Abba, Father!

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry,''Abba, Father.'' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children....... 

- Romans 8:15-16 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Ab-ba. Listen to a baby and you will hear these basic early sounds. Incredibly, Jesus showed us, and the Spirit enables us, to speak to God with these syllables of familiarity, trust, vulnerability, dependency, and intimacy. The Spirit is our guarantee that we don't have to be afraid of God, but that we can approach him as our loving and tender Father who always listens to our hearts and seeks to bless our lives. 

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

Intercession

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will....... 

- Romans 8:26-27 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Most of us will face very difficult circumstances in our lives. When we do, we will likely feel that our prayers just bounce off the ceiling. Our words will seem empty and useless. We can't seem to verbalize what is on our hearts. We feel like our words are ineffective and insufficient. So what do we do? We trust this promise. We go to God in prayer! Even when we don't have words to say, we offer our hearts to him, trusting that the Holy Spirit takes those thoughts, emotions, and inarticulate frustrations to God. The Spirit makes our hearts known to God, interceding for us according to God's will. Even when we don't have words, the Spirit makes our needs known. What a tremendous reassuring grace! 

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

Lose to find, Find to lose

And anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it....... 

- Matthew 10:38-39 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Jesus wants us to seriously look into our hearts and surrender those things that hold us back from fully following and serving him. We know what they are. He comes to us with his now nail-scarred hands and reminds us that he gave up everything to redeem us. He now wants us to surrender to the Cross the things that hold us back. Let's do it today!


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

Do not worry!

''For I know the plans I have for you,'' declares the LORD,''plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.''...... 

- Jeremiah 29:11 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Jeremiah was telling God's people that 70 years after the devastation, God would deliver and restore them. Despite the fact that they had repeatedly abandoned God, he would not abandon them or his promises to them. He would be faithful. In fact, God was planning and preparing a bright future for them. This promise also reminds us that no matter how deep our own personal gloom may seem, God does have plans for us. He will keep his promises to us. He will deliver and bless us. We can have a vibrant hope and a bright future because of his faithfulness and our trust in his Son, Jesus, who delivers us from every foe. 

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

Work Done!

''I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.''...... 

- John 17:4 -

Thoughts on This Verse... One of the most amazing things that Jesus ever said, he said to his Father in heaven:''I have completed the work you gave me to do ...'' In fact, when he breathed his last, he said,''It is finished.'' Let's live with the glory of God our highest priority! This is our purpose as God's children (cf. Eph. 1:6, 12, 14; 1 Pet. 2:9-10). The more we live by Kingdom priority (Matt. 6:33), the more we can rest assured that we can finish our lives with a line similar to Jesus'! 

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

Complete love

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us....... 

- 1 John 4:12 -

Thoughts on This Verse... What an incredible thought! God can be seen in my home. The Father of the universe lives in my church. The Almighty God's love is recognizable in my life. How so? When I love those around me, when they love me back, when we choose to be loving instead of petty, unforgiving, critical, and harsh, God's presence, power, and perfection are revealed in us!
  
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Dwelling

For this reason I kneel before the Father .... I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith....... 

- Ephesians 3:16-17 -

Thoughts on This Verse... What's the greatest thing we can do to bless those we love in Christ Jesus? What is the most helpful thing we can do when a brother or sister in Christ or even a whole congregation of God's people, is facing a major challenge from the Evil One? What is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children or our parents as they seek to live for Jesus today? The apostle Paul just showed us. We can ask God to strengthen his people with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in their inner being. Then we can let them know that we have prayed this for them, and that we will continue to pray it until their storm is past.

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