I love memory verses of this length. Though it’s short, it says so much, as Paul writes to the saints in Thessalonica to be constant in their communication with their Father in heaven. Prayer in its most basic form is just that, including the Lord in your day-to-day and even moment-to-moment life. After all, He knows all, has an opinion that we want to hear, is for you, wants to be involved, and loves us without limits. Why not look up to Him more often today, it will bless your life!
Asking the Lord to stay involved in every minute of my day,
Pastor Jack Abeelen
Have you noticed that people tend to live according to someone else’s standards? How about you? Have you ever tried measuring up to the expectations of others only to fall short? Just the thought of failing can be an overwhelming thought, which can lead to living a life that continuously seeks man’s approval.
In today’s scripture, the plain and simple truth is that everyone is guilty of sin no matter how “righteous” one may think they are. In God’s eyes, no man is better than the other, just as the Jews were not better than the Gentiles (Romans 3:9). Even at our very best, we still fall short of the glory of God.
For this reason, God sent His Son Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. We are made right with God because of His shed blood. He saved us not because of any good works or moral character, but because of His grace and mercy. This gives us great confidence and assurance that our merciful God accepts us no matter how flawed and dysfunctional we are. All He asks is that we come to Him with a contrite heart and in genuine sorrow of our sins. In doing so, we model after the heart of God. So, as you go about your day, remember with Jesus in your life, you ALWAYS measure up, faultless and blameless before the throne!
Living for Jesus,
Tom Moore
The above proverb speaks of the contrast between the effects a good or bad wife has on her husband. The good wife, or the excellent wife, is a woman who brings honor to her husband. A good wife makes her husband look good. I remember an old saying that said, “Behind every good man is an even better woman,” and while that might not always be true, I think there is probably a lot of truth to it. On the flip side, a bad wife that causes shame to her husband can literally make a man feel sick in his bones.
A wife plays a huge role in the well-being of her husband despite what one may think. A lot of times, wives can think their husbands can take anything they throw at them. They buy into the stereotype that men are supposed to be big and tough so nothing should be able to penetrate them physically or emotionally. Well, that simply isn’t true. How you treat your husband, what you say to him, what you do to him, will have a profound effect on him in the long run even if it looks like he can absorb everything you may be throwing at him. Thick skin can eventually get worn down over time.
While there is no such thing as a perfect husband or wife, it should always be our goal to bring honor to the other. If that’s lacking in your marriage right now, I would consider you approach God in prayer with an open heart to hear from Him. Let Him expose the areas where you might be hurting your spouse versus helping them. And then ask for wisdom and strength to correct those areas. I guarantee you both spouses will benefit from this type of humility.
Pastor Jason Witt
During these times, it was common to eat food that was sacrificed to idols. Paul in 1 Corinthians 8 tells us that eating or not eating will not bring us closer to God but for the sake of our brothers, it’s better not to participate in eating such food, if we knew that such food will stumble our brothers. Paul before this verse addresses our liberties that we have in Christ. In verse 14, he says, “I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean to him it is unclean.”
As Christians, we have many liberties. We are free to eat and drink what we want. Paul gives us sort of an assessment test. “Is what I’m eating or drinking causing any grief or tension among my brothers?” If you know that it is, and do it anyways because of your freedom, then you are no longer walking in love. For example, don’t bring a box of Ding Dongs home when you know your wife is dieting. Probably a poor example, but the point is the same. Walk in love and don’t let your food be what takes your brother out. In other words, don’t undo what Christ has already done.
Walking in love.
Joshua Navarro
We know that Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice of love on our behalf, giving His sinless life on the cross for us so that we could stand as redeemed men and women before our Heavenly Father. Motivated by that same love, Jesus rose to become our High Priest in Heaven, the One we turn to for understanding, grace, and mercy.
Fully God yet fully human, our Lord lived His earthly life as one of us, experiencing the temptations and sufferings of this life. To put it simply, He can relate to what you are going through. He truly understands.
We can take great comfort in the knowledge that Jesus Christ our Savior knows first-hand all that we go through. He is able to help us to resist and triumph over the temptations that threaten to overtake us. You and I are never alone when we call upon the name of Jesus.
Jeff Deal
Is it just me or are we busier than we’ve ever been? It feels like we are constantly chasing after our schedules and commitments and having less to show for it. Solomon is giving all of us permission to slow down and find some peace and leisure. Surveys have shown that the percentage of the amount of leisure time enjoyed by Americans is shrinking. We are caught in the rat race and don’t know how to escape.
Why have both hands full of profit if that profit costs you your peace of mind and possibly your health? It’s better to have gain in one hand and quietness in the other. The person Solomon is describing was productive in his work, but careful to take time for quietness. He did not run the rat race nor run from responsibility.
The best way to find quietness is in our unhindered time with the Lord. Make time today.
Finding that balance in Him,
Pastor Gerard Deleeuw
Christians are sometimes regarded as narrow-minded. We are those people who believe there’s only one way to God and the world doesn’t like that. What about all the other religions? Are they all headed to judgment? Jesus answers all of that in the above verse.
If you want to know the way to Heaven, it’s through Jesus. It was Christ’s death and resurrection that made the way for us. What kind of God would make the sacrifice of His only Son just one of various ways to Heaven?
Jesus is also the truth. He doesn’t hold back any punches and try to gloss over He’s the only way to eternal life. He says it over and over in hopes that all would turn to Him.
Finally, Jesus is the life. He doesn’t just want us to believe in Him because of a future eternal home, He wants to be our whole life now to help us through a hard and deceptive world.
If you haven’t accepted Jesus, realize how much He loves you, proven by His death on the cross, and pray to accept Him today.
Jesus is the only way,
Pastor Ron Kitchell
The Apostle John is in his 90s when he pens these three letters near the end of your Bible. He says something here to the third generation of Christians since Jesus ascended into heaven that rings true to this day and is supported by the scriptures: man becomes like His God. So for us saints, we know and believe that our God is righteous and holy and filled with love. How is that showing up in your day to day life? Growth would presume that we will be more like Jesus today than last week and we will be even more like Him by next month! It is good to measure our growth, it is His will we grow up into Him in all things.
Trying to stand tall by the doorframe,
Pastor Jack Abeelen
The Greek word for overtaken implies an element of surprise, therefore the type of trespass here is one that overtakes a person suddenly rather than one that was deliberately planned. We are to be constantly on guard in our Christian walk to avoid stumbling along the way, but when someone suddenly falls, God’s heart is one of restoration. The word for restoration means repair or mend so our mindset is supposed to be constructive in regards to a brother or sister who has been overtaken in a trespass. The spiritual are commanded to restore such a person because they have a gentle (Galatians 5:23) mindset just like Jesus did when He ministered and because they will be cautious and take heed lest they also fall into the same temptation themselves.
Do you know a sister who has stumbled and is going through a difficult season, perhaps absent from church lately? Do you know a brother who has stumbled and has had to even step back from ministry? Our job is to reach out to them, encourage them with scripture, pray for them, and pray with them. Meet them for coffee, send them a text, be an encourager, because the enemy wants them to fall by the wayside and be forgotten. God’s heart, on the other hand, is that the person is restored and built back up. As the Proverb states, “Iron sharpens iron,” but the only way that happens is if the sharpening iron physically comes into contact with the blade being sharpened. We can only working at restoring a person by being in contact with them.
Jeff Mericle
Waiting is not something that comes easy to most of us. We look for the shortest line at the check stand and the fastest lane on the freeway. We ask how long the wait is going to be at the restaurant as the deciding point of whether to stay. We microwave our food instead of using the oven. How about sitting in the doctor’s office? Let’s face it, waiting is not fun! Time is a precious commodity that will never return to us, so it’s no wonder we are taught by the culture around us to be impulsive and always in a hurry. Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to making poor decisions, such as running stoplights, texting while driving, not reading the fine print before signing on the dotted line, or not considering the consequences of engaging in a particular activity.
The psalmist would instruct us to wait patiently on the Lord. Therefore, we must yield to the Father and be led in the truth…His truth! When the Lord has something to tell us, it’s worth our time to sit back and listen. The more time we spend in devotion to Him, the more He will have to say to us. Before you know it, time will have passed and it won’t even matter. May our scripture today teach us to slow down and be mindful of our thoughts and actions while seeking approval from God in the decisions we make. Believe me, the time spent with the Lord listening to His still small voice is well worth the wait. After all, time is in His hands.
Patiently waiting,
Tom Moore
