The Cares of This Life (Psalm 16:4)

Today's scripture: Psalm 16:4

So many people "hasten after other god[s] ..." The god of success. The god of pleasure. The god of wealth.

They put relationships and things and careers above the one true God. They think, "If I can just get this promotion or marry that person or have a solid retirement fund, I'll be fine. I don't need anything but [fill in the blank]."

The thing is ... none of that matters. No one will find true joy or peace pursuing these gods. In fact, as the psalmist writes, "Their sorrows will be multiplied ..."

Now, you may be reading this and think, "Nope. I have lots of stuff and good friends and take really good vacations. I don't have any sorrow. I'm doing just fine without that 'one true God' you mention."

Well, maybe that's true. Maybe you're living a happy, care-free life. But I wonder. Does the pressure to have the stuff, to have "enough," cause you to work more hours? And do those hours keep you from those you love?  Or does the stress of making certain you have a nice, big bank account keep you up at night?

Maybe, just maybe, your sorrows (the cares of this life) are multiplying, and you don't even realize it.

Something more than the "sorrow" you may feel on earth, though, is the sorrow that will multiply—beyond description—in eternity. If you spend this life pursuing other gods, you'll miss knowing the God of the Bible, the one and only God. If you miss knowing Him now, you'll miss knowing Him forever.

That's true sorrow.

One Faith (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Today’s scripture: Ephesians 4:4-6

Faith. It can be quite a controversial topic.

Many say there are countless ways to faith or salvation or heaven or the god of their choosing.

It doesn’t matter what you believe. Not really. In fact, some say you can believe in a little of this, a little of that. A pinch of Christianity. A spoonful of Islam. Throw in a touch of Buddhism for good measure.

Do more good than bad, and you’re in. Follow the Golden Rule, and you’re good to go.

The Bible, God’s inspired word, doesn’t give us this “out.” It is very, very clear:

One Lord. One Faith. One God and Father.

Just one.

Either you believe in the One True God, or you don’t. It’s your choice.

And you must choose.

The God of the Bible or not. But you can’t choose a bit of this or a little of that.

Have you chosen the One True God? The One True Faith? Choose today.

Hope in the One True God (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Today’s scripture: Ephesians 4:4-6

We live in one of the most “spiritual” times in history. Throughout the world, studies and statistics show that people consider themselves spiritual and people of faith.

But what does this really mean?

For many, it merely means that they admit to a higher power or a spiritual force beyond themselves—or sometimes within themselves.

People are seeking something, and the thing is, that Something is really easy to find. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

Some would say that this is narrow-minded thinking, and in many ways, it is. But truth is truth.

I find great hope in knowing that we can know, with confidence, that we serve one Lord, that He is above all. And when I remember that He loves me so much that He gave His very life for me, I have even greater hope.

We are children of the one and only God. He is the God and Father of all. 

Do you believe in the one God and Father of all? Have you found hope in Him? Thank Him now.

No God but One (1 Corinthians 8:4-6)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 8:4-6

“… there is no God but one.”

Some belief systems believe in many gods. This concept dates back to shortly after Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden.

Man seeks something higher than himself. There’s something in us that desires a power above us … something that we can believe in, something we can trust. Sometimes that desire manifests itself in worshiping the created rather than the Creator. Some people worship the sun or trees or oceans.

Or they create their own god—or gods. The Romans had Zeus and Jupiter (among many others). The Greeks had Jupiter and Neptune (… among many others). But their gods—and the gods of many other beliefs—were impersonal, distant.

Our God—the one true God of the Bible—is personal and loving and compassionate. He is full of mercy and grace. As we saw yesterday, He knows us, and He wants to be known by us.

Our Abba invites us to crawl on His lap and seek shelter in His arms. Our Lord Jesus came to earth and took on human flesh in order to provide for us a way of salvation and reconciliation with God. Our Holy Spirit indwells us and helps us to face the daily battle we face.

Paul says it better than I ever could:

 … yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

Amen and amen.

Multiplied Sorrows ... (Psalm 16:4)

Today's scripture: Psalm 16:4

So many people "hasten after other god[s] ..." The god of success. The god of pleasure. The god of wealth.

They put relationships and things and careers above the one true God. They think, "If I can just get this promotion or marry that person or have a solid retirement fund, I'll be fine. I don't need anything but that [fill in the blank]."

The thing is ... none of that matters. No one will find true joy or peace pursuing these gods. In fact, as the psalmist writes, "Their sorrows will be multiplied ..."

Now, you may be reading this and think, "Nope. I have lots of stuff and good friends and take really good vacations. I don't have any sorrow. I'm doing just fine without that 'one true God' you mention."

Well, maybe that's true. Maybe you're living a happy, care-free life. But I wonder. Does the pressure to have the stuff, to have "enough," cause you to work more hours? And do those hours keep you from those you love?  Or does the stress of making certain you have a nice, big bank account keep you up at night?

Maybe, just maybe, your sorrows (the cares of this life) are multiplying, and you don't even realize it.

Something more than the "sorrow" you may feel on earth, though, is the sorrow that will multiply—beyond description—in eternity. If you spend this life pursuing other gods, you'll miss knowing the God of the Bible, the one and only God. If you miss knowing Him now, you'll miss knowing Him forever.

That's true sorrow.

The One and Only True God (Psalm 99:2-3)

Today's scripture: Psalm 99:2-3

One of the saddest commentaries of current culture is the idea that there are many gods—even that we can be gods ourselves.

There is only one God. Only one.

And one day, every person who ever lived or will live will recognize this truth. (See Philippians 2:9-11.)

Those of us who know Him and have committed our lives to Him will praise His great and awesome name. We will stand in His presence in reverent awe, rejoicing that we will spend eternity with Him.

But the millions who have denied His existence will stand before Him and experience His final judgment.  They will know—for certain—that He is the one and only God. And then they will be separated from their Creator forever.

I don’t know about you, but this makes it all the more urgent to gently and lovingly share Christ. We need to be Christ’s light to a dark world. We need to love as Christ loves—with patience and kindness and gentleness.

We need to help those who say “there may be a god” or “there is no god” see that there is. There is a God … the one and only God. The God who loves them. The God who wants to spend eternity with them (2 Peter 3:9).

The one great God.

The One Great God (Psalm 95:3)

Today's scripture: Psalm 95:3

In the days this psalm was written, false religions abounded and so-called gods were worshiped throughout the know world. Man-made gods. Gods that somehow met the spiritual needs of their followers.

But time and time again, the God of Israel proved Himself to be the one and only true God.

It’s the same today. Yes, some religions, like Hinduism, follow many gods. But we have other gods today. The god of money. The god of success. The god of fame. The god of possessions. The god of “my will.”

We worship at the feet of these idols, thinking these gods will somehow meet our spiritual needs.

There is only one great God. There is only one God who is our strength and protector and provider. There is only one God who heals. One God who give grace. One God who loves unconditionally. One God who saves.

The God of the Bible continues to prove Himself as the one and only God. He is above any other god you may worship. He is the God who will shower you with grace and save you from your sins. He is the God who will bless you on earth and welcome you one day into His kingdom.

I pray you know that God. The one and only true and great God.

Don't Make God a Liar (1 John 5:9-12)

Today's scripture: 1 John 5:9-12

Earlier in this book, John wrote about those who say they’re God’s children yet don’t follow His commandments. He bluntly said they’re liars.

In these verses, he addresses nonbelievers and again is quite blunt. Those who don’t believe God make Him a liar. Pretty intense, isn’t it?

So many people today say they believe in “god.” But when they’re asked who that God is, they respond with words like, “I believe in a higher power, but I don’t put a name to it.” In other words, they’re smart enough to know there’s something, but they’re not willing to believe in anything particular because, in doing so, they might have to follow that god’s tenets and commandments.

Or some, instead of claiming something, they claim everything. They take a bit from Hinduism, a little from Buddhism. They throw in some Islam and Judaism. Oh, and they like the “Jesus is love” idea, so they add a touch of Christianity.

Cafeteria religion.

But the God of the Bible claims to be the one and only true God. And He makes it very, very clear: There is no other god but Him. So if anyone says He’s not the one true God, then she's accusing Him of lying.

You can’t have it both ways. Either believe in the God of truth, or don’t. You're free to choose. But know this: If you choose not to believe in Him and not to accept the gift of salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, you will not have eternal life with the Creator, the Savior, the Lord God Almighty.

God Above All Gods (Ps. 95:3)

Today’s scripture: Psalm 95:3

In the days this psalm was written, false religions abounded and so-called gods were worshiped throughout the know world. Man-made gods. Gods that somehow met the spiritual needs of their followers.

But time and time again, the God of Israel proved Himself to be the one and only true God.

It’s the same today. Yes, some religions, like Hinduism, follow many gods. But we have other gods today. The god of money. The god of success. The god of fame. The god of possessions. The god of “my will.”

We worship at the feet of these idols, thinking these gods will somehow meet our spiritual needs.

There is only one great God. There is only one God who is our strength and protector and provider. There is only one God who heals. One God who give grace. One God who loves unconditionally. One God who saves.

The God of the Bible continues to prove Himself as the one and only God. He is above any other god you may worship. He is the God who will shower you with grace and save you from your sins. He is the God who will bless you on earth and welcome you one day into His kingdom.

I pray you know that God. The one and only true and great God.