Faithfully Yours Forever

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+80%3A1-19&version=NIV
Passage: Psalm 80:1-19
Verse: Psalm 80:19 (NIV)
Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.

The passage for today includes all of Psalm 80.  Oh, how the psalms can speak to us!  This psalm expresses what we, as believers in God, may feel from time to time.  We acknowledge what God has done for us by pulling us out of a pit and planting us on His solid ground.  We know we have been favored and blessed by God.  However, we wonder why He has placed us where we are.  We are faltering and feel unable to stand up under attacks from the outside.  At some point, we realize that God raised up Jesus, the Son of Man, to help us overcome our shortcomings.  We pray to be revived, restored, and to be saved.  May we trust in God to provide what we need.  May we believe in His infinite wisdom, grace, and mercy.  May we return to Him when we have strayed. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+28%3A1-9&version=NIV
Passage: Psalm 28:1-9
Verse: Psalm 28:7a (NIV)
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

What a wonderful verse!  May we find needed comfort when we meditate upon the Word of God.  May we feed off of the strength that the Lord extends to us each day.  May we find protection under His outstretched arms.  May we truly trust in Him for all things, at all times.  May we forever praise Him.  In addition, when all is said and done, may I find My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+30%3A1-12&version=NIV
Passage: Psalm 30:1-12
Verse: Psalm 30:11 (NIV)
You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

Oh, what a blessing!  However, all too often, God is the last one we turn to in times of sorrow, fear, or despair.  So many times, we forget to turn to the Scriptures to find the needed comfort that only God can provide.  The Psalms can be a source of joy, encouragement, and peace.  We learn, particularly in the Psalms, that God hears and responds to our cries for mercy.  As we seek God, may we learn to turn to the Scriptures.  May we remember to not only ask Him to guide us, in the name of Jesus, but may we also remember to give praise to Him for His mercy, faithfulness, and answers to our prayers.  May we give thanks for all He does to care for, and provide for, us each day. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+5%3A1-12&version=NIV
Passage: 1 John 5:1-12
Verse: 1 John 5:11-12 (NIV)
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Eternal life is the gift given to us, as believers, because of our faith in Jesus the Christ, the Son of God.  It sounds so obvious, but yet we sometimes have doubts.  May our faith be sufficient to believe.  May all our doubts be removed by a fresh encounter with the Son of God.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+5%3A1-10&version=NIV
Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NIV)
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Sometimes we are torn between our love and appreciation for God’s earthly creation and our desire to be with the Lord in our heavenly home.  We may yearn for a place that is free from pain, tears, injustice, and every day struggles.  God has, however, placed us here.  He has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives.  He has promised the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us as we travel on our earthly journey.  May the Holy Spirit sustain us until the time when we are taken home to be with the Lord.  However, until that time comes, may we faithfully serve the Lord.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A6-26&version=NIV
Passage: John 17:6-26
Verses: John 17:17, 19 (NIV)
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth…. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Oh, today’s passage is dear to me.  As I sought to understand what it meant to be sanctified, to be made holy and set a part for the work of the Lord, these words spoke to me.  It really was like a light bulb being turned on in a darkened room.  All of a sudden things became clear.  It is by being obedient to the truths found in the Scriptures that we may become holy or sanctified.  However, we cannot do that on our own.  It is only through belief in Jesus Christ, because of His holiness, that we may become holy in the eyes of God.  May we grow in our understanding of the Scriptures and may we be bathed in the love of God, through the work of Jesus, the Christ.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+3%3A7-18&version=NIV
Passage: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Verse: 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

It is the Spirit of the Lord, living within a believer, which allows a believer to reflect the character and nature of God to others. But we, with our imperfections, do not always allow for a clear reflection to be seen.  Sometimes those imperfections are removed through the fires found while living in a fallen world such as ours.  At other times, those imperfections can only be skimmed off the surface of a tarnished heart when we take the time to slow down and listen to the wee small voice that is trying to break free from within.  May we be open to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to renew, shape, and guide us to be better reflectors of God’s love in this world.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+6%3A52-65&version=NIV
Passage: John 6:52-65
Verse: John 6:63 (NIV)
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

What a precious gift we have been given!  The Holy Spirit lives inside the heart of each believer.  How blessed we are when we can feel the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives, but how forlorn we can become when He seems so far away.  May we faithfully seek Him.  May we grow to hear His voice more clearly with each passing day.  May we treasure the guidance and reassurance he provides.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+2%3A12-3%3A6&version=NIV
Passage: 2 Corinthians 2:12-3:6
Verse: 2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV)
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

As Christians, we are all ministers of a new covenant – the gospel of Jesus the Christ, a message of love for God and others.  God has done, and is doing, a work in each one of us.  He is preparing us to serve Him, to help build His kingdom, and to share the gospel message with others.  May we, through the work and guidance of the Holy Spirit, spread a message of life in Christ to those seeking after such things.  May the covenant be written upon our hearts, but an open book for all to see and read.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15%3A18-25&version=NIV
Passage: John 15:18-25
Verses: John 15:18, 21 (NIV)
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

We want to be liked by others.  However, it can be tough when we are reminded that not everyone is going to like us.  Additionally, it can be difficult when we realize that their dislike of us may simply be because we love and try to follow Jesus and His example for holy living.  As a disciple, this should not surprise us.  Jesus tells us, through the Scriptures, that just as they hate Him, they will hate us.  May we stand firm when we are experiencing the hatred that unbelievers have of us.  May we turn to the Holy Spirit for strength and wisdom at those times.  Through our witness, may those who persecute us see the error of their ways.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)