Your Daily Crossroad
Trust God to Faithfully Keep You!
I recently read, In our journey of faith, how can we finish the race well and “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”? (Phil. 3:14). Like the cable car, we keep a strong grip on Christ, which is what Paul meant when he said “stand fast in the Lord” (4:1). We have no resources of our own. We depend fully on Christ to keep us moving forward. He will take us through the greatest challenges and lead us safely home.
Toward the end of his earthly life, the apostle Paul declared, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). You can too. Simply keep a strong grip on Christ.
We’re grateful, Lord, that while we aim to keep a strong grip on You, You always keep a strong grip on us! You are working in us and giving us what we need to continue trusting You on our faith journey. Amen.
Have a wonderful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Philippians 3:12-4:1
My Speech Toward Others
I’ve certainly cast a few angry insults, wishes for harm or embarrassment and general abuse on my fellow man. Some of them have definitely deserved it. But it’s not about whether or not they deserve it, thank God. Because if they deserve it then I sure do too. But it’s about what my tongue and the way I use it reveals about my heart.
When I worship Jesus as the Creator of all, as the heavenly Father and Savior and then I get in my car and get ticked off with the first person that cuts me off in traffic, I am betraying that my heart doesn’t think much of God’s creation. And if I don’t think of much of His creation, what does that say about what we really think of the Creator? The way we speak to His children reflects our feelings for the Father.
The quickest way to make me your friend is to be kind to my kids. If you say you love me and that you think I’m great and then ignore or belittle my children, there’s no way I’ll believe that you love me. But if you walk into my house and get down on their level and play and laugh with my kids, I probably won’t even need to hear you tell me that you love me because I will already feel so loved because of how you loved on my children. God is a Father and in a similar way, when we worship Him and then treat His children carelessly or cruelly, our worship falls flat in His ears. But when we actively work to encourage, build up and serve His children, He sees our love for Him in action because of how we love His children.
The most beautiful voice in the world could praise God every Sunday, but if that voice speaks harshly of others and abuses them, it is only an obnoxious, resounding gong to the Lord. We cannot truly worship the Father when we are tearing down His children. What comes off our tongue is reflective of what is in our hearts and minds and that is where the change must occur. We must ask God to show us others through His eyes so that we can love them as He does. When we see those around us, not as pests and nuisances or worse, but as beloved beings made in the image of our Redeemer, it will transform our thoughts toward them and as a result, our speech toward them too.
I recently read this and I wanted to share it with you all. I feel it is something we should all be reminded of. Let’s make a conscious effort today and every day to see others through His eyes so that we can love them like He does.
Transform my thought today Lord and as a result my speech toward others as well, for greater is he that is within me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Amen.
Have a wonderful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is James 3
God’s Mercy
I recently read. As a group of religious leaders herded an adulterous woman toward Jesus, they couldn’t know they were carrying her within a stone’s throw of grace. Their hope was to discredit Him. If He told them to let the woman go, they could claim He was breaking Mosaic law. But if He condemned her to death, the crowds following Him would have dismissed His words of mercy and grace.
But Jesus turned the tables on the accusers. Scripture says that rather than answering them directly, He started writing on the ground. When the leaders continued to question Him, He invited any of them who had never sinned to throw the first stone, and then He started writing on the ground again. The next time He looked up, all the accusers were gone.
Now the only person who could have thrown a stone—the only sinless one—looked at the woman and gave her mercy. “And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).
Whether today finds you needing forgiveness for judging others or desiring assurance that no sin is beyond His grace, be encouraged by this: No one is throwing stones today; go and be changed by God’s mercy.
Father, cleanse me of my judging nature and free me from the bonds of sin. Let me taste Your mercy and then help me to live a changed life. Amen.
Have a wonderful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is John 7:53-8:11
This is the Day!
Psalms 118 reminds us that each day we have, is a day created by God. It is a day we should rejoice in, a day we should be happy. It is not a day where we should be burdened by the stress of our lives, but a day that we should be praising and thanking God.
Psalm 118 reminds us that everyday we have is a gift. A day that we should treasure, because we do not know if it will be our last. Everyday is a day we are able share God’s love, and his joy.
What I find most interesting, is that many Christians are not filled with joy. Many Christians do not smile at a new day, just because it exists. They do not realize the mystery and frailty of that day. Instead, we take the gifts we have for granted, and grumble about our work.
We complain about having too much paperwork, too much homework, an unhappy boss, our hours… We tell people how bad our day is going…
And yet, the most afflicted Christians spoke of how “joyful,” they were. Christians who were jailed, beaten, and killed because of their beliefs. In Acts 2:28, Luke says: Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Shouldn’t that be the attitude we all have? Shouldn’t we be grateful for being able to know God? To have a personal relationship with him? To have another day in his presence? Shouldn’t we be grateful that we have another day to spend with our friends and family?
Shouldn’t we wake up everyday, and think to ourselves, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it….”