Tag: grace

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.
Genesis 6:8-9

According to a former Walmart employee in West Palm Beach, FL, a man entered Walmart and stole a large screen TV. When he walked out of the store he discovered that his truck had been stolen. Needless to say, he encountered a bad day. 

Even the ones who are causing evil will encounter evil as well. We live in an evil, sinful world.  Every where we look we see all kinds of evil taking place.  It’s everywhere.

Noah lived during a very corrupt time.  The Bible says everyone and everything around him was evil continually.  He faced a crisis during his day in time.  It’s hard to imagine a world worse than it is right now, isn’t?  

It is interesting to note that Noah was found righteous and blameless while living amongst such evil people.  Noah did what was right.  Scripture says he found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  God was pleased with the way he lived his life while being exposed to such evilness.

We all choose if we will do what is right or fall into the temptation of evil.  We live among evil people who get away with a lot of crime but that does not mean that we should. As Christians we are to be different from the rest of the world.  

It’s difficult to live righteously in a sinful world but if we look at Noah we see that it is possible.  It is not possible to be perfect but we should strive to be.

Pray

Lord, help me to strive for holiness and righteousness.  Help me to overcome any temptation that I face. Let me set an example to others of what You expect from every Christian.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16:11‬

There are mysteries concerning the things of God.  But there is one thing that is for certain.  He wants to reveal Himself to us and He desires for us to know Him in a close relationship.

David reveals three blessings for those who trust in the Lord.  First, David not only found the path of life, he also found the path that leads to eternal life.  David didn’t come up with his own path of life, God revealed it to him.  

David knew he was a sinner and that God was holy.  David knew God had a special purpose for him.  

The next blessing is the fullness of joy.  David knew God was the One who supplied his joy.  David had many ups and downs but he never lost the source of his joy. He searched the Lord to find true joy and contentment.  

The third blessing is within the pleasures of life.  David didn’t seek God for physical pleasures but for spiritual pleasures.  He trusted God for eternal pleasures that awaited him in Heaven.

As you meditate on this verse today, understand that the path of life is made known by God, the fullness of joy is found only in the presence of God, and eternal pleasures are for those who fully trust in Him.

Are you seeking God for the things of this world or for the things that are eternal?

Pray

Lord, I seek You to know You and to serve You.  You are all that I need and all that I desire.  Thank you for loving me and saving me.

My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,
Galatians 4:19

Paul wrote to the Christ followers in the region of Galatia because he knew they were struggling in their spiritual maturity. As he wrote this letter, he expressed a goal that God had for them. That goal is stated in today’s verse.

The goal is for Christ to be fully developed in the life of every believer. In other words, let Christ be completely and permanently formed (molded) within you. (from the Amplified Bible Translation). We are to be like Jesus.

As a parent, our goal is to see our children grow up to be healthy, mature adults. But it takes a lot of effort to reach that goal. Years of praying, training and discipline are part of the process.

In the same way, it takes an asserted amount of effort to be molded into the likeness of Christ. Lots of prayer, training, and discipline.

It’s easy for people to see Jesus in us on Sunday while we worship at church. But what about on Monday? It’s easy to be Christ-like when you are surrounded by Christ-like people.

When you see yourself surrounded by people who are not Christ-like, it makes life more challenging. That is why we are in a process of becoming more like Christ.

Paul knew the Galatians would never achieve the full measure of maturity in their own strength by simply following rules and regulations. Christ would need to be developed in their character and shape their lives from the inside out.

It’s the same for you and me. The more we grow in the grace of God the more mature we become as Christians. And the more knowledge of God’s Word we can receive the more Christ will shine through us.

Pray

Lord, fill me with Your goodness and grace. Let Your wisdom and love shine through me today. Mature my faith and mold me to be the person You have called me to be.