Oct 19 2024

The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

In this verse from Psalm 34, we get a sweet reminder that the Lord hears us when we call to Him. He does not turn a deaf ear to our prayers but instead is always listening and showing His love to us day after day.

Do you cry to the Lord when you are in trouble? Sometimes I get bitter and don't talk to God, especially since He must have allowed my troubles to begin with. However, this is the worst thing we can do. When we get upset or when troubles come, we should go to the Lord right away, knowing that He is our source of strength and hope.

The Lord will always hear us when we call out to Him. He will not forsake us, and He cares about our pain. Although we may feel like our prayers are hitting the ceiling, that feeling is not the truth! He is always listening to us, even if He seems silent. If we struggle to see this, we have only to look to the cross to remember that the Lord loves us. If Jesus loved us enough to die for us, He certainly loves us enough to listen to our prayers now.

The end of this verse says that the Lord delivers us out of our troubles. Deliverance looks different for each of us, though. Sometimes it means total healing. Other times, like in the case of Jesus' apostles, it means death—and then entering into eternal life with Christ. The common denominator in all deliverance is the presence and comfort of the Lord.

In every circumstance, we can have peace because we know that the Lord is with us. He declared His love for us more than two thousand years ago, and we can rest in that love for all eternity.

Dear Lord, thank you so much for listening to us when we call out to you. Thank you for your goodness and mercy. Thank you for hearing me even when I struggle with believing or feel like you aren't listening to me. Thank you for your faithfulness. In Jesus' name, amen.

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.