Word Of God Speak - MercyMe

Sometimes by Step - Rich Mullins

MY STEPS ARE ESTABLISHED

The steps of a man are established by the LORD; And He delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. Psalm 37:23-24

Whenever I read this Scripture I think of walking with a young child. As a first time mom I lost my grip on my little girl and down she went on a sidewalk. She was scraped up and I felt terrible. From that day on I walk with a firm grip if I am walking with a toddler. Of course the day of independence comes and they shake off our hand and run ahead. Sometimes they end in a heap with scrapes and tears. We go and comfort but temper it with a sense of “I told you so.” The Lord wants to direct our path and stay in a close relationship with us. In a surge of independence we may veer off course and stumble, but we have His assurance that it won’t be fatal. He is the Redeemer. He delights in us and He won’t let go. The experience will be used to make us wiser and less willing to “go it alone.”

MY PRAYER Lord, I thank you that you and I will walk together today. Direct me in the way that I should go. Lord Jesus you said that You are the way, the truth, and the life. No wonder the Father delights in me. I want to walk with You and stay on the path you have marked out for me. Lord, I don’t want to make a misstep, but what a comfort to know that if I fall it won’t be fatal and it won’t be final because you are the One who is holding my hand. In Jesus Name!

MY CONFESSION I confess that You are holding my hand. You have a path marked out for me and I will follow. I will choose to believe that you delight in me. I may not navigate every trial or obstacle perfectly, but I will rejoice that You won’t let go of me. I stand on your word!

Mighty is the Power of the Cross - Chris Tomlin

IT IS THE POWER OF GOD

IT IS THE POWER OF GOD

For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

When an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him to go through with his plans to wed Mary he said this, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21b We can rejoice because Jesus took the penalty of our sin on Himself at the cross. Those who are perishing will never know the sweet release we felt when the “burden of our hearts rolled away.” As wonderful as that is it just keeps getting better. As we renew our minds and grow in grace we find that the power of sin has been broken. Rom 6:18 “And having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” And it just keeps getting better. One day when we see Him as He is we shall be like Him. 1 John 3:2 No longer will we have a sin nature and we will be saved from the presence of sin. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord oh my soul! The cross is the power of God. Pray daily to grow in understanding and application of all that He accomplished for us there.

MY PRAYER: Lord, thank you for taking my place and my punishment on the cross. I am so grateful to be free from sin’s penalty and power. It may sound like foolishness to those who are still lost and undone without you, but I know that it is the mightiest demonstration of your wisdom and power. I am filled with gratitude at the very thought of all that you accomplished for me there. Help me to speak that word to others with confidence.

MY CONFESSION: I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of salvation to all who would believe. I will walk this day with a grateful heart acknowledging that I am free from the penalty my sins deserve. I will take every opportunity You give me to share with those who are perishing this powerful word.

Unfailing Love - Chris Tomlin

Ancient Words

HEARING AND ACTING

"Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. Luke 6:47-48

MY PRAYER Lord, I don’t want to just hear Your words, I want to put them into practice as I go through my day. I am dependent on Your Holy Spirit to give me insight and wisdom to live out in my everyday life what You have shown me in Your word. Lord, you walked in this world and you know what I face today. I love you for that. Show me how to put it into shoe leather as I walk with You through my day. In Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION I confess that I have come to you and I have heard your word. This day I will act upon them as your Holy Spirit gives me insight and wisdom. I have a sure foundation of a life built on Jesus Christ who is my Rock. Whatever comes against me today will not shake me because You are my stability. I stand on Your Word.

Images Without Substance

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:19-21 (NASB)

I was watching a television program recently that was spotlighting people who go to extremes decorating their homes for Christmas. One man had filled his lawn and adorned his roof with every conceivable plastic and inflatable Santa, snowmen, reindeer, and thousands of lights. When he was asked where he stored it all he showed them his storage shed behind his house. Oddly enough the only thing that was in the emptied out shed was Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. I’m not making this up.

I know that I am not the only one who has realized that the greatest symbols of God’s covenant love for us are always trivialized and set aside by our world system. The apostle John sheds light on this and encourages New Testament believers in the scripture shared above.

Let’s define idol:

1. an image of a deity other than God

2. a mere image or semblance of something, visible but without substance

3. a figment of the mind; a fantasy

The world replaces the true and profound with semblances removed of substance. Look what has happened to the rainbow. To children in our world rainbows are more associated with CareBears, leprechauns and cartoons than a covenant promise of Almighty God. Prior to the flood, "A mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground." (Gen 2:6) Often we read Scriptures and we don't allow our humanity to really interact and think about what the biblical characters were experiencing. They would not be so different from us. Think "Katrina" or tsunami for a moment. Noah's family experienced the destruction of their world on every level. The earth was no longer watered by a gentle mist. Now they would experience the gathering of ominous dark clouds, thunder, lightning, and at times torrential downpours. Can you imagine the fear, the flashbacks, and the gnawing dread they would experience if God in His mercy had not made this covenant with them and sealed it with a beautiful display above their heads? We've lost the meaning of the rainbow to leprechauns with pots of gold and glittery children's stamps. To the survivors it was a constant reminder of His holiness and His mercy.

We are in the Christmas season and the emphasis in our world is on Santa and not a Savior. Santa appears once a year, makes a list and checks it twice trying to find out who is naughty or nice. The Savior is God with us 365 days of the year. He knows we are beyond naughty and has come to save His people from their sins. Jesus is God’s indescribable Gift to us. His grace lavished on us. His life lived to show us the way and empower us to learn and to change.Then there is the cross. God's holiness and mercy displayed for all to see.

I don’t remember where I heard or read this, but the cross was not originally a symbol of Christianity, not at least for the first few centuries. They said not until all those who actually knew first hand of its barbarity and cruelty were dead did it replace the ichthus or fish that seems to have made a comeback as a car bumper sticker. There was a shop in south London which stocked crosses as a fashion item. Punk rockers, Brittney and Madonna and fashion icons have used it that way. The Evening Standard reported that one of their readers had gone into a shop to ask for one. "Sure," said the assistant, reaching for the crucifixes. "Do you want it with the little man on, or without?"

We all know what has happened to our celebration of His resurrection. The Easter bunny and his promise of sweets and dyed eggs take front and center.We can't expect those who don’t know Him to grasp the meaning and significance of God's covenant reminders to us. It is up to us not to lose the meaning of these sacred things. Beloved, guard yourselves from idols. They have no substance or power to deliver. Go tell God’s amazing story in every creative way you can think of during this and every season. Do it with joy, grace, and a heart of love for those who only know the world’s cheap substitute.

MY PRAYER: Father, we bow before You and thank You that you are a covenant-keeping God. Help us to never lose our wonder and awe when we see Your covenant reminders. Amen.

MY CONFESSION: Lord, you are the true and living God. We will guard ourselves from idols. We will worship you alone.