Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

There are many things in this world that give us reason to be anxious. Illness, conflict, parenting, employment, travel, relationships; it seems that just about anything and everything can create anxiety if we let it. One of the problems with anxiety is that it is inherently negative in its outlook. We look to the future and we allow future outcomes to become more terrible than they could be wonderful.

The reality is, bad things do happen. Life is incredibly difficult and painful at times. Thankfully, Jesus is as painfully aware of this as anyone, which is why we can trust he understands what we are going through. Yet, at the same time, Jesus did not worry. He may have sweat drops of blood because of the reality of what he would experience on the cross, but he was not anxious about it. Why is that? How can we combat the temptation to be anxious the way that Jesus did?

Jesus trusted the Father, even with the cross, and his total dependence on the faithfulness of the Father was what kept Jesus hoping and trusting rather than worrying and faltering. Paul writes here that we shouldn’t be anxious about anything, and the way that we accomplish that is by prayerfully taking our requests to God. Like Jesus in the garden, we may not be able to change the future, but we can trust God in it, and we can ask for his help in doing so.

When we go to God, we are choosing to believe that God can do something about our concerns and fears and we are choosing to believe that God is capable of meeting our future head-on, and helping us to stand in the face of whatever happens. In a sense, taking our concerns to God in prayer may do more to change us than it does change our circumstances. What Paul writes is that when we go to him, his peace guards our hearts and minds. This peace that is beyond our understanding, actually provides us with a defense.

You see, anxiety is a matter of the mind and heart, and God meets us with a shield of strength in Christ. He is the faithful answer to our worry about the future. He is the one who makes all things new and who will be with us to the end of the age. We ask so many what if questions about our circumstances, but with Christ those what ifs can be changed from negative outcomes of despair to hopeful outcomes of faith.

Find your strength and hope in Christ the king. The world will not go easy on any of us, but we can have a defense through prayer. Don’t neglect this great privilege and this great tool for our needs. God is with us, will never forsake us, and the future is brighter because we can trust in him.

Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

One of the most important aspects of knowing who we are, is this idea that we are people who were created in God’s image. We spend so much of our lives trying to determine who we are, looking here and there for meaning and value. All people want to know that they are valuable, whether that be because of pride or because of feelings of worthlessness. People search and search, longing to find themselves in whatever they can.

One of the greatest sadnesses of our day is that rather than look to God for the answer to our problem of value in our identity, we look to our own man-made ideas as solutions. We begin to build our own communities around things that we see in ourselves, hoping that these things will finally give us that feeling of purpose and value. And yet, there is something in each of us that knows that we are all a part of the same community, made up of the same stuff, and originating from the same place.

Throughout history, men and women have looked at one another and focused on what makes us different from one another. Our skin color, our hair color, our size, our shape, our language, etc. Rather than appreciating these differences, we have made these differences a source of conflict. Perhaps this is because we have forgotten that we all have much more in common than what appears on the surface.

Every human being, regardless of how they look or where they are from, has been created by God, in the image of God. If you have been created by him, and you are meant to be a reflection of him in the world, this gives you both value and meaning. You don’t need to find your value in whether people acknowledge or praise your external attributes and you don’t need to find meaning in who you are on the surface as so many people do today.

What matters most about anyone, and what keeps us all seeing each other properly without discrimination is this truth. We are image bearers, every single one of us. When we treat others with contempt we mar that image. When we try to make ourselves more important than the one who gave us the image, we mar that image. So much pain has been experienced in the world because we have forgotten this truth. So much harm has been done to others because we don’t see how we all come from the same creator, who has put in us inherent value and worth.

If you are searching for yourself, look to the creator and he will show you just how valuable you are. If you are looking at your fellow human beings and are seeking to divide based on surface level qualities, look to the creator and see that it was not meant to be so. If you are longing for something that can unify the conflicts in humanity, look to the creator who unites people through the savior Jesus Christ. We are not an accident of nature. We are the created image bearers of God, and this is who we will always be.

Proverbs 11:24-25 - One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

One of the most common phrases that you will hear people quote is, “It is better to give than to receive.” It is used like some sort of catch all in reminding us that being generous is more important and more enjoyable than receiving generosity from others. However, we don’t always think this way, do we? We can think of generosity as an obligation to show love more than an opportunity to show love.

This proverb takes generosity a step further by using the words “give freely”. It contrasts a person who gives to God and others without limiting what they may give. In other words, they don’t feel trapped by how much or how little they give, but they simply feel free to give what they see is appropriate. Rather than withholding what they should give, they trust that God will provide for their own needs so that they are able to give without worry.

The other person in this proverb doesn’t feel this way at all. They know what they ought to give to God and others, but they hold it back. The reasons that someone would do this are many. For instance, someone may not want to give financially out of fear that they won’t be able to pay for what they need. They may even avoid giving financially because it will make it harder for them to get what they really want, or make their life less comfortable. If we find ourselves in this frame of thought, it may be because we don’t see God as much as the provider as we think we do.

The person who gives freely can do so because they know that it is God who provides, making them rich or limiting their wealth. While giving freely may mean more financial riches are given by God in the future, it can also cause us to feel more enriched in general because we don’t carry around the burden of being controlled by what we have and doing what we can to hold on to it.

It can be challenging to know how much we are to give back to God and to others, but the question remains, will we give? Will we be generous Christians? What we have to remember is that all that we have has been given to us by God in the first place, and that we are simply stewards of what is already his. He may entrust us money, property, children, relationships and so on, but our responsibility isn’t to hide them away somewhere safe, like you would hide money in the dirt. Our responsibility is to invest what God has given us in what matters to God, and we can do that with all he has given us.

How do you generally feel about the things in your life? Are you able to trust God and give freely, or do you feel like giving is more of an obligation and a burden? You may only have two pennies to your name, but God can still bless you through your trusting him with those two pennies. Do not put your hope in riches, but put your hope in the one who faithfully provides us with all we need to walk in this life and to walk in godliness, then, give freely what he provides.

Psalm 100:1 - Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

There are many ways in which we can worship God. We can worship him through reading his word and enjoying time with him in prayer. We can worship him through fasting and meditation or times of silence and solitude. However, in this case, we are called to worship God with a joyful noise.

While we could ask many questions about what this is supposed to look like, the most important thing to understand is that God is meant to be worshipped with intentional and effortful sound. Whether that be the sound of one or many voices singing songs to him or making music with an instrument, God has created us to worship him in this unique and wonderful way.

Imagine a movie without any music in the background. Oftentimes if the music is composed well and edited to fit with whatever is happening in the movie, you may not even realize just how much the music is doing to move the scene forward or give it more impact. The sounds that are used in film are key elements to immersing you in what is happening and can even cause you to make emotional connections that may not have happened without the presence of sound.

In the Christian life, it can sometimes feel as if we are in a movie that has no sound. We know that God is glorious and good and gracious and awe inspiring, but that knowledge doesn’t always connect with our hearts and our emotions. In a similar way to how poetry uses rhyme and colorful words to help us see things in different ways, worshiping God by way of making music can help us see him in a more whole way, and not just as the God of our minds.

God calls us to love him with our hearts, and worshiping in song seems to be a key way in accomplishing that task. You see, we aren’t called to make any old noise, but a joyful one. We may sing songs of sorrow, as many psalms are, but joy can always be present in one way or another because our God never ceases to be the glorious, good, gracious and awe inspiring God that he is. We sing songs to him as a way to proclaim his excellencies and build encouragement into one another.

We were made to cry out to God. Jesus told the Pharisees that if the crowd didn’t shout and sing his praises that even the rocks would cry out in praise. All of creation proclaims the glory of God, through the singing of the birds to the howling of a pack of wolves. The evidence of God’s handiwork is in it all, and yet we have the grand privilege of being able to do what the animals cannot. We can verbalise his greatness through our joyful noise.

You may not be a professional singer. You may not know how to play an instrument. In fact, you may not want to open your mouth at all when it comes to time to worship God through song. Trust that the Lord loves to hear whatever noise you make, as long as you make that noise with love and by faith. Make that noise, Christian, and joyfully hope in the faithfulness and glory of God.

Proverbs 18:13 - If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

Have you ever been having a conversation with someone who responds to you before you even finished your sentence? Have you ever been having an argument, and the other person comes back at you while you are still talking? If you answered yes to these two scenarios, then you have something in common with just about everyone who has ever lived.

People like to talk more than they like to listen, at least, that seems to be the case with most people. There is a certain eagerness to share a story while someone else is sharing theirs. Some people can hardly contain themselves when somebody says something they disagree with. Why does this happen?

One of the main reasons is because of our pride. We all tend to think that what we think is right, and therefore if we have the opportunity to say what we think, we are going to take it. After all, if someone else is wrong, we certainly don’t want them to finish their thought or else they could convince someone else of what they believe. But that’s not all that pride leads us to do. Pride also causes us to close our ears when they should be open to what is being said to us.

Answer this question. Can you answer a question correctly if you haven’t heard the entire question? In most cases, the answer is no. Without the context of the entire question, how do you know how to answer? Well, the truth is, you don’t. You may think you do, but in thinking this way you make more assumptions than you may realize, and you have a better chance of not answering the question at all.

One of the most overlooked tools in our conversational arsenal is listening. We have public speaking courses, and we assume that most people who have been in school know how to listen because they have to listen all the time, but in all honesty, most people simply do not know how to listen. They’ve never learned the art, and their relationships suffer as a result.

Only a fool would answer a question before they’ve heard the whole thing. Only a fool would make an argument in a discussion without listening first to what the discussion is even about. If you do speak up without listening, you may say something you regret, and shame will follow quickly after. Learn to listen, and wisdom and honor will follow. Can you think of times when you would have better served yourself and others had you waited to speak and listened first? Today, you will have more than enough opportunities to listen first and speak second.

In humility, work towards believing that it is better to have a fruitful conversation than it is to get your point across and persuade others of it. Just because you say something quickly or with force does not mean you are saying anything helpful.  Take your time with your words by opening up your ears to the words of others. You don’t have to agree, but at least the person you listen to will know that you’ve heard them. Be slow to speak today, and quick to listen.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 - “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

How many different gods do you think have been worshipped in the history of the world? Some estimate that there have been at least twelve thousand, but it all depends on how you define a god to begin with. For instance, some would say that Hinduism contains thirty three million gods, while others would argue that it is only thirty-three. Regardless, there has been no shortage of gods that have received praise and worship from humanity.

For Israel, there were always threats from other nations that their gods would make their way into the lives of the Israelites, and make their way in they certainly did. You may wonder, why do some people believe in so many gods to begin with? Because most of these gods were created in man’s image, we end up needing a specific god for all the different parts of our lives.

What you then end up with is weakness and failure in these so-called gods because we are weak and we fail. The problem with this is that when gods give in to certain failings that can only be described as inherently human, they prove themselves to not be worthy of the title of god. They are merely imaginations of humanity, seeing gods as a reflection of ourselves rather than us being a reflection of the gods.

The God of Israel is different from these other gods. Instead of him being made in our likeness, we are made in his. Instead of Israel having to worship a god of the harvest, and then a god of winter, and then a god of summer, and so one and so forth, they only worship one God who is Lord of all these things. The God of the Bible is the true God because he satisfies every need that humanity could need, and in all things he shows himself to be the authority and one true king.

There is only one God and He is the Lord of Israel, and our Lord as well if we are in Christ. Our love need not be spread thin amongst many gods, but we can give our whole hearts to him in worship. Our souls are not divided into compartments of worship for one god here and another there, but instead we can give our whole soul to God. It’s not uncommon when you worship many gods to need to work hard and do the right things in order to earn their favor. This is exhausting and impossible, but with the one true God, he extends his favor first, we receive it, and then he alone is who we work for, using our strength in its entirety for him.

So the question you must ask yourself is this: Am I living day by day loving and living for the one true God, or am I dividing my heart, mind, soul and strength among many gods or idols? If you are doing the latter, then you will find that your hope is fragile and your strength will be weak. However, if you really do have a relationship with God, then you will know that when you pray, he is the one who hears you, he is the one who loves you, and he is the one who will do good in and through you. The Lord is one, praise be to the Lord.

Psalm 52:9 - I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.

After the Hebrews had been saved by God from slavery in Egypt, they began to complain about how hard life had become. Some even wished they could go back to Egypt where at least they knew what to expect with regard to food and lodging. Even though God had done something so incredibly good, the people still became worried and full of complaints. The gratitude that the Hebrews felt towards God quickly faded, and if we are honest, we do the same thing more frequently than we would like to admit.  In this Psalm, David is proclaiming the power and might of God over those who do wickedness. He knows who his God is, and he knows that God will uphold the righteous and blot out the wicked.

Where the Hebrews saw uncertainty in what they would experience after slavery, David saw certainty in God’s faithfulness to do what is good. This certainty created gratitude within him and he couldn’t help but declare it through this psalm. Whatever may come against David in the future, he believed that what God had done before in faithfulness, he would do again.

In your relationship with the Lord, how much does gratitude come into the picture? Would you say that you have a tendency to be more like the Hebrews, worrying about what may come and complaining when things seem to have gone wrong? Honestly, you may feel that way because of a lack of gratitude. Thankfulness requires us to look outside of ourselves and whatever is going on in order that we can focus on something good. Gratitude reorients the heart away from worry and complaint and puts it in a position of trust and confidence.

But gratitude isn’t all that David has in this verse. He also writes that he will wait for God’s good name in the presence of the godly. Another important attitude that we must have in this life is patience. Are we willing to wait on the Lord? The only reason that we are willing to be patient for anything is because we have faith that it will be a good worth waiting for. If we wait for medical test results, we will be more patient if we believe that the results will help us. If we are thinking negatively about the results, we most likely will be impatient and quick to worry.

Gratitude reminds us of the goodness of God, whereas patience comes from belief in the faithfulness of God. Both are incredibly important, especially when thinking about the days ahead. There are so many evils that can come upon us, and there are many hardships that we experience. This is why we need to be reminded of these things, and we are reminded of them more when we are in the presence of other godly men and women who can help us to see God’s goodness and faithfulness.

What kind of attitude do you feel welling up inside of you today? Choose gratitude to God. If there are concerns you have for this day or the days ahead, be patient and wait on him. God has done good for you, and he will continue to do good because it is impossible for him to do otherwise. Be grateful and patient, Christian. The Lord is with you.

Hebrews 1:3-4 - He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

One of the best things that we can do each day, is reflect on who Jesus Christ really is. We can often forget how amazing he is, how awesome he is, and how much he has done for us. Because we cannot see him in the flesh, he can become an idea in our minds rather than being a real person. We can treat him like a friend that we once knew, but he is out of sight and therefore, out of our minds. Today, in these verses, we get to see him again.

Our Lord Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. He is the vibrant light that came into the world and displayed the holiness and character of God for all to see. If we want to see the glory of God, we can see it clearly in Jesus. He is the exact imprint of God’s nature. If you want to understand who God is, look at Jesus and much like fingerprints are used to identify a person, we can look at Jesus and identify God in him.

This great Jesus is upholding the universe by the word of his power. This same Jesus who calmed a storm and raised the dead with a word, is keeping all of creation together by simply telling it to remain. He has the rule and authority to do this because after he died for our sins, purifying us through the cross, he sat down at God’s right hand. Don’t miss the beautiful language used here. Jesus is at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Our God is a majestic God to behold and Jesus is there governing all of creation in that same majesty.

In that majestic imagery we see that there are angels, but regardless of how beautiful or powerful the angels are, Jesus is far superior to even them. Think of times in scripture where people have come into contact with angels. They fall on their faces in fear and reverence, yet the angels redirect that honor and worship back to God alone. You may be familiar with the archangels Michael and Gabriel, but Jesus’ name rises above them all as the name above all names.

Our Lord Jesus is excellent in every way and worthy of our affections and our worship. He is not an idea, but a person who died for you, knows you, and has a relationship with you. You may not be able to see him in the flesh, but you can see him in God’s word and be reminded of just how glorious he really is. What a privilege it is to say that he is your friend, your savior, your king, and to know that Jesus loves you personally. Take this to heart today so that whatever comes, you know that Jesus is the one who knows you and is with you and who will never let you go. Praise him, revere him, honor him, and enjoy him.

1 Peter 5:10-11 - And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

When you are in the midst of suffering, where does your mind go? Do you find yourself dwelling on the suffering itself, finding it hard to think about anything else? Do you struggle with worrying about how long your suffering might last? If you find yourself feeling more despair than hope when you are pressed by the suffering in this world, then these verses may be particularly helpful to you.

Peter goes on to list various promises that we need to hold on to so that our suffering doesn’t become all we see or think about. First, he tells us that our suffering will only be for a little while. Now, it’s true that “a little while” could last a few hours to the rest of your life, but either way, there is an expiration date on your suffering. In other words, no suffering you experience in this life will last forever if you are in Christ. There will come a day where there is no more pain or tears or sorrow any more, and that will be a glorious day.

He tells us that our God is the God of all grace, meaning the grace that we need for our suffering will never run out. Times when we grow weary can be met with God’s grace time and time again. His grace is an abundant fountain for us to drink from, and because of his grace that saved us from sin, we can trust that his grace is sufficient for our suffering as well.

This grace reminds us that God is carrying us through each day until one day we will experience the promised eternal glory of Christ. As we set our minds on this precious promise, we can see that no matter how terrible the suffering, Jesus himself is with us. If he is with us to walk with us and carry us through our suffering, then we can also hope in the promises that Jesus will personally restore us, confirm our faith, strengthen us for what lies ahead and establish us as tried and true saints of God.

It can be hard to see all of these promises in suffering, but truth be told, suffering need not be a thick fog in our hearts and minds. Much like a ship coming into harbor in the thick of night, the lighthouse pierces the darkness and guides the ship home. Look to the light of Christ in your suffering and you will see that suffering is not an end in and of itself, but rather a tool for the strengthening of the saints.

If you are suffering right now, remember that you are a child of the king. God’s dominion and rule far exceeds whatever difficulty you may experience, and because of this, you can trust that nothing that happens to you is outside of his control or command. No matter what storm comes your way, Jesus can quiet it. No matter what persecution you face, Jesus can never be taken from you. See your suffering through the lens of the promises of God, and in those promises, hope and strength will rise.

Romans 5:9-10 - Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

In Christianity you often hear people say things like, “I got saved when I was young” or, “I don’t know if my friend is saved or not.” It’s not uncommon to even hear the question, “How did you get saved?” When the word “saved” is used, it typically refers to whether a person is a Christian or not, however it may not be getting the whole picture but simply using the word “saved” in this way.

Whenever someone says that they are “saved” it would probably be a good idea to ask the followup question of, “Saved from what?” If we just throw the term around willy nilly, then we may not have an answer to that question. Some answer the question by saying, “God saved me from a hard life” Others may say, “God saved me from myself”. You may also hear, “God saved me from my sin.” Each of these carry some element of truth to them, but all of them miss the mark slightly.

What we need to understand is that all of us naturally walk as enemies of God. We do what we want to do, we live for what we want, and we even try to define what’s right or wrong based on our own inclinations and ideas. In other words, we make ourselves king or queen which is going to create conflict with any other ruler. Our pride makes us enemies, and our sin is evidence that we are choosing our rule and reign over God’s.

So what then should happen to rebellious citizens who break the law of the true ruler of the land? The just and right thing would be to punish them according to the law. Well, guess what, all of us are law breakers, so all of us deserve to face the wrath and punishment of the true king. There is no argument we can make, no penance we can give, we are simply guilty.

But God did something unexpected. He sent his Son, Jesus, to take our place. In other words, Jesus took the wrath you deserved. When we talk about being “saved” this is what we are saved from. We have been justified, or made right, with the king through the blood of Jesus. We were reconciled to God through Jesus’ death. Through Jesus’ perfect life being applied to us, and his resurrection be shared with us, we too will have life.

If you call yourself a Christian, and you have ever used the word “saved” to describe yourself or others, is this what you understood that to mean? That word carries a tremendous amount of weight with it, and is incredibly profound in its breadth and depth with regard to our position with God. Think on this today, and recognize what God has done for you. Today, believe in the precious justifying, reconciling, wrath bearing, life bringing Son of God, and be saved.