His Goodness and Mercy Will Always Follow Me

In review of Psalm 145:20 it tells me that, “The LORD watches over all who love him” (NIV).

Today’s verse comes from Psalm 145:20. In it, David tells us of how the Lord watches over and protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.

Sometimes my burdens seem more than I can bear, and I may even wonder how I can continue on. In this psalm David stood at a similar bleak intersection of life's road and meditated on the Lord, the great burden-bearer. God is able to lift up because He is full of love, he satisfies all who trust in him. I can know that he hears my cries and will rescue me.

When God fills me to overflowing, I never need to fear the future. His goodness and mercy are with me every day. I’m following the Good Shepherd, and he is out in front of me with his rod and staff. And at the back of the flock are a couple of sheepdogs, goodness and mercy, nipping at my heels, making sure I don’t run off into a ravine. These two sheepdogs keep me on track as I follow the Good Shepherd.

God’s goodness is watching over me. Not a second has ever passed in my life when God was not watching me? God is always paying attention, because he created me to love me. He knows the highs and lows, the good and the bad, the ups and the downs. God knows every detail of my life. Psalm 145:20 says, “The Lord watches over all who love him” (NIV).

Not only does he watch over me, he also protects me. The Bible says that God even sends his angels to protect me wherever I go (Psalm 91:11)?

God’s protection doesn’t mean that only good things will happen. Suffering and disappointment will still come my way. But God will ensure that good will come out of everything that happens to me, whether or not I’m able to see in this lifetime how he has been working.

God’s grace is working in me. The Bible says in Isaiah 60:10, “I will have mercy on you through my grace” (TLB).

Grace is when God gives me what I don’t deserve. Mercy is when God doesn’t give me what I do deserve. For all the ways I’ve sinned, failed, and made mistakes, I deserve punishment. Yet God pardons and forgives me through Christ, that’s mercy.

It is God’s nature to be merciful. He loves to show his mercy. He doesn’t get bored with it. He doesn’t get tired of it. He doesn’t get frustrated that I keep coming back for more. God doesn’t say, “Okay, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, we’ll give goodness, and on Tuesday and Thursday, we’ll give mercy, and on Saturday and Sunday, I’m on my own.” He’s with me every moment of every day.

Nobody knows what’s going to happen next week, much less next year or in the next 10 years. But when I face the future, I can know this: God will fill my life to overflowing and his goodness and mercy will be with me. There is no need to fear.

Bottom Line:

He protects all those who love him, but destroys the wicked.

What this means to me:

The Lord will watch over and protect me because I love him.

In summary, the Lord watches over and protects me. He is able to so because he is full of love. I never need to fear what's ahead, for his goodness and mercy are will me every day. I'm following the good shepherd and in back of me are his sheepdogs, goodness and mercy, making sure I stay on track.

Today Father I thank you for your goodness, mercy and loving protection for me. You do this because you love me deeply and care about what happens. I pray this morning Father that I take your love, kindness, goodness and mercy into my day as I live it out. I was for your wisdom and guidance in my work, my leadership and my interaction with others. I pray this through your Son Jesus name, amen.

Four Habits to Help Me Rest in God’s Goodness

In review of John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me” (CEV).

Today’s verse is John 15:5. In it Jesus tells me he is the vine, and I am a branch. If I remain in him, and he in me, I will bear much fruit; for I can do nothing without him.

Remaining in Christ means (1) believing that he is God's Son, (2) receiving him as Savior and Lord, (3) doing what God says, (4) continuing to believe the Good News, and (5) relating in love to the community of believers, Christ's body.

How do I rest in God’s goodness? How do I experience the abundant life he has for me?

There are are four daily habits that I have come across that will help move me from overwhelmed to overflowing.

First is to stay connected to Jesus every day. Jesus tells me, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me” (John 15:5 CEV). If I try to go through life on my own power, I’m going to be overwhelmed. A toaster cannot fulfill its purpose unless it’s plugged in to the power. Likewise I cannot fulfill my purpose and enjoy God’s goodness unless I’m plugged in to his power.

The second is to replace my complaining with gratefulness. “Do everything without complaining and arguing” (Philippians 2:14 NLT). Science has proven that complaining and practicing gratitude both have an impact on my health. Complaining is a deeply unhealthy emotion. On the other hand, studies have shown that gratitude is the healthiest emotion. It produces serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin in your brain—those are the chemicals that boost happiness and lower stress.

The third is to stop being stingy, and start being generous.“Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple, so that there will be plenty of food there. Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things” (Malachi 3:10 GNT). God wired a universal law into the world: The more I give away, the more I’m going to get. He did that because he wants me to become more like him. God is a giver. Everything we have is the gift of God’s generosity. The more generous I am, the more God is going to bless me in every single area of your life. My life will overflow!

The fourth is to stop comparing, and start being content. “It is better to be content with what little you have. Otherwise, you will always be struggling for more, and that is like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6 NCV). Contentment is not abandoning my ambition. I ought to have ambition. I ought to make the most of what God has given me. Contentment doesn’t mean I don’t have any goals, dreams, or plans for your life. Contentment simply means I don’t need more in order to be happy. I’m happy right now with what I’ve been given. Contentment means my happiness doesn’t depend upon circumstances; it depends upon God, the Good Shepherd who has blessed me with every good gift.

By nature, I am discontent. But by God’s grace, I can rest content in his goodness to me. When I grasp that most things in my life are simply gracious gifts from God, my life will go from overwhelming to overflowing.

Today, I need to stay connected, be grateful, be generous and learn to be content. Father I pray for change of heart today. To live for you. To be content. To serve well. I ask for your wisdom and guidance in my day. I pray this through your Son Jesus Christ.

The Right Motivation to Obey God

In review of John 15:14 Jesus tells me, “You are my friends if you do what I command” (NLT).

Jesus said in John 15:14, “You are my friends if you do what I command” (NLT).

I can’t say I love Jesus and then go live like the enemy. I can’t say I’m a Christ follower and then keep on living a self-centered life. I can’t just pick and choose the verses that I want to listen to and ignore the ones I don’t. Jesus says I’m his friend if I obey him and his commandments.

I don’t obey him out of guilt or fear or obligation. I obey him because he loves me! He wants the best for me. He loves me like nobody else will ever love me. The Bible says the only reason there’s love in the world is because God is love. I obey God out of love, because he loved and saved me.

I could do anything I wanted to do, however Jesus has changed my wants. I no longer want to do those things now. They are cheap, phony thrills that seem to give a temporary kick to life, but then they kick back. They may look like freedom, but they don’t last, and they lead to despair, not dignity and depression, not delight.

John 15:9-11 says, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me . . . When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

God doesn’t want me to obey him because I’m afraid of him. He doesn’t want me to obey him because I’m scared of punishment. God wants me to obey him because of love. It’s his love that leads to true joy.

Bottom Line:

Become his friend, do as he commands.

What this means to me:

When I do as he has commanded, I become his friend.

In summary, I'm am his friend if I do what he commands. I can't say I'm his friend and follower and then go on living a self-centered life. I can't just pick and choose the verses I want to listen to and follow and ignore the others. I obey God out of love, because he loved and saved me. It's his love that leads to true joy.

I thank you God and Jesus for your love and caring for me. Today I pray for your wisdom and guidance as I orchestrate my day, my work activities, my leadership and my interaction with others. I pray this through your Son Jesus name, amen.

Humility Builds Relationships

In review of Philippians 2:3 it tells me to “Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves” (NCV).

Today’s verse is Philippians 2:3. In it Paul tells me to not be selfish; and not try to impress others. Rather I should be humble, thinking of others as being better than myself.

What I’m learning is that selfishness ruins, but genuine humility builds. Being humble involves having a true perspective about myself. It doesn't mean that I should put myself down. Before God, I am a sinner, saved by God's grace, but I'm saved and and therefore have great worth in God's eyes and in his Kingdom. I am to lay aside my selfishness and treat others with respect and common courtesy. Considering others' interests as more important than my own will link me with Christ, who was a true example of humility.

Pride destroys relationships. It shows up in a lot of different ways, like criticism, competition, stubbornness, and superficiality. The problem with pride is it’s self-deceiving. Everybody else can see it in me but me. When I have a problem with pride, I won’t see it in my life.

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin” (NCV). The same verse in the Message paraphrase: “First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”

Pride destroys relationships, but humility is the antidote to pride. Humility builds relationships. The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:8, “Everyone must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble” (GW).

How am I going to grow in humility? It happens by letting Jesus Christ begin to control my thoughts, heart, attitude and reactions. He’s got to be a part of this. Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person” (CEV).

How do I become a new person? How do I start to think in a different way? What I’m learning is that the basic law of relationships is this: I’ll tend to become like the people you spend time with. If I spend time with grumpy people, I’ll get grumpier. If I spend time with happy people, I’ll get happier. If I want to have more humility, spend time with Jesus Christ. He is humble. He wants a relationship with me. He wants me to spend time with him in prayer and reading his Word and talking to him. He is humble, and as I get to know him, I’ll become more like him.

“Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves . . . You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to” (Philippians 2:3, 5-6 NCV/NLT).

No one has done anything more humble than Jesus, coming from heaven to Earth to become a man, live for us, give his life for us, and be resurrected for us. When I spend time with him, it makes me more humble, and that builds your relationships.

Bottom Line:

Don't be selfish, be humble, putting others above yourself.

What this means to me:

I should lay aside my selfish desires and need to impress others. Instead I need to be humble and consider others better than myself.

In summary, selfishness ruins, but genuine humility builds. I need to learn to lay aside my selfishness and treat others with respect and common courtesy. I need to consider others' interests are more important than my own. Pride will destroy. It can be self-deceiving, everyone can see it in me but me. Humility on my part is the antidote to pride. I can learn to grow in humility by spending time with Jesus and letting him control my thoughts, heart, attitude and reactions.

I pray this morning Jesus that you, your character, your thoughts become mine and I that I being to model my life more like yours. Help me to “WWJD” (what would Jesus do) be in my thoughts as I think about and interact with others. I also ask you Father to give me wisdom and guidance in how I handle my tasks, leadership and interaction with others. I also thank you Father for your guidance yesterday in handling our data center infrastructure incident. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name, amen.

Knowing God Is What Matters Most

In review of Philippians 3:8 it reminds me that, “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (NLT).

Today's verse from Paul says, what is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

I need to value my relationship with Christ as more important than anything else. To know Christ should be my ultimate goal. I know him better by; (1) studying the life of Christ in the Gospels. See how Christ lived and responded to people. (2) studying all the New Testament references to Christ. (3) Letting the Holy Spirit remind me of Christ's word as I worship and pray. (4) Take up Christ's mission to preach the gospel and learn from his sufferings. To do this means making major changes in my thinking and in my lifestyle. Am I willing to change my values in order to know Christ better? Will I fix or rearrange my crowded schedule in order to set aside a few minutes each day for prayer and Bible study? Will I change some of my plans, goals and desires in order to confirm with what I learn about Christ? Whatever I must change or give up, having Christ and becoming one with him will be more than worth the sacrifice.

I’ll never become a friend of God in my spare time. I have to make knowing God my number one priority in life.

Paul says it like this: “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8 NLT).

I’m as close to God as I choose to be. I’m going to become a friend of God when I want to become a friend of God.

I can’t blame anybody else. I’m as close to God as I want to be. And if I feel far from God, it was me who moved, not him. I didn’t make him the number one priority of my life.

Knowing and loving God is my greatest privilege. And being known and being loved by God is my greatest pleasure.

I can tell what’s important to people by what they brag about. If their kids are most important, they brag about their kids. If their job is the most important thing in their life, they brag about their job. If travel and having experiences is most important, that’s what they talk about. In my own life, I will brag about what I value most.

God says in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth. If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me” (GNT).

This is what life is all about. Knowing God is what matters most. The God of the universe loves me and wants to have a relationship with me. Getting close to God will give me peace and perspective.

Bottom Line:

Knowing Christ is the most important thing in life.

What this means to me:

My goal should be to know Christ and learn from him on how I should I should live my life.

In summary, I can consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake it is worth losing all things. I need to value my relationship with Christ as more important than anything else. To know Chris should be my ultimate goal. To do so means making major changes in my thinking and in my lifestyle. I make knowing God my number one priority in my life. I must remember, that I'm as close to God as I choose to be. Knowing Christ is what life is all about. The God of the universe loves and wants to have a relationship with me.

Today’s study is a great reminder of the highest priority of my life, getting to know and have a relationship with God and Jesus. Second to this is loving those around me. I pray this morning Father for reminders throughout the day of how you desire to have a close relationship with me. I also ask you for wisdom and guidance as I go about handling my tasks, leading my team and interacting with others. This I pray through your Son Jesus name, amen.