.- Scripture:

Then David took his shepherd’s staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath.

                               1 Samuel 17:40 MSG

– Reflection:

                We Have All We Need

The giant Goliath was standing before David in a full set of armor. All David had was a sling and a few stones. He could have been intimidated and afraid. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.” But he knew that sling with the favor of God was more powerful than having the best equipment. It’s not so much what you have; it’s what you think about what you have. If you’re thinking, “If I just had more talent, training, experience, education, and personality,” you’re going to miss the greatness God put in you and limit your life. You don’t need great talent to do something great or to have great resources to leave your mark. You don’t have to come from an influential family to make a big difference.

Where do we go from here?

You have exactly what you need to fulfill your destiny. Don’t discount what you have. If you needed more, God would have given you more. Don’t underestimate who you are. God will take what seems like not enough and breathe on it. It will become more than enough.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You for providing us with the gifts and the talents we need. Thank You that we don’t have to have what we think is a big gift for You to use us in a great way. We will be faithful in developing what You’ve given us and trust You to give us more as we increase it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

– Scripture:

 If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

                         Romans 12:6–10 MSG

Key Verse – Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

– Reflection:

We can’t live the full lives promised to us by Jesus Christ if we’re not in a regular, authentic community with other people. And the Church* can never be the Church not as God intends it if we all aren’t connected in that kind of brotherhood. There are many ways the Church is supposed to work, but through us in the community is a primary one. Community is what brings everyone together and creates the bonds that allow us to work together and get things done. Without it, we are nothing; with it, we can be everything to anyone and everyone. In your Church there are groups that build that create each body within. Those groups reach out and build the community in its likeness. Right now all of have something to give to the small groups we are in. Allow yourself to find out what that is and offer it to the group, the Church, and the community.

Where do we go from here?

Paul wrote that we must commit to honesty, transparency, and accountability. A community doesn’t work without them. It just doesn’t. And we must not presume we know how to “fix” each other, but rather should trust God and the Holy Spirit to do all work that needs doing. Without meaning to, we can do damage spiritually, and relationally when we offer fix-it advice to those who’ve been vulnerable in sharing struggles. It’s much better to listen and ask open, non-judgmental questions and pray something else which Paul says we must do together a lot.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for allowing us to be in one another’s presence helping each other heal. Thank you for allowing those of us who have abilities of conversation, coaching, and mentorship opportunity to listen and be a safe space for those in need of it. It is our honor to be in your presence on the days you create. Amen.

– Scripture:

Then he showed them his hands and side. The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.” Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

                             John 20:20–23 MSG

– Reflection:

               Forgiveness Will Free You

God was saying that when you hold on to the wrongs people have done to you, the poison polutes you. When you don’t forgive, the sin you retain that hurt you that bitterness, anger, hatred, or criticalness can produce the same results in you.

Where do we go from here?

It can be very hard to forgive, especially when someone has hurt you, but you don’t have to forgive them for their sakes; you forgive for your own sake. Forgiving doesn’t mean you’re excusing anyone or lessening the offense. Forgiveness keeps their poison out of your life and takes away their power to keep hurting you.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You that we can forgive other people of their sins and stay free from the poison it holds. Thank You that we can look to You to heal our hurts and right the wrongs done to us. We declare we won’t let bitterness, anger, or an offense have control over our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

– Scripture:

Moses said, “Please. Let me see your Glory.” God said, “I will make my Goodness pass right before you; I’ll call out the name, God, right before you. I’ll treat whomever I want to treat well, and I’ll be kind to whomever I want to be kind.” God continued, “But you may not see my face. No one can see me and live.” God said, “Look, here is a place right beside me. Put yourself on this rock. When my Glory passes by, I’ll put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I’ve passed by. Then I’ll take my hand away, and you’ll see my back. But you won’t see my face.”

                            Exodus 33:18–23 MSG  

Key Verse – God continued, “But you may not see my face. No one can see me and live.”

– Reflection:

               Embrace the Fear

We are fearfully and wonderfully made. It is a scripture just for us. We’re made for fear. We’re made to live with fear, not without it, as we’d like. It’s just that we get preoccupied with things we can see, hear, and touch. But these aren’t what we’re supposed to fear, not people or circumstances. About such things, our King, Jesus Christ, says, “Do not fear.” No, we’re meant to fear a fearsome God.

Fearing the Lord God is the beginning of knowledge. (Proverbs 1:7)

Where do we go from here?

It’s important to remember that God is much greater than any challenge we face, whether it’s financial hardship, difficult work situations, or problems with children. We should not respond to fear by trying to control, minimize, avoid, or numb our feelings. Instead, we need to acknowledge God’s power and presence in our lives every day and recognize that he is the most important force in our lives. Living as if our problems are bigger than God is the ultimate threat.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, we come to you today with honor and respect. Let us stay within your graces and operate in the kingdom. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

– Scripture:

“Tell them this, ‘The stick gods who made nothing, neither sky nor earth, Will come to nothing on the earth and under the sky.’ ” But it is God whose power made the earth, whose wisdom gave shape to the world, who crafted the cosmos. He thunders, and rain pours down. He sends the clouds soaring. He embellishes the storm with lightning and launches wind from his warehouse. Stick-god worshipers looking mighty foolish, god-makers embarrassed by their hand-made gods! Their gods are frauds—dead sticks, deadwood gods, tasteless jokes. When the fires of judgment come, they’ll be ashes.

                           Jeremiah 10:11–15 MSG

Key Verse – But it is God whose power made the earth,
whose wisdom gave shape to the world, who crafted the cosmos.

– Reflection:

              Beyond Our Understanding

On the first day, He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Interestingly, there was light on the first day, but He didn’t make the sun until the fourth day. How can you have light without the sun? I have read that passage so many times and not really paid attention to it. God is showing us that He’s not limited to how we think. He’s supernatural. He’s going to do things in your life that are unexplainable, things that go beyond human reasoning. That’s the God we serve. He does things that are uncommon, unusual, and out of the ordinary.

Where do we go from here?

You don’t think that God is intimidated by the size of your problem do you? He doesn’t lose sleep when someone comes against you? Our small thinking may believe that GOD can’t take someone who is against us. I’m not sure why, but some may believe it. Listen to this: during the night, one angel in the Old Testament defeated 185,000 of the enemies of Israel. God being for you is more than the world being against you. You may have some big obstacles, but you have to remind yourself that we serve a big God who works beyond our understanding.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You that You are in no way limited to what we understand is logical and explainable. Thank You that Your supernatural ways go well beyond our human understanding. Help us to remind ourselves that we are serving a big God who defies the odds. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.