In order for bread to be served it must first be broken and grapes must be crushed to produce drink. Brokenness and crushing are not words we like to hear, much less experiences we want to go through, but they are needed if we are going to live lives that benefit others and glorify God. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.-Philippians 2:5-11
Scripture Luke 10:27 “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
Observation/ Application Love the Lord your God with your all and love others as yourself.
Prayer Father, I would love You with my all and love others as myself.
Scripture Luke 8:8b ” When He had said these things He
cried, “He who has ears to
hear, let him hear!”
Observation Jesus
calls the people to listen to His words.
Application I
would listen to, learn from, and live out God’s Word.
Prayer Father,
I pray that You would help me to not
just be a hearer of Your Word but a doer.
Dear Father, thank You for revealing Your glory through Jesus. Make me mindful of Your presence throughout this day.
This is my computer's screen saver. It's a constant reminder
of God's strength, presence, protection, help.
Scripture Psalms 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Observation/ Application The brightness and warmth of the sun and protection of a shield is my gracious God and ready to pour out blessings beyond measure.
Prayer Thank You Father for Your immeasurable grace, blessings, protection, guidance, and the warmth of Your presence.
Scripture Luke 6:8 Jesus knew
their thoughts.
Luke
6:12 Now it came
to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray
and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke
6:31 just as you want men to do to you, you also do
to them likewise.
Luke
6:36 Be merciful,
just as your Father also is merciful.
Luke
6:45b For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth
speaks.
Observation Jesus knows my every thought and
what’s in my heart will come out through my words and actions.
Application I would guard my mind and heart.
Prayer Father, I pray You would help me guard
my heart and mind.
Scripture Psalms 123:1 Unto You I lift up my eyes, O
You who dwell in the heavens.
Daniel 9:18-19 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open
Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your
name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our
righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord,
hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do
not delay for Your own sake, my God, he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not!
Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”
Daniel 10: 19 So, when he spoke to me, I was
strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened
me.” for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.
Observation Daniel cried out for the Lord’s
attention, to listen/hear, to look/see, to act, to be merciful,
and forgive.
Application
I, too, can cry
out for God’s attention and can know that He is listening, that He is looking
and sees the need, that He is merciful and forgiving.
Prayer Father, this day, as I lie here in
my bed, thank You for reminding me that You see me, hear me, You are merciful,
and give me the peace and strength I need and am longing for.
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. - Ecclesiastes 4:1-Susie shared a message she heard from this text/passage with me early in our renewed relationship., almost 14 years ago, and though the enemy tugs hard on that rope/cord, I’ll claim this truth, God's Truth, and the strength that is promised. -For all you married couples out there, may these words from God's Word encourage you today.-MR
Scripture Luke
4:22 So all bore
witness to Him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded
out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?
Luke
4:32 They were astonished
at His teaching, for His word was with authority.
Luke
4:36 Jesus
speaks/commands with authority and power.
Observation People marveled at Jesus’ gracious
word, were astonished at His teaching with authority, for He commanded with
authority and power.
Application/Prayer
Jesus, I, too, want to speak gracious
words. I, too, would be astonished at Your teaching. I, too, would marvel
at Your words spoken with authority and power.
Scripture Luke 2:10-11, 40 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. . . . And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
Observation Jesus Christ the Lord, strong in
spirit, full of wisdom and God’s grace, a Savior for all people.
Application Good tidings of great joy for all
the people includes me. Jesus came to be my Lord and Savior.
Prayer Thank You Jesus for coming to be my
Lord and Savior.
Scripture Luke
3:6 And all
people will see God’s salvation.
Observation John came proclaiming and preparing
the way for Jesus, The Son of God bringing salvation for ALL people.
Application Jesus came to bring and make
available the gift of God’s salvation for all people.
Prayer Thank You Father for sending Your
Son Jesus to pay the price so the gift of salvation would be available to all people
including me.
Scripture
Luke 1:37 For
with God nothing will be impossible.
Observation Gabriel brings Good News, miraculous
news, miraculous conceptions, and births. An old couple and a virgin would
bring forth sons who would forever change the world.
Application Our God is the God of the miraculous.
Prayer Thank You Father God for reminding today
that You are The All Powerful, miracle working God Who forever lives and abides
in me and with me.
Scripture Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning, and the End, the First and the Last.
Observation Jesus always has been and always
will be.
Application All powerful God, my Lord Jesus, always
has been, always will be my LORD and SAVIOR forever.
Scripture Revelation 21:4 God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.
Observation/ Application One forever day there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain.
Prayer Father God thank You for a forever heavenly home free from sorrow, tears, pain where I will live forever with You. Thank You, Jesus for Your sacrifice to make this all possible.
Scripture
Psalms 145:3, 5, 8, 15a, 17 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His
greatness is unsearchable. I will meditate on the glorious splendor
of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. The Lord is gracious and full
of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The eyes of all look
expectantly to You, the
Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. The
Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call
upon Him in truth.
Observation The Lord is great beyond measure, His
works wondrous, gracious, compassionate, righteous, and merciful.
Application I will look to the Lord and call/cry
out to Him.
Prayer Lord, all that You are is beyond my
comprehension, yet I will seek You, yet I will cry out, looking and listening with
an open and receptive heart.
“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. -1 Corinthians 15:55-57
Scripture Lamentations 3:22-25 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
Verse 41 Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven.
Verse 58 O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life.
Verse 5:19 You, O Lord, remain forever. Your throne from generation to generation.
Observation The Lord is a merciful, compassionate, faithful, eternal redeemer.
Application My faith and trust is in a merciful, compassionate, faithful, eternal Redeemer God.
Prayer Father God my faith and trust is in You alone.
Scripture
Revelation 14:7 “Fear
God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship
Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
Observation God is worthy of our reverence and
worship .
Application I would worship, honor, and glorify God.
Prayer Father God, creator of all things,
You alone are worthy of glory, honor, and praise.
Scripture Psalms
48:14 For this
is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death. Isaiah 58:11
Observation God is my forever guide.
Application I would seek God’s guidance each
day, every day, for all my days.
Prayer Father God, thank You for always
being available to me, I would daily seek Your wisdom, guidance, and direction.
SCRIPTURE Psalms 111:3-4
His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness
endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
Psalms 111:9-10
He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant
forever: Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have
all those who do His commandments.
Observation
The LORD; great,
true, just, powerful, sure, upright, honorable, glorious, righteous forever, gracious,
full of compassion, redeemer, eternal, holy, awesome, to be held in reverence,
wise, to be forever praised.
Application The LORD is infinitely more than I could
ever need or imagine.
Prayer LORD GOD, my Father, You are exceedingly,
abundantly, above all I could ever ask, think, or imagine and I would forever
praise You.
Scripture Revelation 4:8-11 “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was
and is and is to come!” “You are
worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all
things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”
Observation Our eternal God is holy, all-powerful
creator, worthy of glory and honor and praise.
Application God, creator of all things, my Lord,
and Savior Jesus Christ, I will praise and honor You alone for all eternity.
Prayer Thank You, Jesus, my Savior, for
Your sacrifice, so that I may spend eternity worshiping and praising You . . .
Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty!
Scripture Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Observation Jesus is calling, knocking, will you hear, will you believe, will you receive?
Application We must be more than hearers but open the door of fellowship with Jesus and be doers of God’s Word.
Prayer Thank You, Jesus for knocking on my heart’s door, I am thankful that I opened up to You.
Scripture Acts 27:20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would ...
