Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 15

 When I was employed as a park ranger, I’d visit area schools and talk to students about career opportunities. One suggestion I’d always offer is to find out what you enjoy doing, then find a career that aligns with what pleases you the most. I’d ask kids what they wanted to do and why. I got various responses. One student said he wanted to be a doctor because they made a lot of money. I prodded him further by asking if he enjoyed school and he said not really. Boy, is he in for a big surprise. The average person achieving doctor status will require 10 additional years of education and training. Hopefully he will find this out and chose a different path.

 I share this story to ask, if you claim to be a Christian, why did you choose to do so? Was it because you didn’t want to go to Hell? That makes sense, but if that’s your only reason, then you truly have missed the mark of why accepting Jesus Christ is so important. It’s not as much about being “saved” as it is having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Let’s face it, if you truly want to live like a Christian, you know it is difficult in this world to hold true to God’s standards. The effort it takes to stay engaged in your everyday spiritual life can be a struggle.

 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:29-30

 But, when you bond with Christ (as the verse above says), your personal relationship with Him will make life more simple, easy to follow, because you will want to please God, not just do the right things to “maintain” your Christian status. James 4:8 says when you draw near to God, He draws near to you. Why would you want to live any other way?

 God chose you before the creation of the world. You accepted His invitation to enter into a relationship with your redeemer, Jesus Christ. Pursue that relationship, just as you would with your children or spouse, and you’ll find a rewarding and blessed bond with the One who calls you His own! God bless!

 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

 Studies suggest that 68% of all humans will experience “guilt” at some point in their life Almost 11% live with daily guilt, most likely from past mistakes that haunt them throughout their lifetime. Those burdened with guilt could be men and women locked up in prison, spiritual leaders who’ve acted immorally, or maybe this speaks to you. Guilt comes with a heavy weight, almost like an anchor, and it reduces the quality of one’s life, especially when it relates to your spiritual life.

 As a child of God, you need to be reminded of today’s verse. Jesus Christ became a sacrifice for YOUR sins, so you could stand before God, holy and righteous. You might be thinking that your wrongful actions (sins) have negatively impacted so many lives and believe it to be impossible for God to even consider forgiving you. Let me remind you about King David’s immoral actions. David saw Bathsheba and lusted after her, had an adulterous affair with her, she became pregnant, and David had her husband put on the front lines of battle to be killed. After David came to his senses, he repented. Although his life had serious repercussions from his sinfulness, God called him a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

 Friend, if you believe in what Jesus Christ did on the cross to make payment for your sins and have asked Him to come into your heart to forgive you and make His home in your life, then you are considered “GUILT FREE” in the eyes of God. Let go of that heavy burden of guilt that has been holding you back from becoming a free child of God. God loves you and wants to forgive and forget your past. Live today for Him knowing you are free indeed

Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36

 Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. Hosea 6:1

 My wife and I watch one of our granddaughters several times each week. She is now 14 months and wants to explore every power cord, open every cabinet door, pull on the blinds, and attempt to climb on anything her little body can reach. As she attempts to do these dangerous things, it’s necessary for us to stop her actions by saying “no”, swat her hand, or remove her from the activity that we know will only bring her harm. When we do, she whines and fusses, until something else grabs her attention. It’s a busy (and exhausting) day keeping up with her energy level.

 This morning, I opened my bible and this verse in Hosea came to light. As a child of God, we are sealed with His promise of eternal salvation, but most of all His presence in our lives. Just as parents (and grandparents) are concerned about our children’s safety, so is God. He sees us heading toward danger, and His Holy Spirit attempts to summon us back to the narrow path. But just like children, we often are more focused on what’s behind that closed door, that invitation to take part in something dangerously pleasureful, even venture into a relationship that isn’t right for our wellbeing. At that point, God has done His part, and He releases us to be on our own until we experience the pain of disobedience.

 God is always watching and ready to take us back, and that’s the beautiful thing about His abundant love and unwarranted grace. This doesn’t mean we need to freely chose the world than retreat back to God. But on those days when life’s choices aren’t aligned with His will, we can always count on God’s loving hand of discipline to bring us back to a safe place.

 Maybe you’ve been living on the edge of the world, yet still acknowledge a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Friend, it’s time to find your way back to the narrow path of life. Nothing this world has to offer can yield God’s blessings, only regret and shame. Come back to the One who can heal your worldly scars, give you hope in your hopeless situation, and most of all give you the love you so desire to experience this side of the grave.  

 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

 After raising my children and now being blessed with grandchildren, I often ask, “do they really know how much I love them”? From the moment they entered into my life, love consumed them. No matter what they have done or do, my love for them never fails and never will. That’s the blessing of being a parent and grandparent.

 There’s someone else who loves, even loves more than myself and that is God. His love is accounted for all throughout the bible. Just as a parent loves his newborn baby out of the womb, so has God loved you and me before the creation of the world. It’s mindboggling to think about, but the fact that no matter how we act or what we say, His love never lessens.

 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

 If you have difficulty finding love or feeling loved, just know the author of your existence loves you unconditionally and wants to wrap you in His unchanging world; a world that always keeps loving, a world that is so full of love your human mind can’t comprehend it.

 If you love God, tell Him today how much you love Him for what He’s done in your life. God bless!

 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Ever heard the expression, “their loss is my gain”? Maybe you applied this statement to the end of a relationship, or maybe a resignation from a position, or you found something to treasure that was once held by someone else. It makes you feel good to be on the “gaining” side of the equation. 

But what if you are on the losing side? How do you respond? A typical response might include sadness, anger, even revenge. Although those are valid emotions, what good are they if you can't move beyond the moment? Sadly many people keep these emotions alive well after the initial loss. This will impact future relationships, instill a lack of self worth, and can hinder you from an open door to something even better in life. 

If you are a child of God, today's verse must be embraced for every event you encounter. Understanding that God has allowed the loss to move you into a position of greater gain. From this perspective, you can see the hand of God working in your life and trust Him to provide, even in times of your greatest loss. 

I thank God for the losses in my life, because I've seen what God has done to fill the void, heal the hurt, and sustain my faith in Him, especially when I don't understand the reason. Friend, God can do the same for you if you learn to trust that no matter what happens, God will bring about something better in your life to exchange your loss for something wonderful. God bless. 

 That you may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 1 Timothy 2:2b

 If you’ve been a parent for any amount of time, you know that raising a child can be stressful. From birth until they become grown adults, everything they do or say influences your emotions. Peace can be fleeting, especially when they are infants and teenagers. Over time you begin to “pick your battles” to help maintain peace in your life and the household. You realize that the things you used to argue with them over is insignificant in the big scheme of things. If you’ve raised a child into adulthood, congratulations!

 As children of God, it can be difficult to find peace in the world. If you watch the news, you realize there is anything but peace all around you. The truth is living a godly and reverent life can be difficult when your peace is disrupted by circumstances beyond your control. One thing I’ve learned in life as a Christian, you have to work at finding pockets of peace in your daily routine. That might include not having that conversation with a person you know will raise your blood pressure, saying no to a lunch invitation where you know gossip will abound, ordering out instead of cooking so you can have more time to yourself, making peace with your enemies (even if you have to eat crow)…and the list can go on forever.

 It’s ok to take care of yourself! Finding moments of peace so you can maintain a spirit of godliness and reverence is acceptable. Jesus is the prime example; He oftentimes withdrew from the crowds to pray and seek His Father’s will so He could maintain the character traits He wants us to follow.   As you look at the rest of today and this week, don’t sweat it! Find ways to sustain peace by making choices to help you maintain the life of a child of God.

 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay Your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5

 In our bathroom, next to our shower, is a woven floor mat. It perfectly matches our shower curtain and towels.  Over time, the seams have loosened and it’s slowly unraveling. I’m sure we paid good money for it and will be a shame when it has to be thrown out and replaced.

 As I looked at that mat, Psalm 139:5 came to mind. As a child of God, you are sealed for the day of redemption. What a blessed assurance of your salvation. But with this comes the responsibility to stay engaged in your relationship with Jesus Christ. By doing so, you stay tight with the Lord and your life is folded into His perfect will and protection. When you don’t stay close to the Lord, your life tends to unravel, oftentimes rather quickly.

 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubled-minded. James 4:8

 If your life seems chaotic and everything in it seems to be unraveling, it’s a good time to evaluate your closeness to God. I specifically recall a time in my life when things were unraveling at a rapid pace, which eventually caught my attention and helped me refocus on God! Notice in the verse above, YOU are to draw near to God, not Him draw near to you. Why? Because He gives you “free will” to chose how you want to live. Will you live for God or live for yourself? If you answer for yourself, you will encounter much unwanted turmoil, regret, and your heart will eventually grow cold. Who wants to live in chaos? Not me!

 Stay tight with God! The things and people in your life will stay connected without the unraveling of living a lose life. God wants you to stay connected with Him! The choice is yours. Follow Him closely, as He hems you in, behind and before! God bless!