Unashamed (Psalm 25:1-3)

Today's scripture: Psalm 25:1-3

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been journaling for many years, and one constant theme has been how trustworthy God is.

As my journey has gone from the highest mountains to the lowest valleys, He has been with me. Protecting me. Providing for me. Blessing me. Comforting me.

As I write these words, I am convicted. I am so unworthy of His everlasting love and never-forsaking presence. Even when I have neglected Him or ignored Him, He has continued to be trustworthy.

I read the next words in today's scripture, and I pray along with the psalmist: "Let me not be ashamed." So often, I fail to share God's truth with others. I don't always seize those moments to tell of His love and grace. To my credit, it's not because I'm ashamed of God; rather, it's because I'm ashamed of my own inadequacies. "What if I say the wrong thing?" or "What will they think?"

My constant prayer should be—must be—to give the Lord all glory, honor, and praise. To joyfully and unashamedly share His truth with others. To surrender everything to Him.

For He is worthy of my trust.

Rejoice ... In Suffering? (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Today’s scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-13

I’ve written about this before (in fact just a week or so ago …), and I’m sure I’ll write about it again. We should expect trials. We should expect suffering. Christ Himself told us we’d suffer as He suffered. We’d be persecuted as He was persecuted.

Why is it then so many of us complain or whine when we face adversity? I’m not saying we can’t cry out to God in our suffering. The psalmists certainly did. I’m not saying we can’t ask “why?” Job certainly did.

We don’t have to understand. We don’t even have to like it. But we shouldn’t be surprised.

We should rejoice. I know it’s an oxymoron: Joyful suffering. But in Christ, we can rejoice even through trials and tribulations. We can know, with certainty, God will use every situation—good and bad—for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory (Rom. 8:28).

And we can give glory to God … at all times and in all ways.

An Unworthy Manner (1 Corinthians 11:27-32)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:27-32

Yesterday, we looked at words that are very familiar to many of us: Do this in remembrance of Me.

Paul was specifically writing about what Jesus said when He served His disciples bread and wine just before His arrest and execution.

But shouldn’t everything we do be done out of gratitude for our Lord’s sacrifice? In several places in Paul’s gospels, he writes about grace and then asks something like, “Does the knowledge that we’re forgiven from our sins give us liberty sin again? May it never be!”

If we consider what Jesus did for us, how He suffered betrayal and denial, torture and ridicule, a horrifyingly painful death, shouldn’t we act and think and speak “in remembrance” of Him? In other words, shouldn’t the Savior of our souls be so “front of mind” that we choose to honor Him in all we do?

We are unworthy of His grace, yet God sees worth in each of us. We are, therefore, worthy in His eyes. To do anything in “an unworthy manner” (in a manner that doesn’t honor Christ) whether it’s taking communion, dealing with our children, interacting with our coworkers—even updating our Facebook status—is just like saying what Jesus did doesn’t really matter.

Oh …. And may that never be!

Glorifying God in Everything (1 Corinthians 10:31-33)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31-33

Today's devotional is short, but (I hope) sweet. I just have one thing to ask: What would it be like if we only we lived to do everything to the glory of God.

Everything.

What we think. What we say. What we do. All for God’s glory.

Quite a few years ago, the initials WWJD were wildly popular: What Would Jesus Do? The idea behind it was exactly verse 31 says: "do all to the glory of God."

Loving others. Treating them with gentleness, kindness, and patience. Looking beyond our differences and celebrating the similarities.

Serving God—heart, soul, mind, and strength. Seeking His will. Following His plan.

Praising Him. Worshipping Him.

Glorifying Him.

In everything. 

Living to Glorify God (Psalm 19:12-13)

Today's scripture: Psalm 19:12-13

We live in a world of gray. So many people say that if it doesn't hurt anyone, then it's okay. Cheating is okay unless you get caught. Sex with anyone at anytime is fine if it's "consensual." Lying is just par for the course. Anger held in the quiet recesses of one's heart doesn't matter.

Yet, the Bible is clear. Sin is sin. Sin that the world can see and also those "secret faults."

If we claim to follow Christ, we should pray today's verses every day:

Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.

We should stand firm on what the Bible says is wrong. We should, instead, focus on living fully surrendered to glorifying God—in all things and at all times.

I believe if we got up every day with the single desire to glorify God each moment of that day, we would live very, very differently.

I'm not sure where I read it, but an author wrote of (I believe) his grandmother. They wanted to take her to see a popular movie, and she declined. She didn't object to the content. She merely said, "Jesus is going to come back, and I'd rather be doing something for Him."

This may be extreme, but it's food for thought. What do I want to be doing when Jesus returns? Secret faults? Presumptuous sins?

No. I'd rather be doing something that pleases Him. Wouldn't you?

Declare His Glory (Psalm 19:1-4a)

Today's scripture: Psalm 19:1-4a

We live in an amazing, amazing world. So much beauty. So much diversity.

My husband and I love to travel, and one way we especially love is taking road trips. We've traveled up and down the west coast several times. We've headed east through Arizona and New Mexico, and up into Utah. We even flew into Anchorage last year and then took a road trip north to Denali and south to Seward.

We've enjoyed cruises that took us to eastern Canada and islands in the Caribbean, and when I was younger, I traveled to Europe and the South Pacific.

Every where I've had the privilege to travel, I've marveled at the awesome beauty of this planet. Snow-capped mountains. Raging rivers. Powerful oceans. Mysterious deserts.

Every place so different and unique.

One thing I really love is being out in the country away from city lights. I love looking up and seeing an expanse of sky full of stars. I may not be able to pick out one constellation from another, but there is something both majestic and reverent when it is quiet and all I can see are stars upon stars. In those moments, I truly feel like the "heavens [are] declar[ing] the glory of God ..."

His creation is awesome. This universe we live in is a testimony to His greatness and creativity.

So we too can declare His glory and delight in His handiwork.

Praise and Worship ... (Psalm 138:4-5)

Today's scripture: Psalm 138:4-5

Throughout the ages, kings and nations have denied God's existence. They have served false idols. They have gone their own way.

One day, though, each and every person who ever lived and who will ever live will stand before the Sovereign God of the universe. One day, "at the name of Jesus every knee [will] bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11).

For eternity, every believer will praise, honor, and worship the one and only God of the universe. Every king. Every person.

We will spend our moments and our days basking in His glory, reveling in His very presence. We will sing and shout words of praise. We will recount His ways and share stories of His goodness.

Because He is good. He is gracious. He is merciful. He is loving.

He is God.

Our Unsearchable God (Psalm 145:3)

Today's scripture: Psalm 145:3

Yesterday, we praised God because He is everything. And we're continuing to praise Him today. As today's verse proclaims, "Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised."

Indeed.

But then it goes on to state that "His greatness is unsearchable."

We're the created. We're flawed. We're sinful. We're weak.

He's the Creator. He's perfect. He's holy. He's strong.

He is so much more than we are. His ways are not ours. His thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). He is mysterious. Just as it should be.

I've probably written before that I love that God is unsearchable, that I can't know Him completely. I wouldn't want to serve a God I knew completely; if I did, then that would make me equal with Him. I want to serve a God who is so much greater than I. I want to serve a God who is infinite, all-knowing, all-powerful.

And so I can praise Him for His greatness. His unsearchable greatness.

Bless the Lord! (Psalm 103:20-22)

Today's scripture: Psalm 103:20-22

Today’s verses offer praise to the only One who really deserves it. The psalmist calls to the angels and to God’s ministers to bless the Lord.

And he calls to us to do the same.

To bless means “to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word.” We use that same word “hallow” when we recite what we call the Lord’s Prayer—at least that’s the word we use if we memorized it in the King James Version. Hallow means “to make holy or set apart for holy use” or “to respect greatly.”

Our God is holy. He is worthy of our utmost respect and honor.

To bless also means giving praise. And that’s what we are privileged to do. Praising the Lord. When we awake in the morning. When we go through our day. When we lie down at night. We should praise Him and bless His holy name.

Psalm 34:1 reminds us of how we should bless the Lord: “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Continually. Constantly. At all times. I fail so often with this. He truly deserves all my honor, all my worship, all my praise.

Lord God, forgive me when I neglect to bless Your name. Forgive me when I neglect to praise You continually. For You alone deserve all the glory. May all praise, honor, glory, and blessing be Yours. Amen.