by Macy Johnson
“For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life.”
(Psalm 31:13 NIV)
King David
was under attack, not just once, but all the time. He was continually tossed
about by people and circumstances. God had promised he would be king, but he
would be battered into shape before crowned and placed into royalty.
“I tell you the truth,
whoever hears my word and believes Him
who sent me
has eternal life and will not be
condemned;
he has crossed over from death to life.”
(John 5:24 NIV)
The Holy Spirit reveals Himself to me if I seek Him. I must ask for Him to touch me with His power. Then I will believe Jesus was sent by the Father to rescue me from my sinful ways. I will cross over from death to life through the cross of Jesus. I will listen and believe. I hope you will, too!
“Go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
(Matthew 28:19 NIV)
Azalea flowers attract pollinators and people. When they die, new life pushes out into beautiful, green leaves. When I share new life with those God places on my path, His life presses through me to them, and I can wither and die. Others are baptized into new life. It is a humbling process for me and the azalea flower. For the Holy Spirit to increase, I must decrease. I hope you will, too!
“A man can do nothing better
than to eat and drink and find
satisfaction in his work.
This too, I see, is from the hand of
God.”
(Ecclesiastes 2:24 NIV)
God created His children to work. It started in the Garden of Eden and continues into eternity. When my pride creeps into the picture, I lose the joy of service. When I shine a light on myself and not on Jesus, I crumble under the pressure of want. Jesus died so I could die to myself and live for Him. I will seek the will of the Holy Spirit in whatever He gives me to do today. I hope you will, too!
“The lamp of the Lord searches the
spirit of a man;
it searches out his inmost being.”
(Proverbs 20:27 NIV)
Shine your lamp on my heart, Lord. As I open Your Word, use it to expose all the filth I have tried to hide from you. Peel back the corners of my soul and expose it to your penetrating Light of Life. I cannot hide my inmost being from you. I know Jesus loves me more than I can imagine and will lead me on the right path with Him today. I will trust Him. I hope you will, too!
“This is how we know what love is:
Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives for
our brothers.”
(1 John 3:16 NIV)
Hesed is God's covenantal love, combining steadfast loyalty, mercy, kindness, and grace. It is action-oriented, loving-kindness that goes far beyond duty. How can I show hesed today? I can drop what I’m doing and help others. I can encourage those who offend me, lift them up to my Heavenly Father, and ask Him to forgive them, just like Jesus did. I hope you will, too!
“Teacher, what good thing must I do
to get eternal life?”
(Matthew 19:16 NIV)
Today I pray with Joni Eareckson Tada, “Lord, I open the windows and doors of my life so Your refreshing breeze can blow through and drive out the stale, tired air. I need the freshness and fragrance of the Holy Spirit to swirl through every corner of my heart. I open my hands and receive Your grace, Your gifts, Your favor, Your counsel, and Your mercy.” Lord, I rejoice to receive Your free gift of eternity spent with You. I hope you will, too!
