Tag: God

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Join The Hunt

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You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29;13. ESV

When I was growing up, it was not unusual to be out with my mother on a hunt – a treasure hunt, that is. I honestly don’t remember a lot of rummage sales, but I do remember thrift shops and even alleys of our neighboring city bringing her great joy. The target of her hunting was most typically furniture, but dishes, books, and toys or bikes were among the hauls as well. Once spotted, she would size up the target, and if she could envision a place or use for the newfound pieces, she would squeeze us all closer together in the family station wagon and load up the treasure, or on some of the hunts, she would have to make arrangements to return. for the bounty at another time. When we arrived home, we would spill out of the wagon and help her haul the treasures out of the station wagon and into her large treasure chest, otherwise known as the big old garage that was on the back of our property.

Oh, the joys of that garage as a kid. It was the setting of a schoolhouse for this want-to-be teacher and her friends; It was the place of wild west shootouts for my brothers and, yes, me – when they dared to let me join in the fun. And it was the place where my mom would create, or should I say recreate, the treasures from her hunts. Of course, Dad would get in on the action from time to time as well – helping her sand or paint. However, I fondly remember his hands on his hips as he stared at the treasure, saying, “Eleanor, what in the world are we going to do with this?”

She may not have known the answer at the time, but our house eventually and continually bore the evidence of her treasure hunting – as restored tables and chairs became the place for family dinners, game nights, and my dad’s old typewriter (a valuable treasure from one of the hunts). Cabinets that were once eyesores were made beautiful and filled the rooms of our wonderful old home, holding dishes, books, and other treasures produced by the hunts. Couches, chairs, and ottomans, once tattered and worn, were recovered and transformed into pieces that not only made our home both attractive and comfortable for our family and countless friends who frequently stopped by. Both the hunting process and the restoration were just part of our simple living.

Many of these treasures now fill my home. So, I suppose it was natural for today’s verse to stir up memories of those hunts from long ago. Of course, seeking God as the treasure has a vastly different outcome than hunting treasure with my mom. You see, Mom’s treasures needed to be restored, but when we seek and find God, we are the ones who are changed. He reclaims us and restores us; He takes what was once ugly, tattered, and worn, and He changes us from the inside out, making us beautiful new creations meant to fill the world around us with the evidence of His handiwork and the joy of His presence.

I have always loved today’s verse from Jeremiah. The thought of seeking God as “treasure” reminds me of the words of the Psalmist, who wrote,

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge … The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them, there is great reward.“

Psalm 19:1-2, 7-11 (ESV)

His fingerprints, His still small voice, His untold gifts of grace that fill our days, His mercies that are new every morning, and His word that can never be fully mined are just some of the daily treasures that fill my mind and heart and a treasure chest of journals. And, they are indeed more precious to me than the finest of gold or the sweetest of honey. Perhaps the best part about this treasure hunt and what reminded me so much of my hunts with Mom is found in the truth of this quote:

“This verse isn’t about a frantic spiritual scavenger hunt. It’s a gentle invitation to open our eyes to the everyday moments where God is already present. He’s in the sunrise that takes your breath away, the unexpected kindness of a stranger, the quiet strength that rises within us when we need it most.” ourdailyverse.com:

Friend, seek God with all of your heart and soul; desire Him more than you desire the wealth and sweet things of this world. Through prayer and worship and time in His Word, you will find Him. Ask Him to open the eyes of Your heart, and you will see His fingerprints all around you. Pray for ears to hear even His still small voice, and you will hear sweet whispers of His love. Stay alert, and you will see and experience the abundance of His grace and faithful mercies. You will be delighted and inspired by His strength in your trials and weaknesses, and you will know His peace that passes all understanding over your fears and burdens. May these treasures become the treasures of your heart and draw you closer to Him. Never stop seeking the treasures that are yours through Christ Jesus. When and if you feel far from Him – draw close to Him, and He will draw close to you.

Seeking God “with all your heart” isn’t a call to religious perfection. It’s an invitation to bring your authentic self to each moment. Your doubts? Bring them. Your joy? He delights in it. Your mess? That’s where His grace shines brightest. God is as present in your tears as He is in your laughter, in your questions as much as in your certainties.

ourdailyverse.com
The More We Know
Know These Truths
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Fiery Darts Nor Thorns & Thistles

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Yesterday, my morning prayer journal entry started like this: “Father, You are Good. Your Word and the timing of the Spirit’s reminder are treasures in the morning and throughout the day. I do not know what lies ahead today, but I do know that it is my greatest strength, pleasure, comfort, and peace to know that You walk with me 💜 And I do not need to fear! – Fiery darts and thorns and thistles that litter the way cannot keep us from Your protective presence💜 When You are near, we have nothing to fear, for You will hold us up with Your victorious right hand.”

The entry was prompted by the “our daily verse ” email devotion that I received. Yesterday’s verse of the day was from Isaiah 41:10, and those of you who have been a part of the group for very long may recognize it as one I often use because it is among my top 10 life verses.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

I am sharing it again with you today, along with the “ourdailyverse.com” devotion from yesterday. I pray it is a blessing of encouragement for your Friday and the weekend ahead. – “Today, let’s rest in the assurance that God walks beside us through every challenge. We’re never alone in our worries. – Have a blessed day.”

“Fear, it’s a familiar adversary, a shadow that threatens to darken even the brightest of days. But in the face of this relentless foe, God speaks a promise that has the power to change everything: “Do not fear, for I am with you.” – read the full devo at https://www.ourdailyverse.com/p/verse-of-the-day-isaiah-41-10

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Spirit

Off the Beaten Path 2.0

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Love Your Enemies – But Why?

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Once again, God met me where I was this morning – and provided more words of encouragement for me to share with my friend who is struggling with someone who is making life really difficult for her. Plus, the words served as a good reminder for me of all the ways God has used them through the years to grow and strengthen my faith and to teach me the practice of loving others well and treating them as I want to be treated. It hasn’t always been easy, and I don’t always excel at it, but God has shown me many times over that I can indeed do all things through Christ, who gives me strength – even loving my “enemies.”

Friends, if we are being honest with ourselves, today’s message from God’s Word is difficult for our human minds to understand and practice- Loving those who hate or mistreat us, who terrorize or seek to destroy us, doesn’t only seem impossible -but somehow it just doesn’t seem right! As right as I know it truly is and as I’ve grown in my understanding of it through the years – I will admit when I read it again, sometimes my knee-jerk reaction is … why should our enemies not be paid back evil for evil or why should be do good to those who hate us? Why should we pray for our enemies unless it is for their destruction or to bless those who have cursed us? Why should we do good to them – when they only continue to abuse us?

The answer to all the whys is profoundly yet simply this: BECAUSE Jesus tells us to love them. So before we dismiss or even gloss over this less-than-pleasant and very difficult calling on believers, let’s remember this truth- Our God is abounding in love, full of mercy, and rich in grace. We only have to look back over the course of our life to recall just how long-suffering God has been with each of us – who are by nature sinners and, as Paul said, “children of wrath” (Eph 2:3), sinners (Rom 3:23) deserving of death but instead given the free gift of God, which is eternal life in Christ His Son (Rom 6:23).

So, yes! Nothing, absolutely nothing, seems right about this command and/or God’s expectation for the believer — that is, UNTIL we remember God’s love for us. When we remember Jesus, the One we believe in, the One who literally lay down His life for those who were enemies of the cross – enemies of His Father in Heaven – who loved the world so much that He gave — literally sent His Son, God in the flesh to the earth in the form of a man who would not only be hated – but abused and hunted down, entrapped and crucified for the sins of His enemies!

Jonathon Edward said it better when he commented on the greatness of God’s love in giving the Lord Jesus Christ: “God has given us what is of more value than all the kingdoms of the earth. He has given his only-begotten and well-beloved Son–the greatest gift he could bestow. And Christ has not only done, but he has suffered, great things, and given himself to die for us; and all freely, and without grudging… And what great things hath God done for those of us who are converted, and have been brought home to Christ; delivering us from sin, justifying and sanctifying us…And all this, when we are not good, but evil and unthankful, and in ourselves deserving only of wrath.”
  
“When viewed in this light, things begin to look a little different. By God’s grace, the desire to love our enemies should suddenly seem to come into reach. Because we were 
once the enemy who was loved.” quotes by Laurie@Thistlebend

Maybe you don’t have someone you would call an enemy in your life, but perhaps you have that person who hurt you, and you can’t or won’t forgive them. Maybe you have someone who hates you or abuses you and the last thing you want to do is repay them by doing good to them; and I’m guessing if someone struck you, you wouldn’t want to turn the other cheek.

However, consider with me the following statements from the writer of the Thistlebend posts as we close:

We once were enemies of God. While we were still His enemy, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us. This is not normally how people treat their enemies! –

Because “God first loved us, we should want to reflect Him and love others in return.” The question is, “Will we die to our self and love our enemies – Just like God did for us?”

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Off the Beaten Path 2.0

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It’s Not About Gritting Our Teeth

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13. ESV

It’s funny, yet not surprising, how God knows exactly what we need to hear and when we need to hear it, and He supplies it. Such was the case this morning, as I read from OurDailyVerse.com again. This time, it wasn’t just me that needed to hear it. He knew there was someone in my life who needed to hear not just the verse but this one particular statement: “It’s not about gritting our teeth, but about acknowledging our limitations and allowing His power to course through us.”

These devotionals are typical prayer starters for me in the morning and sometimes at the end of the day. This morning’s flowed something like this:

Father, You are Good. You enable Your people with STRENGTH to live as You have called us to live. Whether in a prison cell like Paul or facing the daily cares and fears and other challenges or enemies of this world – that trap us and “weaken” us — causing us to feel like “we can’t” press on or stand firm in our faith. Yet, we are without excuse, Father, because we are filled with the powerful strength of Christ, our Lord and Savior, who endured death on a cross when He could have called 10 thousand angels to get Him down — and who three days later walked out of the grave! – (did you just say glo-ry hal-le-lu-jah!? I know I did!)

It’s not about gritting our teeth, but about acknowledging our limitations and allowing His power to course through us. This doesn’t erase challenges, but it shifts how we face them, replacing fear with unwavering faith and weakness with His might.

OurDailyVerse / September 17, 2024

Sometimes, Father, the days seem filled with seemingly impossible tasks or demands. Today is one of those days for a friend of mine, and as I was praying for her, I realized that you had already given me the perfect words to encourage her. Even when we think we can’t possibly deal with a problematic/anxiety-spiking problem, Your Word declares that we can do ‘all things through Christ Who gives us strength!‘We cannot do it in our own might or will – but in the STRENGTH of CHRIST! Paul declares that “we have been crucified with Christ.” – He goes on to say that “the life we now live in the flesh we lie by faith in Your Son, who loves us and gave Himself for us.” According to Romans 8:37, We are more than conquerors – NOT by anything we have done or can do or will do but because of what Jesus did for us. The cross was ours to bear, the death was ours to die, But Christ took them for us – He was pierced for our transgressions… He was crushed for our iniquities, and the punishment that brought us peace was placed upon Him – and by His wounds, we are healed – and set free from the chains that had rendered us lost and powerless! And when we belong to Him, His Spirit lives in us, teaching and reminding us of all that Christ taught and giving us strength in our inner being.

that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,1

Ephesians 3:16. ESV

I shared the prayer from the Devo with my friend, and now I am sharing it with all of you. Perhaps you need to hear it today; I encourage you to make it your own and to be strengthened by it. If it isn’t one you need to hear today, I encourage you to tuck it away for a day when life is full of more challenges than you think are possible and need to be reminded – You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you – ❤️

Dear Lord, As I confront the challenges of today, fill me with the strength that comes from You alone. Remind me that I do not face these trials by myself but with Your power within me. Help me to rely on Your strength, not my own, transforming my worries into confidence and my fears into faith.

Guide me through each moment, and let Your peace reign in my heart. Thank You for making me more than a conqueror through Your love and grace.

In Jesus’ name, I pray – 💜 Amen
  

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

The Great Commission

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based on the Love God Greatly Study: Come, Lord Jesus, Come / w6d5

Scripture: The Road Map for The Journey
Matthew 28:16-20 / SOAP: 19-20

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20. NET
Observation and Application from the Journey

This passage speaks volumes for itself! It is the climatic statement of Jesus’ mission and His final instructions for His disciples. In large part it is a message of “commission” to continue His mission of making disciples of all nations1 They are to do with others what Jesus has done with them. What they have learned from Jesus they are to teach and model to others from every people group; as Paul says in Colossians chapter three: “It doesn’t matter if they are Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave or free …”

Make no mistake, Jesus’ commission started with this face-to-face with the eleven, but it is clear that it was meant for all disciples who would come after them.

Followers of Jesus are to make followers of Jesus.

original source unknown

As we’ve come to the end of our present journey – Come, Lord Jesus, Come – that has been filled with these important instructions, we must not miss that the message also contains some of His final words of enduring encouragement for then and now: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He is with us to the end of the age, He is with us when we are “going” to make more disciples, He is with us when we are afraid, He is with us when we are in need, He is with us in grief and in joy. He is with us while we wait on His return. He is always and forever with us! – Of course, He didn’t mean this as a literal. physical presence but rather in Spirit, for all who believe in Jesus receive the gift of His Spirit from God. The Spirit is our Advocate and Counselor, and His presence graces us with both peace and strength for all we face in this life/world.

“I have spoken these things while staying with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.

27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.

John 14:25-27. NET

Prayer of Response to the Journey

Father, we wait for You – for Your perfect timing in sending Jesus to redeem His people. We wait to see His face and to be in Your presence. We wait with Hope and we pray for courage and obedient, yielded hearts to Your co-mission of us to carry the message of the Gospel to the world. We pray for Your help in living our faith out loud, in praying faithfully for the lost, in being ready with an answer for the Hope that is within us, We praise You for our salvation and the presence of Your Spirit with us – even to the end of the age! In the name of Jesus our Redeemer we pray and we watch and wait with hope and faith. – AMEN!

The More We Know: Side Trails along the Journey

From the LGG Journal – words of encouragement and of hope and beauty. May they be an inspiration to all who read them.

Jesus is with us to the end. We know our purpose. We know our mission. We are instructed to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations. Going out into the world means traveling to other countries, and it also means crossing the street or, in some cases, even the rooms in our homes. We need to share Christ with those near and far. We need to teach others God’s Word and how to obey it. That is more than just a conversion; Jesus wants us to disciple this generation.

When you think of the model of how Jesus chose to disciple His twelve disciples, you’ll see that He not only taught them God’s Word but also how to live it out. It’s not enough to know God’s Word in our minds; we must allow God’s Word to penetrate our hearts and change us from the inside out. God’s Word must impact the way we live our lives, the way we love, serve, and treat others. While this is all a process and takes time, we see that Jesus did life with and invested in a select group of twelve men. These men were far from perfect. They didn’t always understand Jesus, but Jesus never gave up on them.

Discipleship is hard. Discipleship takes time. But this is the command Jesus left us with: do as I have done. Numbers don’t matter. Pour your life into a group of individuals. Teach them God’s Word and how to obey it. Reach out to those locally and those at the ends of the earth. No one is too far from God. All are welcome at the foot of the cross. Jesus knew that the work He was calling us to was no easy task. But, He has promised us something that is a game-changer: He is with us always.

PRAYER

Dear Lord, thank You for the promise that You are always with us. Today, I pray for favor and open doors to share boldly with those near me and anywhere You might send me. Thank You for this opportunity to play a part in this amazing love story You are writing with our lives. Please open the hearts and minds of this generation to Your love. I pray this generation will turn from their sinful ways and turn to You. I pray for salvation for those who don’t yet know You, and I pray for the Holy Spirit to work powerfully through those of us who bear Your name. I pray for a mighty harvest like never before. I pray for Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done. Until the day we see You face-to-face, we will pray, come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.

Have you heard the Truth? Do You know the Way? If not or if you’re not sure please take a minute to read “Know These Truths” – You might just be surprised how this Truth can change your life and renew you from the inside out! 🦋

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Messengers of “The Faith”

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based on the Love God Greatly Study: Come, Lord Jesus, Come / w6d4

Scripture: Our Road Map for the Journey

 You, however, be self-controlled in all things, endure hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry.

2 Timothy 4:5. NET

Have you ever had a friend, mentor, or someone in your life that has not just prodded you to do something, but given you a serious and difficult challenge -one that will change you and potentially others from the inside-out? 🦋 This is what we find on today’s journey. Paul charges Timothy, in the presence of God and the Lord Jesus<<<< that statement right there indicates the seriousness of this charge Paul has given Timothy. Check out the list of what he is asking of Timothy:

  • Preach the message – whether it is convenient or not
  • reprove
  • rebuke
  • exhort with complete patience and instruction

And then check out the seriousness of the reason:

  • People will be turning away from theTrue Gospel
  • They will prefer to listen to and follow those who say what they want to hear and do
  • They will not only turn away from the Truth but they will turn their minds toward myths/fables

Then the challenge/charge turns personal … Not only is Timothy reprove, rebuke, exhort with patience and instructions and preach the Truth – but he is to:

  • be self-controlled at all times
    • “Timothy was to be focused and alert, taking his life and role seriously … He was to be calm, focused, and controlled.” – Bibleref.com 2Timothy4:5
  • endure hardships
    • this wasn’t just instruction to merely survive hardships/difficult times but to maintain his Christian character and perspective regardless of what was happening in his life or within the ministry he had been called to
  • do the work of an evangelist
    • An evangelist is one who presents/shares the good news of Christ with others. While this is something that Paul particularly charged Timothy with, consider the commission that Christ put before all of His disciples, both past and present:
      • “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16. NET
  • and stay at the tasks until the mission/ministry has been carried out/fulfilled -no matter the difficulty or temptation to quit

Why was Paul so serious with Timothy and adamant that he stay at the tasks until his “ministry was fulfilled?” – The answer to this seems evident in verses 6-8 where Paul makes it known that his time on this earth was coming to an end. He knew the work had to go on and was making sure that Timothy would continue to carry out the mission even when he was gone. To not do so would leave many vulnerable to the false teachings and turning away from the true, life-giving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Friends, we too must “take up the mantel” that Paul so obviously considered a worthy passion and position in life. Like Timothy we have been charged with being messengers of “The Faith”, which is belief in Jesus Christ. When we come to the end of our life or when Jesus returns to take us home, may we be found faithfully living self-controlled lives, enduring hardships, doing the work of an evangelist, and fulfilling the mission/ministry we have been given. – Yes and Amen in Jesus Christ!

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Encouragement as We Wait

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Based on the LGG Study: Come, Lord Jesus, Come / w6d3

Scripture: Our Road Map for the today’s Journey

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 / SOAP vs. 9-11

For God did not destine us for wrath but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that whether we are alert or asleep we will come to life together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing. 1 Thess 5:9-11 NET

Observations and Applications for the Journey

For those who have placed their faith in Jesus this passage is another beautiful reminder of God’s grace in pouring out the wrath that our sins deserved onto His Son so that we might live an eternal life with Him!💜🫶 – As I contemplated the passage a declaration from John’s first epistle came to mind – “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God”.1 Jn 3:1 – Ah the unbelievable beauty of God’s love! May this be our encouragement to one another as we wait through these trying days for His return.

May we be found faithfully living as children of the light and of the day so that those in the darkness might see and hear our message of faith and hope and be saved from the wrath that is to come on those who have not believed.

– Me, from the Insideout 🦋

If you do not know Christ as Your Savior my prayer is for you to hear and understand the truth of God’s Word – that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory and that those sins are deserving of death. But, in God’s great love and mercy He gave Jesus, His only begotten son, to die in our place – so that ALL who believe in Him would have everlasting life. Because of this exchange there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. All who have believed will be spared the wrath that is to come on those who have not believed. – If you would like to know more about these truths and how you can share in this hope I invite you to read “Know These Truths” before it’s too late.

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/
Prayer of Response for the Journey

(borrowed, in-part, from the LGG Journal)


Dear Lord, give me words to build up those around me. Help me to be generous with my encouragement and lead me to those I should encourage and give me the right words to say. Help me be a better encourager in these last days. Show me how I can be Your hands and feet to those who need it. Thank you, Jesus, for how You love and sustain us. Thank you for bearing God’s wrath on the cross. You are amazing in every way! Until the day when we can see you face-to-face, we pray, come, Lord Jesus, come. – May we be found faithfully sharing the Gospel message of salvation until that day, so that all who have not yet believed may hear and know and believe in the TRUTH before it is too late. Amen.

The More We Know: Side Trails of the journey

Be sure and check out today’s LGG Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Give it Some Thought

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based on the LGG Study: Come, Lord Jesus, Come / w6d1

Scripture: Our Roadmap for the Journey
Hebrews 10:19-25 / SOAP: verses 24-25

 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, 25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.

Hebrews 10: 24-25. NET
Observation and Application From the Journey

To fully understand and appreciate the writers message here we need to go back and look at what he said before verse 19. Knowing that chapters 1-9 and more specifically, verses 1-18 of chapter 10 concerned the sacrifices of the OT law being a shadow of what was to come. The passages pointed out that the old sacrificial way was never perfect and had to be continually repeated – because the blood of bulls and goats could not truly take sin away. Only the blood of Christ could do this. The single sacrifice of Christ on the cross cancels out the old – for His one offering forever made perfect those who came to Hm through faith.

This is why the writer points out that we can have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus. Our Great High Priest, Jesus, is not behind a curtain as the priest was in the OT, but rather He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God and we are able to approach that throne because we have been made acceptable by Jesus’ blood. – This great hope is our confession of faith and should be the truth that spurs us on in our faith and encourages us to spur others on in theirs – namely to love and live like Jesus.

This great hope of our faith makes it all the more important to not abandon meeting with other believers. As Paul wrote to the Church of Rome, we are meant to function together as a body (Rom 12:4-5). We are meant to have an influence on and be influenced by other believers (Heb 3:13); and as the writer of Hebrew makes clear in today’s passage and Paul made clear to the Colossians we are not meant to live as islands to ourselves. for we have been charged with an obligation to other believers for a three-fold purpose:

  • discipleship
  • encouragement
  • meeting other’s needs (Col 3:16)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:16
Prayer: A Heart’s Response to the Journey

Father, it isn’t always easy to know how to encourage one another and if we are honest it isn’t always easy to know how to take or make the time to gather together to teach and encourage one another – but we understand the need for it and pray for Your help in being faithful to this command. We pray that You will help us to take time to think about how we can spur one another on to love and good works and that we will not neglect gathering with other believers so that we might not only encourage but be encouraged to run the race of faith well – and be found living and loving like Jesus in our everyday lives. For as we are strengthened as Your body we will be brighter lights in the darkness around us – and You will be glorified and the Church will grow. As the days approach for Your return, let us not shrink back but press on with strength and an urgent love and desire to reach others with the message of Jesus. – In His name I pray – AMEN!

The More We Know: Side Trails on the Journey

How can we encourage one another to love and good works?

For more insight on today’s journey be sure and read thehttps://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg-blog/

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Watch and Pray

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based on the LGG Study: Come, Lord Jesus, Come / w5d5

Scripture: Our Road Map For the Journey / Luke 21 (SOAP: verses 34-36)

 “But be on your guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day close down upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will overtake all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that must happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36 NET

Observation and Application from the Journey

For the last five weeks, we have heard, in various ways, the reminder that Jesus is coming again. We have been warned to stay alert and to be ready. We have read words of excitement, hope, doom and gloom, warning, and victory. Today’s message is much the same.

The signs will be clear; the Kingdom of God is near! The question is, will we be so caught up in the world that we are too earthbound to grow excited about what and who is coming?

Today’s passage, specifically vs. 34-36, draws our attention once again to the warning to be alert but not just to the signs around us. Here, the disciples are warned not to become weighed down or caught up with the pleasures or worries of this life, allowing those things to blind them from the clear signs that God’s Kingdom is near.

He does not want them so consumed by the things of this world that they fail to pay attention to the signs of His coming kingdom.

Bibleref..com

Whenever and wherever in history we are found waiting for His return, Jesus makes it clear that His disciples are to: “Stay alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that must happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

With Christ, we will always have the hope of heaven, a hope that will one day be a reality for all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. –1

Prayer of response to the journey

Father, so much around us heightens our senses to the coming reality of Christ’s return. Help us not be so caught up with the world that we shrink back from the excitement that the Hope of Heaven brings. Help us not to tremble in fear or be weighed down with worries but to pray, as Jesus said, that we have the strength to escape all these things that must happen and to stand before Him. Put Your hedge of protection around us and fill us with Your peace that passes all understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. May we wait with patience, excitement, and alertness to those around us who need to know JESUS, and may we be quick to share Him in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen and Amen!

The More We Know: side trails of the journey

Wisdom and Encouragement: “Being on guard is something we must do actively and purposefully. We must intentionally fight back against the worries we face in this life by bringing our burdens to God in prayer, realizing that this world is not our home. Better days are ahead. Jesus could return at any time. The pains, tribulations, and worries of this life will not last forever. God has a plan, and nothing is out of His control.” LGG Journal entry, Come, Lord Jesus, Come p. 170

  1. LGG Journal entry, Come, Lord Jesus, Come p. 170 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Ready or Not He Will Come

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Scripture: Our Roadmap for the Journey: Matthew 24 / SoAp: 42–44


Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready; because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:42-44. NLT

Observation and Application from the Journey

Whether this was your first time or the one-hundredth time reading Jesus’ answer to His disciples questions: “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” there is a lot to take in. I encourage you to read every word and to search trusted commentaries, like bibleref.com1 and gotquestions.org,2 for help in understanding Jesus’ words. However, the bottom line will always come down to this truth: It isn’t a matter of if He will come but when He will come, and we are wise to live each day as if that day is today,(my paraphrase of vs44).

The one who is ready is the one who has believed on the name of the Jesus, for only those who have believed will be saved. In Jesus’ first parable of Matthew 24:45-51, these are the ones found faithfully serving the Master when He returns. All others will be destroyed (vs. 51).

Jesus has promised to return, and He is the ultimate Promise Keeper. What He has promised, He will do. So while we wait for His return, Jesus wants us to live our lives alert to His coming. This doesn’t mean that we live in fear but in expectation. We live our lives on mission, with a purpose, and focused on advancing His Kingdom with the days we’ve been given. When we live the way God instructs us to live, we don’t have to worry about when Jesus will come back.

From the LGG Journal: Come, Lord Jesus, Come / p158

The return of Christ is always presented in Scripture as a great motivation to action, not as a reason to cease from action. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, Paul wraps up his teaching on the rapture by saying, “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:6, Paul concludes a lesson on Christ’s coming with these words: “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.” To retreat and “hold the fort” was never Jesus’ intention for us. Instead, we work while we can. “Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4).

The apostles lived and served with the idea that Jesus could return within their lifetime; what if they had ceased from their labors and just “waited”? They would have been in disobedience to Christ’s command to “go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15), and the gospel would not have been spread. The apostles understood that Jesus’ imminent return meant they must busy themselves with God’s work. They lived life to the fullest, as if every day were their last. We, too, should view every day as a gift and use it to glorify God.3


We will experience tribulations in our lives, as people have all over the world through the years. No matter what we face: persecution, sickness, war, oppression, famine, or abuse, our hope is in Christ. We will endure suffering as believers in Christ, but our hope is not in being saved from suffering. Our hope is in the sacrifice of Christ, in His atoning work on the cross, and in His resurrection power that we have when we believe in Him. When we have placed our faith in Christ, our future, and our eternity, are secure in Him. He is our hope.

From the LGG Journal: Come, Lord Jesus, Come / p158
Prayer of Response to the Journey

borrowed from the Love God Greatly Journal p158 of Come, Lord Jesus, Come

Dear Lord, help me live my life alert and ready for Your return. Please use me powerfully in the lives of those who do not yet know You. Give me a heart for the lost. I pray for salvation for those who are far from You and for those who don’t believe they need You in their lives. Please use me for Your glory in these last days as I wait for Your return. Until that day, I pray, come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen

The More we Know: Side Trails of the Journey

Please check out today’s LGG Blog Post

  • If you believe in and follow Jesus as Your Lord will you help me share His message? Simply scroll down and share – or copy and paste the link to any your preferred social media
  • If you have not yet come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, I plead with you to click on and read “Know These Truths”. – Jesus is coming again, will you be ready?
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