Romans 13:1 (ESV): “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”
     Years ago there was a song with the lyrics, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me!” People may like the idea of respect, but from God’s perspective, it is not just a nice idea—it is a command. He tells us
in His Word that we are to submit ourselves under the leadership of those in authority. Why does God care whether I listen to people in positions of authority, such as my parents, my boss, my minister, or a police officer? Because if you and I refuse to be subject to visible authorities, we will never submit to an invisible God. We also need to keep in mind that God is the one who raises up kings and who also removes them from their thrones (Psalm 75:7), which means that positions of authority and the people who fill them have been instituted by Him. We may not always like our authority figures or even fully trust them at times, but we can trust God. Our allegiance is ultimately to Him. Therefore, our thoughts, words, and behaviors should reflect a right attitude. We honor God by showing respect to those who govern. Let us cultivate a habit of praying for those in leadership over us. There is a great responsibility placed on their shoulders, for which they are ultimately accountable to God.

Honor God by treating the authority in your life with respect today!
Theresa

2 Kings 6:16 (NLT): “’Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’”
     The Arameans were at war with the children of Israel. Each time they set up a plan to attack, however, the Lord would reveal the plan to Elisha and he would go and warn the king of Israel. The king of Aram
began to suspect that he had a traitor in his troops. His men told him they were not traitors, but a certain prophet of God named Elisha was the one telling Israel all of their battle plans. The king of Aram sent his soldiers to capture the prophet. On that day, Elisha’s servant looked out of the window and saw that their house was surrounded by the Aramean army. He was afraid. Elisha calmed his servant and asked God to open the eyes of the young man, and God did. When the servant looked out of the window again, he saw that the Aramean army was surrounded by an army of angels on horses and flaming chariots!
     The Bible tells us that God commands His angels to watch over His children (Psalm 91:11). The enemy will try to send his minions to capture us, but we have nothing to fear. We are never left to defend ourselves. Our God, who is always watching over us, has His mighty Army in place to fight for us. The next time you find yourself afraid, remind yourself that you are surrounded by the Army of the Lord (Psalm 139:5)!

God will give His angels charge over you today!
Theresa

John 21:16 (NIV): “Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’”
     When we consider all that Christ has done for us, our hearts should be eager to serve Him. Genuine gratitude should motivate us to ask the question, “What can I do for you, Lord?” While we cannot do anything to earn Christ’s love or His gift of salvation, we can demonstrate our love and gratitude for Him by “feeding His sheep.” We should actively tell others the good news of the Gospel. People need to know that there is a Savior who loves them and wants to reconcile them back into the family of God. We are the Body of Christ, and He wants to love others through us. If we love Him, we will love others (Matthew 22:36-40).

Allow Christ to love others through you today!
Theresa

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