Faithfully Yours Forever

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+1%3A1-12&version=NIV
Passage: 1 Peter 1:1-12
Verse: 1 Peter 1:1b-2a (NIV)
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces…, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood….

Peter is writing to us, but who are we anyway?  We, as Christians, are believers – believers in Jesus Christ, the Messiah.  We are God’s elect.  We have been chosen, but chosen for what?  We have been chosen to be obedient to Jesus Christ.  We, as believers are His followers.  In this short introduction, Peter testifies to what we refer to as the Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  What a blessing to us is God – three in one.  Our salvation is described as a new birth into a living hope.  It all begins with the foreknowledge of God the Father and ends, through the work of the Holy Spirit, with the blood of Jesus Christ.  The rest of this passage, Peter praises God for His mercy and grace that leads to salvation.  May we give praise, honor, and glory to God for the gift of salvation.  May we receive God’s grace and obediently serve our risen Savior, Jesus Christ. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A15-24+&version=NIV
Passage: John 14:15-24
Verse: John 14:16-17a (NIV)
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.

The suggested focus of this passage, from the devotional, is upon the Holy Spirit or “the Spirit of truth.”  We learn, from the Spirit of truth, about the Father and about Jesus, the Christ.  This passage also teaches us about those individuals who have a love for Jesus.  It makes the connection between love and obedience.  Jesus told us that if we love Him we will also keep His commands.  We can be reassured, as we read the Scriptures, that the Father will send the Holy Spirit to guide us toward a full understanding of His truth.  However, we are often reminded that we need to love… and obey… Jesus.  May we have a deep love for Jesus.  May we willingly obey His commands.  May our knowledge of God continue to grow as we continue to grow in our obedience.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+96+&version=NIV
Passage: Psalm 96 (NIV)

When we choose to accept God’s gracious gift of salvation, we do sing a new song.
Verses 1-3

Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

May we declare His glory!
There is one true God.
Verses 4-6

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

May we praise Him!
The Lord, our God, is all powerful.
Verses 7-10

Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.

May we bow down to our Lord, the one who reigns.
The Lord, our God, is holy and just.
Verses 11-13

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness.

May we rejoice in the Lord of all creation and praise His holy name.
(inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+15%3A1-18&version=NIV
Passage: Exodus 15:1-18
Verse: Exodus 15:11 (NIV)
Who among the gods
     is like you, Lord?
Who is like you—
     majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
     working wonders?

What is the purpose of the Scriptures?  It is through them that we are able to know who God is.  It is through them that we learn of God’s plan of salvation for us.  It is through them that we see the relationship that God desires to have with His people.  May we grow in our knowledge and understanding of who God is.  May we be able to share God’s plan of salvation with others.  May our relationship with God be strengthened and deepened as we read, study, and meditate on the Scriptures.  May we be humbled as we consider His holiness, glory, and active presence in our lives and the world.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4%3A1-12+&version=NIV
Passage: 1 John 4:13-21
Verse: 1 John 4:18 (NIV)
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Sometimes even the basics of the Christian faith are not clearly communicated or known.  In this passage, we are reminded of some of the basics.

• God loves us.
• Our faith in God is to be based on love, not fear.
• As Christians, we believe, as this passage indicates, that:
  • the Spirit of God lives within us
  • the Father sent His Son, Jesus, to be the Savior of the world
  • if anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God [v.15].
• We are to love God and love others.

May we feel God’s love for us today.  May we show the love that God has for us by extending His love to others around us in meaningful ways.  May our love for God spring out of His love for us, not because we fear Him or the wrath to come.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)