Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
Ephesians 5:24-25

Love and Marriage

Is marriage a good or bad thing? More important is that it be a God thing. In the beginning of the world, God instituted marriage to be a safe place for husbands and wives to enjoy each other intimately and to provide a healthy and secure environment for children to grow up and be loved.

The further we get from Creation, the easier it is to forget God’s good design. The apostle Paul reminds us of that design in the book of Ephesians and uses God’s love for his church to describe it.

Wives are to submit—to put themselves under the authority and guidance of their husbands just like the church puts itself under the authority and guidance of Jesus. Husbands are to love their wives sacrificially, just like Jesus did when he died on the cross for his church.

Let’s be clear: it would be absolutely incorrect to say this passage makes husbands more important and wives merely side-kicks in marriage. If that’s what you’re thinking, repent of it!

“The Lord God said, it was NOT good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). It was essential that a woman be brought to Adam to be a part of his life. She would be someone that he could love and protect from his position as husband.

Maybe this illustration will help: Picture ballroom dancers. The man leads. The woman follows. But they both need each other for it to be a dance. He gives strength and direction. She provides grace and beauty. The beautiful dance doesn’t stay beautiful. You’ll step on each other’s toes and fall many times—sometimes hard and it will hurt—but in Christ there is forgiveness as we strive to sacrifice and submit.

What a breathtakingly beautiful image of the interdependent dance God intends between a husband and wife! It’s loving and leading. It’s being loved and protected—just as Christ loved and led us by humbly submitting himself to death on a cross. He gave it all for his bride, the Church, of which you and I are a part. To be loved, protected, and guided … it makes us so happy! Our dependence on Christ not only makes possible, but BEAUTIFUL, the interdependence of husbands and wives. What love! What beauty! Christ makes marriage a beautiful thing!

 

Prayer: Jesus, marriage is a good thing because it’s a God thing. If it’s your will to give me a spouse one day, help me to be the best husband or wife that I can possibly be! Amen.

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Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20

My body, God’s temple

Do you have a pet? If you do, that animal belongs to you. You paid for it, so you get to name it. You get to tell it what to do and where to go. It has to obey you. But your pet doesn’t just obey you because you have a receipt proving that you bought it. It obeys you because you love it and take care of it.

Just like we are our pets’ masters because they belong to us, we like to think that we’re our own masters and that we can do anything we want with our bodies because they belong to us. So why shouldn’t we be able to eat what we want, drink what we want, or engage in sexual activity if we want?

But, “You are not your own.” Your body doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to God Almighty. He bought you at a very high price. He paid for you with the life of his one and only Son, Jesus. Since you are God’s child, the Holy Spirit has set up his throne room in your heart. Your body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit.

God is your heavenly master who didn’t just pay a high price for you, but loves you and cares for you by giving you food to eat, a place to sleep, video games to play, friends to hang out with, sports to enjoy, and most importantly a spot in his family.

God deeply loves you. He lives in you. Therefore, honor God with your body. Looking at pornography and touching yourself inappropriately isn’t honoring God. Having sex of any kind with someone who is not your husband or wife does not honor God. It’s sinning against your body; the body that God gave you. It’s also sinning against your God, who lives in you.

So, if you struggle in any of these areas, ask God your heavenly master to help you honor him. He will do both. He will forgive you and will help you honor him with your body.

Prayer: God, my body is your temple. Forgive me for the times that I’ve trashed it with sexual thoughts or actions that were inappropriate. Help me to honor you with my body. Amen.

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Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2

Fresh start – #4 Be Transformed

There can be a ton of pressure to change and improve your life in a new year. There is pressure to improve your skills on the court or in the classroom. There is the constant challenge to maintain healthy, happy relationships with your parents or your friends. There may even be pressure to change your appearance or health.

There is just as much pressure to change and to improve in your spiritual life. There is pressure to grow in your relationship with God. There is pressure to get rid of certain sins and live a God-pleasing life.

Notice two words Paul uses in our reading that relieve the pressure—be transformed. Paul doesn’t say, “Transform yourself,” like Bumblebee when he morphs from car to robot in the “Transformers” movie. Rather than saying, “Change yourself,” Paul says in the strongest possible way, “Be transformed.”

The pressure of making a change is no longer on us. The power for making a change is no longer on us either. It is God who changes our wants. Driving this radical change is God’s divine mercy and pity for our pitiful state of being. He does it through Holy Spirit when you spend time in his Word. It is God who will change your actions. Again, he does this by his Spirit and his Word. God will transform and change you.

The pressure is officially off to change yourself. It was transferred to the cross. It was placed upon Jesus Christ. He earned our salvation and gives it to us as a gift. He transforms us so that our priorities and habits, even our lives, change for his glory.

Today, empowered by God’s mercy, we CAN have a new attitude, created and shaped by God! We CAN make right decisions and be certain what God’s will is, what is good, pleasing, and perfect (verse 2b). Live today in him! Live life for him!

Prayer: Lord God, change me by your Spirit and your Word so that my life is good and pleasing in your sight. Transform me to desire what you want and to think of your will. I ask this according to your mercy Amen.

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But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33

Fresh start – #2 Priorities

Have you ever noticed that life always seems to be busy? There is a reason that it is called a rat-race. We’re constantly on the run, constantly chasing from one thing to the next. But for what? The things that keep us busy are often really good things. But what is the meaning of it all?

Someone that I know dearly had a near-death experience. He thought that he was going to die within the next 15 minutes. In those moments that might have been his last, he didn’t think about his calendar. He didn’t think about his job. He didn’t think about his friends. He mainly thought about his faith and his Savior. That’s the only thing that mattered to him in that moment.

This is true for us also. The only thing that matters in this life is your Savior and your faith.

The things of this life are only temporary. Your clothes will fade and wear out. Sporting opportunities will be here for a short while, but then go away. Work will come and go. Friends also come and go.

There is nothing wrong with any of these things. They are good. They are God’s gifts to enjoy while you have them. But don’t chase them. Don’t make your life so full that you can’t pursue and seek the one thing that matters. Don’t get so busy with the many good things that you forget about the one best thing—Jesus.

Seek your Savior and his kingdom. Follow him with your whole life.

Now is the time to start. Start every day seeking him first!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have filled my life with many good things. Keep me from filling up my life with so many good things that I forget about the best thing—you! Help me to make you and your kingdom my priority this year. Amen.

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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

Still the same

So much changes so quickly. Just a look at the news or out the window reveals how much is changing around us. In this world, change is inevitable.

Look at me. I’m not the same person with the same likes and dislikes that I was a few years ago. I don’t live in the same place. I don’t work the same job. I don’t have the same friends in my life.

I would like to say change is always for the better, but remember the times when it wasn’t? We changed. Remember the moments of discontentment with change in life? Remember that commitment to get closer to God and his Word? Did you feel guilty? Or didn’t it bother you? In both ways, Satan worked hard on us.

It’s time to change! Whenever we feel burned out or irritated in life, it’s time to go to God and let him speak through his Word. We need to be reminded of how bad we are and how good the Gospel is. God’s Word and Spirit work a godly change is us!

Through all the changes in our lives and in this world, we can be confident that the God who created us will not change. He remains the same throughout our life. He will not stop loving us or change his standards. Jesus who came to save us will remain by our side to continue to transform us by his Spirit. The promises God gives to us in his Word will not change or be revoked. We can sure that all God has said and all that God is will remain true and constant into the new year.

With all the change in the world, thank God there is one who is still the same—Jesus!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, with all the change that happens in me, in my life, and in this world, I am often left feeling unsettled and unsure. Grant me a solid footing in this world with the assurance that you never change. Amen.

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The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

Emmanuel

There is no other time of the year like this. I really enjoy the season of Advent and the many Christmas services. Most people do. It is a special time of year.

It wasn’t quite so special for the shepherds, at least not at first. Suddenly the night sky was lit up with angels. The shepherds were scared. They should have been. God had come. God’s glory was all around them. They were exposed.

That’s what light does—it exposes. It uncovers all ugliness and sin. That’s the part that we hate. The glory of God and the light of his Word shines in the deepest corner of your heart to expose the dark thoughts of your heart. The light of his Word exposes the sins that have owned and controlled you this past year. You know what he’ll find, and it’s dark.

God does not withhold the truth. In fact, Jesus is full of truth. He tells us things just the way they are. He tells us he sees all the sins hidden in our hearts. God doesn’t hide the truth or cover it up.

Instead of covering up the truth of our sinfulness, God covered himself up.. To save us and to spare us from his blazing glory, God covered or clothed himself in flesh. That’s what John is saying: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” God clothed himself. How does the hymn go? “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the incarnate deity… pleased is God with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.”

God clothed himself in flesh. He hid himself in the flesh of baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. He hid himself behind the frailty and weakness of a human being. Yet, right there, in the flesh of Jesus, all the fullness of the Deity lived in bodily form.

God comes at Christmas, but not to consume us with his anger. That’s why the angels spoke up quickly when the shepherds were so scared. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you! A Savior has been born for you, he is Christ the Lord.” God had come to help his people. God clothed himself in flesh to cover you with blood. Don’t be afraid! His name is Emmanuel, which means God with us. God is with us to save us!

Prayer: Lord God, you clothed yourself in the flesh and came to this earth not to condemn, but to save the world. Help me to marvel at the majesty clothed in flesh; you are Emmanuel! Help me to rejoice that you have clothed me with your blood; I am forgiven. Amen.

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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:1-5

Light has come

I was sitting in a strange car in the middle of Buenos Aires when I heard these very words from St. John. A friendly man was driving me to the airport. After some roundabout Spanish small talk, he told me that he too was a Bible-believing Christian! He plugged a flash drive into his car’s stereo and together we listened to these words, “En el principio ya existía el Verbo.” Translated, it is the opening of John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word.”

Studying Spanish in a foreign country helped me understand the power of words. My words could communicate to a waiter that I’d like to order the pizza with extra cheese or help me navigate my way through the city in a taxi. But when I consider that Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit created the world with a word from their mouth, my words seem like nothing. I can use words to tell people what I want, but God used the words “Let there be,” to create the world from nothing! And he saw that it was good; yes, it was very good.

God was happy with his perfect creation, but that perfection didn’t last long. The first sin plunged the world into spiritual darkness. But God doesn’t settle for mediocrity, he demands perfection! I can’t do anything perfectly. I snap at my siblings, throwing insults at them. I gossip. I blame. I complain. God hears every terrible word I say, he even knows each sinful thought I think. Do you struggle controlling your words and thoughts too?

Our future would be bleak if God didn’t say anything after the first sin, but he did. God spoke to Adam and Eve and promised them a Savior to bring light into the darkness. What gracious words!

Flash forward to Good Friday. The sky is dark as night in the middle of the afternoon. Jesus suffers on the cross while the sin of all people of all times hangs on his shoulders. This gruesome death in the pitch dark brought us life. There in the dark, Jesus, true God, spoke, “It is finished.” What powerful words!

After three days Jesus rose from the dead! He burst out of the tomb after conquering the darkness. Death has lost its power. Death doesn’t lead to eternal darkness and terror. Jesus promises us victory over death and eternal life in heaven. He is the light! He is the life! Yes, he is our light and our life.

Prayer: Dear God, your words are powerful. Your words created this world. The Word made flesh, Jesus, saved me from sin and death. The Word came to scatter the darkness. You have brought us light! Now, help us be lights to others so that they can also be with us in heaven! Amen.

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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3

Joy

Before you begin to read this, make a list of things that make you happy. You can write it down or make a mental list. Try to get as many as you can.

Did you get them all? Now continue reading … .

In an episode of VeggieTales, Madame Blueberry says she has everything she could ever need, but she is not happy with what she has. On her way home from the store, after buying pretty much everything, she passes a girl who is with her mom and dad on her birthday. The girl does not have much, but she is happy. That’s when Madame Blueberry realizes that she does not need material items to be happy.

It is easy to get caught up in material things. Go back to your list of things that make you happy. What’s on it: A TV show? A book? Your pet? Mom, Dad, Aunt Sally, and Uncle Joe? Did God, church, or the Bible make your list? When we think of what makes us happy, it’s so easy to get caught up by the things we see and touch nearest to us. As long as we live, we face the temptation to place God who brings us his salvation on the backburner.

Remember to focus on the reason for that joy:

• God gave you “new birth” through baptism!
• God gave you “living hope” through Jesus’ resurrection!

Our hope is alive because Jesus is alive! Now we look forward to an eternity in heaven with him! That’s something to be happy about! No more trials. No more heartache. No more temptation. We will have the honor of standing at the feet of Jesus. He wiped away our sins with his death so that we can finally know what peace feels like. Resting our hope in Jesus Christ will bring us eternal happiness, no matter what struggles we are faced with here on earth.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the joy of life everlasting in your arms. Continue to work through me so that I can help others find your joy. Guide me to hold tight to your Word when I am faced with trials, and help me to find joy here on earth, knowing that I will find eternal joy it is in heaven with you. Amen.

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Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:19-27

The cause

A quick jab to the nose! A left hook to the temple! The enemy is gaining on you. His punches are coming one right after another. After another left hook to your head, he finishes you off with an uppercut that sends you to the ground. Staring at the mat beneath you, you wonder if you will ever be able to get back up again.

Have you ever felt this way? As if you are trapped in a boxing match and life is throwing punches at you, one right after the other?

What about when it comes to telling others about Jesus? Our text for today shows us how the author, the apostle Paul, tirelessly tells others about Jesus. Like Paul, our purpose here on earth is to share the gospel and win souls for heaven. This is easier said than done. We get rejected, we feel we don’t have the words to say, we don’t think we are getting through to anyone, and maybe even our own friends laugh in our faces. These are the punches that come with sharing the gospel, and the truth is…we can’t win this match on our own.

We don’t have the strength to finish the fight. We are weak and sinful human beings. Because of the sin that corrupts us to the core of our very being, we and all those we love deserve only eternal damnation. If we ourselves are destined for death in hell, how then can we expect to win the souls of our fellow damned for heaven? The dead cannot raise the dead. That friend you have that does not know Jesus, you will never be able to convert him…on your own.

Jesus Christ, our mighty substitute, steps into the ring. He fights for you and me! He came to earth, lived the perfect life we could not, died an innocent death on the cross in our place, and then raised to life so we too may rise. As if that was not enough, he also promises to be with us as we tell others about his love. It is only with his power that we, and many others, will receive the crown of eternal life in heaven.

Prayer: Dearest Jesus, I am weak. So often I do not take hold of the opportunities you give to me to proclaim your Word. Fight for me, dear Savior. Be with me as I tell others about your amazing love. Amen.

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For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18

Rebel #3 – The Bloody Fool

Jesus would never make the list of superheroes. He just wouldn’t. He doesn’t carry himself like a superhero. He doesn’t act like a superhero. The cross appeared to be his kryptonite, rendering him powerless. If you look at the man, Jesus, and his story, you’ll see that he has quite a dismal end.

When human eyes look at Jesus, they may be tempted to see only a failure. His enemies got away with his murder. He appeared to have lost everything at the grave.

Human ears hear things that don’t make sense. His enemies tell lies about him, and Jesus doesn’t defend himself. The people mock him, and Jesus silently lets them. We hear sounds of defeat and loss, and Jesus seems powerless to stop it.

This is our Savior!?! The one who loses to all his enemies? The one who is mocked and doesn’t even offer a response?

He is the one we worship. He is the one in whom we believe.

It’s no wonder that people think we are foolish. The One we call on for help and salvation couldn’t even help himself. “He couldn’t even save himself, how will he save the world,” they mock. “He was silent against all his enemies, maybe they were right,” they laugh. The One we trust seems like a failure, and we look foolish for trusting him. People think we’re crazy for believing in Jesus as we do.

But it’s not as foolish as it seems. In the weakness of Jesus, we see the power of Jesus letting people take his life so that we could have our life forever. In the death of Jesus, we see Jesus taking all the punishment that our sins deserved, so that we wouldn’t be punished for the things we had done. In the cross, we see the triumph of Jesus over and against all our enemies. There at the cross and in his death, Jesus delivered a death blow to our enemy, the devil.

There in his death, we find our life and resurrection. There in his weakest moments, we find our salvation. To the world, our Savior Jesus seems like a bloody fool. But to us, he is our Savior and our God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for helping me to see you as you really are. You are not weak, you are mighty to save. You are not foolish, you are wise to win me for heaven. Grant me faith to believe you even when the world says I’m crazy and foolish for doing it. Amen.

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So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 7:21-25

Rebel #1 – The Enemy

Do you ever feel like you don’t belong? Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in?

It’s supposed to be that way for us in this world. The Bible calls us aliens and strangers in this world. We’re supposed to be different. While our friends go one direction pursuing sin and priorities that are not God’s, we go against the stream pursuing that for which Jesus took hold of us. We don’t belong in this world. Heaven is our destiny; that is where we belong. Not only that, but we have a different God, a different guide, and we fight a different war than everyone else in this world.

This month’s devotions consider what it means and looks like to be rebels as followers of Jesus. This week we look at our enemy. Immediately, we think of the devil who like a prowling lion creeps in the tall grass looking to devour us. We also think quickly of the temptations that the world dangles in front of us.

Those are certainly our enemies, but sometimes you are your own worst enemy. Paul knew it was true: “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” There was a war inside of him. It made him a prisoner to sin. Previously in Romans 7, Paul expresses a deep frustration because he isn’t doing and can’t do what he knows he should.

You’ll find the same thing as you look at your heart and life. You know the good that you should be doing, but you don’t do it. Sometimes you intentionally plan to do that thing you shouldn’t do. Other times, you fall into sin and feel helpless against it.

Paul is teaching us a powerful and important truth about ourselves: We’re worse than we thought. There isn’t a spark of goodness in us. We can’t just get over our sin by trying hard and doing the right things. It’s not in us. What a bunch of wretches we are!

Our only hope is that we are more loved than we would even dare imagine. Our God has delivered us from sin and death. Our God has even rescued us from this wicked, sinful nature in us. He has drowned it to death in our baptisms. He has given us complete victory in our Savior Jesus and set us free to live for him. He does it daily for us as we confess our sins and hear his forgiveness. He does it daily in the waters of our baptisms.

The truth is you don’t belong to sin anymore; you belong to your God. He redeemed you by his Son and gives you the victory through his Son, Jesus.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am so frustrated by the sins I commit. I don’t want to do them. Sometimes I do them on purpose. Sometimes I do them without even thinking about it. Forgive me for them all and set me free by your blood to live for you. I belong to you. Help me to live for you. Amen.

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“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:41

The power of habit: Know your weakness

No one gets married and thinks, “In ten years, I’ll be unhappy in this marriage and go looking for love somewhere else.” No one ever says to themselves, “I think I’ll be a drug addict or an alcoholic when I grow up.” No Christian ever confessed their faith thinking, “I won’t always believe this.”

Yet it happens every day. It even happens to pastors of churches and the most dedicated students of the Bible. They fall into sin and away from Jesus. What happens?

Peter never dreamt that he would be the one to deny Jesus. He actually took an oath, because he was so sure that he would never do it. But just hours later, he swore another oath saying that he didn’t even know who Jesus was.

What happened?

Jesus identifies it for us: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” We have the heartfelt desire to remain faithful and steadfast. We have the sincere intention to stay true, faithful, and steadfast in our faith. Our spirit is certainly willing.

But our flesh is weak. Our nature has been weakened by sin and weakness. Ever since Adam and Eve, our nature has been tipped toward sin in the most despicable and vile ways. Even as Christians, our sinful nature is still a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak. Because of the weakness of our nature, we need spiritual disciplines to bolster and to hold us up. We need the power of God’s Word to correct, rebuke, encourage, and train us. We need to be people of prayer, constantly turning to our source of strength. We need close and trustworthy Christian friends around us to keep turning us back to the God of our salvation.

Because of our sinful weakness, it vital for us to keep active in God’s Word and prayer and to stay close to God’s people.

His Word, prayer, and his people are God’s gifts to keep us close to him all the days of our life and to call us back when we stumble and fall. Use them. They are God’s gifts to you.

Prayer: Lord God, I know my weakness more and more each day. Keep turning me back to you for strength and direction. You are my Savior. I need you. Please help. Amen.

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The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
James 5:16-18

The power of habit: Prayer

Why we don’t pray more? I can only speak for myself, but I sometimes don’t pray more because I think I can get more done if I actually “do” it than if I pray about it first. I think that my thinking, my working, my worrying, and my planning are more powerful than actually praying about it.

When I write it down it sounds pretty foolish, doesn’t it? But our lack of prayer says just that. Our lack of praying says to God that our activity and our working is more important than asking him to act and work and do.

James inspires us to believe that prayer is a powerful thing. He tells us that our prayers are powerful and effective. Our prayers matter. Our prayers change things. Our prayers make a difference.

If you believed that something was powerful, would you do it? Of course. If you thought something would make all the difference in the world, you would make sure it happened. If you thought something mattered, you would make time for it, intentionally, purposefully, regularly. That’s what we do for things that make a difference and matter to us.

James gives an example of an effective prayer. He reminds us of the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17 and 18. Elijah prayed that it would not rain—and it didn’t rain. God withheld rain for three and a half years because of Elijah’s prayer. Then Elijah prayed again that it would rain—and God sent rain.

Prayer works. Prayer matters. It is powerful and effective, not because of the person who is praying, but because the person praying invokes God’s powerful name and humbly relies on God’s gracious promises and saving will. The story of Elijah—and many other stories throughout the Bible—show us that this is true.

So pray. Make a habit of it. Your Father in heaven loves you. He has forgiven all your sins, and he now invites you to call on him in prayer. In his love for you, he hears your prayers and works powerfully for you and for the world.

Prayer: Lord God, you teach me that prayer is a powerful thing. In your grace, Father, you invite me to pray. Help me to understand how powerful prayer is so that I make it a part of the very fiber of my life. Yes, Lord Jesus, teach me to pray without stopping. Amen.

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Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew‬ ‭6:19-21

Tough conversations about stuff

This morning as I scrolled through my Facebook memories, I caught a project from about a year ago. I was laying some flooring in the first floor of our Texas home and also painting the exterior. I was trying to make that house our home. But that was a year ago. Today, my family and I live in Milwaukee. Someone else is living in what used to be our freshly painted, newly floored, clean and pristine house. We’re living in a house which meets our needs well but needs some maintenance and work.

Things in this life are temporary and fleeting. We live in a house for a while, maybe even for a long time. But the house wears out and needs to be updated and repaired. Or we move to a new house, maybe into a new city, a new state, and a new school. Things in this life constantly fall apart. We buy a new pair of shoes, and in just weeks they’re already creased and wearing out. Our favorite pair of jeans becomes thin and worn.

Everything in this life is temporary. Yet, these are the things that we chase. We’ve got to have the right shoes, the right jeans, the right clothes. We want just the right house in just the right neighborhood where we drive just the right car. We work extra hours to have a little extra spending money. Then it disappears and wears out. It’s here today and tomorrow it’s gone.

That’s not even the most dangerous part. Jesus points it out to us: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If our hearts treasure the stuff of this world—which can make life comfortable and enjoyable—then we will go the way of our treasures. Away. Worn out. Tossed out and away from God.

That is why we must have this tough conversation. In some ways, it is none of my business what you do with your money and what kinds of things you enjoy, especially if it isn’t forbidden by God. But I am concerned for your heart and for your eternity. That’s why I have to warn you. If your treasure is your stuff, then you will go the way of your treasures.

But when Jesus is your treasure, you have everything. You have forgiveness, life, and eternity. You have a Father in heaven who loves to give all these things to those who seek first his kingdom and a Spirit who loves to dwell in your heart to give you contentment and joy whatever the circumstances of your life. When you have Jesus, you have everything. He isn’t ever going to go away. He won’t ever wear out or fade away. He will remain for you and with you forever.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are everything to me. You are my life, my righteousness, my redemption. You are my eternity. Help me to set my heart on you and treasure you above all things. Amen.

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