Tag Archives: Relationship

2012 Day 169 – 1 Corinthians 1

17 Sunday Jun 2012

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God has more power and more wisdom than we could ever hope to have. In verse 25 it says, For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Paul wrote this verse because he had just previously talked about how the Jews needed miracles and the Greeks needed wisdom to believe. God is not in the business of performing for us in order to prove himself to us. He is in the business of meeting us where we need Him. He is all the power and wisdom that I need and I can see that more and more each day as I build my relationship with Him.

2012 Day 167 – 2 Thessalonians 3

15 Friday Jun 2012

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Two verses stuck out to me in today’s reading. The first one was verse 5, May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. I love this verse because it reaffirms that I am directed into God’s love, not commanded to it. The beauty of God’s love for us is that it is not forced upon us. He wants a relationship with us, but He also wants us to chose Him. Notice that it also says that Christ has perseverance. He never gives up on us right up to the end and He never requires us to love Him back; though He anxiously waits for us. The second verse that struck me was verse 13, And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. In an attempt at transparency, let me say that sometimes I just want to be able to let loose and not worry about what is right and what is wrong. This verse reminds me that I should never tire of doing what is right. I should always look to do what is right and honoring to God, no matter what the cost.

2012 Day 165 – 2 Thessalonians 1

13 Wednesday Jun 2012

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In today’s reading we see that Paul is writing a second letter of affirmation to the church in Thessalonica. They are facing persecution and Paul is encouraging them to persevere through faith. I really like the way Paul ends the chapter by telling them how much he is continually praying for them. In verses 11-12 it says, 11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul’s prayer is not just about giving them strength to survive through their trials but that they may be called ‘worthy’ of God’s plan. Verse 12 is also powerful as Paul reminds the Thessalonians about what is important, which is for God to be glorified in them. God’s ultimate purpose is that we become like Christ. This is not something that fully happens until we see Him face to face, but it is a process that happens gradually as we build our relationships with Him and allow Him to be glorified in us.

2012 Day 162 – 1 Thessalonians 4

10 Sunday Jun 2012

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As believers we must realize more than anything that we are to be a reflection of Christ. Our lives should not be about bringing attention to ourselves, but to the creator of the universe and salvation that can only come through Christ. Everything we do should be for that singular purpose. Verses 11-12 says, Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. As this verse says, our daily lives should be enough to win the respect of others. In the context of this verse it is talking about dependency on others, but this is applicable to the notion that we are to reflect Christ. If we reflect Him and His love, then we are in line with our relationship with Him and others will see it.

2012 Day 155 – Psalm 126, 128

03 Sunday Jun 2012

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God has the ability to restore anything, whether it’s a burned down forest, broken bones, or even broken hearts and relationships. He loves all things He has created. Psalm 126:5-6 says it best, 5 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. 6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. We may go out weeping for the pain we are in, but God never leaves us and always brings us healing. Even when my dad died of cancer a few years ago, God restored him to healing in eternity. I have to believe His promises to me. It is what keeps me moving forward.

2012 Day 147 – Galatians 6

26 Saturday May 2012

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Verse 7 and 8 hit me between the eyes today, 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. No matter how mature we become in our faith, there is a constant struggle. This verse helps me remember that I should be sowing to please the Spirit and in turn please the Father. When I try to sow to gain some sort of reward, I do it for the wrong reasons. More importantly, my desire for immediate satisfaction always takes precedence somehow. When I remember it is about pleasing God because I love Him and our relationship, it makes it much easier.

2012 Day 144 – Galatians 3

23 Wednesday May 2012

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There is a lot of talk about the “law” in today’s reading and I always wonder how much of the law still applies to us. Don’t get me wrong, I know we are not justified by the law, but by faith. Just read verse 14 and we see that, He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. However, we still love to throw out a bunch of rules governing our Christian lives. Again, don’t get me wrong, we should have changed lives because of God’s grace, but what is the purpose of the law now? Verse 24 does a pretty good job of revealing it to us, So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. The law is what draws the distinction between who we are and who God is. It is in place to draw us to God to show us how far we are from Him and how much we need His grace through Christ’s sacrifice to have a relationship with Him.

2012 Day 142 – Galatians 1

21 Monday May 2012

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Who do I really care about in my life? When it comes to pleasing one person over another or please a group of people over another we usually pick a favorite. For example, if I choose between my work and family I will always choose family. If I choose between my wife and my kids I will always choose my wife. The same thing is true with God and the things of this world; I will always choose God… Or do I? The truth is I really need to consciously remember what is the most important thing in my life (or should be) and that is my relationship with God. In verse 10 Paul makes the statement Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Pleasing God and having a relationship with Him should take precedence over anything else in my life. I need to remember this daily, which is why spending time in the Bible is so crucial to building and maintaining that relationship.

2012 Day 139 – Acts 15

18 Friday May 2012

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Working our way into heaven does not work, but somehow we feel compelled to continue to put obstacles in front of people prior to allowing them into relationship with God. Paul ran into this very thing in this chapter and he questions the wisdom of attempting to allow it to continue. Verses 10 and 11 says, 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” It is only through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved. We need to be careful to not confuse growing in Christ Jesus and striving toward perfection with making Jesus the perfecter of our lives.

2012 Day 138 – Psalm 38, 51

17 Thursday May 2012

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A few years ago I was struggling with what my relationship with God was supposed to be. I had a hard time believing that a perfect God could ever want to look at me, much less have a relationship with me. Then one day I decided to take the time and read the Bible cover to cover. Once I got through the tedious task of reading through books like Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, I was excited to read about amazing characters like Joshua, Saul, and David. But it wasn’t until I got to the stories of David, a man after God’s own heart, that I realized there really are no perfect men in the Bible. In fact, I realized God doesn’t even expect us to be perfect. Actually, He does expect perfection, but He knows we cannot attain it on our own. This is where David’s life spoke to me so powerfully. David, a man after God’s own heart, made mistakes… he made a lot of mistakes. Sometimes he made multiple mistakes in a single try (when he committed adultery with Bathsheba he committed murder in an attempt to cover it up). But what made David a man after God’s own heart was he realized he needed God to make him clean and presentable for His presence. Psalm 51:10 and 11 says, 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, wasn’t perfect and needed God to renew him and purify him. It was the first time in my life I realized that God doesn’t expect perfection. He expects obedience and a real relationship with Him that acknowledges our 100% reliance on Him. Yes, God is perfect, but He is also merciful and His plan is perfect!