Sunday, August 30

For by grace you have been saved through faith:
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God:
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB

When someone gives you a gift, do you say, “That’s very nice-how much do I owe you?”
No, the appropriate response is to say “thank you.” Yet how often do we feel obligated to give back after receiving a gift? Do we sometimes feel this way in our response to God’s gift of salvation through Jesus? Our salvation and faith are gifts from God and our response should be praise and thanksgiving. The works that we do are not to earn this grace, but in response to the gift that God has already given us.

We should, in our daily lives seek to be an example of God’s love to others in the workplace, with our families, and just about anywhere we are in life. We can do this by being hard working, honest employees, good parents, and spouses. We can volunteer at nursing homes, schools, and hospitals. God gives us many areas of opportunity to share His love with others through the different talents and gifts He has given us. We need to be servants, for Jesus came to serve and not be served, and we should do likewise.

Lord, help us to be like you, to be a true servant in our daily lives. Amen

Monday, August 31

God Reigns and the Son Shines!!

No matter how bad daily life can get, we have to remember God is in charge and He is on our side. We can get overwhelmed by the circumstances of our families, the world situation, or maybe just our daily routine. In Romans 8:31 in the NIV it says, “If God is for us, who can be against us.” No matter how bad things can seem to be, God is not discouraged or affected by these things, but stands by us through it all. He encourages us along life’s way. When we get bad news, what is the first thing we do? It may be a bad diagnosis, news of the death of a friend, or our 401k went “south.” Hopefully, we pray. Don’t focus on the things that are happening to us, they are all going to pass away. In the end, none of this really matters, what does is that we have the promise of eternal life through faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Lord, help us to remember that you are always there for us, holding us in the “palm of your hand,” watching over us and always caring for us in all that we do. Amen

Tuesday, September 1

“No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course
of what others have had to face.
All you need to remember is that God will never let you down:
He’ll never let you be pushed past your limit.
He’ll always be there to help you come through it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 MSG

Recently our church “neighborhood” experienced a horrendous forest fire that consumed 33 buildings, including 12 homes. In the midst of all of the tremendous loss there were no lives lost and no injuries experienced. We thank God for that!!

In the middle of all of that loss, one house was left standing. The owners of that house are elderly members of our church. Ruth was in church the following Sunday and told us of her prayers during that fire, even requests for prayer from as far away as Wisconsin. She doesn’t know why in the midst of all of the loss of homes, theirs was spared, but we do know that there is a reason, unbeknownst to us. After every other home along their road was destroyed, an airplane. which was monitoring the fire, directed a fire truck from a county road many miles away to go to their location. They were able to “foam” the house with a protective coating, and therefore, save the structure, although all the outbuildings and garage were destroyed. Ruth and her husband are so very thankful.

Our church was used as a staging area during the fire and we were also able to hold a dinner for all of the victims of the fire. In an area that is largely unchurched, we pray that we can be God’s hands and feet and be encouragers to those who have lost everything they owned in the fire.

Wednesday, September 2

“I am the Lord your God.
You shall have no other Gods before me.”

This commandment is the first and I think for good reason. I believe God is saying, “Let’s get something straight here!” This God, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, is the God in whom we put our faith. He is the God of the Bible that we proclaim to be His word. When Luther wrote the catechism I wonder if he had any idea how many “gods” would be in competition to take the place of the God of the Bible.

In our daily lives we have many things that take our focus off the “Main Thing” which is God. A stewardship speaker we heard many years ago said, “We have to remember to keep the Main Thing the Main Thing.”

People of today are beginning to follow the gods of Oprah, movie stars, and politicians. We cannot find the God of the Bible in our own consciousness. Anything that takes priority over God in our lives becomes another god. It can be sports, material possessions, work, just to name a few. We need to quit seeking the temporal things of life and seek after a closer relationship with God.

Lord, help us to always remember that you are God. You are the God we worship, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Keep our hearts and minds on you. Amen

Thursday, September 3

Thou shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,
for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.
Exodus 20:7 NLT

We give much thought to giving our children their names. We choose names that will be good for them, maybe after their father or another loved one. Maybe it is just a poplar name at the time they are born, or a name that has special meaning to us.

The name “Jesus” means savior. His name is one of such importance that we all recognize it. The name “God” represents the almighty ruler of the universe.

Using these names in casual, flip ways should be of concern to us as Christians. How many times do we find ourselves saying, “Oh God,” “My Lord!” or many others that are much more offensive than even that. How many times are we more offended at “four-letter” swear words than we are at hearing God’s name taken in vain? We can’t change the world, but we can change what we do and what we say. Let’s try to set a good example by keeping our speech “God-Honoring.”

Lord, help us to lift up, honor, and defend your name. Amen

Friday, September 4

While traveling in Lower Michigan we came across this sign on a church marquee. It said, “If God gave you the same priority as you gave Him, would you still be saved?”

We were traveling home from a visit with relatives, one of whom was recovering from a severe stroke. We thank God for sparing this uncle from death or some very serious long term damage. God has not been a priority in the life of these people for a very long time, and we are also guilty of this at times in our lives. In this very scary time for them and for us, of course the immediate thought was to pray. Even though we do not always hold God in top priority, we expect Him to put us in that position. Is it only when we have a crisis that we remember Him? Do we remember to thank Him for his constant love and caring toward us?

Father God, We never know when unstable situations will appear in our lives. Help us to prepare ourselves with your word that will be an encouragement for us as we travel through these difficult times. Help us to remember to thank you for your constant care. Amen

Saturday, September 5

As I get to day seven, I am reminded of 1 Timothy 6:11b-12, “Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.” Actually, that whole chapter holds real meaning for me.

It has been over 18 years since we felt called to go into the Christian bookstore business. It was completely by faith that we entered into the business world. We were both in agreement that the community needed a “light” in the darkness. I had no retail experience and my husband was too busy with his work to help in the store. It has taken much perseverance to “stick with it.” Our customers have many times been God’s light for us. God has blessed us with many new friends. We hope that through the opportunities we have had to share the gospel we have “fought the good fight.”

Wherever we are in life, whether a housewife, pastor, or car salesman, we need to share the gospel with those people we come in contact with. It may be easier when you run a Christian bookstore, or are a pastor, as people expect it “coming from you,” but it is in the everyday life situations that we can be the light of the gospel to others.

Lord, we pray that we can be disciples for You, sharing your love with others. Encourage us in our faith that we might be encouragers to others. Amen