Lord, thank you for this new day and thanks for making plans to bring me hope and faith and the way back to you someday. Help me make today count so that I’ll be glad to share my stories of today when we’re standing face to face. Amen.
Let Me Give You a Hand
Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many.
—1 Corinthians 12:12
When we think of ourselves as the body of Christ, we need to remember that all the churches who worship Jesus everywhere in the world are part of that body. We’re all part of the same Lord and, therefore, we’re still each other’s hands and feet. What affects one of us, really affects all of us.
It’s the ripple effect. What happens to one member of the body has a consequence for the rest of the body. We have a love of creating labels in our culture, and we have traditions based in theology for the many churches that make up the body of Christ. One of them may be a “hand” and one may be a “leg,” but each one represents the same God, the author of each of us.
Today, let’s celebrate the fact that God has such a diverse body, linked together by the blood of Christ. Let’s thank him for one another and the work that each church does to make the world a better place. Wherever you live, wherever you work, wherever you worship, you are an important member of the body of Christ, and we need you to do the wonderful things you do to make us one. Celebrate God’s love for his church today.
Celebrate that you are part of the body of Christ, wherever you live, work, or worship.
RENEWED FOR A PURPOSE
Lord, thank you for creating your church here on earth and for all the people who belong to you. Help us be good hands and good feet and good hearts for you, and help us serve each other well. Amen.
God’s Nourishment!
The LORD’s Instruction is perfect, reviving one’s very being. The LORD’s laws are faithful, making naive people wise. The LORD’s regulations are right, gladdening the heart. The LORD’s commands are pure, giving light to the eyes. Honoring the LORD is correct, lasting forever. The LORD’s judgments are true.
—Psalm 19:7-9
If you’re into energy drinks, you probably like that you can mix a sprinkle of this and a smidge of that, blend it with some yogurt and bananas and strawberries, and off you go for the day, fortified and energized. You have been revived.
God nourishes you in a similar way in that he is the One Source that you can go to for all your needs. When you want to learn from him, when you’re ready to listen, he’s there with amazing insights and new ideas. He’s ready to pour out his Spirit in your direction, guiding you and giving you a new perspective. He’s interested in making you brilliant so that you can be proud of your choices and become wiser in the things you do.
Honor him and praise him. Give him a chance to renew your enthusiasm so you can fulfill the life purpose he designed for you. He wants you to succeed, and he will make sure you have all you need to make that happen. Only he can truly nourish your soul!
Take in all of God’s nourishment, renewed by his Spirit to accomplish his plans.
RENEWED FOR A PURPOSE
Lord, thank you for teaching me and revitalizing me today. Help me keep my eyes open to all that you have for me, and let me shine my light for you. Amen.
Is God Still in the Building?
Certainly the faithful love of the LORD hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness. I think: The LORD is my portion! Therefore, I’ll wait for him.
—Lamentations 3:22-24
It’s a struggle sometimes to remember that God hasn’t left the building—that is, the building up of his people, the building of relationships, and the building of his church. He hasn’t left us, and yet we may try to seek him the same way we’d do a celebrity sighting, hoping to catch a glimpse of him when we least expect. The writer of this Scripture reminds us that God hasn’t quit, hasn’t walked away from his creation, and his acts of kindness aren’t done. He begins them anew every morning. Think of that! God rises with fresh thoughts of love, not tainted by yesterday, not carried on as leftovers, but new and fresh and ready to be delivered to his children.
What does it mean that the Lord is our portion? If my portion is God, that means he’s everything I get. He’s my whole, my life, my breath and spirit. If I recall every morning with the rising of the sun that he is there, ready to feed me and renew me and shower me with grace, then I receive the portion he meant for me to have.
Wait for God who renews you every morning with his love and compassion.
RENEWED FOR A PURPOSE
Lord, thank you for giving me your kindness and your goodness every single day in fresh and loving ways. Help me take your love with me wherever I go today. Amen.
That’s Not My Job!
If I, your LORD and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example: just as I have done, you also must do. I assure you, servants aren’t greater than their master, nor are those who are sent greater than the one who sent them. Since you know these things, you will be happy if you do them.
—John 13:14-17
Unfortunately, the idea that something is “not my job” has permeated every area of life. The server at the restaurant doesn’t bring the water because that’s the hostess’s job. The person on the street corner doesn’t pick up the trash and put it in the bin because that’s the street cleaner’s job.
The little things we could do, and most of the time could do pretty easily, end up not being done because we’ve got the not-my-job disease. So today, remind yourself that you are always invited to do the job, whatever it is, as soon as you see the need or have the opportunity. You can wash the feet of others just as easily as you can be served by them.
Your job is always changing and your work for the Lord is always ongoing. If you think it’s somebody else’s job, give that another thought today and lead on!
Serve by helping others, doing the little things, even though it may not be in your “job description.”