Devotional Fuel to Reboot Your Mind

Hebrews 6:10-12, “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Do you sometimes feel you give and give and give to others, yet feel it has gone unnoticed? The motives for acts of compassion done for others in our sphere of influence, is the same as doing it for Jesus himself. God never overlooks our work of faith, love, and endurance of hope shown to others (1 Thess. 1:3). Every action, deliberately undertaken for Christ’s sake, requires purposeful love due to God’s grace and mercy that has set one free. God knows and sees your efforts and they will not go to waste. This will be a testimony to both believers and unbelievers. Therefore, I ask myself how I can be generous to those I serve in my work and ministry this week. Matthew 25:40 states, “And the King will answer him, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to the one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

Developing and showing the fruits of the Spirit is how our labor of love is seen. As Galatians 5:22 states. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Displaying these Christ-like attitudes will reflect the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (me) (Ephe. 1:18-20). When someone shows you gentleness and patience, rather than harshness, don’t you take notice, and your level of respect then increases for that person.

“Instead of giving in to discouragement, imitate those who found the key to gaining God’s promises – faith and patience, as demonstrated by Abraham. If Abraham had some of our weakness then we can have some of his faith and patience.” David Guzik Commentary. Abraham showed faith despite disappointments, trials, and delays. Yet Abraham trusted God despite many of the promises from God to him were seemingly impossible. God blessed Abraham because of his faith.

We have been given David’s example in handling discouragement. 1 Samuel 30:6 KJV states, “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” Praying the Psalms combats discouragement and encourages me to keep on keeping on because God is my great Shepherd (Ps. 23:1), leading and protecting me. David declared in Ps. 40:2, “He is making my steps secure.” What wondrous deeds that God has done in my life can I, as Ps. 40:5 says, “proclaim and tell of them” to others I encounter today, as David did? Sometimes just getting through the day is a wondrous deed!

Praying the Psalms is an excellent way to fight not only discouragement but frustrations as well. “You will never go through anything in life in which you cannot find the root emotions reflected in the Psalms.” Praying The Bible by Donald S. Whitney (page 54). Are you experiencing frustration, guilt, joy, gratitude, exhilaration, dealing with enemies, unjust treatment, discontentment, contentment – it is all there in the book of Psalms.

God has not overlooked your accomplishments or the burden you keep praying and lifting to God. He never misses anything. The Voice version states Hebrews 6:10-12 this way, “Because God is not unjust or unfair. He won’t overlook the work you have done or the love you have carried to each other in His name while doing His work, as you are still doing. We want you all to continue working until the end so that you’ll realize the certainty that comes with hope and not grow lazy. We want you to walk in the footsteps of the faithful who came before you, from who you can learn to be steadfast in pursuing the promises of God.” Your Heavenly Father never overlooks you. He knows your name (Isaiah 43:1), and the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (me). Ephesians 1:18-20. Hebrews 6:10 is a promise and you can trust God to keep His promise to you. Be diligent with pure motives through faith and hope, because God who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23). It makes me want to sing the old hymn, “Great Is Your Faithfulness!” There is strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.

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Hebrews 4:15-16, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Do you have loved ones that have passed away recently? A time of raw feelings then emerge and set in which are grief and mourning. Or what about feeling the rejection of a plan you had in motion and didn’t get? Or have you felt slighted or hurt that someone isn’t for you? Or could it be a value you hold dear, recently, is not equally held in high esteem with someone you were in conversation? Jesus understands your grief, as Isaiah 53:3a declares, “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” Then Verse 4a states, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” Grief is a strong, sometimes overwhelming emotion. The feeling of rejection can derail our dreams, and self-confidence. It gives me comfort to know Jesus understands. He has experienced it, too, and is carrying my grief when it suddenly appears out of nowhere.

As the writer of Hebrews calls attention to our high priest, who passed through the heavens and is the Son of God and ministers there for our (my) sake, this shows us the character of Jesus. Jesus sympathizes and is compassionate with you and me, unlike any other human being on this earth. He knows and feels what I feel. When I regret something, I have done and wonder why I did that? That was stupid! He knows what I am going through. He understands and is interceding for me as Romans 8:26 states, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” So, we have both the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit’s intercessory ministry going on in our behalf, which gives us (me) hope in the details of outcomes we cannot currently see or know in our lives. What is Jesus ministering to you about today?

David Guzik says in his commentary on Hebrews 4:16, “Sometimes we think that because Jesus is God, He could never know temptation the way we do. In part, that is true; Jesus faced temptation much more severely than we ever have or ever will. The Sinless One knows temptation in ways we don’t, because only the one who never gives into temptation knows the full strength of temptation. It is true that Jesus never faced temptation in an inner sense the way we do, because there was never a sinful nature pulling Him to sin from the inside. But He knew the strength and fury of external temptation in a way and to a degree that we can never know. He knows what we go through, and He has faced worse.”

May this be of comfort to you in whatever you are going through. Jesus can sympathize with our weakness and temptation, but Jesus cannot sympathize with our sin. That is the difference. He is our great high priest that we need to come to in reverence and with confidence and bold assurance that Jehovah Jireh will provide. Jehovah Shammah is the LORD our peace. Just as Jesus calmed the storm at sea (Matthew 8:23-27), the winds and sea obeyed Him, so call on Jesus’s name with boldness, and ask Him to deliver His almighty and divine peace to your heart and mind. Then, with faith, receive it.

Ask God to enable you and project Jesus, in the mind of truth, so you can proclaim the Word of truth in your circumstance. Pray, “God want do you want me to do so I can be used to be the answer in this situation?” Pause to remember who He is. May you abide and rest in God’s mercy and grace today as He has gone before you and is walking through with you whatever you are going through. Nothing is hidden from His sight.

The Message states Hebrews 4:15-16 this way, “We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all – all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” Jesus understands your true reality.

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Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.”

A two-edged or double-edged sword has two sharp edges. It can cut in two directions when used. The Bible says God’s Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. It separates the truth from the lie sharply and quickly. It reveals what is good and what is evil. It shows who we are and who we are not. We have been given the greatest wisdom ever given within our fingertips found in sixty-six books in the Bible. It is all about Him. He sees our unbelief, our lack of faith, our doubts and insecurities, and failure to see that Jesus is greater. He is the alpha and omega. The beginning and the end. He is the great I AM (John 8:58). God’s Word renews our hearts by penetrating and transforming our heart and soul so we can then live it and show it before others.

Can you identify thoughts that are not congruent to God’s Word when they occur? Jesus sees them, recognizes my unbelief, and knows the intentions of our (my) hearts. He cuts to the chase in piercing my heart and mind with truths from His Word. One example is Ephesians 1:18-20, “The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me.” My prayer often has been from Psalm 119:92, “If your law had not been my delight I would have perished in my affliction.” Teach me Your Word during this season of my life like I have never known it before and make this verse my testimony when I emerge from this place.

Jesus responded to each of Satan’s temptations (hunger, authority, and fear) in cutting to the chase by simply reciting God’s Word. Luke 4:13 states the outcome, “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” We need to do the same in guarding and thus protecting our minds and thoughts with the Word of God.

God’s Word is powerful. It doesn’t just sit and do nothing and cuts to the chase as one reads it and thinks it over. Jeremiah 23:29 gives a picture of its impact as it says, “Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” Then, 1 Thessalonians 2:13b declares, “the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” Yes, as the author of Hebrews states, “the word of God is living and active.” It is potent, powerful, intense, blunt, and diligently giving us wisdom for life’s circumstances. God engages Himself as we engage with Him with our hearts and mind to hear His knowledge and will for our lives. So, the question for myself is, how can I use what I have read in the Bible this morning in my work today? What will come up that God has providentially had me read as He has already gone before me and knows what I will be facing?

David Guzik’s commentary states, “God’s Word diagnoses the condition of man with a surgeon’s precision. It lays open the heart and accurately discerns spiritual health. In the case of those the writer to the Hebrews first addressed, they were too ready to follow in the failure of the children of Israel and to give up strong, living faith.”

God’s Word says it will keep me from sin, as Psalm 119:11 states, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Nothing and no one is hidden from God’s sight. All will have to give an account and answer one day.

Need to have success about something? Searching out God’s Word for your situation will bring God’s wisdom for the necessary direction. Psalm 1:3 states, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Pray for discernment in applying God’s Word to the circumstances in what you are supposed to do. Note the verse that gave you clarity and write it down so you will remember it.

Psalm 119:24 declares, “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.” Ask the Lord to bring to your mind His wisdom in replying to that email that may have offended you from a person in the office who just seems to have that gift of being an underminer, egotist, and aggressor. Sometimes waiting in a reply for God to bring back to your thoughts and mind His way is the better choice in times of conflict. I have been there and not always done that. Proverbs 11:2 warns, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.”

Cut to the chase with laying out your needs before God. He already knows but is waiting for you to talk to Him, to call out to Him. He sees you (Psalm 33:18). Engage in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

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Hebrews 3:7-9, “Therefore as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.”

What are your plans for today? Do you plan out essential tasks and prioritize what needs to be done first to meet your daily goals or agenda of responsibilities? Have you procrastinated about any of these things? Or are you a doer no matter what? Hebrews 3:7 states, “Therefore as the Holy Spirit says, “Today . . .”

Since the author of Hebrews already established that we as believers are part of a heavenly calling, how will this affect your actions today and view of life? Are you having doubts and asking for more signs and doubting God’s deliverance as the Israelites did to Moses? They should have persevered in following God’s leader, Moses. They failed to fully trust God, and God said that was a sin.

How have you heard God’s voice? If you have trouble with that statement, think about how you recently saw new insight in reading a verse of Scripture. That is hearing God’s voice. Have you been convicted of something? You heard God’s voice. What about realizing you have a habit or desire that is wrong? You are hearing God’s voice. The Holy Spirit wants us to come to Jesus today. His comfort is for today. The Holy Spirit moves us to obedience today and not tomorrow. The urgency is for today.

Today, when we hear God’s voice, we are free to obey or disobey. We can choose to procrastinate until we can find a more convenient time. Chuck Smith has said, “I believe that this one thing has caused more people to miss the highest and descend to the lowest than in any other way. Not antagonism of God, but admiration and postponement of decision. To refuse to obey is to soon lose the sense of urgency. To fail to walk in the light is to soon lose the admiration for the light. To just linger in the gleam will cause it to fade, and finally we will think it was just our imagination.”

I just added being a light to someone on my “To Do” list for today that I write down every morning. Why didn’t I ever think to have that on my daily list of things to do before? I want to be alert in hearing God’s voice and not procrastinate in this needed mindset throughout my day today. Shining the light of Jesus into another person’s life, as I seek to trust and obey Him gives me joy and is a priority, besides the other to do items I need to accomplish for the day.

I remember the old hymn’s lyrics Trust And Obey:

When we walk with the Lord

In the light of His word

What a glory He sheds on our way

While we do His good will

He abides with us still

And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey

For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus

But to trust and obey.

What is God asking you to do today? As the enemy prowls are you being hit with guilt, shame, frustrations, or feelings of failure? Frustrations seem to be one of my greatest challenges I have realized recently. Stand firm in your position, your faith, your hope, and identity in Christ. Strap on your armor. Declare “I will put my trust in him” (Hebrews 2:13a). Don’t procrastinate. He may not give you tomorrow.

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Hebrews 3:1-2, “Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession – Jesus. Who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.”

Did you realize if you are a Christian, you are part of a heavenly calling? That is who you are. The NIV version says we need to “fix your thoughts on Jesus (Heb. 3:1b).” Paul taught in Philippians 2:5a, “Make your own attitude that of Jesus Christ.” Jesus’s attitude was one of humbly being obedient. He sacrificed His life for me, and for you. In other words, pay attention to whose you are and submit all you do to Jesus because you are more a citizen of heaven than a citizen on earth. This is a fact that is becoming more and more apparent in our culture and time. Therefore, the challenge is how can we (how can I) imitate Christ’s example in our daily relationships with Christians and non-Christians? I cannot control someone else’s response in times of conflict. But I can control mine if I am mirroring Jesus Christ.

When we focus on the who and whose we are, Jesus Christ, our heavenly High Priest, we need to realize and recall Hebrews 2:11, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of One; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers.” That is a blessing and encouragement to know that Jesus calls us His holy brethren. The Message version states, “So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful.” Moses was a patriarch to the Jews and the author of Hebrews honored Moses, as the entire Jewish religion came through Moses. There were many influential and powerful personalities in the Bible, but Jesus Christ was greater as He is the foundation, the Messiah, who represents us before His Heavenly Father. As Colossians 1:15 and 18 states, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. And He is the head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” So, the writer of Hebrews admonished the Jews, to honor Jesus Christ over Moses because of who He is, the Son of God, and all He has done for sinful man.

Today, be blessed to know you are part of Christ’s heavenly calling as a believer. Let this encourage you to press on, with endurance, in focusing on your future. Examine what is vital for growth and development in your life. Doesn’t it mostly happen through relationships God has placed you in through times of difficulty? Examine what is holding you back. Is it a weakness that God can turn into a strength? Then fix your thoughts on Jesus Christ. He will bless your obedience and faithfulness to Him.

“Consider the Apostle: We don’t often apply this word to Jesus, but He is our Apostle. The ancient Greek word translated apostle really means something like ambassador. In this sense, Jesus is the Father’s ultimate ambassador (Hebrews 1:1-2). God the Father had to send a message of love that was so important He sent it through Christ Jesus.” David Guzik Commentary. Your great shepherd has a plan, and He leads you where He wants to grow and use you. Jesus Christ is your advocate and supporter and has your back. “It’s not about where we go or don’t go, what we do or don’t do. It’s about Jesus’ faithfulness to His Father. And our failures only make His ministry to the Father that much more impressive.” Jon Courson’s Application Commentary.

When you hit a roadblock, remember you have been called to partake of a Heavenly calling. Be faithful. Know fully the who and remember whose you are. Fix your thoughts on Jesus. Pray Psalm 119:133 over your day, “Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.” Then in needing success in your day, pray Psalm 90:17, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon ______ (your name) us – yes, establish the work of (my) our hands.” Keep it simple. Be faithful to your calling. That is who you are.

Listen to the Newsboys STAND (Lyric video) ft. TobyMac. January 2022.

Hebrews 2:8-9, “putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, named Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

I sometimes wish I could see into the future. I wonder how long I will live. Will I die before Jesus comes back and the Rapture takes place, or will I be alive when this life-changing event occurs? We all have our dreams and goals in life. Some of mine have been fulfilled, and others have not. But even more critical is, am I looking to see Jesus and seeking to have His perspective on my plans for the day because He is the source of complete fulfillment.

There are many things I will not understand until I see Jesus. David Guzik in his commentary, states, “The answers to life’s most perplexing questions are not found in asking “Why?” The greatest answer is a Who – Jesus Christ.”

“Some wish they might truly see Jesus with their natural eye, instead of the eye of faith. Yet, “Sight is very frequently used in Scripture as a metaphor, an illustration, a symbol, to set forth what faith is. Faith is the eye of the soul. It is the act of looking unto Jesus.” Charles Spurgeon. I have a special gift box on the mantle, that I have written down answers to prayers, on cards. Each date shows how to see Jesus’s faithfulness in His provision of those prayer requests. I may not ever know the why, but I do know the who.

Jesus appeared to many people in the Bible, yet not everyone acknowledged who He was and accepted Him. After they had been to the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary saw Jesus, worshipped Him, and ran to tell His disciples. Others were doubtful. But we are told in Hebrews 2:8-9 that we see Jesus now as we look to Him with the eyes of faith to:

• See His presence
• See His provision
• See His protection
• See His grace
• See His mercy
• See Him as my Savior
• See His forgiveness
• See His abundant love
• See the wisdom He is given us through trials and circumstances

We do not always see rational justice in our world today. Amir Tsarfati, of Behold Israel, reported this week that “101 countries witness rise in civil unrest in the last quarter. The world is facing an unprecedented rise in civil unrest as governments of all stripes grapple with the impacts of inflation on the price of staple foods and energy, according to the latest edition of our Civil Unrest Index (CUI) . . . the severity and frequency of protests and labor activism is set to accelerate further over the coming months.”

But we have the promise that we know the one who has the power to influence people’s behavior and is in control of the course of events. Jesus died to save sinners. I see Him at my work, in my home, and not only at church. All are under subjection to Him who is found in not the Why, but in being the Who. Someday it will be all clear.

Listen to Christ Our Hope in Life and Death (Official Lyric Video) Keith and Krystyn Getty and Matt Papa. 3/11/2020

Philemon 7 & 20, “For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.”

Have you been going through a time when you felt your heart needs to be refreshed? Do you need those “words fitly spoken like apples of gold in pictures of silver” spoken to you through a brother or sister in Christ? Maybe you need to feel appreciated and loved, and God provided a special friend to give you words of affirmation that blessed you in your need of making a decision. That is what Philemon had done for Paul and other Christians in their community in Colosse. He had provided words and actions of comfort when needed.

In this book of Philemon, Paul appeals to the reader, Philemon, as a “brother” and does not refer to himself as an apostle, as he did in nine of the thirteen letters he wrote to the churches or individuals at the beginning of his letters. This is the only place where Philemon is mentioned, who Paul considered his close friend. Philemon had a servant named Onesimus, who was guilty of running away and possibly of theft. Paul is writing with words of emotion to Philemon to receive him back favorably and without vindictiveness because Onesimus has had his heart totally changed by Christ, is now not merely a slave, but a brother in Christ, and found refuge in Paul, in Rome. Paul would have preferred to keep Onesimus with him (mentions him in Colossians 4:8 as a faithful and dear brother) but was sending Onesimus back to Philemon and was requesting he forgive him and receive him back. Paul’s letter was brilliantly written with tact and grace, and his position of authority was never used in his persuasive strategy on requesting reconciliation for Onesimus by Philemon.

Philemon’s wife was probably Apphia, who Paul includes in this letter. “Regarding the escaped slave, “She is as much a party to the decision as her husband, because according to the custom of the time, she had day-to-day responsibility for the slaves.” (Rupprecht). We, women, are more tender-hearted, so it is thought Paul may have included her in this letter to favorably influence her husband, Philemon, in making the final decision regarding Onesimus in granting Paul’s request. Paul’s tone throughout the letter to Philemon is a loving appeal and not an authoritative command, which was the wisdom that Paul used in this situation towards Philemon on behalf of Onesimus.

A life touched and changed by God is the foundation of evangelism, and Paul acknowledges that in the life of Philemon. Paul reflects on how Philemon had abundantly refreshed the hearts of others. “It was logical that Onesimus escaped to Rome, the biggest city of the Roman Empire. Lightfoot says . . . But at his providential meeting of Paul in Rome, Onesimus met the man who had led his master Philemon to Jesus (Philemon 19).” Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon, in the hope that he will be taken back and be dealt gently with by Philemon and to be shown mercy.

“Paul made his appeal and made it strong and skillfully. At the same time, he did leave the decision to Philemon. He would appeal in love, but he would not trample over the rights of Philemon.” David Guzik Commentary. Paul gave Philemon the freedom to make the right decision. Paul had led Philemon to Christ and was his spiritual father.

Paul was a man of grit. Yet, in this letter, we see Paul using tactful persuasive words that are gentle, kind, and out of love and concern. He sincerely complemented Philemon in verses 4-7. David Guzik’s Commentary also stated (Paul speaking): “Philemon, it seems to me that God is working in unusual ways here. Let me tell you what I see, and perhaps it will make sense to you.”

Do you need to have someone refresh your heart in Christ? Do you need someone to come along beside you like Paul did to Philemon in helping to make sense out of a situation, or help in a compelling appeal you need to make in a relationship? Ask God to provide that person. Ask God to show you a verse that will refresh your soul and give you the peace and rest that your soul needs (Matt. 11:28). Then look for someone you can also do the same for in not being a hostile critic, but in providing your love, comfort, and joy in being refreshed through you as God’s servant in saying, “Let me tell you what I see, and perhaps it will make sense to you.”

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Titus 3:1-2, “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authority, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”

Paul instructs Titus to remind the people of what modeling gospel living should look like in their Crete community, which is similar to our culture today. Living out the gospel with sincerity, love, and integrity portrays what a Christian is, all the while continually looking for Christ’s return. Don’t we all need to be reminded of this fundamental principle? Obeying authority figures and being good citizens is only the beginning. A parallel verse to Titus 3:2 is Ephesians 4:31 which needs to be on my checklist at the beginning of each new day, as it says: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.” It is a given that we will be challenged every day in these areas. I am challenged in these areas. New conflicts and unfulfilled expectations occur every day. Yet the way to live is to keep anticipating and looking for Christ’s return each day while being cordial, gentle, and showing grace as needed.

I need to pray every day for the salvation of people in government. I also need to pray that the Christians in government will exercise having a stronger voice and testimony.

Being gentle and showing humility were not virtues shown in the culture in Crete. Showing gentleness and patience, has kept coming up to me throughout this past year. The Holman Christian Standard Bible states Titus 3:2 this way, “To slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people.” As I read God’s Word, the word “gentle” and “showing gentleness” keeps cropping up again and again. The new LSB version states, “demonstrating gentleness to all.” Jesus stated of himself in Matthew 11:29 that He was “gentle and humble in heart.” This takes an enormous amount of patience. Am I gentle when I feel I am under attack, or my values ignored? Not always.

The Voice states Titus 3:1-2 this way, “And remind them of this: respect the rulers and the courts. Obey them. Be ready to do what is good and honorable. Don’t tear down another person with your words. Instead, keep the peace, and be considerate. Be truly humble toward everyone.” That is more of a challenge some days than others. But I can experience His grace every day and praise Him for the blessings He has provided me today and in the coming days ahead with Christ for all eternity.

Did you have a bad day today? Maybe your expectations were not met. Job, David, Joseph, and Moses had a few of those themselves. Did you walk with integrity? Then you had a great day! Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Remember Luke 12:37, “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” When Christ returns, you will sit down at His table, and He will serve you. Until then, model gospel living, experience His forgiveness, love, and kindness, and live with the hope of Christ’s return at any time.

Listen to Casting Crowns Official Lyric Video The Power of the Cross.