Tag: Jesus

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Obedience ~ Words Worth Remembering Week #11

Posted on by Paula Davis

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands.

As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love.

                                                                                                                          2 John 1:6

From a very young age we are taught to obey. Before we can talk or ask, “why” we are taught what is right and wrong. But as we mature we begin to question why we need to obey, a sort of  “what’s in it for me?” attitude. Today’s verse shows us that obedience is a form of love. As children of earthly parents we obey because it pleases our parents and shows our love for them, even if we don’t understand why they are asking us to obey. Obedience to God is the same.

obedience1

Oswald Chambers wrote:

There is nothing miraculous or mysterious about the things we can explain. We control what we are able to explain, consequently it is only natural to seek an explanation for everything. It is not natural to obey, yet it is not necessarily sinful to disobey. There can be no real disobedience, nor any moral value in obedience, unless a person recognizes the higher authority of the one giving the orders…A person is simply a slave for obeying, unless his obedience is the recognition of a holy God.

God did not intend for us to be slaves to His laws. He asks us to obey because we love Him and recognize Him as the leader of our lives. It is not always easy, and we won’t always understand. But when we know God is asking for our obedience we must step forward in love to Him and to others around us.

Tomorrow we begin what is recognized in Christian churches as Holy Week, the week we remember the days leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus’ entire life was lived out of obedience and love for His Father God. All that Jesus did during His earthly life was done to show God’s love to those around Him, and through Scriptures even to us today.

There is no greater example of obedience through love than this week of Jesus’ life. Through the ups & downs, the people and places we can learn so much through each step of His obedience.

Sometimes the week before a big holiday can be crazy and chaotic. We see that at Christmas, and also now that Easter is just a week away. It can be easy to lose the impact of Jesus’ gift to us at Easter when we focus on the activities and preparation.

This week I will be posting a devotion here each morning. I pray that they will help to focus your day and encourage you to cherish the incredible gift that Christ gave us on the cross.

blessings and peace to you today!
Paula

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Truth ~ Words Worth Remembering Week #9

Posted on by Paula Davis

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
                                                                                           John 8:32

Truth.

It can be defined:

  • sincerity in action, character, and utterance
  • the state of being the case : fact (2) : the body of real things, events, and facts
  • a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true <truths of thermodynamics>

And it can be debated.

In this passage Jesus says we will know the truth and it will set us free. So what is He talking about?

How do we know the truth?

Jesus was with His disciples and other Jewish leaders (who wanted to kill Him) as He was speaking. Just before the above statement Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” (vs. 31) But the Jewish leaders debated Jesus’ statement saying they had never been slaves to anyone. This is a sentiment we might share.

So how can we be set “free” if we have never been slaves?

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (v 34-36)

As followers of Christ our truth comes from God’s Word and is interpreted for us by His Holy Spirit. The Spirit convicts us of sin and compels us to confess and be forgiven. The more we know God’s Word the better we are able to listen and follow the truth.

truth next exit

The challenge comes when we choose to create our own truth because we don’t like what God’s Word tells us or we ‘adjust’ His truth to make it easier for us to accept and follow, perhaps to make it easier to get along with others who don’t believe God Word is the truth.

But watered down truth is no truth at all.

The consequences of watering down the truth are a less intimate walk with God and a slippery slope towards believing the lies of the evil one. It can happen slowly so that we don’t even realize what is happening. That’s part of the plan.

If you are a follower of Christ I encourage you to take some time today to consider whether you are consistently following the truth of the Bible or are watering it down so that you ‘fit in’ with those around you. It is difficult to be challenged and chastised by those who don’t think as you do. Jesus was killed for following God’s truth. But He did it so that we could be set free.

I’m so thankful for God’s truth. Even when it’s difficult!

blessings and peace to you today!
Paula

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The Hope of Christmas

Posted on by Paula Davis

There was only one thing I wanted for Christmas that year. Baby Alive. She was a doll that you could feed special “baby” food and she would drink from a bottle of water. Her mouth moved when you put the spoon or bottle up to it so that she was actually eating and drinking! Then of course, she wore diapers because what she took in also had to come out!

Every time a commercial would come on the television for Baby Alive I would tell my parents how much I wanted her. (I still remember the jingle they sang about her). I knew my parents didn’t have a lot of money and quite likely I wouldn’t see that special doll under the tree. But that didn’t stop me from hoping!  I loved that doll and hoped some day to making her mine.

We seem to use the word hope generously in our culture…almost flippantly it seems. “I hope it doesn’t rain.” or “I hope these pants still fit.” along with similar phrases often fill our conversations. While there’s nothing wrong with hoping for things here on earth it is important that we and those we impact have eternal hope. We hope in others to give us what we want for Christmas but humans cannot fill the void of a lonely or broken heart. Only God can fill that emptiness that each of us has.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.                                                                                                     Psalm 62:5-6

Christmas celebrations cannot be complete without remembering the eternal hope that comes because Jesus left His throne in the majesty of Heaven to be born as a helpless infant. He left his future in the hands of imperfect humans and yet He lived a perfect life then gave that life on the cross for our sins.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.                                                                                                  Ephesians 1: 18-19a

So many in this world are without the hope of Jesus. They see Christmas as only filled with shopping, lighted trees and gifts under the tree. Without the ‘right’ gift all hopes are dashed and the day is ruined.

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:24-25

I pray that this Christmas you truly know the hope of Jesus. The hope of eternal life. And the confidence that when we hope in Jesus we will never be disappointed.

Please share your hope with others this Christmas. Bless them with the eternal hope that can only be found in Jesus and His promise of Heaven.

blessings and peace to you!

Paula

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Victory over “V” Day

Posted on by Paula Davis

It’s coming…only 3 days away. The day of roses and chocolates – another Hallmark holiday.

How I used to dread Valentine’s Day! For weeks before February 14th I pined and pouted, miserable at every commercial for jewelry and every comment from friends about what they would be doing to celebrate with their sweethearts. I didn’t have a sweetheart and it made me miserable. I wanted to be in love and for someone to be in love with me. I wanted a reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Over the years I stopped whining long enough to look around me. What I saw were many others who were alone on Valentine’s Day. Some had never been married like me, but others were alone because of divorce or widowhood. I saw them not only lonely without their loved one on Valentine’s Day but also with bittersweet memories that sometimes made the day even more difficult than mine.

I also discovered something else. While there are many happy marriages with sweethearts rekindling their love each Valentine’s Day there are many married couples who won’t be celebrating Valentine’s Day together. They are struggling to stay together and to rediscover their love for each other.The proclamation of a day of love will not magically fix things between them.

All of this observation has me looking at Valentine’s Day differently. Yes, I still wish I had a sweetheart, but not just for Valentine’s Day. A friend of mine commented the other day that if you’re in love with someone you should show it every day and you shouldn’t need a holiday to tell you to express it. I agree! And this applies not only to a significant other, but all of those whom our lives touch.

Now when I look towards Valentine’s Day I seek ways to brighten the day for others. I think about those around me who will be lonely and without celebration and do what I can to make their day better. For me it’s baking cookies and making valentines or dropping an e-mail or note in the mail. Praying for others is also critical because where I can’t physically touch lives God can through His all-encompassing love.

If you have a sweetheart and look forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day I’m not suggesting you tone down your celebration or don’t share your love with others. Your relationship can be an inspiration to others. But as you look ahead to the big day I ask you to also look around. Find someone who may be alone or lonely in the midst of a relationship and reach out to them. A phone call, note or even a little chocolate heart can make all the difference in their day.  

The greatest Valentine any of us can receive is the love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ who showed the ultimate love by coming to earth and living a perfect life, only to take the sins of all mankind when He died on the cross. If you don’t know this Love I pray that you will give your heart to Jesus and know the love that never fails not only on Valentine’s Day but every day of the year.

Happy Valentine’s Day to each of you. May this year be one of expressing love not only to your sweetheart but to each person you touch. You could be the missing peace to someone’s Valentine’s Day puzzle.

blessings and peace to you…

Paula

Posted in Christmas

Christmas Hope

Posted on by Paula Davis

It’s Christmas, and hope is all around us. Children are hoping for presents to surround the tree and overflow their stockings on Christmas morning. Many are hoping for snow to make it a white Christmas. And so many are hoping that their budgets will hold out and the time won’t slip away before they have done everything they plan to make it a perfect Christmas.

How easy it is to watch the Christmas specials, see the lights and hear the sounds of the season and not look beyond ourselves this time of the year. For while many plan their perfect celebrations, many more wonder if they’ll have a meal, let alone gifts for those they love. Others face this time of year alone for the first time after the loss of someone they love or missing someone who is serving in the military thousands of miles away. For them Christmas hope is hard to find.

Hopelessness is not new to our times, nor to this time of the year. Thousands of years ago people were without hope. They were under the rule of kings who treated them unfairly and had no hope of being freed from all that surrounded them. Most had turned from God and the future looked bleak.

One night in Bethlehem changed all of that. Jesus left His perfect Heaven and chose to come to earth as a man. He was born as an infant and lived a perfect, sinless life, then gave up that life to die for our sins. He made the sacrifice of His life so that we can have the hope of Heaven and eternal life with Him. All we need to do is ask Him to forgive our sins and become the leader of our life. It’s simple, but life changing. As the days tick down towards Christmas morning, if you know the hope of Jesus I encourage you to do your best to emulate His example of unselfishness and give hope to those around you. Allow someone else to take your place in line while shopping. Put a little something extra in the food drive or buy a special toy for a child in the toy drive. Or perhaps just smile more at strangers and hold your tongue more at home.

If you don’t yet know this Hope that Jesus brings, I encourage you to surrender your life to Him right now…your Christmas will be more wonderful than you could ever hope for!