Giving kindness is healing for the soul.

 

A viral video made the national news: a police officer cut the hair of a prisoner being released so he could go on a job interview. It was one of those inspiring “random acts of kindness” we love to hear about.

 

Proverbs 31:26 says, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”

 

The thing that made Jesus stand out to people in Israel was His incredible kindness. He stopped to heal someone physically, or offered kindness to a person others looked down on.

 

What abundance could you share with a stranger in need? Can you go to a person who is discouraged and in need of a simple kind word? Kindness is within your power.

 

Stopping to be kind bears much good fruit. Jesus gave the ultimate kindness in His sacrifice for our sin. Isn’t passing along a human kindness the least we can do for Him?

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, there is so much need in this world! Humble us at every opportunity to bring light to someone in need. Thank you for doing that for each of us. Amen.

Who likes to wait for what we need or want? Basically, nobody.

 

Of those nine elements that make up the Fruit of the Spirit, patience may be the hardest to find.

 

Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

 

And patience is learned. Which makes it one of the sweetest fruits the Spirit gives us. Waiting for a “payoff” of some kind makes the end result that much more rewarding. Life teaches us that.

 

A childless Hannah endured mocking and ridicule, but the Bible tells us in First Samuel that she prayed and waited. Imagine how she felt when the date of her delivery drew near! She eventually had several children, but it was her patience in waiting on Samuel that made all the difference!

 

If you are waiting for something very important, read and meditate on the Fruits of the Spirit, especially patience.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, give us the patience of Hannah when we are frustrated by the waiting game. Teach us humility in the process. Amen.

In our humanness, we struggle at times to achieve peace.

 

World War 1 ended 100 years ago, and all sides joined together as a League of Nations to make that conflict the “War to end all wars.”

 

Then World War 2 happened.

 

Our history is littered with noble attempts to make things right, but only God can bring peace to nations, and to individuals. He has promised both! One day, He will make everything new, forever. While we wait for that great day, He also grants us peace in our daily lives.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:16 says, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

 

We only have to ask Him for it. Jesus, as He said in Matthew 11:28, gives us peace even in our greatest trials, and when we are exhausted. Then, peace comes to refresh us and give us all the strength we need.

 

If you don’t have peace in your life, simply ask God for it. He will provide.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, let your peace wash over people everywhere in this hurting world. Make them aware of your spirit of peace. Amen.

Of all the gifts God gives His children, joy is perhaps the one closest to heaven on earth.

 

Who isn’t aware just how wonderful it feels to experience true joy? It is as if the Lord has freed a prisoner.

 

When American POWs returned from captivity in Vietnam, the looks on their faces as they emerged from the planes carrying them to freedom…well, no one will ever forget that!

 

Psalm 16:9 says, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.

 

Scripture tells us that we don’t escape trouble in this life, but that for the believer, eternal joy waits for us, and the Holy Spirit gives us joy in our daily walk in the here and now.

 

It is also ours for the taking, to reach up and pick this fruit that feeds our souls. Sometimes simply making the choice to embrace a joyful spirit is the key to having a blessed day.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, you did not create us to be defeated or sad. Your Spirit brings joy in big and small moments, sustaining us for our journey. Thank you for joy. Amen.

The Bible is famous for speaking in parables and metaphor. One of the most famous is found in one of Paul’s letters, in which he tells us the benefits of a life in Christ.

 

The “Fruit of the Spirit” is a list of nine attributes that a person filled with the Holy Spirit will model for the world. It’s probably no coincidence that Paul starts with…Love.

 

Galatians 5:22–23 says, “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”

 

Love defines what it means to be Christian. Jesus taught that we are to love others, even to pray for our enemies. John wrote that true love is obedience to Christ. This dimension of the Fruit of the Spirit causes people to turn from evil, husbands to cover their wives in love and protection, and many, many more benefits for the world.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, Your Word tells us that healthy fruit is a benefit to everyone; inspire us to offer the fruit of love to all we come in contact with. Amen.

From earliest times, God has commanded His people to see their national home through His holy eyes. In other words, countries around the world are to follow the Lord. Of course, many don’t.

 

Jeremiah 30:22 says, “So you will be my people, and I will be your God.”

 

Many great civilizations have risen, but few last beyond a couple hundred years. Although history is debated, the foundations of America see a people who wanted to live holy unto the Lord. Modern America is still an ongoing experiment, but our Pledge of Allegiance, adopted in 1942, used the phrase “Under God.”

 

Lincoln used it for the first time during his Gettysburg Address, when he told the people that from that point on, we would be one people, united under the Living God.

 

This is something to celebrate, and we should! Our nation is always stretching to do better, and fulfill an ideal that is more than just some slogan. It is our calling to be this way.

 

Under God.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, thank you that Christ has been proclaimed in freedom in our nation! Help us continue this sacred calling. Amen.

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be one of the original settlers in America? As a person leaving the safety of England to come to the New World and start over?

 

Those people came here for religious freedom and risked it all. And when they landed in New England, they literally put down roots as they built and planted the beginnings of an amazing experiment that is still ongoing.

 

Colossians 2:6–7 says, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

 

Our ancestors were definitely strengthened in their faith as they faced challenges and danger.

 

But the payoff was worth it.

 

Maybe you’re going through something similar. You’ve moved to a new place. New job. New social circle. And you want to find a church! Just tell Jesus you need help with all these things and He’ll be right by your side.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, forever you have walked with us and forever you will keep us close, making us strong in the faith. Thank you for your faithfulness to your mission. Amen.

Do you sometimes feel your job is just too much for one person to handle?

 

Then let me introduce you to Franklin Roosevelt.

 

“FDR” was the 32nd president of the United States. By a quirk of history, he found himself leading the free world during a crippling economic meltdown…and a world war! His story is important, as we explore faith in God and country this week.

 

No one understood more than Roosevelt the sacrifice needed to defeat evil on the battlefield. He said, “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget, in time, that men have died to win them.”

 

He had to send young men and women into harm’s way, all over the world.

 

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

 

More than 400,000 Americans died in World War 2. From the South Pacific to Europe, soldiers looked after each other, and in many cases died so that others could live.

 

We should never forget that.

 

Let’s pray. Lord, we thank you for those who protect us. We will never forget them. Amen.

We as Americans relish our history…famous eras and the glory of battle and all that. Americans love the beautiful land that we’ve been blessed with, as well.

 

But the Bible tells us the true source of our blessings. It points us to the One who made all things possible.

 

Psalm 115:1 tells us, “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

 

We are incredibly blessed in America for a lot of reasons. From sufficient food to freedom to make our own choices, we have so much. But do we always acknowledge the source of our blessings?

 

Our forefathers did.

 

George Washington’s tomb at Mt. Vernon has Scripture etched into the stones. The Father of our country knew his heavenly Father!

 

The Bible tells us that we should glory first in our great God. He is the one we owe our lives to. Every breath we take. We owe our Savior Jesus our eternal lives.

 

It is to Him that all honor and glory belongs. As proud Americans, we stand on our faith. Of our almost limitless blessings, that is number one.

 

To God be the glory!

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, your mercies are available to us each day. As we get ready for a new day, help us to remember that You are our source. Amen.

Do you ever stop and think about the routine things you do every day?

 

Buying detergent so that you can wash your family’s clothes. Fixing a couple of boards on your deck. We even grind through staff meetings at work. All this of course mixed with life, laughter, and love.

 

But do you think about why you can do these things in our country?

 

Primarily it’s because of the sacrifices of our fallen soldiers—those men and women who have defended the homeland since Colonial times.

 

Joshua 1:9 commands us, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

 

We are privileged to live in a land of the free precisely because fellow citizens took a different road. They walk a path of danger so that we can have the freedom to live as we choose. So many of them fight with the faith they’ve lived with all their lives, and it is our duty to thank them, and be thankful for them.

 

Remember them when you want to complain about daily chores made possible by their sacrifice.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, keep our warriors safe, keep them in your loving arms. Amen.