COMPELLED
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Personal challenge
So, what are we compelled to do because of the love of Jesus? We are compelled to stop living our lives just for ourselves and to live them for God and our neighbor. Why? Because we embrace that Jesus died for us, and not just for those of us who profess Him as our Lord and Savior, but He died for all of mankind. Because of this, we are compelled to die to ourselves and to live for others. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!
FEAR NOT
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you. Do not go astray, for I am your God who strengthens you; and I will help and secure you with My righteous right hand.
Encouraging Words
We have nothing to fear for we have been promised by God that He will be there to help and secure us. Glory be to God!
CONFIDENCE
2 Corinthians 5:6-8
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
Personal Challenge
For those of us who choose to follow Christ, our desire is to be present with our Lord. However, this means separation from our physical body. Since God, in His infinite wisdom, keeps us here in our physical body, we can go through each day with confidence that He will be here with us every moment of everyday. We are confident in His love, His mercy, and His grace. Glory be to God!
HE GIVES
Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives strength to the hungry, and sorrow to those who do not grieve. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the elect shall be without strength. But those who wait on God shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not hunger.
Encouraging Words
This has become my favorite passage in the entire scriptures. I have grown to a point where I claim this as my life verse. Why? Because it is all about God, our loving, merciful, and giving Father. He gives us all so much and asks for nothing in return. But if we do give back to Him what little we have, He blesses it and gives us all the more. He renews our strength, especially if we spend it living for Him. He raises us up to the heights of the soaring eagles, especially if we do what He desires of us. We will not be weary or hungry as He fills us with Himself. Glory be to God!
THIS TENT
2 Corinthians 5:1
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Encouraging Words
It almost looks like I planned this verse to go with yesterday's, but I did not. So to continue this theme of our bodies today and our bodies after we are resurrected, God has promised us that our physical bodies are just temporary dwellings. Our real homes, our resurrected bodies, will be so much more than we can ever hope for. They will not perish. They will not grow old, feeble, tired, and full of pain. They will be able to be fully used to glorify our God and to serve Him with no hindrances or obstacles. This is what we hope for and this hope is what helps us through each day. Glory be to God!
FOREVER
Isaiah 40:7-8
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God abides forever.
Encouraging Words
We all know that the physical world around us is subject to decay or fading away. Our homes, cars, and other possessions slip into disrepair. Our bodies wither with time. All in this physical world will some day be gone. But God does not. He is always the same, whole, complete and perfect. It is because of this that we have hope. We have hope in the eternal, living God. We have hope in His Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. We have hope that even though our physical body will wither and fade, we will live on through eternity in the new bodies that He will give us. Glory be to God!
