Creation Unleashes

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed....... 


-Romans 8:19-




Thoughts on This Verse... Eagerly waits! Don't you just love that idea! Sounds like an oxymoron. It's not. Think of a groom waiting for his bride to come down the aisle. Imagine parents of a child that is due to be born. Remember what it was like as a child waiting for Christmas morning. Eagerly waits! That's what creation, so caught up with decay, disaster, and death, is doing! And what is creation waiting for so eagerly? Our transformation and revelation as God's triumphant and glorious children. Sounds pretty wonderful for a time and world like ours. 



**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Wicked!

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous....... 


-Psalm 37:16-17 -


Thoughts on This Verse... What do we want to be the basis of our security? Will it be what we can do, accomplish, achieve, earn, and hoard? Or will it be our God, who has shown himself faithful throughout generations upon generations? We get to choose! So what will be your choice? In what will you find your security? 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Reverence!

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God....... 


-2 Corinthians 7:1- 




Thoughts on This Verse... God has blessed us with so many wonderful promises. He has secured them through the sending of his Son''to conquer death and bring life and immortality to light.'' He will''transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body.'' He will take us home to be with him eternally, but until that day, he will live inside us and reveal himself to us. He will make us more than conquerors and will not allow anything to separate us from his love. So what should our response be? Yes, surely we should offer him praise. But, we must not limit our praise to words. God wants our lives to be pure, staying away from what is evil, vile, putrid, and corrupt. He wants us to do this, not so we can claim some moral superiority, but so that we can show him our adoration and reverence. In our desire to offer God praise, let's not forget that one of the greatest ways to praise him is to seek him in purity and holiness!





**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Be an instrument unto God

[Jesus said]''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.''......


 Thoughts on This Verse... God has a plan to reach the world with his grace. We start where we are and reach out to those around us. We then share the story of Jesus with those in our region. Then we reach out and take the gospel all over the world. As we offer ourselves to be used, we also trust that the Holy Spirit's power and presence will go with us. 

-Acts 1:8-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Shant be afraid!

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,''Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.''...... 


-Matthew 1:20-


Thoughts on This Verse... Reassurance beyond understanding! That's the beginning of the Christ story for Joseph. What he cannot understand and what he had no part in creating will now be the groundbreaking journey of his own faithful and generous heart. He will be the human daddy to the Savior of the world. He will live the rest of his life knowing that a miracle happened with Mary without his input or involvement. His faith, and God's use of him in this story, should awaken each of us to the incredible possibilities that God may have in store for us. Why not use this December to re-awaken your heart to the Holy One, born Jesus of Nazareth. 



**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Fasting and Prayer

So after they [the church at Antioch] had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them [Barnabas and Saul] and sent them off....... 


Thoughts on This Verse... While fasting is not widely practiced in many churches today, it is clearly something that was a part of the early church experience. Whether sponsored by our congregations or not, let's make sure that we prepare for major events with a time of prayer and fasting, asking for God's leading, power, and guidance as we embark on his work in the world. 


-Acts 13:3-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Purify my heart

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God....... 


Thoughts on This Verse... God has blessed us with so many wonderful promises. He has secured them through the sending of his Son''to conquer death and bring life and immortality to light.'' He will''transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body.'' He will take us home to be with him eternally, but until that day, he will live inside us and reveal himself to us. He will make us more than conquerors and will not allow anything to separate us from his love. So what should our response be? Yes, surely we should offer him praise. But, we must not limit our praise to words. God wants our lives to be pure, staying away from what is evil, vile, putrid, and corrupt. He wants us to do this, not so we can claim some moral superiority, but so that we can show him our adoration and reverence. In our desire to offer God praise, let's not forget that one of the greatest ways to praise him is to seek him in purity and holiness! 



-2 Corinthians 7:1-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

For God so loved the world..

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him....... 

Thoughts on This Verse... God is not the big Scrooge in the sky, critically looking down on his flawed children and waiting to condemn those who mess up. Instead, he saw how broken, flawed, and messed up we were and entered our world to save it ... to save us. God's purpose in sending Jesus is our life and our salvation.


-John 3:17-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

All glory and power to HIM

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy -- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen....... 


Thoughts on This Verse... Two things I trust implicitly: 1) God's power and might, and 2) my joy at getting to share in his presence. My best efforts will always fall short, but God's grace is greater and more glorious than my best efforts! The faultlessness that I have when I stand before him is based on his grace and mercy. How can I not praise him from a thankful heart and anticipate seeing him face to face in glory? 


-Jude 24-25-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Fresh fruits from the farm

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law....... Thoughts on This Verse... When the Spirit is alive in our hearts, the character of God comes to life in us as the Spirit works to conform us ever more closely to the image and the character of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). 



-Galatians 5:22-23-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Always and Everywhere

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever....... Thoughts on This Verse... In times of confusion, we can take comfort that while we may not understand everything while here on earth (read Psalm 73:1-22), God will be faithful. Everything we have and know here on earth is subject to decay, but our relationship with the LORD is our strength forever. He will not abandon, fail, or forget us. 


-Psalm 73:23-26-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Shine on me

Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love....... Thoughts on This Verse... Can your faith hold during trying times? I hope mine can! This is a Psalm written during trying times. However, no matter how difficult the situation, the Psalmist still knows who God is and what he can do when he decides to do it. Even in trial he doesn't lose sight of the blessing that comes from the presence of the LORD. 



-Psalm 31:16-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

You and Me

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ....... Thoughts on This Verse... We are children of God, with all the rights of full heirs! Our faith, expressed in our baptism, declares to the world that we are God's children. We have chosen to be clothed in Christ and his righteousness and not depend on earning our own salvation. He is our salvation and hope. He is our life and strength. He is our older brother and Savior. He is our Lord. 


-Galatians 3:26-27-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

E for effort!

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification....... Thoughts on This Verse... ''Make every effort!'' That's quite a challenge. But notice where that exertion is to be focused: peace and mutual edification. Both sides of this exhortation are two way responsibilities. I must pursue and share peace if I am going to have it myself. I must edify, and be open to being edified, if mutual edification is going to happen. In other words, we live with other people in God's family. He wants us to be responsible for making relationships work in our spiritual family. He reminds us it will require strenuous effort. But, isn't that true in every family relationship? Love means sacrifice, effort, and concern for others. When we share our love willingly, however, we're much more likely to see it coming back to us!


-Romans 14:19-

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**