February 12 Precious Jesus

1 Peter 1:18-19

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Praise God for sending His Son In His Great Love!

“He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life. Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water. Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest. Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King. Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons. Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears. Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world. Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd. Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.”

Gregory Of Nazianzus 350 A.D.

Jeff

February 11 Everlasting & Unchanging

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good: His mercy is everlasting: and his truth endureth to all generations.

Truth is timeless. Truth does not differ from one age to another, from one people to another, from one geographical location to another. Men’s ideas may differ, men’s customs may change, men’s moral codes may vary, but God’s great all-prevailing Truth stands for time and eternity.

Billy Graham

February 10 The Perfect Prayer

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Just because we develop into a more mature Christian, does not mean that we have all the answers. A mature Christian is not marked by how much they speak, but by how much they are able to control their speech. A child may say anything, at any time, to anyone. So it is with less mature saints. The more we learn, the more we realize how little we know.

James tells us that this is a problem for every believer. We face things in life every day that are beyond our wisdom and ability. We simply do not have the answers. We lack the wisdom that is needed for the circumstance.

James not only highlights the problem in this verse, but he also highlights the prayer. If you lack wisdom, then ask God for it. Do not try to figure it out yourself. Do not try to reason it over, and over, in your mind. You will go crazy if you do. If you try to discuss the problem over and over with someone else, then you will drive them crazy. What you need to do is pray for God to give you wisdom. After you have prayed, then wait for the answer.

Finally, James tells us about the promise. We are told in this verse that God will give you the answer. He will not keep it from you. The answer will be there when you need it. Do not fret today because you don’t have the answers for tomorrow. The perfect prayer is, “Lord I don’t know what to do, and I need wisdom”. Take your problem and turn it into a prayer, and then claim the promise in this verse. Hold to this promise, “and it shall be given you”. God will not fail to give you the answer. He never has, and He never will. Trust Him for the wisdom that you need today.

Pastor Rick Gravley