Year: 2020

“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭KJV‬‬
While this renewing can only happen through the power of God, the reality is we must be willing to have our our mind renewed. We must cooperate with Him in this process. He leads us into what we should and should not be putting into our mind. He cautions us about what we should dwell on. His Word instructs us about good things to think on. Only as we obey can our minds be renewed.

“The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭113:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬
Sometimes as we read and hear of what’s going on in our country, it is easy to become unsettled or even discouraged. But let’s remember, our God is high above this and all nations! He is our Sovereign Father Who still controls this world. Let’s keep our eyes on Him Who loves us.

“And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord…”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭37:14-15‬ ‭KJV
When hurtful and discouraging words come to us, or bad news, let’s follow Hezekiah’s example. Take it to the Lord! Spread out our problems to the Only One Who can do what we need. And Pray!

“Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.” Isa.‬ ‭35:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬
Many today are fearful of the rise of evil in our land. It is a day of great wickedness. But as God’s children, let us remember, our Lord is coming back soon! He will repay the wicked, and He will save us. Let us be faithful to the end.

“And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:40-41‬ ‭KJV‬‬
Leprosy is a picture of sin. When it comes to sin, it is ALWAYS God’s will to cleanse us and bring healing to our soul.

“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭KJV
It seems so many have a great struggle to stay clean and to enjoy spiritual fellowship. But the real key is in a daily walk. It’s not just about a past experience, or decision once made. Rather it is a daily, ongoing, personal walk with Jesus Christ.

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬
Continue in love. That is one of the challenges we face. We know that Jesus loves us. But so many occasions arise when it is not easy to continue in our love for Him. Love requires obedience and sacrifice. Love denies self in order to do the best for those we love. By God’s Grace, let us continue in love, when it is easy and when it is hard. To walk in love is always best.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
‭‭James‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭KJV‬‬
There are times in our life when we all need lifting up. Burdens get heavy, sorrows press us down, and we need a hand to lift us. This verse tells us how we receive that helping hand from our Lord. We must humble ourselves. We must confess our need and admit we are not sufficient. We must say “Lord I need Your help”. God always responds to the humble heart.

“Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows…”    Isaiah 53:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬
This verse is speaking of Jesus Christ, suffering and dying for our sins. He is our great Burden Bearer. He is our Merciful High Priest touched by our suffering. What a privilege we have to bring our sorrows, cares and burdens and lay them down at His feet. And He invites us “Come unto Me…”.

“Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭39:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬
The knowledge of our brief existence here and our human frailty is so important, because without it we would not seek nor learn to depend upon God. As long as we imagine that we can handle things, then we will continue, in vain, to try. But truly knowing our need will lead us to Christ.