Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV): “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
     Self-deception is often rooted in pride.  The prophet Jeremiah pointed out one of man’s biggest problems is that the heart is deceitful. Mankind, at large, is blind to self and overly reliant on what we feel to be true about ourselves.  We see ourselves through the lens of our own personal worldview; consisting of my experiences, my beliefs, and my expectations.  The problem, too often, is the lens we view self through is distorted. Consequently, we base our thoughts, beliefs, and actions on distorted truths.  Much like the distortion of a fun house mirror, the “self” we see is not always the “self” that really we are. Self-deception is a primary reason why we need accountability from others.  We may convince ourselves that we are right and good, but the fruit in our lives and its effects on other people will reveal truth.  Others serve as genuine mirrors for us to see our true selves.

Dare to look at yourself through the mirror of another today!
Theresa

Psalm 23:4 (ESV): “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
     There is nowhere that you or I can go and be away from the Presence of God. Think about that for a moment. God is with us when we are in the green pastures and beside the still waters. He is with us when we are on the mountain tops and when we are in the valleys. And, God is with us during the darkest hours of our lives. Circumstances may seem bleak and fearful. The enemy may whisper haunting words to chill our spirits, but God is always with us. He is like a Guardian that goes before us and brings up the rear behind us. He encamps around His children (Psalm 34:7). We are protected by the covering of the Almighty. God tells us not be fearful and not to be dismayed, because He is our strength and our help, and He upholds us in His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).  


Rest easy…Christ is walking before you today!
Theresa

Luke 15:10 (ESV): “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

You matter. It’s true! You may feel small or insignificant. There may be times when other people ignore you, or divorce you, or dismiss you. But, you still matter! There is a God in heaven who took great care in designing you; intentionally creating you to be in a relationship with Him. And, on the day that you opened your heart to receive His love, Heaven rejoiced! We’re not talking about a little smile or a polite clap, but an all-out explosion of cheers and praises! Music played, angels danced, Heaven stopped to celebrate you…the one that Jesus loves. A banner now hangs in glory with your name, “Welcome to the family of God!” (Luke 10:20).

Jesus loves you today!
Theresa

Proverbs 10:28 (ESV): “The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”

The elusive goal of happiness…How often have we thought, “I just want to be happy.” The truth is, though, that happiness is a fleeting feeling. It is an emotional high that comes and it goes. What we should desire is joy. This is a deep-seeded state of being that anchors our hearts and minds regardless of the fickle emotions of the day. Solomon wrote that the hope of the righteous is what seals joy in our spirits. What is that hope? Jesus Christ! Because of Christ, we are filled with the hope of eternal life spent with Him and freedom from sin, sickness, sorrow, and death. No circumstance in our day can shake this hope. Solomon went on to say that the expectation of the wicked will perish. Why? Because everything apart from Christ is fading away. It is temporary and will not last. Christ is the only true source of contentment and fulfillment. Seek Christ today and be filled with His joy!


Rejoice in the Lord today!
Theresa

Jude 1:24 (ESV): “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy….”

Jesus is not only our Redeemer, He is our Keeper. When we are not able to control our lusts, Christ can. When we are not able to control our anger, Christ can. When we are not able to make ourselves walk uprightly, Christ can. When we are not able to make ourselves holy, Christ can. Jesus saved us to Himself, for Himself; and He will keep us from stumbling. And, on that day when we stand before God the Father, He will see us as blameless and perfect because of Christ alone.

Jesus is all you need today!
Theresa

Ezekiel 37:1-3 (ESV): “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’”

We go through “dry seasons” in this life. Times when we think that God is a million miles away. Our souls feel thirsty and parched. Our hearts struggle to beat. Perhaps we struggle with an addiction or sinful habit. Joyless. Lifeless. Dry bones. But, there is a Hope in Jesus Christ! He can speak over our soul, quench our thirst, and breathe new life into our spirit. Can these dry bones live again? In Christ, all things are possible! When the Life-Giver breathes on us, we can come alive again (Ezekiel 37:5)!

Christ can breathe new life in you today!
Theresa

Romans 8:38-39 (ESV): “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus loves you. There is nothing you can do to change that fact. You cannot be too bad; you cannot sin too much; you cannot ignore Him enough to make Him love you less. Likewise, you cannot be too good; you cannot work too hard; you cannot be too nice to make Him love you more. Jesus’s love for you is not dependent upon anything that you do or do not do. He loves you because He chooses to do so. Because of this fact, there is nothing that can remove you from the love of Christ. Once you belong to Him, you are safe in the palms of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). Who or what could possibly snatch you away from the all-present, all-knowing, all-powerful God of the universe? Absolutely nothing! 

Jesus loves you today!
Theresa