John 5:30

I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

Personal Challenge

We must always remember that Jesus was fully God and fully human. As a human He had to choose to submit His will to God’s. That is what made His humanness so important. As a human He showed us that we to can choose to submit our will to God’s. This is something that we must choose to do over and over. God has blessed us with the Holy Spirit to help us do this. As we learn to submit to the Holy Spirit as our guide and comforter we learn to submit to God. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalms 25:8-11 (24:8-11)

Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He will instruct sinners in His way.
He will guide the gentle in judgment;
He will teach the gentle His ways.
All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth
For those who seek His covenant and His testimonies.
For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my sin, for it is great.

Encouraging Words

Our God is so good, so full of mercy and grace. He loves us dearly and desires so much for us. Even while we are still sinners be instructs us and leads us to Him. He guides us, He teaches us, and He pardons our sins. He is our source of a true and full life. Praise be to God!

John 5:24

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

Encouraging Words

Those who have not proclaimed Jesus as their Lord and savior are indeed living a life of death. They are the walking dead. Jesus died on the cross that we might be able to live eternally through Him. He out death to death. This does not mean that our eternal life begins after we die in this physical world. It means that our eternal life started the very moment that we put we put our trust in Him. Glory be to God!

Psalms 25:7 (24:7)

Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor of my ignorance;
But remember me according to Your mercy,
Because of Your loving-kindness, O Lord.

Encouraging Words

David knew the core of God’s salvation… His mercy. We are all sinners. We are all ignorant of God and his ways. That is why we can call out to Him, pleading for His mercy and loving-kindness. He will always respond in love. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

John 4:13-14

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Encouraging Words

Water is a critical element for us to sustain life. Without it, we will die. Jesus is our only source of living water that will give us everlasting and quench every thirst that we might have. Beyond that, He promises that if we drink of His living water it will not only fill us, but overflow to the point where those around us may find Him as their source of living water as well. Thanks be to God!

Psalms 25:4-5 (24:4-5)

Make known Your ways to me, O Lord,
And teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation,
And on You I wait all the day.

Encouraging Words

Our God has not set down a rigorous set of rules that we must follow or milestones that we must achieve in order to receive his grace and mercy. He has poured out His grace and mercy of on us even before we have known him. We can freely come to Him asking that He make known His was to us, and He will. We can ask that He teach us His paths and He will. He will lead us in His truth and teach us. He is the God of our salvation. Glory be to God!

John 3:30

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Personal Challenge

Jesus proclaimed that John was the greatest of all prophets. He was the forerunner of the coming Christ. John knew, and proclaimed in this verse that he must decrease in importance and that Jesus must increase. This is true in our lives as well. If we desire to truly be followers of Christ, then He must increase within us to the point where where we no longer exist. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 24:4-5 (23:4-5)

He who has innocent hands and a pure heart;
He who does not lift up his soul to vanity;
He who does not swear deceitfully to his neighbor.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord
And mercy from the God of his salvation.

Personal Challenge

The Psalms provide so many little pithy sayings that teach us how to live our lives in godly ways. We should strive for innocent hands and pure hearts. We should flee from vanity and being deceitful with our neighbor, meaning everyone. By doing this we will see God’s blessings and mercy in our lives. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, the sinner!