You are never alone.
Let that sink in for a moment. Whatever situation you face, hardship you endure, trial you encounter, or celebration you experience—you never go through life alone.
Because Jesus gave up His life for you, you get to experience life with Him by your side … forever. Nothing can separate you from His love, and nothing you do will ever earn His approval. He loves you because He created you, and He has determined to remain faithful to you.
In Philippians 2, Paul reminds us that Jesus’ death on the cross leads to our salvation. Jesus is Lord. He has authority over our situations, our problems, our circumstances, our fears, our failures, and our successes. Jesus can cast out darkness, overcome addiction, reject temptation, heal the sick, set people free, and redeem our brokenness. And He has given us His Holy Spirit.
Because of the Holy Spirit, God lives in us, and He will work through us.
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, but Philippians 2 reminds us that just because our salvation is free, doesn’t mean we can take it for granted. God will help us display His love to others, but we need to actively choose to let God work in us. God wants us to partner with Him as He works through us to reach a broken world.
When you submit to God, He frees, transforms, and redeems you. He dreams with you, and for you. He formed you, and He will finish what He has started in you—if you let Him. Nothing is impossible for God.
So right now, ask God to show you how He is at work in your life. Allow Him to reveal where He has gifted, guided, and healed you. Take some time to thank Him for His faithfulness, and then brainstorm some ways to faithfully live out the plans He has for your life.
Day 20 of the reading of the gospel of Luke
Luke 20
“And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, and spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was. And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a ...
Believing Beyond Norms
Mary was a young girl immersed in the quiet rhythms of Nazareth when an angel announced that she would bear the Son of God (Luke 1:31). The typical response to hearing this might be fear, or shock, or awe. Instead, Mary responded with belief—a belief that what the angel was telling her was the truth. “May your word to me be fulfilled,” she said to the angel (Luke 1:38).
Witnessing this unwavering faith, Mary's older cousin Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit, acknowledged Mary's faith and blessed her: "Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"
In these simple words, we hear a reminder to anchor our faith in the unwavering truth that God is faithful to fulfill His promises according to His Word. Elizabeth's statement, "Blessed is she who has believed," is more than an observation; it's a present affirmation. The emphasis isn’t just on the fulfillment of these promises, but on the blessing that comes from believing ...
“Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess: the third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith: the fifth, Shephatiah of Abital: the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife. These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years. And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel: Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet, and Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia, and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister. And Solomon's son was Rehoboam, Abia his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, Amaziah his son, Azariah his...