John 10:10

“I came so that they may have real and eternal life more and better life than they ever dreamed of”

you will discover that courage when you do three things: accept the past, trust God to handle the future, and make the most of the time He has given to you today. No dreams are too big for God. Not even yours. So start living and dreaming accordingly. You can't out dream God.

Proverbs 16:9

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps”

Every day is an exercise in decision-making. Today and every day you must make choices: choices about what you will do, what you will worship, and how you will think. When in doubt, make choices that you sincerely believe will bring you to a closer relationship with God. And if you’re uncertain about your next step, pray about it. When you do, answers will come - the right answers for you.

Romans 12:11-12

“Not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer”

He knows we are up to the task and He has equipped each one of us with talents to achieve great things. He did not create us just to survive, but rather to thrive. To turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. But that doesn’t happen on its own, it comes from a passionate and disciplined pursuit of perfection of our craft and the connection of our Christian lives, in that mission.

Romans 6:3-4

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of Our Father so we too might walk in newness of life”

As Christians, when we actually accept this gift of life that we have been given, each day brings new hope, courage, and a sense of purpose. But we must first accept it, we must walk in the footsteps of Jesus and be willing to live Christian lives.

Kings 18:37

“Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, Lord, are the real God and that you can change their hearts”

He gives us everything we need, and exactly when we need it. It may not be in agreement with our terms but it is according to His master plan for our lives. So, to grow in faith is not to demand a sign, but it is to open ourselves up and see what we have already been given. To see His presence in our lives in the here and now, and to have patience as His unending work continues to unfold.

Corinthians 5:9

“Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions”

Simply put, the quality of our daily choices determines the quality of our lives. So, if we sincerely want to live a life pleasing to God, we will make choices that are pleasing to Him. And when we do, we often find that the benefits to our everyday lives and the lives of those around us are better for that choice.

Matthew 4:1-2

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights he was hungry”

So as we enter into the 40 days of lent, in preparation for Easter, and hope for a new life, may we prepare ourselves through daily devotion, drawing ourselves closer to our Father and allowing the Spirit to move us. May we make room in our lives through sacrifices so that we may focus on a new spiritual discipline, to avoid temptations, and to strengthen our faith. May we use this time to pray for a new beginning, for guidance to our calling, and our own ministry.

Romans 5:3

“ We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope”

One thing to remember in the turbulent times of our lives, we can’t allow our circumstances, no matter how difficult they may be, to teach us about God but rather we must allow God’s character to teach us about our circumstances, about our inner strength, our endurance, and about our ability to overcome.

Philippians 4:4

"Always be full of joyin the Lord. I say it again - rejoice!"

We are intended to live joyful lives. The gift of this life is meant to be lived to its fullest, not in the darkness of misery. So if you find yourself in a funk today, find something to be grateful for, plan an activity that brings you happiness, or better yet, work to put a smile on someone else's face, smiles are contagious.

Proverbs 21:5

“The plans of the diligent end up in profit, but those who hurry end up with a loss.”

Today, as a gift to yourself, to your family and to the world, be still and calm the inner peace that is your spiritual birthright. The peace of Jesus.

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