Psalm 123:2 (NLT)

We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as the servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.

            A good waiter or waitress can make all the difference in how pleasant your dining experience is. If they are good at their job they notice when your glass is almost empty and they refill it before you even realize it needs filled. They also watch you often to see if you make eye contact to signify that you have a need. That is how the servants in this verse are, but they are even better. They are constantly watching what their master needs and they know their masters expressions, likes, and actions to the point that the master can just look at them and barely move their head and the servant knows exactly what to do. They are so in tune with their master that they are ready to move at a moments notice to do the masters bidding. It is imperative that they are able to see their master and not have any distractions that would hinder them from attending to their masters need.

            We need to be like that with our heavenly Father. We need to be so in tune with Him, know His word so well that when He gives us the slightest signal we know that we need to act. In Psalm 123:1 it says, “I lift my eyes to you, O God” and verse two says “we keep looking to the Lord our God for His mercy”.  God wants to show us mercy. He has plans to show us mercy. Mercy is a blessing and an act of divine favor or compassion. It can also mean withholding the punishment or judgment that our sin deserves.  God wants to give us His divine favor and blessing in our lives, but we have to be watching Him and listening to Him to really receive that favor.

            Psalm 25:15 says, “My eyes are always on the Lord, for He will pull my feet out of the net.” We watch God and keep our eyes focused on Him so that He can help us out of any trouble that we are in. The Bible says that God will enlighten our eyes when we follow the statutes of the Lord and keep His pure commandments (Psalm 19:8). In Psalm 145:15 it tells us that God will give meat in due season to those whose eyes are on Him. He wants to meet our needs and give us all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). God wants us to know Him and His will and the good He has for us (1 Corinthians 2:12). God has created us and created good for us. He wants to protect us, provide for us, bless us, and show us favor- but through out the Bible it says that we are to keep our eyes on Him. He has these blessings for us, but we have to do something to cooperate with Him.  

            How do we cooperate with Him and learn to notice His nudges? We learn more about Him by spending time in His word, hearing His word, studying His word, meditating on it day and night. We spend time in prayer and fellowshipping with believers. When we do these things we are putting ourselves in a position to have a direct view of God. When we work to stay in constant communication with Him our view of Him will not be hindered and we will not be distracted.

 I know in my life I am going through a season of becoming more aware of my distractions. Between work, family responsibilities, t.v., facebook, etc it is easy to be distracted from the time I should be spending with God. All of these things are good to a point, but I am being reminded of the importance of keeping first things first and setting priorities in my life so that I can do the things that God would nudge me to do. I am working to look towards God and trying to focus on the things that will be of eternal significance and give those things top priority, and to limit the time I spend doing things that are just temporal distractions.

Some distractions may not be of our own choosing. They may be medical issues, family circumstances, or financial difficulties. These are legitimate concerns that we can not always control. We have to learn in these situations to do what we can, and when we have done all we can do, to put those on a back burner in our minds and focus on Him. Are there any distractions you need to lay aside at the moment so that you can have a clearer view of what God has for you? As you go through your week I challenge you to look at every activity that you do, every thought that you think, and consider whether it helps you to grow or whether it brings you further from God’s plan in your life. Cooperate with God by keeping your eyes on Him so that He can bring the help, protection, blessing, and favor in your life that He wants to bring.  

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT)

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

One memory I have from childhood is lying in bed listening to my parents in the next room as they talked and watched TV. I remember it so well not because it was such an outstanding event, but because of how comfortable and safe it made me feel. I loved going to sleep knowing that my parents were right there and if I could hear them, then they would be able to hear me if I needed them. One thing we all want in life is to be comfortable and to be comforted when we are hurting.

            In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 it says that God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. This past week I have seen so many people who are in need of comfort. I have had a family member in the hospital, friends whose spouses have passed away, and been told of another family who is dealing with a sorrow so horrible I can’t even imagine it- just to name a few. I know that their hearts are hurting, and they need comforted. I also know that they only true comforter for them is God. I am so thankful that God says in His word that He will be our comfort.

            Comfort in the Strong’s Concordance means to call to ones side, summon, console, encourage, strengthen by consolation, instruct, and teach. It is so good to know that God is always right by our side no matter what we are facing today. He is present to console us, comfort us, and encourage us.  It says here that comfort can also mean to instruct and teach. I think this is also fitting because in many of the storms and trials that we face we need God to teach us how to keep on keeping on. Sometimes we need His strength and His wisdom just to get out of bed in the morning and put one foot in front of the other. Maybe you need wisdom to know how to pay the bills, what the right medical decisions are, what relationships to focus on and which ones you need to lay aside, and even how to live alone after the death of a loved one.

            David had times where he struggled with the death of loved ones, murder in his own family, betrayal by those he thought were his friends and family, times where he didn’t know how he was going to face the day. He had times where he wanted to curl up and give up. In Psalm 119:49-50 it says “Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my trouble.” God has given us His word full of promises. Promises to help us no matter what trouble we find ourselves in. It is so good to know that we can rest in the hope of God’s promises for whatever problem we are facing today.

            Another important part of verse 4 of 2 Corinthians 1 says that God comforts us in our troubles so that after we are comforted we are then able to comfort others in the same way we were comforted. I have two children and one of them in particular doesn’t like to go to sleep at night unless my husband and I are in the living room watching TV or talking. I find it interesting that my son now seeks comfort in the same way I did as a child, and now I get to be the comforter instead of the comforted. When we have gone through a particularly rough season and we have come out on the other side, we need to remember that there are other people who are still facing situations that are very similar to ours. We need to watch and see if an opportunity presents itself for us to minister God’s comfort to others in the same way that we have been comforted.

            I don’t know what season you are in right now. Maybe you are in a stormy season. A season where the rain is blinding you, the wind is beating against you, and you feel that you can hardly move. God is there to comfort you. God’s comfort may come to you through His word, through another person, or even just a peace in your heart, but the comfort is there and available to you. Maybe you are in a season of peace and comfort right now. A time where you don’t feel that you need God’s comfort in such an obvious way. This might be a time for you to think of the times that God has been faithful to be your rock and your comfort, and for you to go and be a comfort to someone else. No matter which season of life you are in at the moment, God is there. He has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and that our sorrow will be turned into joy (John 16:22).

2 Timothy 1:9

2 Timothy 1:9 (NLT)

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life.  He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from the beginning of time- to show us his grace through Jesus.

It seems like when we become Christians we end up having several questions. One thing we question is why did God save us? Often when we very first get saved we had the realization that God did indeed love us and he did send Jesus and so we invite Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. We can get on an emotional high and “feel” saved and loved. Once that newness wears off though, sometimes we don’t “feel” loved or even saved. Maybe we have messed up and fallen back into an old behavior that we shouldn’t have. That often leads to the question- “Why did God save me?”       

            We may not feel like we deserve it, but this verse explains that we don’t deserve it.  God didn’t save us because we deserved it. He saved us because it was His plan from the beginning of time. When He made man with free will He knew that man would mess up, that man would need saved.  Since He knew this He also had a plan for redemption for us.  He didn’t save us because we deserve it on our own- He did it because He chose to love us and make a way for us.

            In the King James Version it says that God called us according to His own purpose and grace in Christ Jesus and not because of our own works.  When I read this I was curious what grace meant in this verse in the Greek. What I found was fascinating to me.  It says that grace is a manner or act: especially the divine influence on the heart, and its reflection on the life. It also includes benefit, favor, gift, joy, liberality, pleasure, and thanks. 

            I have always thought of grace as God’s strength and mercy for me. I had never really thought before that part of God’s grace was His divine influence on my heart and that His influence should be what is reflected in my life. When that influence is reflected people should see joy, favor, liberality, pleasure, and a life of thanksgiving in me. So I have a part to play in God’s grace for me. God’s job is to influence our heart and our job is to reflect that influence.

            This goes right into a second question we often have as Christians. One I know I have often found myself asking, and that is- what is God’s call for my life? Right here in 2 Timothy 1:9 we see part of the call and that is to live a holy life. A life that is sacred and set apart for Him.  A life where we reflect His glory and His influence. A life of joy, thankfulness, favor, and obedience to His word.

            Why did God save you? Because He wanted to. He wanted you to be His and He wanted to show His glory and favor in your life. What is God’s call for your life? I don’t know the details of His call and plan for you- but a good place to start is by living your life in a way that you are a reflection of His influence. A reflection of Jesus. A life that shows you are blessed and highly favored. When we start living our life following this basic call the more specific call will become more and more evident. May you go about this week in the knowledge that God saved you because He wanted to save you and acknowledge the love He has for you.

1 John 4:18

Scripture Reading: 1 John 4

Key Scripture: 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

To really conquer fear in our life we have to know where we stand with God. We have to know who we are to God and in God. We must understand that He loves us with a perfect love before we can really trust Him enough to let go of our fears. In the Amplified Bible 1 John 4:18 says that “There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it thoughts of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into loves complete perfection].” Notice that it says fear brings with it thoughts of punishment. I believe that so many of us still have a view of God as the God who punishes, more than the God who loves. This is a mind set that we have to change.

All my life fear has been one of the greatest challenges in my faith. I didn’t completely realize that I was afraid of God and that fear held me back from trusting Him. Even though I have spent many years studying the subject of fear in the Bible there is still so much that I realize I have to overcome. One time I was sitting in a Lady’s meeting with my church, and the speaker asked us to think about what it was like when we first came to Christ. How we were so in love with God and how we felt His love and peace in our lives. It was like a ton of bricks fell on me because I realized that is part of what has really been lacking for me in my attempt to conquer fear. When I came to God at the age of 9 years old, I was not coming to God because I felt like He loved me or I loved Him- I came to Christ because I did not want to go to hell. I was so scared that I might die and go to hell.  I didn't even realize that was the main motivator for my relationship with God all these years.

Everything that I did for God wasn’t so much because of my love for Him or His love for me, it was to try and please Him so that I could go to heaven. This really gave me a mentality full of condemnation and works. I grew up thinking I had to be perfect in order to earn God’s love. I thought He would punish me if I messed up or didn’t think the right thoughts, if I didn’t read my Bible or pray enough God might get mad at me and punish me somehow. As I matured into adulthood I gained a lot of head knowledge about the right way to think. I knew that God loved me and wanted what was best for me, but I know that in the back of my head there was still this little part feeling like I had to earn His love or that I could not trust Him not to punish me in a harsh way. I remember when I was in college and found the verse Romans 8:1 that says there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, how free I felt. I would beat myself up over and over for anything that I thought might not be pleasing to God. If I didn’t pray as much as I thought I should, or as much as my friends did, or my teachers thought I should etc. So to know that if I was living to Christ and trying to serve Him, then I did not need to live under that condemnation any longer was so exciting and very freeing.

Another verse that was so neat to me was Romans 8:38 that says, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t and life can’t, the angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away.” No matter what we have done, are doing, or will do God loves us! In Jeremiah 31:3 it says that He loves us with an everlasting love. Romans 5:8 points out that even when we were still sinners Christ died for us! God did not wait for us to be perfect. He already sent Jesus to pay for anything we could do or have done- we just have to accept His free gift of love and forgiveness. 2 Peter 3:9 says that it is not God’s will for any to perish and Jeremiah 1:5 says that God knew us before we were even born. So God knew us before we were even put her on this earth. God knew we would make mistakes because we were coming to a sin filled world. He knew that we would not be perfect, but it is still His will that none of us shall perish! He sent Jesus to die for us even before we made the mistakes because He knew we would. It doesn’t matter what you have done or what has been done to you, God loves YOU! In Psalm 139:17 it tells us that God’s thoughts towards us are precious. Maybe it has been too long since you have felt precious to anyone- especially yourself. But that doesn’t matter to God- you are precious to Him. Maybe people have told you that you are worthless, good for nothing, and you should never have been born. Maybe you even tell yourself that- but God never thinks that or says that to you. He speaks to you that you are his beloved (2 Thessalonians 2:13). He loves you unconditionally and wants you to become part of His family.

We must realize His love is for us individually and not just as a church. He loves us no matter who we are, what we have done, what we look like, or what we are going through. You have to have this ingrained in your heart in order to understand the basics of living a fear free life. Without God’s love we can not have a solid foundation to conquer fear. God has built that foundation in our lives with the perfect love that has no fear of torment or punishment. A love that says you are forgiven as soon as you ask. This is the foundation that we will be able to lay the rest of the precepts that we learn about letting go of fear upon. Beloved, accept God’s love in your life. Let Him love you with an everlasting love that is so far above what we can even think or imagine. Continue studying with me as we discover who we are in Christ and what God’s promises are for us in His Word because we are His children. As we gain security in His Word and His love, fear will begin to melt away in our lives and we will be truly fearless in this world full of fear.



Confession/Prayer

Father- I thank You that You are love. That Your perfect love casts out all fear that may try and hinder me in my life. I thank You that Your thoughts towards me are precious and that You love me with an everlasting love. I don’t have to earn Your love, but You give it to me freely. Thank you that this love protects my heart and heals my hurts.

In Jesus Name

Amen