespan.

Play helps us to reduce unresolved conflicts, to experience more intimacy and honesty with others, and to gain positive memories to sustain us through times of struggle or isolation. Fun times make life less boring and predictable, and give us new experiences to cherish.

Play gives us opportunities to solve our problems, to improvise, and to work together with others to improve our social and economic ability. We relax, breathe more deeply, slow down and learn to listen more to God than to over-react to the crisis of the moment.

Having fun in the Son, improves our outlook on life and strengthens our spirit as well as our soul. Jesus abides within us continually. He is a friend that sticks closer to us than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). He is our constant source of joy, wisdom and strength.

Prayer:

Father God, You instruct us that unless we adopt the trusting, creative and fun-loving aspects of a child, we will never be able to humble our self and enter into Your Heavenly Kingdom (Matthew 18:3). Remind us that as we relax through times of play, we are more satisfied with our life, develop deeper relationships, relieve our extended times of boredom, and increase our creativity and productivity.

Help us to see that when we relax, we are better able to trust You with our trials and to find the joy in our circumstances (Psalm 28:7). This allows us to react to life less intensely, and we are more flexible and cooperative with others. We are also more open to developing new friendships, which broadens the base of the lives that we can affect for Your Kingdom. We love You with all of our being.

Thought for the Day:

When we have fun in God's Son, we are more trusting in trials, maintain more faith in God's faithfulness, view life with more flexibility and resilience, and we recover more quickly from the trauma of adversity, health issues and difficult situations.

Four Varieties of Hearts

God's people share His Word with anyone who will listen. These seeds fall on four different types of hearts. It is our responsibility to witness, but God does not hold us accountable for the other person's response.

We sow, and God gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:7). Some hearts are like a dry, earthen pathway and Satan easily steals away the seeds that we attempt to plant. Other hearts are as hard as stone, and the seeds spring up, but the roots are not deep, so the cares of life parch them.

Then we have hearts that are overgrown with thorny underbrush, which crowds out the new plants, and they produce no fruit at all. However, some hearts are fertile, and ready to hear God's gospel of salvation, and they produce fruit (Mark 4:14-20).

If our heart does not have room for the roots of the gospel to flourish, we cannot bear fruit. Only in the fertile heart can the plant take hold and grow to full maturity. An evangelical, Bible teaching church provides these hearts with a perfect environment.

Many churches are barren wastelands with nothing nutritious to offer the Believer. They focus on providing glitz and glitter to attract people, and then they supply only spiritual junk food, rather than wholesome provisions.

The only way to withstand the winds of adversity or the scorching trials and temptations we encounter on this earth is to have our roots sunk deeply into our union with Jesus Christ who wants to abide within us and to walk with us through life.  

Prayer:

Father God, once we receive Your Word with conviction and repentance, we are ready to receive the proper nourishment. You raise up an army of teachers with every generation - those who faithfully sow the seeds of the truth of Your Word. You cause a hunger to blossom in our heart to search for and to find a disciple-making church.

Provide us with teachers who share Your Word after seeking You in prayer. Lead us to a caring and loving fellowship of Believers. Even in these end times, we thank You for keeping a remnant of these spiritual places where we can go and feast upon Biblical principles and in turn bear much fruit for Your Kingdom.

Thought for the Day:

A true relationship with the Living and Holy God is not a one-time event or a single prayer; it is a lifetime commitment that starts with a heart ready to receive His Word of Truth and to walk in His ways by the power of His Spirit, which guides us each moment of the day.

Love Connection

As humans we connect in several ways: physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. We bond with different people in different areas. Some people are not Born Again, and we are not able to relate with them spiritually.

Others are not able to attach emotionally, and our unity is limited. We are deprived by them of the emotional intimacy that we crave. They may put barriers between us emotionally, because they are easily wounded, and our assertiveness violates their boundaries.

We can spend hours with them and still feel empty. There is no emotional significance between us. They do not respond to us, sense who we are or what we need, or connect to our perspective. We are not in tune with one another.

We have no deep connection that nurtures love and relationship. We never feel like we are completely seen, heard or understood by them. This disconnect may affect us mentally and physically as well, because we lack a relationship at the deepest level of who we are.

Harmony and significance are important in our ability to bond with someone; otherwise, we drop between the cracks and feel unloved. We may attempt to improve that connection, but it is never genuine or fulfilling. We doubt our self, so we strive to change our self to be more lovable.

The real issue here is to realize that we are a person too. We can continue to have a superficial relationship with this person, if that is what they prefer. We cannot change them or influence them in any way that helps them to meet our needs.

They may try for a while, but then revert back to their true self. Neither do we neglect our true self in the process, but we do not put undue expectations or pressure on the one that erects walls between us; that is their way of coping with life.

We continue to love that person, and we meet them where they are, on their own terms. However, we can also form other friendships that are more fulfilling for us, and we ultimately look to God for that deep intimacy that we crave and need in order to be fulfilled.

Prayer:

Father God, we can relate to the fact that people are wounded by the events in their childhood and early adulthood, and they are only able to love us in their own way. We hope that these wounded people will eventually find healing for their soul and love us completely; however, this may never happen. Help us to be satisfied with that relationship by meeting them on their own level.

Yet, also help us to find fulfilling relationships with people that are more willing and able to be vulnerable and to choose to love us with our own love language. Teach us that You are the true lover of our soul, and we come to You each moment of the day for Your peace, joy, love and guidance. Teach us how to draw our real fulfillment from our relationship with You.

Thought for the Day:

We live in harmony with others, accepting them as they are for who they are; but we do not deprive our self of what we need, because we are a person too; and by developing our intimate union with Christ in us, we allow His love to fill our heart and to flow through us to the world around us.

Hope in Tribulation

Our trials have far-reaching effects; some that we never realized could happen, and some we will never know about until we get to heaven. Our attitude in them and through them will inspire other people in their walk with the Lord (Philippians 1:14).

Trials are not really obstacles, but opportunities to have faith in God's faithfulness, and to uncover the seed for a miracle, which He plants within each issue that we face. They are truly blessings in disguise.

Our new life in Christ is a bed full of sweet smelling roses, but each stem of our walk is full of prickly thorns. Jesus exhorted us to expect tribulation in this world, but to be encouraged, because His presence in us helps us to overcome.

Jesus already overcame the world (John 16:33). His power and wisdom see us through every negative incident. Even Job received multiple blessings that far surpassed the horrid trials that he experienced.

The dear apostle Paul suffered shipwreck, beatings, jail cells, pursuit by persecutors who wanted to end his life, abuse, etc. (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). Paul endured his troubles by changing his focus from his miserable conditions to God’s promises (Romans 8:18).

Paul learned the secret of rejoicing through His tribulation. He even sang praises to God while chained in a Roman prison (Acts 16:16-40). His faith in and love for God barely waivered in the face of debilitating difficulties. He learned abiding contentment (Philippians 4:11-12).

Prayer:

Father God, Your Word teaches us that after Satan attempted to sift Peter like wheat, he would be able to strengthen the church by his testimony and the lessons he learned (Luke 22:31-32). Thank You for helping us to shift our focus from our trial to our testimony. We all know people whose lives are a witness to Your power in spite of their troubles.

Help us to change our attitude and our focus from the events in our life to Your provision in spite of them. We do not want our faith in You or our love for You to waiver in the face of difficulties. Teach us not to be discouraged when we encounter difficulties, because You use complications to test our faith, to strengthen us for future trials, and to prove that Your grace is sufficient to sustain us (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Thought for the Day:

Some people mistakenly believe that God promises never to give us more trials than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:12-13); however, this promise actually refers to temptations; God will allow us to experience overwhelming trials that force us to run to Him for our deliverance (John 16:33).

God's Creative Plans

The forest and glades and glens, the sky, the oceans and ponds and streams and rivers, as well as the people and creatures that dwell in them, are all part of God's plan to attest to the fact that they did not form from slime, but by the will of our creative Father God.

All of creation points us to God's eternal power and divine nature (Romans 1:20). However, so many people buy into the lie of evolution, which incidentally has a major hole in its make-up. It is still a theory, now mistakenly accepted as a fact.

These same people claim not to believe in God; however, they are so quick to blame God for the trials and trouble in their individual life. They fail to see God's mercy, and they criticize His methods of judgment.

Many view God as a tyrant who takes delight in punishing us and sending us to hell. They rail accusations at Him and blame His people for all of the ills and injustices in the world. They say that they would rather party in hell with their friends than spend eternity with a bunch of hypocrites like Believers.

If they spent any time ingesting God's Word, they would find out the actual truth that God never condemns anyone (John 3:17). It is our own unbelief, which condemns us (John 3:18). God does not want anyone to spend eternity outside of His presence (2 Peter 3:9).

This fact alone changes the course of any life humble enough to accept the truth of it. Our good works cannot save us (Ephesians 2:8-9). Only belief in and on the name of Jesus can do that (Acts 16:31). He is waiting for you right now.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for Your mercy on all of those who believe in Your truth. You are a good, good Father, and we are loved by You. We pray for those who turn a cold shoulder to Your Truth. They do not realize that hypocrites will be in hell with them too. You would improve their quality of life if they would only trust in You. Even the heavens declare Your glory, and the skies proclaim the work of Your hands (Psalm 19:1).

People have no excuse not to put their faith in You, because ever since You created time, space, matter and humanity, we all can clearly see Your invisible qualities in Your creation (Romans 1:20). The universe is filled with evidence of Your glory. It is as abundant as the waters, which cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). You reward every authentic Believer according to what our deeds deserve, but You judge only those who choose to live in unbelief.

Thought for the Day:

Even though God's light came into the world, people choose to dwell in darkness instead, because their thoughts, words and actions are evil and they hate the light; they will not abide in God's truth, because they love carnality and they prefer to live in sin.

- John 3:19-21

A Whole New World

When we submit our pride and prejudices to God, and accept Jesus' redeeming work on the cross as our own, a whole new world opens up for us. Our spirit is no longer dead in sin, but alive in Christ and justified before God.

We admit by grace through faith our need for a Savior, and accept the fact that Jesus is the only way to God (Ephesians 2:8). God gives us His mercy and we present our whole body, soul and spirit to Him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).

This is reasonable for God to expect from us as we follow the guidance of His Spirit to live a holy life that is satisfactory to God. This allows the Holy Spirit to transform us by renewing our mind and leading us to walk in the perfect will of God for us (Romans 12:2).

Our former unbalanced, self-centered and myopic thinking is sanctified by God's Spirit from one stage of glory to the next. He justifies us, and we are no longer in bondage to our flesh, the world and the devil (Romans 6:22).

We look forward to the glories of heaven and to the Spirit glorifying us with an immortal body for eternity (1 John 3:2). Conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), we begin to walk worthy of His calling on our life (Ephesians 4:1).

We are hungry for God's Word, the Bread of Life; thirsty for His Living Water, so that we will thirst no more; and eager to fellowship with other Believers in our local church. We communicate with our Father God each moment of the day.

God gives us a new life, as a new creation, and everything we formerly believed about life changes from a carnal perspective to a holy one. We consult Him every moment and walk in the center of His will for us (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Prayer:

As we draw nearer to You each day of our life, You fill us with Your peace that transcends anything that life on this earth has to offer to us. We have a whole new way of positive thinking and our goals change from finite ones to spiritual pursuits (Philippians 4:7-8, 2:12-13).

Your joy supplies our strength, Your love cascades over us like a waterfall, and Your peace sustains us through every trial we experience. You open doors for us that no one can close. We look forward to eternity in Your presence forevermore.

Thought for the Day:

God set us free from bondage to sin and gave us new life in Christ as His new creation; He enables us to shed double-minded thoughts and to walk a balanced life with singleness of purpose, totally surrendered to God's will in everything that we think, say and do.

- James 1:8

Who is Really in Control

What does it mean to fear the Lord? Do we quake in our boots, walk on eggshells, adhere to a strict set of prohibitions, etc.?  Not at all. We fear God by giving Him the reverence, respect, and adoration due to His name, regardless of our circumstances.

We recognize that God is Almighty and there is no other like Him (Jeremiah 10:6). As authentic Believers, we have no need to be afraid of God or His judgment. Of course, He does discipline those who belong to Him, but that is only to keep us safe.

Without His correction, we would suffer trauma by reaping what we sow in our carnality, immaturity and mistakes. We often hesitate to submit to the Lord. We want the power to choose, and we revel in our ability to make our own decisions according to our goal and desires.

However, we this gives us no control over life, because only He has that power. Our true freedom comes when we realize that our salvation, perfection and provision come from our Father God. All the influence, wisdom, and authority in this world are His.

We reap the benefits of His grace. He is the chief Potter and we are simply a lump of clay in His hands. Fear to trust in an unseen God is often the root of our rebellion and lack of desire to fully surrender to God's Love. We think that we are in control.  

Yet, nothing less than total commitment and trust in our Father God will allow us to walk in the fruit of a blessed life that God has planned for us (Jeremiah 29:11). In Christ, we access His influence, insight, strength, peace and joy regardless of our trials.

God is not our magic Genie, created to do our bidding. If we want our own way, we will be disappointed every time we pray. Yet, as we accept His will and way, we find a deeper sense of peace, joy, love and fulfillment than we ever thought possible on this side of Heaven.

Prayer:

Father God, few people in modern society are willing to capitulate the authority over their life to another being - especially one that they cannot see or hear, or consider archaic and unnecessary. They see the example of so-called Christians who flounder around in their life and suffer the consequences of their choices just like they do, and they have no reason to trust in You.

Teach us that our free will to choose comes from You, but it is our greatest weakness. You give us both the desire and the power to walk out our own salvation (Philippians 2:12-13). As Your divine possessions, we ultimately give You control, just as You are in control of all of life in heaven and on earth, and we live as a testimony to Your power in a human life.

Thought for the Day:

We often fear the idea of trusting in what God will require of us, or where He will expect us to go; however, once we tire of insisting that we retain control of our own life, we are amazed at how God uses us and what He provides for us in order to accomplish His will for and through our life.

A Good Marriage - Respect and Cherishing

A husband's greatest need is to receive respect from his wife, and a wife's greatest need is to feel cherished by her husband; so as we meet one another's needs, our bond of love and unity will increase rather than to diminish over the years.

One of the best attributes in a good marriage is kindness. When this virtue is present, we go out of our way to show compassion and benevolence to one another. We consider each other's needs above our own, and we prefer our mate over our self.

This does not imply that we neglect our self, or constantly enable our mate by depriving our self. Kindness is a give and take proposition where the same person does not always do the giving while the other does all the taking.

God created marriage as a union between two individuals that actually becomes one flesh (Genesis 2:23; Mark 10:8-9­). He gives us His Agape love for each other, and we grow more comfortable in our union as the years of our marriage progress.

At times, we may feel tired, worried, frustrated, overlooked, neglected, unappreciated or afraid, and we may tend to speak curtly or with a grouchy attitude. This is a clue for our spouse to help us to search for the cause of our negative emotions, to show compassion for us, and to pour out God's love toward us.

We do not condemn, condescend, criticize or belittle each other in our words, attitude or actions. We listen to one another, and we share in every decision. We lift each other up above the world's crass treatment of us, and we make our home a haven for one another that we enjoy together.

This practice allows us to help our mate in their inner struggles, and to attempt to improve the situation by helping to alleviate their stress, or by giving them a listening ear. Together we take the matter to God in prayer, because praying in unity is paramount for a successful relationship.

Prayer:

Father God, fill us with the fruit of Your Spirit by teaching us to surrender our dreams, plans and goals to Your will. Replace our selfish, carnal character traits with Your deep and abiding love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith (Galatians 5:22-23). Remind us that we are Your emissaries in this life and that Your will is our overriding priority.

As we walk in Your Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of our flesh (Galatians 5:15-25). We will lay down our life for our mate and for Your Body as we reap the benefits of Your amazing Agape love. You, our King, died for us; and the least we can do is to lay down our life for one another. We praise You, and we give You all of the praise and glory due to Your name.

Thought for the Day:

In a good marriage, we rejoice when our mate rejoices, and we share his/her burdens with empathy and concern, because we sincerely care about each other, and we honestly want what is best for our mate as well as for our self.

- Romans 12:15

Since the Days before Time

In the beginning, the Lord laid the foundation of the earth and the vast heavens with all of the galaxies and stars. He actually knows the name of every star that He ever created, even those that are no longer in existence, and those yet to form (Psalm 147:4).

All of creation has an expiration date, wearing out and returning to the earth. However, God remains unchanging forever without an end (Hebrews 1:10-12). Jesus is also the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

These truths give us a solid bedrock on which to stand - safe, secure, unmoving - regardless of the changing environment of circumstances in our life. We never need to fear that we will face any trial alone. The triune God is within us.

God's presence fills us to overflowing and all of His supernatural nature and character are with us and in us to utilize at any moment of the day and night. We are always generously cared for.

The Word of God hints that, at times, the mountains will disappear, the hills will fall flat, but His steadfast love surrounds us and fills us. His compassion and covenant of peace remain within us (Isaiah 5:10).

When we are tempted to panic over the events of our day, we may lose sight of God's presence in our life. We struggle with the situation accosting us, and forget to run to the shelter of His wings (Psalm 91:4).

The more we seek God first in each moment of our day (Matthew 6:33), the more of a habit we develop to trust in God's watch-care over us. He cherishes every aspect of our life, and He is worthy of our confidence in Him.

Prayer:

Father God, help us not to get carried away by insecure moments of life and lose sight of You. Remind us to keep our eyes on Christ in us, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), rather than to focus on the insecurity of the circumstances all around us.

Trusting in You fills our soul with peace, our heart with joy, our spirit with assurance, and our body with health. Thank You that anxiety and other negative emotions find no resting place in our soul, because we confirm our commitment to You and we rejoice in Your assurances to us.

Thought for the Day:

Fear rises in our hearts during some daunting experiences in our life, and we no longer feel Jesus' presence; of course, He is still there, waiting for us to come around full circle and to put our hand in His nail-scarred hand.

Have Some Fun

Play is one of the most neglected rituals in our society. A child's job is to play. As adults we often overly schedule their unique independent, free-style fun right out of our child's life, and out of our own life too.

We neglect our Inner Child and deprive him/her of much needed soul time. Some people are way too childish, and they neglect their adult responsibilities; but others are too focused with getting ahead to their detriment, they neglect play time.

Our soul - our feelings, thoughts and choices - and our physical health prosper when we make time to have fun too. Play is not unproductive, frivolous or fruitless. Fun actually energizes our soul to function more productively. We take an inventory of our soul and find balance.

We play by maximizing our recreation time. It energizes our immune system, benefits our brain, escalates our efficiency, creates positive relationships with family and friends, boosts our creativity, increases our ability to minimize tension, etc.

We must ensure that our inner "slave driver" allows daily play time. Fun is different for everyone, and this diversity of interests is healthy and creative. During play, we feel freer and less restrained. There are no schedules or efficient plans.

Play promotes endorphins, reduces worry, and encourages us to smile, and even giggle or laugh out loud (Proverbs 17:22). Play may be considered by some as impractical, a waste of time, unproductive, etc., but it is actually very beneficial to our body, soul and spirit.

Play is both individual, and social with friends. Our interests change as we age, but unique playtime is viable at every season of life. Plan some time for play into every day - time to relax, to laugh, and to breathe deeply.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that Jesus made time to play with the little children, and He also escaped to the wilderness to enjoy creation and to feed His soul and spirit as He communed with You. All of creation plays and frolics - each in its own environment. Teach us that play is not frivolous and purposeless, but vital and healthy in so many ways. Playing outside also benefits us from sunlight, nature, fresh air, etc.

You created play, because it enhances our immune system, our confidence, sense of community, brain development, self-esteem, resiliency, neuron survival, motor skills, problem solving talents, balance and flexibility, coordination, cooperation with others, strengthens muscles, conditions our heart and lungs, combats chronic diseases, helps us to maintain a healthy weight and emotional expression, etc. You are an awesome God, and You care about every aspect of our life.

Thought for the Day:

A few examples of play - individually or with one or more people:

·       Playing with our pet(s), maintaining an enjoyable hobby

·       Gardening, sewing, cooking, baking, art, music, etc.

·       Sports, walking, jogging, gym-time, dancing, etc.

·       Board games, card games, word games, electronic games

·       Swimming, skiing, surfing, mountain climbing, biking, etc.

·       Strolling in nature - alone or with a friend

The possibilities are endless.

Delight Yourself in the Lord

Intimacy with God fills every crack in our soul. It fulfills us better than any person, place, vocation or thing on this earth. Our heart swells to overflowing with the joy of God's love, which cascades over our soul like a waterfall.

At times, we are so desperate to find peace, joy and love that we are never going to get from this world. We hunger and thirst for fulfillment. We forget that we have an abundance of joy in validation, affection, acceptance and satisfaction from God, who is already inside of us.

Many Believers will spend time in prayer, reading God's Word, and telling others about what Jesus did for us; but we forget to bask in His presence, enjoy companionable silence as we sit at His feet, and allow our heart to notice and thrill at His multitude of hugs every day.

We use an abundance of words in our prayers, making our requests known to God; but then, we forget to listen to Him, to what He wants to say to us, to the affirmation He has for us, and to the fact that He rejoices over us with singing.

We do not take time to meditate on the fact that God is powerful, just, faithful, a righteous judge, a loving Father, a divine inspiration, etc., and that Christ is our whole life. These facts put a new perspective on our outlook in life (Colossians 2:12, 3:3-4; Jeremiah 11:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:6).

When we hunger and thirst after God (Psalm 42:1-5), He fills us to overflowing. We delight in God's creation, in His Saints in our life, in His provision in the most amazing ways, etc. Our gratitude for His nurture and care for us overflows in praises all day long.

Prayer:

Father God, delighting in You creates a positive environment for our health in body, soul and spirit. We dwell in abundant life in every area of our existence. Our relationships improve, our creativity abounds, our intuition and inspiration are sharper and clearer, all because of our intimacy with You.

As we focus our gaze on You, the edges get knocked off our circumstances, we have fewer mountains to climb and less temptation from things pertaining to this life. Our concept of our identity, our purpose in life, our trials, our vocational demands, our ministry for You, etc. improve and stabilize. We look forward to living in Your presence every moment of each new day.

Thought for the Day:

When we see life from God's viewpoint, our trials have less of an effect on us, because we look for the seed for a miracle that He plants in every one of them; we have hope that sustains us through the bad times, and that enhances our good times; we bask in the realization that the supreme Creator of our universe abides within us.

Our Purpose in Life

In His foreknowledge of our choices, God pre-ordained our life before we were ever born (Ephesians 2:10). With our mind on this world, we are nothing more than a dead stump; yet when God fills our life, we flourish and produce fruit for God's Kingdom (Proverbs 11:28).

When we trust in Him, and the Lord is our hope and confidence, we are truly blessed. We send our roots deep into the river of life, to sustain us through the heat and drought. We bear fruit when others are struggling just to survive (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

We find our purpose in Christ as we recognize the amazing visible and the invisible attributes of God and creation (Colossians 1:16, 3:3-4). He directs the flow of rivers (Proverbs 21:1), the leadership of nations (Romans 13:1), and the individual lives of everyone ever born (Ephesians 2:10; Job 12:10).

Obsessing over our success and our rise in this world's order will get us nowhere. Even if we ultimately reach the top, it does not fulfill us (Romans 8:6). The more of our self that we give to God, the closer we come to finding our true fulfillment (Matthew 16:25).

The mystery of God's truth is available for everyone to see. The pages of His Word are full of wisdom for living. God had a design for us long before our birth, and as we surrender to Him, He carries it out one moment at a time each and every day (1 Corinthians 2:7).

In Christ, we discover our true identity, our purpose, and the fulfillment that we long for in life (Ephesians 1:11). We were in His watch-care before we were ever born (Isaiah 44:2). He fulfills His purpose for us as we surrender our life to Him (Psalm 138:8).

Prayer:

Father God, You know us from our rising each morning to our snuggling in our comfy covers every night. In fact, You are intimately acquainted with every bone in our body. We delight in the fact of our intimate union with You; we rejoice in Your presence within us. Help us to walk in Your ways each moment of our day.

We are so glad that You rejoice over us with singing. We always want to live in such a way that we bring You glory, honor and praise. We want to fit into Your plans for our life, and to allow Your Spirit to mold us into vessels of honor for Your service. We love You with all of our heart.

Thought for the Day:

We all wonder why we are here on this planet, and we strive to find our purpose and to leave our legacy behind for others to enjoy; yet the greatest legacy we could ever pass on, to posterity and to everyone who was touched by our life, is a personal relationship with Christ.