2 Chronicles 30:9 “For if you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.” NKJV

Imagine.  There you are adrift on a life raft with the beach on the horizon. You watch as the land slowly moves away, leaving you alone.  While most of us have never been in this scenario physically, we often experience it spiritually.  As we walk through life, we feel as though the Lord has left us, leaving us alone, but in reality, it is not the Lord who has left.  In the situation with the life boat, is it the land that has moved?  No. The land is steadfast and cannot move and so it is with God.  He remains the same yesterday, today and forever.

James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” NKJV

In those times where we feel that God is far away, we should not believe the lie that God has rejected us. Instead, we should draw near to Him and rejoice in His loving-kindness.  Our Father in Heaven desires a personal relationship with each of us.  It’s in this relationship that we find strength, peace and hope.  Our relationship with God is one founded on knowledge of His Word and communication through prayer.  These are not simply religious actions but our connection to the God of the universe.  Draw close, my friend, and watch as the Lord draws close to you.

Life Lesson: When you feel God has drifted, it is usually not Him that moved.

Dear God,

I am grateful that You are the Rock that I can stand on and an ever present help in times of need.  Lord, in those times I feel lost at sea, remind me of Your faithfulness and love.  May Your Spirit lead me to draw close to You and trust in Your Word over my feelings.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Corinthians 16:10 “And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.” NKJV

Every person who has ever lived has faced difficult decisions. Some decisions were very obvious while others were not.  For those of us who are following Christ, we have a great resource for making decisions.  This resource comes through the relationship we have with Jesus.  Through His Word and the direction of His Spirit, we are better equipped to walk down the path He desires for us.  We can trust the path because He is leading us and loves us, even when the path gets hard.

Psalm 16:11 “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” NKJV

So how do we go about seeking the path God desires for us?  First, we need to know God’s Word.  As we read His Word, we will be able to understand God’s guidelines and promises.  These will help guide our steps.  In those moments where we are unsure, we should seek godly counsel as well as pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in discerning where next to step.  Finally, we step out in faith, trusting our Lord who is able to help us along the way.  When we trip and fall, God’s grace is there to catch us.  When we face an obstacle, His strength will help us overcome.  When we finally reach our destination, He will personally usher us into His presence.  This is the promise we have in Jesus.

Life Lesson: God will direct our paths as we listen to Him and trust Him.

Dear Father,

I am so thankful for Your guiding hand.  Not only have You forgiven me of my sins, but You are involved in the details of my life and desire to lead me every day.  Lord, help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit and knowledgeable of Your Word so that I will make wise decisions.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Chronicles 27:2 “And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the LORD). But still the people acted corruptly.” NKJV

“I don’t need to be in church to be a Christian.”  This statement has been uttered by many people throughout the years and an often time is the sign of a struggling believer.  The statement itself is correct. Anyone can have a relationship with Jesus Christ whether they are part of a church or not.  Yet, God created the church to be a crucial tool for spiritual growth.

Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” NKJV

Like a burning ember that’s been pulled out of the fire, Christians who are not connected to a church often struggle to burn brightly in this dark world.  This is one of the many benefits of fellowship.  When we meet together under the banner of Christ, we stir each other up to good works.  We are able to hold each other accountable as well as hold each other up during difficult times.  While there may be times of transition when a believer finds themselves alone, our goal should be to find other like-minded Christians who can encourage us in our walk with Christ.  Needing other believers is not a weakness; its how God designed it so that we could demonstrate love to one another in a way that changes the world.

Life Lesson: We are encouraged to make it a priority to meet together.

Dear God,

Thank You for the church and for the fellowship of other believers.  In your infinite wisdom, You created the church so that we could know You more and be equipped to share the Gospel.  Father, I pray that You would give us unity as believers and help us reach out in love to others who may been on the edges.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Corinthians 16:2-3 “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.  And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.”  NKJV

Many of us don’t think about giving as a form of worship.  After all, worship happens at church and involves songs, lyrics and the raising of hands…right?  Yes, that is true, but worship is more than just singing praises to God.  Worship, at its root, is giving up of ‘self’ for God.  In scripture, the first statement of the word ‘worship’ in the Bible comes from the mouth of Abraham as he prepares to sacrifice His own son in obedience to God.  Worship is sacrifice and when we give our money to the Lord, we are worshipping Him with our finances.

But wait, there’s more…

Often when we worship in church, we are blessed by the experience and yet when we give of our finances, the blessings are compounded.  Think about it. When you give to your church, you allow more people to hear the Gospel.  When you support a ministry, you allow more new believers to receive materials to grow in Christ.  As you invest in eternal things with your money, you receive eternal rewards and forever change the course of someone’s life.   Worshipping God with your finances is not only a step of obedience but a conduit for God’s blessings in your life and the lives of countless others.

Acts 20:35 “And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” NKJV

Life Lesson: A part of our worship of God is giving financially.

Dear Father,

Thank You for the way that you provide for my needs.  Lord, help me to have a generous heart towards my church and towards others.  Give me an eternal perspective so that I am investing in eternal rewards.  Lord, use the money I give to impact lives forever.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you desire to worship the Lord with your finances, consider a gift to Cross the Bridge Ministries.  100% of your gift is used to buy airtime in order to reach more with the Gospel and to provide materials to new believers. CLICK HERE TO DONATE.

1 Corinthians 15:36 “Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.” NKJV

God is an amazingly creative God.  In His unlimited wisdom, He grows fruits and vegetables that provide food to eat and seeds for even more fruits or vegetables to grow.   When we open an orange, each of us can see the potential for new fruit.  We can count the seeds and get an idea of the number of trees that could be produced with those very seeds.  What we cannot see or begin to comprehend is the number of oranges that will be produced in one seed.

This may not seem all that exciting but let’s look at the application of this in our lives.  When we ask Jesus to forgive us and are born again, we are like that seed planted into the ground.  As that seed lies in the soil, it becomes something new, something with amazing potential for growth.  Likewise, when our lives are given completely to Jesus, there is unlimited potential to the number of lives we could reach.  The Lord looks down onto our lives and knows the number of times we will fall, the number of times we will have victory and the number of lives we will change.  He knows and will provide the needed power; the question is…are you ready to produce?  Are you ready to grow and be fruitful?  When you give your life to Christ and submit to Him in obedience, you will see amazing things happen, not because you are the perfect seed, but because He is the perfect gardener.  Trust Him and watch the harvest unfold before your eyes.

Life Lesson:  Anyone can count the seeds in an orange, but only God can count the number of oranges in a seed.

Dear God,

Thank You for to the continuous love that You have shown me.  Thank You for Jesus and the gift of salvation that comes through Him.  Lord, I praise You for these things and ask that You would help me to grasp the impact that my life could have when it is dedicated to You.  I ask that You fill me with Your Spirit and use me to be fruitful for Your Kingdom.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:31 “For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you.” NLT

When Paul wrote this verse, it very well could be that he was facing the possibility of physical death.  The hatred towards the Truth had led many believers to be fed to lions and crucified because of their faith in Jesus alone.  While most of us may never see that kind of persecution, there is a death we must face on a daily basis — the death of our sinful nature.

Romans 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” NKJV

While the world may look at us strange when we talk about dying to ourselves, it is an important part of following Christ.  It is not a physical death but rather the death of our sin and our selfishness.  If we desire to do something contrary to God’s Word we willfully stop and instead seek to walk in obedience.  As we chose to obey God despite ourselves, we are dying to our will and surrendering to God’s.  Now, just so you know, it isn’t always easy.  Our sinful nature desires nothing more than to rebel against God but because of Jesus, we have the power to choose what is right and to walk in His light.  As we do, we’ll find ourselves no longer living for ourselves but living for our Lord…and friend, there is no greater life than that.

Life Lesson: The more we die to ourselves, the more we can live for Jesus.

Dear God,

You are so good to me and have shown me such great love.  Because of Your love and what Jesus did for me, I desire to live for You.  Fill me with Your spirit and give me the power to what is right.  Help me to die to myself every day.  May my life be a reflection of You for all the world to see.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Timothy 4:13 “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”  NKJV

The power of God’s Word impacts all areas of life.  As we read the Hebrew Scriptures, we learn actual history about our world, God’s people and His power.  When we read through the Gospels, we learn about Jesus, who He was and what He did for us.  Later in Acts and in the epistles, we learn how to have church and what our future holds.  Of course, one of the greatest blessings of scripture is the realization of who we are before Jesus and who we become after Jesus.

When we reflect on the Bible, we get an unedited glimpse of who we really are as humans.  We are broken and sinful.  We are deceived and in need of saving.  When we see our sinfulness, it leads us to the Savior. And at the foot of the cross, we find forgiveness and grace.  This forgiveness is by His grace and all because of what Jesus has done.  But God does not stop there.  You see, we have been saved at and seen perfect in God’s eyes, yet we still struggle in this fallen world.  This is where God’s Word gives us guidance on how we are to live and the power we have to live like Jesus.  All these amazing truths work together to mold and shape us bit by bit into the image of Jesus.  God was aware of us long before we came to be and yet His love for us is never changing.  He not only provided a way to experience His love through forgiveness, but He also gave us His very words to lead us through this life.

Psalm 139:1, 6 “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me…Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” NLT

Life Lesson: God wants to “wow” you with HIS intimate details and knowledge of you.

Dear Father,

I praise You for Your understanding of who I am.  You know the hairs on my head and the paths I will take and yet despite my failings, Your love is unchanging.  Thank You for salvation and for giving me Your Word so that I can live an abundant life with You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:20 “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” NKJV

Think about Jesus for a minute. All of heaven worships Him, and yet He took the form of a man and died a criminal’s death. Why? For us. When we consider the subject of eternity and putting away selfishness, He sure set the example. He also was and is the first to be resurrected. First fruits, tithing, giving thanks to the Lord; it is the only cure I know for greed and materialism. Materialism is identified not by a higher income but from a lack of giving. I know people who make a lot and give a lot who are not materialists. I also know people who don’t make a lot and do not give who are very materialistic.

I confront unbelievers so they can become believers. I confront people who deny the Resurrection so they can be assured of eternal life. I confront people who don’t tithe so they can know the joy of trusting God for all their needs. You have a pastor that loves you enough to tell you the truth. We still have much to do here on earth, but we are doing it as we are able. How did murder come onto the earth? Why did Cain kill Abel? Do you realize that the first murder was tied to an improper offering and anger over not giving what was right? The offering was not accepted.

Genesis 4:3-5 “And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” NKJV

Cain did not get angry at himself but at Able. Instead of examining his wrong doings, he sought Able to blame. Struggling in materialism, Cain did not repent and consequences resulted. Part of growing up in life spiritually is to recognize our wrong doings and do what is right. Who is to blame when we refuse to do what is right? Others? No.

Life Lesson: When we give to the Lord first, it shows He has first place in our life.

Dear God,
Thank You for this day. Thank You for leaving heaven and being selfless, for me. Please help me to grow spiritually and follow Your example by thinking about others first. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to live for You and to be Kingdom minded. Please forgive me for when I haven’t. Lord, help me today to live with You being first in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:20 “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” NKJV

What if you were at a party and one of your friends came in talking about how he had just been hit by a bus.  He claimed he was thrown ten feet in the air and landed on a parked car.  As everyone listens in awe, you notice something strange —he is completely unchanged.  He has no broken bones, bruises or even a scuff on his shirt.  There is no evidence that his encounter with the bus ever occurred.   What would you think then?  Is my friend lying or has he gone mad?

Unfortunately, this story plays out all the time across the world.  Many people claim to follow Christ but there is no evidence to back it up.  Their life has not changed and therefore, they leave people wondering what’s true and what’s not.  While not everyone who comes to Christ is going to change everything in an instant, over time our lives should reflect what we believe.  If we honestly believe that the God of the universe loved us so much that He willfully died and rose again so that we could be forgiven, it’s going to change our life.  It’s going to change our hearts and our desires. And as the world looks on, they will notice the change.   So today, meditate on the goodness of God and His love for you. Let that change you from the inside out.

Life Lesson: The way you believe should show in the way you live.

Dear God,

I know that I have missed the mark when it comes to actively living for You.  Whether in small or big areas, I pray that You would help me live out what I believe.  Fill me with Your Spirit and teach me through Your Word so that I will be a powerful witness in word and in deed.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Zechariah 8:9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts:  ‘ Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days  These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid  For the house of the LORD of hosts, That the temple might be built.” NKJV

When the world is looking for strength, they often seek out professional athletes or well known CEO’s who exhibit power and endurance.  These men and women train hard, educate well and push through to accomplish their goals.  Granted we can learn from those who have done these things, yet God points us in a different direction when we are looking for strength.  In Zechariah 8, God tells Israel to “let your hands be strong,” but He does not just leave it at that. He points them to the source of their power.

“These words by the mouth of the prophets,”

God in essence is telling Israel to be strong because He has spoken promises over His people that can be trusted.  When they face difficulty in rebuilding the temple or face trials from other nations, they can be strong because God said that He would one day bless them in a mighty way.  This is great for Israel to hear, and yet this Truth is the same for us.  Throughout the scriptures, God has spoken promises over us.  Each one can be held onto with complete confidence that it will come to pass, because they are the words of a God who cannot lie.  These promises from God are to be trusted above our emotions, above our circumstances and above the wisdom of the world.  These words from the Lord will drastically change our lives —if we believe them with all our heart and trust in the One who spoke them.

Life Lesson: Our strength is found in the Word of God.

Dear God,

I praise You today for the power of Your Word to change my life.  Thank You for the promises of scripture that are for my good.  Thank You for the corrections in the Bible that help me to become more like Jesus.  Teach me to trust in each one more and more each day.  In Jesus’name, Amen.