More to Life Today

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34-35

The word "love" is so easily used in our world today. People speak of loving their job, a certain food, or even their home or car. But as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, the word "love" has a far greater meaning. When Jesus was here on earth, He showed love to all with whom He came in contact,

One of the ways that we can praise and bless the Lord is to emulate His love in every aspect of our lives. Jesus taught that we would show our love for Him by manifesting His love to others.

Paul gives us a definition of love in I Corinthians 13:

Love suffers long and is kind.

Love envies not and is not puffed up.

Love does not behave unseemly.

Love does not seek its own way.

Love is not easily provoked and thinks no evil.

Love rejoices in truth and not iniquity.

Love, bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.

Love never fails.

That is a very impressive list and a high standard for each of us to live up to. But it is a goal that is worth striving for. Perhaps Paul had this in mind when he wrote the words in Philippians 3:12-14

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Thought For Today: God is blessed when we praise Him, not only from our lips but by the love that we show forth to others.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

How much we enjoy being in a church service where the Lord's presence is so precious. Hands are raised, voices are lifted as we sing songs of praise and worship to our Saviour and Lord. The stress and trials of the past week are laid aside. There is a feeling of unity and love as God's people worship together. We are strengthened and uplifted as the Spirit flows throughout the sanctuary. The joy of the Lord is reflected on each face.

But when the service is over, and we each depart to our own homes, do we still carry that worship and praise with us? Each of us faces the week ahead in different situations. Some may be struggling with sickness, others with financial difficulties. There is a situation at work that is frustrating For those of us who live alone, there are different challenges. Life happens to all of us.

But the same Lord that is with us in the church is still with us in our homes, at work, or wherever life finds us during the week. He has promised never to leave nor forsake us. Sufficient grace is supplied to each of us, no matter where our circumstances lead us.

As we go about our daily activities, we may not be able to praise the Lord aloud. We are not in a place where we can raise our hands and shout. But we can bless the Lord in our hearts. The way we treat others, the words we speak, and the way we act will bless the Lord.

David prayed, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

We praise God with our words because He has said in Psalm 150:6

"Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."

But we also praise and bless Him by the way that we live every day. We strive to live so that others will see Christ in us and desire to know Him.

Thought For Today: "Lord, I come to You today. With a simple prayer to pray. In everything I do. Let my life, oh Lord, praise You."

Devotion by Anne Johnston

Psalm 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

We praise the Lord for His Word. It is given to be our guide and our compass in every aspect of our lives. In it we find the way of salvation and our hope of heaven. Reading it and applying its principles to our lives is a way of praising and blessing God.

When we repent of our sins and surrender our life to Jesus Christ, all of heaven rejoices.

Luke 15:7 "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."

No matter how long we have served the Lord, there will be times when we fail the Lord. We are human, and so we make mistakes, and often fall short of what the Lord wants of us. As we read the Word of God, we are convicted, and we ask the Lord for forgiveness. God responds and our peace is restored. Praise rises not just from our lips, but from the depths of our soul.

We cry out like David, "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name."

When we read God's Word, or when we hear it taught, there is something deep within our souls that responds. Accepting it and obeying it draws us closer to the Lord. I am reminded of the words in Psalm 42:7 "Deep calleth unto deep." We realize how holy God is and we respond like the Psalmist in the first two verses of that same Psalm:

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?"

Like David, we praise the Lord continually, but at times that is not enough. Our soul has contacted a Holy God and we cry out, "Bless the Lord."

Thought For Today: God wants what is best for us. We bless Him when we obey what He reveals to us through His Word.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1

David's Psalms are filled with words of praise to the Lord, and in many of them he uses the phrase, "bless the Lord."

During one of our weekly phone visits, my sister and I were discussing whether there was a difference between praising God and blessing God. The Lord has blessed me in so many ways, and I praise Him for that. But I have been asking the Lord this question, "Jesus, how do I bless you?."

Praise means expressing approval, admiration, or commendation for someone or something. We praise our children when they accomplish something new. We praise our Pastor when He has delivered a message that touched us or helped us in some way. When the Lord is moving in a service, words of praise and worship fall easily from our lips. And I am sure that the Lord is pleased with that.

We have so much to praise the Lord for. When we think of His sacrifice on Calvary, taking our sins upon Himself, our hearts are filled with praise. Before we eat our meals, we take time to praise Him for supplying our needs. In times of sickness, we thank Him for His healing power. Throughout each day, we whisper words of praise for all that the Lord has done for us.

Psalm 150:6 "Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."

Bless means to make something holy. Jesus is holy, and there is nothing that we can do make Him more holy. Isaiah 6:3 "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."

But is there more to praising the Lord than just using our words? Could it be that to really bless the Lord involves every part of our life? While praying about this over the last few days, I kept asking the Lord to show me how I could bless Him. Bear with me as I share with you some scriptures that show us ways in which we can truly bless the Lord.

Thought For Today: The Lord has blessed me abundantly; I want to praise and bless Him in everything I do.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

"And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him." Isaiah 30:18

I had an "aha" moment while reading that scripture.

I have heard, and have said countless times, "Wait on the LORD." And for good reason; Scripture repeatedly reminds us to wait on God, trust His timing, and remain faithful while we wait for Him to move.

But as I read Isaiah 30:18, I noticed something I had never really considered before:

We are so accustomed to hearing that we are supposed to wait on God that we can easily overlook the incredible truth that God sometimes waits on us.

Isaiah says that the LORD will wait "that he may be gracious unto you." He is a God of judgment, but He is also rich in mercy; he is patient, longsuffering, and kind. From the first account of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, God does not rush to condemn us. Instead, He gives us space to turn our hearts toward Him.

Sometimes God is waiting for our repentance, or our surrender. And sometimes He is waiting for our yes.

What a beautiful picture of our Savior: He is ready to meet us with grace.

And then Isaiah turns the thought around. The latter part of the verse says, "blessed are all they that wait for him." We are blessed when we wait on the LORD. So blessing comes on both sides of waiting.

Perhaps God has been waiting for your yes. Or maybe He is waiting for you to make your way back into His loving arms; would you make your way back to Him today?

Whatever He is waiting for, He is not waiting with anger; He is waiting with grace. So go to Him today; He will not turn you away.

We often think of blessings as a monetary increase, a long-awaited vacation, or front-row parking at the grocery store. I would gladly accept all of those blessings right now. But when we turn to Matthew 5:3–12, Jesus gives us a very different picture of what it means to be blessed.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

The passage above is quite the paradox from the vantage point of our natural understanding of blessing. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time rejoicing and being exceedingly glad when I am poor in spirit, mourning, or persecuted.

The blessings of heaven are different from the blessings on earth.

We often define blessing by what makes our lives easier, but Jesus defines blessing by what draws us closer to Him.

Earth says blessing looks like comfort and ease. However, Jesus says there is blessing even in mourning, because they shall be comforted. Isn't that beautiful? And, honestly, I have experienced that firsthand; He has carried me through the darkest valleys of grief. Blessing isn't always found in what is happening around us; sometimes we find it in what God is doing within us, beyond what we can see.

Maybe today you are walking through a season that doesn't look blessed. It is easy to allow the difficulty of your circumstances to convince you that God has forgotten you, but He will never leave you or forsake you. Jesus reminds us that mourning can still have comfort, emptiness can still have a kingdom, and persecution can still have a reward.

You may not feel blessed today, but that doesn't mean you aren't blessed.

What the world calls blessed and what Jesus calls blessed may look very different—but I would rather have the blessing that comes from His presence than the comfort that comes without Him.

My burden for our children and youth has only grown in these last months. Now more than ever, we need to invest in the young men and women of our Nation. When I was a youth pastor, I noticed that most of my students wanted to use their voice, but needed direction on how. They needed direction.

My constant prayer as a youth pastor was, "Help me see what You see in them, Lord, and help me cultivate their giftings and ministries." I became a spiritual mom to them, and eventually I poured every bit of Biblical knowledge, wisdom, and encouragement I could.

Moses, without a doubt, was an incredible leader. Yes, he was flawed in some of his reactions, but when I put myself in his shoes, I know I would have lost my temper with the children of Israel on more occasions than he did. My former pastor's wife would say, "The Bible does not hide the flaws of its heroes." The Word of God is honest when it displays the character of men and women—not to give us an excuse to perpetuate bad behavior, but to show us we are not alone in the quest of becoming more Christ-like.

It says, "But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see."

"And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee."

Moses didn't just charge Joshua, saying, "Be bold and courageous," and then leave him to fend for himself. Moses showed Joshua how to be bold and courageous by taking him under his wing and mentoring him day after day. Imagine with me the experiences Moses shared with Joshua about growing up in Egypt, killing a man in his youth, fleeing to the desert, and many stories we don't even know about.

Joshua was mentored by one of the greatest leaders of all time.

I desire to mentor leaders in my life. Here are a few questions that help me evaluate my investment in the next generation:

Do I have a teachable spirit?

Am I submitted to spiritual authority? (We can't demonstrate good leadership if we don't know how to submit to God's authority in our lives).

Who am I encouraging?

Am I exemplifying leadership qualities?

Who am I mentoring — or — who could I be mentoring?

What wisdom am I imparting?

What life lessons do I have to share?

Yes, Joshua was beyond blessed to have Moses in his life, and we often teach about becoming a Joshua Generation. However, something is missing from Joshua's story.

There's no record of Joshua taking a young man under his wing and duplicating himself into another leader. When Moses died, Joshua took his place. When Joshua died, no one was there to take his place. As a result, Israel tried to "make it on their own" without a distinct leader. Because of this, they fell deeper into sin and idolatry than ever before. What would have happened if Joshua had mentored a successor?

Pray with me today… Lord, I pray that you would show me who you have placed in my life to mentor. Help me become a great leader, one that exemplifies Your character and love, so I can disciple others to become more Christ-like. It's more than leaving a legacy, I desire to foster leadership qualities in this generation that will blaze a pathway to You, Lord.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." 1 John 1:7, KJV.

God designed families to be one of the strongest forces for showing His love and design. However, the enemy attacks the family unit constantly—every day. Even the moments families share at the dinner table have diminished because of long work hours, bringing work home, relying on entertainment, and not intentionally setting aside quality time together.

Corporations, work schedules, school sports, favorite TV shows, church activities, and a plethora of other things compete for our attention, time, and money.

My husband and I teach several Bible studies during the week. We try to work with people's schedules and usually teach at night; then we have prayer and mid-week services in the evenings, too. It's so easy to go-go-go and forget that we need to sit and eat as a family unit. Sometimes, when we do get the chance to eat at home, we eat fast because we plan to go to the next thing.

Am I the only one?

I try my best to be intentional about spending quality time with my husband, daughter, and son, but it can be difficult. If this is a goal for your family, it may feel awkward at first. You may even wonder what you will talk about around the dinner table. But give it time. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes. Conversations will flow, laughter will come, and you may be surprised by how much you learn about the people you love.

I want my children to grow up remembering that we made time for one another.

It's peculiar how we can feel the most distant from the people who are closest to us.

It's difficult to survey an entire day to your loved ones, so one thing my former Pastor and his family did as a tradition at the dinner table was share a lowlight and a highlight of their day.

A lowlight is the part of the day that wasn't so good; maybe they stubbed their toe, witnessed an injustice, or someone said something hurtful.

A highlight is the best part of the day; maybe someone bought them Starbucks, they formed a new friendship, or they received an award.

This family tradition was always full of laughter, and sometimes even tears, which helped us grow closer.

Today, I encourage you to be intentional about spending quality time with your family. My family lives in a different country, and months or even a whole year will pass before I see them, but I have set days and times every week when I call my mom; it's not the same as sitting at the dinner table with her, but I'm still growing my relationship by staying connected.

Maybe connection happens on the way to soccer practice, or in the car on the way to church. Maybe it's sitting around the dinner table for twenty minutes with the phones put away. It doesn't have to be elaborate. It just has to be intentional.

Let's fight for family time. Let's make room for fellowship. And let's make memories with the people God has entrusted to us.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that You would bless my family today and that You would help us grow closer with one another. Teach us what it means to be a God-centered family. I pray that You would protect them and keep them today. In Jesus name, amen.

There are some days when you need a little bit of peace and quiet… and a little bit of fun.

Disclaimer: This story is the exception, not the rule.

As I write this, my daughter is throwing pumpkin seeds in the air. As they land on the floor, my son is pretending to be a chicken, pecking at the seeds and eating them.

They have been playing "farm" for at least fifteen minutes.

And while I normally do not encourage my children to use the floor as a dinner plate, today I have decided to embrace the Lord's command to "be still." If you're a mom of young children, you know that fifteen minutes of uninterrupted time is like a mini vacation.

So here I sit, listening to my son cluck and watching my daughter distribute pumpkin seeds across the floor like she's planting a harvest.

Today, I have accepted that motherhood is, at times, picking your battles. And, even though I'm probably going to find a pumpkin seed in very random places of my home a month from now, I hope I will be reminded of tiny giggles, vivid imaginations, and my coveted quiet time.

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine."

Laughter is great medicine for a weary, overburdened heart. And so is rest. Today, I received both.

Laughter has a way of loosening what stress has tightened. Today, my kids reminded me that even pumpkin seeds can be fun.

Today, I want to encourage you to find joy in the ordinary, and to let yourself not only smile and laugh, but rest and be still.

Maybe that's why Nehemiah said, "The joy of the LORD is your strength" in Nehemiah 8:10.

Wow, think about that with me:

I quote that scripture all of the time, but today I received a greater revelation of the different forms of strength and how joy is one of them!

So, today, my prayer is that God would restore joy into the places in your life that have grown tired and weary. God's joy can be your strength today, and I pray that you will be stronger than ever.

This devotion is from More To Life Today, written by Angela Overton.

"I love your sanctuary, LORD, the place where your glorious presence dwells." (Psalm 26:8, NLT)

For just a few brief seconds my mom was distracted, and I was free. My short legs pumping, I dashed away, Caught up in my toddler fun, I did not see the long arm stretching down until it stopped my progress and gently returned me to my mother. I had been caught running in church by my pastor. It's strange that the memory of that moment has stayed with me so long. Even at that young age I think I understood that running in God's house was not acceptable.

As I grew older, I learned more rules of "being good in church." Don't talk or giggle during service. Don't pass notes, chew gum, throw things on the floor, or distract others who are worshiping. The pastor of our small assembly was not above pausing mid-sermon to give a reproving look to a mischief-maker. We were taught to respect God's house and His Word.

My childish antics were very minor compared to what Jesus discovered in the Temple. The house of God had become a place of commerce rather than a house of worship. The Lord was angered by their lack of reverence for His house. The things of God had become commonplace to them.

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'" (Matthew 21:12-13, NKJV)

Was it coincidence that once He drove out the irreverent, "The blind and lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them" (verse 14)? God does mighty things when we reverence Him, His Word, and His house.

God has always demanded we honor His house and His Word. Leviticus 19:30 says, "You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary. I am the Lord" (NKJV). This Old Testament verse was written at a time when God's house was not an elaborate building of stone and marble. It was a tent in the wilderness. Yet this tent was His dwelling place, and the people were to approach it with awe and respect.

If moms of the past were to teach church manners today, I can just imagine some of their instructions. They might not question gum chewing, but they would certainly question Starbucks cups or food in the sanctuary. They would also expect cell phones to be silenced and put away. Checking social media, texting during service, or making numerous trips to the restroom would be a definite no.

King David was a worshiper with a deep love for God. We can feel his awe and respect for the things of God by the words he wrote in Psalm 27:4.

"One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire [seek, look for] in His temple." (NKJV)

When we enter the house of the Lord, what matters most is not the comfort of the pews or the beauty of the building. It's what we will experience there and Who we will meet there. We have entered a house of prayer, and God awaits us there.

"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20, NKJV)

What do you feel when you enter your church?

What does "respect for the house of God" mean to you?

What do you enjoy most about being in a community of believers?

Devotion by Mary Loudermilk