John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

Personal Challenge

God is love. He sent His son to be incarnate in love. Jesus is love. He came to us, leaving the comforts and glories of heaven in His love for us. The Holy Spirits is love. He dwells within the followers of Jesus comforting and guiding us. It is out of this abundance of pure love that we are commanded to love one another so that we can become like Him. The world does not know that we are followers of Jesus by our words but by our love toward others. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 34:7-11 (33:8-12)

The Angel of the Lord shall encamp around those who fear Him,
And He will deliver them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who hopes in Him.
Fear the Lord, you His saints,
For there is no want for those who fear Him.
Rich men turned poor and went hungry;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. (Pause)
Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Encouraging Words

We are guarded and protected on all sides by the Angel of the Lord, if we put our hope in God. Our hope, our fear (awe and respect) is placed in the one, true, living God who claims His followers as His children. He will never forsake us. He has loved us from the beginning of time and will continue to through eternity. By following Him, living for Him, we sill taste and see that He is good. Glory be to God!

John 12:46

I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

Encouraging Words

No matter how we look at life, if we look at the world around us, we will see that the world in its fallen state is dark. It is not how God created it to be. And the farther away from God our society drifts, the darker the world becomes. Enter Jesus! He has brought the bright, uncreated light of God into the darkness of the fallen world so that all of us who follow Him will be covered by that light. We do not have to stumble in the darkness anymore. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 34:1 (33:2)

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Personal Challenge

We must often spend time searching our lives and assessing how well we are doing as the psalmist proclaims here. Am I blessing the Lord at all times, both in word and in deed? Is praise for Him continually in my mouth? Is that praise also glorifying His creation, especially my neighbor? If not, maybe it is time to reset how I proclaim Christ. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

John 12:25-26

He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

Personal Challenge

Jesus does not beat around the bush when He describes what He expects from His followers. His love for us is unconditional. His love for mankind is all encompassing. But, if we want to proclaim Him as our Lord, we must live our lives accordingly. Jesus died for us; we are to die to the world so that we can live for him. We are to serve Him and to follow him. By doing this we will receive honor from God. We cannot be a follower of Christ in name only. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 33:22 (32:22)

Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
As we hope in You.

Encouraging Words

We serve a God that loves us. He gives us His grace at all times. This is why we can put our hope in Him and ask that His mercy be upon us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Encouraging Words

Sometimes I wonder if those of us who proclaim to be followers of Christ really believe. He proclaims that if we believe in Him, we will never die and yet we live our lives as if we might everything. We spend our limited hours amassing wealth and the things that it buys. We do things that do not bring His joy into our lives because they feed our passions. Our belief in Jesus must go much deeper than just a profession of faith. If we want to experience His resurrection life today, we must eliminate the things of his world and focus on Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 33:18-19 (32:18-19)

Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their souls from death
And to keep them alive in famine.

Encouraging Words

It is so encouraging to know that when we commit our lives to be followers of Christ that our God sets His eyes upon us every moment of every day. He holds us in the palm of His hand. He guards and protects us. He meets our needs so that we can live for Him. Thanks be to God!

John 10:10

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Personal Challenge

There is a thief in this world that has made it his mission to distract us from living a life for God. He is crafty and relentless. His desire is to steal our joy in the Lord, to kill our relationship with Him, and ultimately to destroy our lives. Jesus defeated him and his relentless grip on mankind. Jesus has given us life, eternal and abundant life, which no one, or no thing, can ever take away from us. Glory be to God!