Fiducial (Psalm 2:12)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “fiducial.”  God's people have in the past, and still struggle with the notion of having a healthy trust in him.  The psalmist was very deliberate in letting others know that believing that God would fulfill his work was key to the equation of a relationship with the Father.

“Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

~Ps. 2:12

My question is: where do you see yourself concerning your trust in God?  Do you feel like you have a healthy fiducial dependence on the Father? My prayer is that you take time today and this weekend to revisit your relationship with the one who made you.  God has given us an ability to see his goodness and experience his splender on a daily basis.  Give God your trust and he will do the rest.

 Praying for you,

Mo

Veniel (Psalm 3:5)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “venial.” We have all heard this sometime or another, prolly in our understanding of the Catholic Church or in a Life and Teachings of Jesus class.  JC forgave in the New Testament because it was in his nature.  And everything that he did, he did through the Father.  Each of his actions related back to the old scriptures, which he new really well.  And, all the way back to those scriptures, even the Psalmist knew his need for forgiveness as well.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD." And you forgave the guilt of my sin. 

~Ps. 32:5

Wow! That is a pretty humble way to approach life.  This dude knew that he had a ton of stuff that was not acceptable in God’s site.  However, he also knew that he was venial, or capable of being forgiven.  My question is: do you feel as if God will forgive you?  I know it may seem like a weird or rhetorical question… but we must understand that God can and will forgive us before we can accept that forgiveness. My prayer this morning is that each of you seek the Lord earnestly, and let him cleanse you from within.

Praying for you,

mo

Ubiquitous (Jeremiah 23:24)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “ubiquitous.”  One of my favorite parts of being a Christian is to know that God is omnipresent.  In the OT God often spoke to people to help get his message across for the sake of prospering his people.  Jeremiah believed in the Lord’s power, even though he needed a reminder from time to time.

“Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him,” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill heaven and earth,” declares the Lord.

~Jer. 23:24

My question is: do you live your life with the understanding of God’s omnipresence? We should take heart that God is everywhere and able to save us from those powers that seek to destroy.  I pray this morning that the Lord reaffirm his ubiquitous nature and assuage your fears and stress.  He has you in his arms and will bring to fulfillment his plans for your life.

Praying for you,

mo

Privity (Isaiah 64:2-7)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “privity.”  God would reveal in the Old Testament great things about himself to those who obeyed and trusted in his power.  The prophet Isaiah understood that the people of Israel needed to follow the commands of God to experience the fullness of his love and calling.

“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.”

~Is. 64:4

My question is: do you wait for God, and if so how do you express that both to God and others?  As believers in the Messiah we are given a kind of privity, or special knowledge,  that only comes from the Spirit. My prayer for each of you is for God to move in your life and reveal to you the great things he has in store for your future. Moving through the good times and bad our relationship with God is one of love and expectancy.  Wait for God, and rest in the knowledge of his love.

Sententious (Matthew 5:20)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “sententious.”  We see a lot in the New Testament Jesus teaching people in a real and genuine way. Unlike the Pharisees, who were cynical of what Jesus was trying to accomplish, the Son carries on through the ridicule and mocking of his teachings.  During his teaching on the Beatitudes, he mentions that those who choose to follow him must seek to live a righteous life.  In fact, he says that one who plans on living with him in eternity must be more righteous than the most religious and smartest people of that day.

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

~Matt. 5:20

When we try to live a perfect life chances are we are going to fall very short.  Jesus knew this.  In this passage he reveals that even those who thought they were living a righteous life, such as the Pharisees and their sententious ways, would fall short of the entrance of God’s kingdom.  The only way to receive entrance is through a relationship with the Son. My question is:  Are you putting your trust in a relationship given to you by grace?  The Lord has called you not because you are perfect, but because he longs for a relationship with you.  My prayer is that each of you takes this week to ponder Jesus’ grace in your life.

Praying for you,

mo

Nadir (Luke 23:43)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “nadir.”  The Bible is full of stories of highs and lows.  We see that JC had to go through some pretty rough times throughout his life.  When he is hanging on the cross he is experiencing the lowest point of his life…. a nadir, if you will. Could you imagine how he felt?  Taking the sin of the world upon himself at that very moment he understood that even the lowest point of life was a time for him to look towards the Father.  And in doing so, he was able to help someone, even when he was in such bad shape, that anyone would have been thinking about himself or herself.  But not the Savior…

“Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

~Luke 23:43

My question is: do you look towards JC even in the difficult times? I know that I often have trouble trusting God’s word, not because it is not powerful but because I am too weak to understand that God is always working in my life.  My prayer is that each of you sees that God is working in and around you at this very moment.  When you reach your lowest point… God is still there, even in and especially in the nadirs of life.

Praying for you,

mo