Friday, August 11, 2023

Friday, August 11, 2023
1 John 2:17
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

The life you build and the legacy you leave behind will inevitably fade with time and become only a memory. This world isn’t meant to last, but the paradise God is preparing for us in Heaven will go on forever. The most meaningful thing you can do in this life is put it in Christ’s hands, and let Him turn you into the person you were meant to be. Even though you’re temporary, God still put you here, which means you have a part to play in His story. Be attentive to His will and follow His commands, and you will be richly rewarded in the life to come, with treasures that time cannot erode.

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Thursday, August 10, 2023
Philippians 4:12
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

What Paul learned during the hard chapters of his life was how to be content, no matter the circumstances. Instead of basing his emotions on life’s ups and downs, he chose to ignore circumstance, and look at the big picture. He was no longer Saul of Tarsus, but Paul, a servant of Christ who every day gave Him strength. If he was beat up, imprisoned, shipwrecked, or stoned, it was all because of his dedication to Christ, and to the mission God had called Him to. No matter the abundance or the suffering, it was all insignificant compared to the love and peace that came from his relationship with Jesus… a relationship that He offers to you, too.

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Acts 20:35
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

When asked what the greatest commandments were, Jesus gave two simple answers: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. All the other commandments are summed up in these two, and the first one pours into the second. If you love the Lord, you’ll care about the people He cares about, and love those whom only Christ could love. Part of loving is giving. Give to others, whether that means giving your time, giving your attention, or giving the material things God has given you. It all belongs to Him, and if you want to love others as much as yourself, show them the same generosity that you would like to be shown.

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Tuesday, August 8, 2023
1 Timothy 6:17
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

Jesus said that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. What He meant wasn’t that material wealth prohibits you from getting into Heaven. Rather, that wealth can corrupt, and that the wealthy of Jesus’ day considered their money more important than their faith. Compared to most, you and I are rich. Be sure that, despite what you have or don’t have, that the closest thing to your heart is Jesus. For what would it profit a person to gain the whole world, but lose their soul?

Monday, August 7, 2023

Monday, August 7, 2023
Matthew 6:20-21
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This life isn’t built to last, and nothing here will go with you into Heaven. The house you live in, the car you drive, the money you put away… ask yourself, how much does it really matter? This life is a vapor; a tiny speck compared to the Kingdom of God, which will continue forever and ever, making your time here on earth infinitely smaller and more forgettable with each passing day. What are you going to delight in when you’ve walked on streets of gold for ten thousand years? The possessions you earned in the world, or the treasures you earned for Heaven? For the good things you do, for the deeds that make God smile, He has promised to reward you with abundant, eternal gifts. What in this world could be worth trading for that?

Friday, August 4, 2023

Friday, August 4, 2023
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast

Nobody can brag about their salvation… after all, it’s not like you earned it! The beauty of salvation is that it’s a gift: an eternal gift given to tiny, insignificant you by the all-powerful, all-merciful God. No one is more eligible for Heaven than another, for all have sinned and fall short of His glory. The only thing between us and the second death is Christ on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead. The obedience and allegiance we give to Him shouldn’t be an attempt to replace His sacrifice. Instead, you ought to obey because of that sacrifice; because even while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you.