Filed under: encouragement
“See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.”
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”
Isaiah 40:10b; Ephesians 1:5, 7
encouragement for today
Earlier we saw from Isaiah 40 that the Messiah will “bring his reward as he comes.” What is his reward? We are—the children he has redeemed by his blood. The Father’s desire was to adopt us into his own family, and it gave him great pleasure to have Jesus, his Son, do this for him. This plan was born of love from beginning to end—love from the Father to the Son and to his adopted children, love from the Son to the Father as he comes with his reward and presents us to the Father.
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
March 6, 2010
“Hezekiah was delighted with the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
“Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Listen to this message from the LORD of Heaven’s Armies: “The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,” says the LORD. “Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon’s king.”‘
“Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘This message you have given me from the LORD is good.’ For the king was thinking, ‘At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.’”
Isaiah 39: 2, 5–8
encouragement for today
God in his mercy spared Hezekiah’s life, but because Hezekiah’s pride continued, the consequences of his showing the Babylonian visitors his treasures would mean disaster for his descendants. Notice Hezekiah’s response to Isaiah’s message: outward assent but inward selfishness. He didn’t care about his descendants but cared only for his personal peace and security. This attitude permeates our world too. It’s the perfect example of how the sinful nature works: I only care abut myself and my own personal peace and security and do not care about the consequences of my actions or decisions for those who come after me.
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
March 2, 2010
“It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.”
Galatians 6:15–16
encouragement for today
This is the bottom line in the Christian faith: Are we being changed into new and different people? Mercy and peace characterize people who truly trust Christ alone and are being transformed to be like Jesus. This is the measure of your spiritual growth: Are you continually being changed from the inside out?
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
February 25, 2010
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says.
– James 1:22
THOUGHT:
“The proof of the pudding is in the tasting.”
The proof of biblical wisdom and understanding is in
the living. To simply know the truth doesn’t mean a
whole lot; to live the truth is everything.
PRAYER:
O LORD God, empower me with your Spirit as I seek
to not only “practice what I preach,” but also show
my obedience to your will and live consistently with
your character in my daily life. I pray in the name
of Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.
February 16, 2010
On this day of your life, Janet, we believe God wants you to know … that how bad things may look right now means nothing, – it’s how good they can be with God’s help that counts.
In life you can absolutely count on one thing, – everything can turn around in one day, in one minute sometimes. Don’t you dare to give up, – you might be a moment away from a windfall.
January 31, 2010
“The LORD detests evil plans,
but he delights in pure words.”
Proverbs 15:26
encouragement for today
Do you like the idea that you can delight God? Well, here’s one way: using pure words. Words that build up and heal and tell of God’s goodness, holiness, and might. True words. Words spoken from a pure heart. Today, bring a smile to God’s heart with pure words!
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
December 12, 2009
“Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth!
This is what the LORD says:
‘The children I raised and cared for
have rebelled against me.
Even an ox knows its owner,
and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—
but Israel doesn’t know its master.’”
Isaiah 1:2–3
encouragement for today
Listen to the parental grief in these verses. God longs to care for us and to have us love him back. He loves us! He yearns for a relationship of joy and trust. Is this your image of God? If not, let these words, and especially the emotion behind them, sink into your heart. God loves you!
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
November 29, 2009
I subscribe to one of facebook’s apps about “Today God wants you to know…” and today’s message was a real hit: God wants me to know that happiness has nothing to do with pleasure…
You feel pleasure when you want something and you get it. Or when you don’t want something and you remove it. Pleasure is always relative. Happiness is absolute. Happiness is the understanding and acceptance of life as it is in this very moment as completely perfect, because every creation of God is perfect. The degree to which you do not accept life in all of the Divine forms is the degree to which you suffer.
November 18, 2009
“They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.”
2 Corinthians 8:2–3, 5
encouragement for today
Paul was writing about the church in Macedonia. The Macedonians gave beyond their means, but that attitude was grounded in a prior action: They dedicated themselves to the Lord and to whatever Paul instructed them to do. This open willingness to do whatever God wanted was the secret of their joy and their generosity. How might you emulate them in your own giving?
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
November 13, 2009
“Enjoy prosperity while you can,
but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.
Remember that nothing is certain in this life.”
Ecclesiastes 7:14
encouragement for today
A timely verse for now! Hard times are also from God. They have a purpose: to keep us dependent and not too tied to this world. During the good times, we can be lulled into thinking that this is all there is to life. Hard times force us to reflect on ultimate realities. Or so they should.
—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions
November 1, 2009
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