Daily Inspiration: Turn To God

This was compiled by Jeff Lawton.

In our daily lives, we are quick to satisfy our desires. When we are hungry, we make every attempt to eat as quickly as possible. When we are thirsty, we head for the water fountain.

When we are lonely, we call a friend or a family member. However, as Christians, sometimes we fail to recognize what our greatest needs are and who can satisfy them. The emptiness we sometimes feel can only be filled by God. Even after we come to know Christ, we may struggle to recognize that emptiness is a sign we need to turn to Him.

The world throws so many different things in our faces that we can look at everything zipping by and mistakenly believe it will satisfy us. Maybe we seek fulfillment in our relationships with others. Maybe we are seeking fulfillment in our jobs or through financial success. So we chase after these things with reckless abandon. An intimate relationship with God is the only thing that will satisfy every need we have.

He is the One who transforms our hearts and minds, bringing us unspeakable joy even in the midst of what seems like our darkest hours. He is the One who quenches the thirst of our souls by showing us how much He loves us and cares for us.

He knows what You need, and He knows exactly how to meet you where you are. If you are thirsty, remember God is the source that quenches. He wants you to drink in Him and fulfill your heart’s desires.

Revelations 7:17

17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

 

Daily Inspiration: The Living Water

This was compiled by Jeff Lawton.

With his last breath, Thomas Hobbes, the self-confessed atheist said, “I am taking a fearful leap into the dark!” On his deathbed the French agnostic Voltaire sadly spoke these words, “I am abandoned by God and man. I shall go to hell.”

In contrast to these two men, who died without Christ, is Christian evangelist Dwight L. Moody, whose last words were: “This is glorious ... Earth recedes; heaven is opening, and God is calling me.”

For believers, the moment we take our last breath is the first moment we will draw in the heavenly air of our new home; our abode with the Lord Jesus Christ. To be out of earth’s atmosphere is to be in His holy presence.

We rarely think about the difference between life lived here on earth and the one we will have in heaven. Instead, we often focus on our temporary home; how we can make it larger, decorate it with our favorite things, and enjoy it.

At some point, our thinking has to switch from being earthbound to heaven bound. The short time we spend on this earth is not even a fraction of the time we will spend in eternity. Jesus never missed an opportunity to prepare His followers for His death but, more importantly, He wanted them to understand His resurrection and the future blessings that would be theirs.

Nothing, but Jesus, can satisfy our thirst for living water. Only Jesus has the ability to provide the “living water” that satisfies our souls.

John 4:13-14

13 “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again".

Daily Inspiration: Jesus, Your Dearest Friend

This was compiled by Jeff Lawton.

In the book First and Last Things, American historian H.G. Wells wrote how Jesus Christ repelled him, “this image of virtue, this terrible and incomprehensible Galilean.” Wells is not the first or the last to be repelled by the Lord.

The government of Christ’s day turned its back on Him. The Jews repudiated Him. Those gathered for His crucifixion jeered Him, and His friends, who had been with Him for three years of ministry, abandoned Him; going into hiding after His arrest. Only John followed Him to the cross.

It is not surprising that Satan is still at work in our world, seeking to deceive and to draw men and women away from the only One who can provide the hope they so desperately need.

The rejection of God’s Son can be subtle. The “good” person may say, “I am a Christian because I was raised in a Christian family, but I just don’t want to get too serious about church or the Bible.” Another person may mistakenly believe he can live any way he chooses, and God will still save his soul. God is not the one who condemns us. Jesus told His followers that His goal was to seek and save those who are lost. We are the ones who condemn ourselves when we reject God’s love and gift of salvation.

However, even when we are faithless, Jesus remains faithful. When we yield to temptation, He continues to love us, and when we seek His forgiveness, He becomes our strong advocate of mercy and grace before the throne of God.

He is your dearest friend; the One who will never abandon you. At the cross, He died for you, knowing that He was your only way to truth and eternal life.

1 Corinthians 13:8

8 Love never fails.

Daily Inspiration: The Light In The Darkness

This was compiled by Jeff Lawton.

Even though Christ is your Savior, there will be times when you are tempted to sin. And if you yield to the temptation, you will sense a spiritual darkness around you. The closer you are to Christ in your devotion, the deeper the darkness will seem.

This is because the more we commit our lives to the Lord, the more we become like Him. Once we are saved, sin no longer reflects who we are in Christ.

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to draw us even closer to the Lord. He also is the One who guides us through each day. A check in your spirit may mean you are about to do something that could jeopardize your God-centered peace.

There are times when you will sense God’s Spirit warning about a particular event or set of circumstances. Listen to His voice. Ask God to make His will clear to you, and never allow the enemy to twist the love and protection of God into something that yields fearful thoughts.

If you want to walk in the light of Truth, having the knowledge and wisdom of God, make a commitment to read and to study His Word; which is “a lamp to our feet.”

The people who gathered at the cross to witness the crucifixion were living in spiritual darkness, and God wanted to make sure they understood the choice they were making.

Beginning with the third hour of this horrendous event, a deep, all-consuming darkness fell on the land and the people were engulfed with fear. Today we do not have to walk in darkness. We have the eternal flame of God guiding our every step.

John 1:5

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Daily Inspiration: 1 Peter

Compiled By: Jeff Lawton

Imagine the anguish of Mary’s heart as she looked up into the face of her dying Son. Jesus had been beaten so seriously that He was probably unrecognizable. Yet, Mary would have known Him anywhere. She was His mother.

She could close her eyes and remember what it felt like to hold Him as a baby in her arms. No one has ever held the Son of God this way. She was there when He took his first steps, and she was with Him when He took His last breath.

A strong bond remained between them, and also an understanding that He must do exactly what His Father had called Him to do. She never thought His life would lead to this moment. Simeon had warned her, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many ... And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:34-35). But no one is ever prepared for the loss of a child.

On the evening of His arrest, Jesus was with His closest followers; His disciples. Throughout the night and into the next day, John followed the Savior from mock trial to mock trial. Then Mary joined John at the cross.

There may be times when we are tempted to think Jesus does not care for us. Satan whispers that God is not interested in our sorrows or difficulties. This is not true. Even on the cross, Jesus was still saving lives and thinking of others: “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to [John] “Here is your mother” (John 19:26-27). In other words, “John, My mother is now your mother; take care of her for Me.”

1 Peter 5:7

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

XO*

Daily Inspiration: There's No Greater Love

This was compiled by Jeff Lawton.

Calvary, the cross of Christ became an eternal emblem of love. Jesus never lost sight of God's purpose for His life. Everything He learned from the Father was in preparation for this moment.

As Scripture tells us, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Jesus not only laid down His life for those who loved Him, He laid it down for all men and women, even those who choose to reject Him. He didn't die just for those closest to Him. He died for all of us; no one is left out. But we must make a choice either to accept Him as our Savior or to turn away from Him and face the judgment of a tormenting death.

The Jews rejected Jesus. However, we know that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea made a different choice. After His death, they asked for the Savior's body to be given to them. Pilate granted their request. No Jew of their social position could come in contact with the dead and remain spiritually clean. Yet, these men lovingly accepted the role they played in the Lord's burial. It is doubtful that after this event they were allowed to continue as leaders in the Jewish community. More than likely, they became followers of Jesus Christ. Love leads to love, and it is Christ's unconditional love that drew Nicodemus and Joseph to Himself, and it is that same love that draws us today.

When you find yourself being drawn away by the world's passions and temptations, remember the cross, where Christ gave His life as atonement for your sin. There is no greater love than God's love for you.

1 Corinthians 1:18

18 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.

Daily Inspiration: "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord."

This passage was compiled by Jeff Lawton.

Even though the way before you seems dark, trust the Lord because He is faithful. When your faith is challenged, remember that Jesus never fails. He loves you and even when you drift in your devotion to Him, He will not forsake His love for you.

In Exodus 14, Israel was on the run from the Egyptians. Their escape route was blocked by the boundaries of the Red Sea, and they began to panic. But Moses called out to them:

Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:13-14).

The King James Version of the Bible says, "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord."

True faith remains unshaken by the trials of life. When it seems the world has turned against you, run to the Lord. God will not allow you to be destroyed. Charles Spurgeon writes:

Despair whispers, "Lie down and die; give it all up."... But, however much Satan may urge this course upon you; you cannot follow it if you are a child of God. His divine fiat has bid thee go from strength to strength, and so thou shalt, and neither death nor hell shall turn thee from thy course. What if for a while thou art called to stand still; yet this is but to renew thy strength for some greater advance in due time.

Hebrews 7:25

25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

 

xo* LM