This Earthly Dwelling (2 Peter 1:13-15)

Today’s scripture: 2 Peter 1:13-15

“… as long as I am in this earthly dwelling …”

Our Lord God knows the number of our days. He alone knows how long we’ll be in our “earthly dwelling.” Some of us will live into our 8^th or 9^th decades as my grandparents all did. Some of us will go to heaven much younger.

The important thing to remember is as long as we’re here, as long as God keeps us on earth, we need to be diligent in pursuing God’s call on our lives, purposeful in using our God-given gifts, and bold in sharing our faith.

And we can be confident that—however many days God has planned for us—if we focus on Him and make Him our priority, we’ll stand before Him and hear “well done, my faithful child.”

Isn’t that what you want to hear? Don’t you want to know that while in your “earthly dwelling” you delighted your Father? The only way to do so is to be all those things Peter mentioned in verses 5-7.

Or at least prayerfully attempt to be.

What's Your Mission? (Philippians 1:23-26)

Today’s scripture: Philippians 1:23-26

The farther I go down life’s journey, the more I resonate with the opening words of today’s scripture. I truly am “hard-pressed” between a deep-in-the-heart desire to be with Jesus and remaining here in this temporary body.

Now, I’m not certain my “remaining in the flesh is more needful for you,” but I do know God has a purpose for every moment I live. As He does for you.

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? Have you determined your unique mission? If you haven’t, may I encourage you to do so?

You have been gifted to serve God and others in a way only you can. God will speak through you, through the stories He’s given you, to touch lives. And I can tell you, once you understand what God has called you to do, your life will be richer and more blessed than you can imagine. Knowing you’re following God’s plan is liberating because then you can pray for His will in all you do. His desires become your desires. And for as long as you retain your earthly residence, you can be confident God will do those “needful” things through you. And when you finally “depart to be with Christ,” you’ll hear “good and faithful servant.”

I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine anything better.

So Many Blessings! (Ephesians 1:7-12)

Today's scripture: Ephesians 1:7-12

In Him … In our Lord Jesus Christ … We have been given so much.

As we learned yesterday, God had a plan to make redemption and forgiveness available to both Jew and Gentile.

In God’s perfect plan, anyone who believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior and accepts the free gift of salvation, receives God’s grace and mercy. These verses remind us of other blessings:

We receive redemption. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, Redeem means to “buy back,” to “release from blame or debt” or to “free from the consequences of sin.” Because of our Lord God’s love for us, we are “free from the consequences of sin.”

We know the “mystery of His will.” While God may not reveal all of His will to us, if we ask Him to direct our paths, if we surrender ourselves completely to Him, He will guide us.

We can be assured that He has a purpose for our lives. And sometimes, for me at least, this is the one that gets me up in the morning. If I didn’t believe God had a purpose for my pain, I’d never get out of bed. So many days when the pain level is high and the energy level is low make me long for heaven, “... having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23). But I know God isn’t finished with my earthly journey yet; He still has a purpose for me.

And so I crawl out of bed, praising Him that I can do so. I praise Him for redemption. I praise Him for His will for me. I praise Him for His purpose.

He is such a good God!

A Greater Purpose (1 Corinthians 15:29-34)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:29-34

If Jesus Christ didn’t rise from the grave, then everything is futile. There is no purpose, no meaning. If, as some people say, when we die, we die and become worm food, then why bother?

If I didn’t believe there was a purpose to my life, a God-designed purpose, I wouldn’t want to live. Seriously. I watch this world get more and more corrupt. I see the selfishness in its people. I hear the hate and anger. It’s so often not a very pleasant place to be.

And when I wake up in the morning, and the pain is overwhelming, if I didn’t know God would give me the strength to make it through each moment and if I didn’t know He’d use the pain for His glory … well, again, I wouldn’t want to live.

But I do believe Christ rose from the dead. I do believe He lives today. I do believe God has a great purpose for all things.

So I do get up every morning. I do trust in His strength. I do believe in His purpose and plan.

And I look forward to the day of Christ’s return.

You Are Amazing! (Psalm 71:4-6)

Today's scripture: Psalm 71:4-6

You have a purpose. No, really. You do.

God created you to be the unique, amazing person you are. He has "upheld [you] from birth."

Because you can be confident of this, you can have hope that He has a plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11). He has something in store for you that is just as unique and amazing as you are.

I don't feel amazing or unique, you say. I'm just an ordinary person.

Perhaps you are "ordinary" as the world defines it. Perhaps you haven't sung on a Broadway stage or climbed Mount Everest. You haven't developed a cure for cancer or spoken at the U.N. Your name is not known throughout the world.

You feel ordinary.

Guess what? God often does extraordinary things through so-called ordinary people.

Abraham. Moses. Joseph. Joshua. Esther. Ruth. Deborah.

Peter. John. James

Do any of these names sound familiar? Ordinary people. Yet, God created them to be unique, amazing people who did extraordinary things.

God may well use you on a world-wide stage of some sort. More likely, He's going to use you in your own little circle of influence. He's going to use you to encourage a hurting friend. He'll comfort someone because of your words. He'll save a life through your testimony.

You are unique. You are amazing.

You have a purpose. Ask God today, "What is my purpose for just this day? Please use me to glorify Yourself and touch a life. Just for this day."

You Are My Lord (Psalm 16:1-3)

Today's scripture: Psalm 16:1-3

The last few weeks have been a mix of highs (performing in a fun play with wonderful people) and lows (a couple of significant health flare-ups), and both caused my soul to say to the Lord, "You are my Lord." I was grateful for the times of joy ... and clung to Him through the pain.

I know I've said this before, but I honestly don't know how people survive without a personal relationship with the one true God. Whom do they thank when things go right? And to whom do they run when things go wrong?

As I was mediating on today's verses, I looked at a couple of other paraphrases and translations. I was particularly taken with both The Message and Contemporary English Version's take on verses 1-2:

Keep me safe, O God,
I’ve run for dear life to you.
I say to God, “Be my Lord!”
Without you, nothing makes sense (MSG).

Protect me, Lord God!
I run to you for safety,
and I have said,
"Only you are my Lord!
Every good thing I have
is a gift from you” (CEV).

Because I know that my loving, gracious, merciful God is in control of my highest highs and lowest lows, I can trust Him to keep me safe and protect me. I can be confident that everything has a purpose.

Indeed, with Him, I can rejoice on the mountaintop and seek refuge in Him in the valleys ... for without Him, nothing does make sense.

Prolonged Days (Psalm 61:5-6)

Today's scripture: 61:5-6

Now back to Psalm 61 ...

My husband and I were at a consultation with his dentist on Tuesday, and the dentist talked about how technology has changed as people are living longer. It used to be that, if someone lost teeth, he would just wear dentures. That was okay when people were living only into their 60s or 70s. However, now that many are living into their 80s or 90s ... or even 100s ... dentures just don't cut it.

God, for some reason, is "prolonging" the lives, not of kings, but of all of us.

Now, for some, this is good news. They're so focused on this earth and its enticements that they hope to live as long as possible. They exercise and eat healthy diets. They take every supplement known to man. They jump on the bandwagon of every potion that promises to keep them alive and kicking.

I guess I'm different. This world has long since lost its attraction. Watching the news makes me sad or frustrated or angry. Too much pain and suffering. Too much "man against man."

I totally agree with Paul when he writes things like "for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (NKJV, Philippians 1:21) and "I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better" (v. 23).

I desire little more that to be with my God. However, as long as God prolongs my days, I know He has a purpose for me. It may be as simple as writing this devotional or as profound as leading someone to Christ.

It's the same for you. Your days are prolonged for a purpose. Ask Him what your prolonged days are meant for. What's your purpose ... this day?

Bold Faith (Ephesians 3:11-12)

Today's scripture: Ephesians 3:11-12

How bold is your faith? How confident are you in God’s eternal purpose?

I would like to be able to say I’m as bold as Paul, as confident as Peter. Or as my maternal grandfather.

My grandpa Hess was bold in his faith. He never failed to tell others about his love for his Savior. He was, along with Paul, “not ashamed of the gospel” because he knew it is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

He always believed God had a purpose for his life, and he lived to fulfill that purpose.

This is my legacy. Yet how often do I fail to share the good news of salvation. How often do I lack confidence in God’s eternal purpose.

I have to say: more often than I want to. More often than I should. Why? For many reasons. Sometimes it's just because I feel sorry for myself. Sometimes, while I don't lose faith in God, I question His purpose in my pain.

I allow my momentary, temporary pain cloud my vision of God’s faithfulness to me. I fail to remember that “… the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

I certainly don't remain bold and confident.

When those times some, I confess my doubt and questioning, and my Lord God forgives me … yet again.

Today’s a new day, and I pray for a renewed boldness in faith and a fresh confidence in God’s eternal purpose, trusting His higher-than-my ways (Isaiah 55:9).

I pray the same for you.

Benefits of Knowing God (Ephesians 1:7-12)

Today's scripture: Ephesians 1:7-12

In Him—in our Lord Jesus Christ—we have been given so much.

As we learned Friday, God had a plan to make redemption and forgiveness available to both Jew and Gentile.

In God’s perfect plan, anyone who believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior and accepts the free gift of salvation receives God’s grace and mercy. These verses remind us of other blessings:

We receive redemption. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, redeem means to “buy back,” to “release from blame or debt” or to “free from the consequences of sin.” Because of our Lord’s love for us, we are “free from the consequences of sin.”

We know the “mystery of His will.” While God may not reveal all of His will to us, if we ask Him to direct our paths, if we surrender ourselves completely to Him, He will guide us.

We can be assured that He has a purpose for our lives. And sometimes, for me at least, this is the one that gets me up in the morning. If I didn’t believe God had a purpose for my pain, I’d never get out of bed. Days like today, when the pain level is almost off the charts, make me long for heaven, “... having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23). I know, however, that God isn’t finished with my earthly journey yet; He still has a purpose for me.

So I crawl out of bed, praising Him that I can do so. I praise Him for redemption. I praise Him for His will for me. I praise Him for His purpose.

He is such a good God!