“The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.’ But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.”

The story of Jonah is well known. You have a guy that the Lord sent on a mission, but rather than obey, he ran from God - not a good idea. Then there is the whale who swallowed Jonah, allowing him to rethink his position and leading him to call on the Lord for mercy - a better idea. Finally, Jonah gets to Nineveh, proclaims a message that if they did not repent, God would deal with them. They actually believed God and “declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.” Finally, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.” (Jonah 3)

You would think that Jonah would have been thankful for the success of his mission. But no, he was “greatly displeased and became angry with God” for showing compassion to the Ninevites. After all, in his mind, the Ninevites were undeserving of God’s grace and were enemies of the Israelites. He deserved God’s grace, but the Ninevites didn’t.

Think about this. We live in a divided world - politically, socially, religiously and morally. It is all too easy for us to believe that we deserve God but others don’t. I have even had people say to me, “why would we send people to the Middle East to share the Gospel - they are Muslims.” Or, “I won’t associate with such and such a group because their lifestyle is sinful.” When we do this, we are thinking like Jonah rather than like God who said to him, “Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” 

Why did God care? Because the Ninevites, like everyone else, had been made in God’s image. They mattered to God, even if not to Jonah. Our God is a God of compassion who desires everyone to turn to Him and who calls us to carry the Good news to all, whether they are like us or not.

As you walk through your week, think about those who you look down on, don’t want to be around and who you think less of than yourself. Then ask God to give you a God heart rather than a Jonah heart. Pray for those who are far from God and be willing to engage with them, rather than condemning them in your heart. If God can awake the city of Nineveh, He can awake your city and those who you know who are far from God. That is the heart of God.

PRAYER

Father, give me a heart for those that I don’t think deserve Your grace. Give me a heart that has compassion and love for those who are far from You, and help me to find ways to engage with people whom You love, even in their distance from You. I pray that they would experience the same grace that You have given to me. Amen.

SCRIPTURE - Acts 3: 15

“You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.”

One of the lessons of Good Friday is that what appears to be true, is not always true. On this day, the cosmic battle between Satan and God culminated in what Satan thought was his greatest victory. That battle had been waged from the time of the fall (Genesis 3:15) where God made it clear that one day Satan would be defeated. But on this day, Satan knew he had won. The Son of God is on the cross, alone, abandoned even by His Father who didn't seem able to rescue Him. Thirty pieces of silver was all it had taken, the best deal ever in the history of evil.

The disciples knew it was over. Jesus' friends knew it was over. The Jewish authorities knew it was over - their problem solved, a rival gone. Not only that, but for those who cared, evil had won over good and righteousness. For the followers of Christ, this was the ultimate sadness. They had expected righteousness to triumph and instead, evil had prevailed. The one who had called Himself the Son of God, dead on a bitter cross. 

Little did they know, that what appeared to be the final chapter was only the beginning of a new chapter, because out of the jaws of apparent defeat, Christ would not only be resurrected, but in that resurrection He sealed the fate of Satan, and evil, and unrighteousness for all time and made it possible for the created to have a relationship with the Creator. Apparent defeat was only the prelude to total victory! 

Not for one moment had the events of Good Friday been out of the control of the heavenly Father, even though it looked like the Father had lost all control. He is sovereign, and nothing under His control can ever be out of control. The world learned that on Easter Sunday.

Think about your own life for a moment. Where are the areas that seem to be out of control? Where does it feel like evil has won? Where are the apparent areas where you feel defeat, discouragement, sadness or pain? It is easy to see the Good Friday moments in our lives when it is clear that God has not acted and we need His help. It is harder to wait for the resurrection moments when God shows up, as He always does, and redeems what we thought was unredeemable - often in surprising and unique ways.

Whatever your circumstance, you can be sure that Easter is coming and that things are not always what they appear to be. In the end, nothing that is in His control can ever be out of control and God always prevails. Our job is to walk by faith in the Good Friday moments of life, when life is hard and hope is scarce, waiting for our Easter to arrive when He shows up and redeems our situation. The fun thing about Easter, was that it was such a surprise. Invite Jesus to surprise you in your situation today.

PRAYER

Father. Thank You, that things are not always what they appear and that nothing that is in Your control can ever be out of control. I thank You that You always prevail. Help me to walk by faith in the Good Friday moments of life, I know You can be counted on to show up. Amen.

“Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, ‘This man was with him.’ But he denied it. ‘Woman, I don’t know him,’ he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’ ‘Man, I am not!’ Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, ‘Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.’ Peter replied, ‘Man I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.”

Few stories are better known, regarding the crucifixion of Jesus, than the denial of Peter. Can you imagine the shame, sorrow and regret that Peter felt at that moment, and carried with Him over the next days? He had betrayed Jesus, whom He knew to be the Son of God, and a best friend. He had failed at the critical moment when His Lord faced His greatest trial. It is why he went outside and wept bitterly?

Every one of us has experienced failure that caused us shame and regret. In fact, one of the reasons many of us feel Jesus can never use us is that we have failed. Like Peter, we have committed acts that cause us pain and regret when we think about them. We often live with a sense of failure. 

However, the story does not end on that night of shame for Peter. It could have, but with Jesus, no failure is ever final. It is not who He is. In fact, He came because He wants to reclaim our lives, remove our shame, wipe away our sense of failure and use us, brokenness and all, for His Kingdom purposes. No matter what we have done, Jesus wants to forgive us, use us and live in fellowship with us. No failure is ever final.

No, the story did not end for Peter on that night in the courtyard where Jesus looked at him. Peter may have believed that it was a look of anger, but in reality it was a look of sadness and compassion. It is who Jesus is.

What Peter remembered the rest of his life was not that moment, but another one on the shore of the sea of Galilee where Jesus ate breakfast with His disciples after His resurrection. After they had eaten, Jesus pulled Peter aside and asked Him three times, Simon Peter, do you love me. Each time, Peter said yes and then Jesus said, “Feed my sheep” indicating the ministry that Peter would have in the early church. And He said to Peter, “Follow me.” Peter knew in that moment that He was forgiven and his shame removed.

Our accuser, Satan, regularly reminds us of our failures and he wants to keep us living in shame and regret. Not so with Jesus. He wants us to live in His grace and forgiveness, and to fulfill the ministry He designed us for. Jesus is the only one who can take every part of our biography and use it for His purposes. God never wastes anything of our story. So make it your goal to walk, not in bitterness and shame as Peter did in the courtyard on Good Friday, but in the freedom and grace that he experienced from Jesus on the shore of Galilee.

Father, I give my regrets to You today. I also give to You my sense of shame and the belief that You cannot use me because of my past failures. Thank You, that with You no failure is ever final and that You forgive and invite me to walk in Your freedom and grace. Help me to walk in that freedom today. Amen. 

SCRIPTURE - John 14:23-27 (NIV)

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let our hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

The mark of a Christ follower is that they love Jesus and obey His teaching. We can easily complicate the Christian life, but Jesus made it very simple. If you love me, you will follow me and obey my teaching. It is that simple. We can debate all kinds of theological matters, and some love to do so, but at its core, to follow Jesus is to obey Him.

What is amazing, is that Jesus says that as we obey His teaching, “My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” How does that happen? How do Jesus and the Father make their home with us? This happens through the Holy Spirit who comes to reside in our lives when we choose to follow Jesus. As a member of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit makes His home with us.

You and I cannot obey Jesus by ourselves. We need the help of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us, teaches us, helps us understand the Scriptures and reminds us of what Jesus has taught us. If you try to follow God on your own, you will fail. If you give your life to Christ and the Holy Spirit comes to reside in you, it is a different story, because He gives us the power we need to obey well and overcome our independent spirit that wants to do life our way.

The result of our obedience and God’s presence in our lives is a gift that everyone wants, but many don’t ever experience. That is peace. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Think of this. The world promises peace and satisfaction but it cannot deliver. That credit card offer sounds great, but it buys momentary satisfaction. That all inclusive vacation looks amazing, but it is over when it is over. My IRA account gives me a sense of security, until the market tanks.

Jesus does not give us momentary peace. He gives us His peace and then sends His Holy Spirit to live in our lives. If God lives within us, what do we have to be afraid of? This is why He can say to us, “Let not your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Don’t overcomplicate what it means to be a Christ follower. Make it your goal to love Jesus well through your obedience to Him. As you do, invite the Holy Spirit to remind you of God’s will, and ask for His help and power to follow Jesus closely.

PRAYER

Father. Thank you, for the promise of Your Spirit that comes to live in my life. Thank You, that He gives me the understanding and power to follow You well. I pray that I will experience Your peace as I pursue You and Your will. Help me not to fear anything I face, because You live with me through Your Spirit. Amen.

Scripture

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed, But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”  - John 12: 23-28 (NIV)

Jesus spoke these words to His disciples just after He entered Jerusalem the week of His death. He had entered the city with people calling Him the king of Israel saying, “Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the King of Israel!” Jesus, of course, knew what the end of the week would bring and He told His disciples, “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.”

What is interesting is that Jesus then turns the spotlight from Himself to His disciples. He says, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Jesus knows that He must die and then be raised from the dead. But here, He says it is true for us. We must die to self and to our agendas and give our lives to Him completely if we are to join Him in His death. 

What does our death look like? He describes it this way, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My father will honor the one who serves me.” It is a death to ourselves when making the decision to follow Him. That is why He says, “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” He is speaking here of where our attachment is. If it is to ourselves, our agendas and finding security in ourselves, we will lose our lives. If it is to Him, His agenda for us and finding security in Him, we will experience eternal life. The former is life on our own. The latter is life lived for Jesus.

This is not always easy. Jesus knew what was in store for Him when He said, “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Like Jesus, there are times when we say, “this is hard,” or “this isn’t what I signed up for.” But remember, like a kernel of wheat, we have died and now live for Jesus, and in all things, our goal is to see the Father glorified.

This week, think about how you can make the name of Jesus well known and see His Father glorified. We do this as we serve Him, obey Him and live for Him and with Him. Live with the goal of seeing the Father glorified through your life.

PRAYER

Jesus, what a gift You gave to us through Your willingness to go to the cross and die for me. Even when Your soul was in agony, You chose to glorify the Father. Help me to glorify You through my life this week. You are my example. Amen.

Have you ever faced a challenge or situation that you knew you could not manage by yourself. A situation where you said to yourself that only God could get you through this one. That if Jesus doesn’t show up you don’t know what you would do. There are times in life that you just know you cannot make it through - without God.

Moses had one of those moments when he came down the mountain with the ten commandments to find that the Israelites had fashioned a calf of gold in his absence and were worshipping this idol. To say he was angry would be an understatement. But he was also deeply concerned about leading these people who were so quick to complain and go rogue on him. He knew he could not do this alone.

Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” 

It is interesting that Moses asked the Lord two things. First that He would go with them. And second he said, “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.” Not only did he want the presence of God in his situation, but he had a deep desire to grow spiritually and so that his life would find favor with God. 

We often ask God for His intervention in our lives but how often do we ask Him to teach us His ways and transform our lives? It is clear that God was pleased with the heart of Moses both to experience the Lord’s presence in his leadership and to allow God to transform his life.

The response of God was Yes, I will go with you. More than that, “I will give you rest.” I will give you peace of mind. I will calm your nerves with my presence and help. That is exactly what we need when faced with situations that are beyond us. It reminds me of the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The Lord adds one other amazing statement to Moses.  “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” We have a God who hears us, who goes with us and most importantly, out of the billions of people on this planet who knows us by name. That ought to encourage us today. 

Father, I want to echo Moses' request today. Be with me as I face the situations in front of me. More than that, change me in the process by your Holy Spirit. And thank you that out of all the people on this planet that you know me by name. Amen.

Discipleship to Jesus is a process of giving more and more of ourselves to God. It is a lifelong process and every time we think we have given it all, the Holy Spirit gently points out another area of our lives that needs transformation. One of the areas that we often struggle with is that of being generous to God with our financial resources. Studies show that only 2 percent of those who call themselves Christians tithe. 

There is a remarkable passage in the last book of the Old Testament - Malachi - where God challenges the people to come back to Him and not to rob Him. Those are strong words, but you remember what Jesus said when He spoke of how we invest our money: Where your treasure is that is where your heart is. So ultimately, for God, our generosity to Him is about our hearts. This is a topic that we often don’t want to talk about but it is one of those areas of Christian discipleship that matters to God.

Here are Malachi’s words. “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:6-12

This is the only passage in the Bible where we are encouraged to test God. He is asking us to test Him and see if he does not “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” That is an amazing statement. How would you like to be the recipient of so much blessing in your life that there isn’t room for it all. It may or may not be material blessing but God’s blessings are the best one can have. 

What is so amazing here is that God truly wants to bless us. He wants to provide for us. He wants to drown us in His blessings but there is a correlation between our discipleship to Him and His blessing. In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul says this about giving. “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 

God’s goodness to His followers who are generous with Him is ironic in that the reason we withhold from Him is that we are afraid that we will not have enough. In fact the opposite is true. Test God in this and see if He does not respond as He promised. 

Father it is hard for me to wrap my head around your generosity and blessing but I am very thankful. Would you help me to develop a generous heart toward you? Calm me fears of not having enough and help my heart to be with you - and my treasures as well. Amen. 

Life satisfaction is an elusive thing. Perhaps it is chased by more people than anything else. And it makes sense. We want to enjoy life and we long for our lives to have some kind of meaning. The problem for many is that this enjoyment and meaning are elusive and fleeting. In one of the ultimate ironies of life, we can have it all and not enjoy it. 

Look at what Solomon wrote: “This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.” Ecclesiastes 5:18-6:2

Why do some enjoy the gifts of God and others do not? I think CS Lewis sums it up well in one of his writings. “What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’ – could set up on their own as if they had created themselves – be their own masters – invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history – money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery – the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.

“The reason why it can never succeed is this. God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”

This is exactly the point that Solomon is making. Possessions and wealth without God cannot yield happiness. But if we live lives focused on God, we will enjoy the blessings He gives to the full. And He does give them to us for our enjoyment and His kingdom work. But we always need to remember that happiness and peace come only from Him and without Him it is not to be found. When we make Him central, happiness and peace follow.

PRAYER

Father, I want to enjoy all that you give. To be occupied with gladness of heart as Solomon says. Help me to always put you first and keep you central in my life. And in doing so to enjoy and appreciate all of your gifts. Amen.

What are the issues that consume your heart and mind? What do you worry about? Think for a moment of those things you need at this time in your life. It could be material things, it may be financial or building a business or getting ahead in your job. For some it is parents that need care or kids that are pushing the limits. All of these are legitimate needs and they can consume our thinking and our outlook on life. And….they produce the byproduct of worry! Anxiety! Maybe fear!

I can remember periods of my life where despite my outward persona I struggled with worry and anxiety. These were not pleasant times. It is easier to deal with external challenges than it is to deal with our internal angst which can sap us of happiness and keep us up at night.

Jesus has a way of challenging our perspectives and He does it once again in Luke 12:22-31 where He speaks to our worry, anxiety and fear. Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."

Notice that Jesus does not say that our needs are not real. In fact,  He says that the Father knows that you need them! Our needs are not the issue but what we do with those needs is. Our world is consumed by people striving to meet their needs and chase their desires. Jesus says that the “pagan world runs after all such things.” This is their obsession, and the end goal of their lives - getting what they want and need. Without God, that is what you are left with.

Jesus says. Don’t chase this stuff. Don’t even chase your needs because your father knows that you need them. There is only one thing to chase: Seek his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well. Think about this: If we chase after our needs we end up spiritually empty. But if we seek God’s kingdom first and foremost, all the rest of what we need will be given to us by God as well. That is a great promise and a very good deal.

Think today about how you can seek God’s Kingdom in your life. Seeking His kingdom is about our personal obedience and followership. It is about caring about the things that God cares for like justice and fairness. It is to share Jesus with those who don’t know Him. It is to participate with Him in the places that He asks you to live out your faith. Seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Let's keep our focus on the right things and God will take care of the other things.

PRAYER

Thank you for your promise of provision for my needs. Help me to leave my concerns in your hands and focus on seeking your kingdom in all areas of my life. Show me where you want me to join you and I will make that my priority. Amen.

It can be one thing to start something and another to finish. I suspect every one of us has found this to be true in some aspect of our lives. At the start of a marriage, for instance, there is excitement and a high level of engagement. As time goes on it is easy to let life take over, to get lazy and pay less attention to those things that we once practiced to keep our marriage vital.

The same is true in our spiritual lives. Think of what your faith was like when you first believed. How excited you were to discover the things of God. The time you spent in Scripture and prayer, the desire to use your gifts in ministry and how easy it was to share with others your new found faith. Compare those days to today. Is there a difference in your engagement with God, in your ministry or desire to please Him?

Going the distance with Jesus is the challenge for each of us. In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul gives us some clues as to how we can do this. “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

The key word here is “continue.” Continue to live in Him. Continue to be rooted and built up in Him. Continue to be strengthened in the faith as you were taught. Continue to be overflowing in thankfulness.

Spiritual vibrancy does not just happen. We need to nurture it, pay attention to it and be intentional about it. Spiritual vibrancy is impossible without regular time with Jesus. In John 15, Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Every day we make a choice as to whether we will invest in our spiritual lives by remaining in Him.

Just as we need Jesus, we need fellow Christ followers who will encourage us, walk the journey with us and sharpen our faith as we sharpen theirs. The Jesus life was not meant to be lived in isolation from others. Fellowship and community are a hallmark of the New Testament church and the life of Jesus with His disciples.

Then there is the admonition to continue to be overflowing with thankfulness. Those who overflow with thankfulness to God are people who are remembering God in all of life. Thankfulness is a constant reminder of God’s blessings in our lives which in turn keeps us connected to Him in a daily, moment by moment way. I have learned to say a quiet “Thank you Jesus” throughout my day and each time I am reminded of God’s presence and goodness to me. I do it quietly but audibly so my own ears hear it. 

What is your strategy for continuing in your faith and keeping that faith vital? Today, meditate on what it means to continue so that you don’t lose your spiritual vitality.

PRAYER

Father. It is easy for me to lose my vital connection with you in the busyness and distractions of life. Help me to continue in a vibrant and ever strengthening faith and to live with moment by moment thankfulness for your amazing work in my life. Amen.