Oct 18 2024

Let all your things be done with charity.

In this verse from 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds us to do everything with charity, which means love. This is a very high demand, but the Lord will equip us to follow it. Let's look at how this command translates into our everyday lives.

Everything we do should be done in love. What this means is that our motivation for doing something matters just as much as what we actually do. It is possible to do the right things with the wrong motivations, and this isn't pleasing to God.

To be honest, I struggle with doing everything in love. Sometimes I get weary of working, of serving other people, or of giving my time to something. My work becomes a means to an end instead of something I do out of love. In situations like these, I have to take a step back from the work itself and think about what else is going on in my heart and mind.

Sometimes, I am no longer grateful for the work opportunity I've been given. Sometimes I am just tired and need a break. And at other times, I am simply disobeying Paul's command, forgetting that everything in my life has been given to me by God, who loves me deeply.

If we are struggling to do everything out of love, thinking about the love that the Lord has shown us can help us get back on track. Jesus gave up His life for us and endured death on a cross so we could have a relationship with Him. Now, we live in grace. Meditate on this fact throughout your day. Take time in your Bible study and prayer time to thank the Lord for the love that He has shown you. When we begin to internalize and truly walk in the love that He has first shown us, we will be equipped to live out our lives drawing from the current of His love.

Dear Lord, help me to do all things in love. I don't want to do the right thing for the wrong reason or out of resentment. Instead, help me to be faithful in everything, including my own actions. I love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

Oct 17 2024

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. :

In Mark 9, a man brings his demon-possessed son to Jesus for healing. The man implores Jesus, saying that if He can do anything, "have compassion on us, and help us." Jesus responds with today's verse: that all things are possible if we believe. We'll look closely at this verse to understand how it affects the way we live and pray today.

Jesus connects the man's faith with the possibility of his son's healing: if he believes, all things are possible. What this means is that prayer is effective to the degree that it is expressed in faith. If we do not believe that the Lord will answer our prayers, what point is there in praying? We must pray with believing hearts, knowing that the Lord is capable of doing anything that He pleases.

Sometimes, I forget that I serve a God of the impossible. Sometimes challenges feel insurmountable and I feel hopelessly discouraged that anything in my life will ever change. Yet if I need proof that God works miracles, I only have to look at my own heart. I can see how He gave me a desire to know Him. He helps me lead a life that continues to be further sanctified through His grace. If Christians ever need proof that God does miracles, their answer can be found in their own miraculous hearts.

At the same time, knowing that nothing is impossible with God does not always mean He will supernaturally intervene. But even in those circumstances, we can be assured that He is perfect and good. He will not forsake us. Even if He doesn't answer our prayers in the exact way that we hoped, we can trust Him. He is good and loves us, and we need to look no further than our own salvation to know that He cares about us intimately.

Dear Lord, I thank you that I serve a God of the impossible. Thank you for being good to me in ways that I can hardly begin to comprehend. Thank you for the miracle of my salvation. In Jesus' name, amen.