“If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up." Daniel 3:17-18 HCSB

People fashion their God after their own understanding. They make their God first and worship him afterwards. Oscar Wilde*

Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, created an enormous statue of gold, nine feet wide and ninety feet high. Then, he summoned all of his government officials and told them that unless they bowed down and worshiped the image when the music played, that they would be thrown into a blazing furnace. Most of the officials, not wanting to lose their lives, obeyed wholeheartedly when the music played. However, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were extreme worshipers of the Lord. They refused to bow down and worship the image, even after Nebuchadnezzar confronted them personally. They were thrown into the furnace, but miraculously were not even singed.

Lord, give us the courage to worship You by saying “no” to other idols set before us.

*thinkexist.com

Potential

Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7b HCSB

“The others are very pretty children,” said the old duck, “all but that one; I wish his mother could improve him a little.” Hans Christian Anderson*

On February of 1932, an American couple living in London gave birth to a baby girl. Unfortunately, she suffered from hypertrichosis and her entire body was completely covered in soft black hair. After a few weeks, her parents were relieved when the hair fell away, unveiling their newborn baby’s exquisite beauty. She grew up to be Elizabeth Taylor.

Samuel had the task of anointing a new king for Israel. When he asked to see the sons of Jesse, no one called David in from the field. He was the youngest and had been selected to watch the sheep while the older brothers were presented to the prophet. However, when David arrived, the Lord said to Samuel, “He is the one.”

The Lord sees your heart. He knows your potential. Be faithful to Him and follow His plans for your life no matter what circumstances tell you.

Lord, help us realize the potential You see in us.

*The Ugly Duckling

Treasure

But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:20-21 HCSB

Unless we place our religion and our treasure in the same thing, religion will always be sacrificed. Epictetus*

It was a great morning. Kathy and I were speaking and sharing at a small church in Arkansas. I had ended our session with a story about the dangers of getting caught up in physical possessions. Following the service, I was feeling pretty good about myself until I walked out to my car, my new car, which I had purchased, and saw what had happened. There was a small dent and a large scratch over the driver’s side bumper. I felt myself getting angry, but then I remembered what I had just shared with the congregation.

God knows what is important to us. He knows where and how we spend our money. He understands our motives. He sees what we cling to. He wants us to cling to Him. He wants to be our treasure.

Lord, You are more precious than any treasure we could ever acquire.

*thinkexist.com

Newlyweds

Sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 96:1 HCSB

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love. Mother Theresa*

As a part of our 19th anniversary celebration, Kathy and I visited a park with several gardens. As we exited The Herb Garden, an elderly lady asked, “Is that garden worth visiting?”

Kathy answered, “Oh yes, it’s very nice!”

Humorously, I said, “She had to explain it to me. I kept looking for a guy named Herb.

The woman looked at me like I had stolen her hamburger before saying, “You better watch out or she might be looking for a guy named Herb.

We all laughed and I said, “Nope, she’s mine.”

As Kathy and I walked away, hand in hand, I saw the lady shaking her head and I heard her say, “Newlyweds.”

Just as we must keep our marital relationships fresh, we must continually renew our relationship with the Lord. We must tell Him that we love Him. We must sing to Him a new song.

Help us, Lord, to worship You in a new and fresh way.

*thinkexist.com

Restless

Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 HCSB

Now we are free, there’s no condemnation, Jesus provides a perfect salvation; “Come unto me,” O hear His sweet call, Come and He saves us once for all. Philip P. Bliss*

I have restless leg syndrome. When I am lying still at bedtime, without warning, one of my legs jerks involuntarily. It’s almost like there’s a mad puppeteer waiting for my wife and I to almost be asleep when he makes my legs kick and wakes both of us. Finally, a sleep specialist diagnosed my problem and gave me the appropriate medication. Unfortunately, I have to take it every night or the kicking resumes.

Fortunately, when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, we are completely free from the law of sin and death. It’s not a temporary fix for us. It is permanent. We don’t have to be saved all over again tomorrow or the next day. Jesus provided a perfect salvation that gives us perfect freedom.

Jesus, thank You for the freedom that you give to us.

*Free from the Law, O Happy Condition

Anointed

The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Luke 4:18-19 HCSB

Lord, send the old-time power, the Pentecostal power! Thy floodgates of blessing on us throw open wide! Lord, send the old-time power, the Pentecostal power, that sinners be converted and Thy name glorified! Charles H. Gabriel*

As a child, I never learned much about the Holy Spirit. However, as I’ve studied the Bible, I’ve noticed that whenever the Holy Spirit is involved in anything, God’s presence is felt and lives are changed. Jesus was both anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the ministry that the Father had given Him. In a similar fashion, we must also be empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Lord has given us spiritual gifts, talents, and abilities that we might minister to others and serve Him. How much more effective we would be if the Spirit of the Lord was upon us.

Father, empower us with Your Holy Spirit.

*Pentecostal Power

Freedom

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 HCSB

Freedom is not free. Korean War Veterans Memorial

When I hear the word freedom, many things come to my mind. I think of the freedom that I have as an American. I think of the Freedom Tower in New York City. I think of convicts or being released from prison and modern day slaves being released from bondage. But, I sometimes wonder what it really means to be free in Christ?

Merriam-Webster.com defines freedom as “the quality or state of being exempt or released from something onerous.” Synonyms for onerous include backbreaking, burdensome, crushing, cumbersome, demanding, embittering, excessive, grueling, intolerable, merciless, oppressive, severe, toilsome, and weighty.**

I can think of nothing more onerous than the eternal death penalty that we are all sentenced to as a result of our sin and rebellion against God. Jesus, our Redeemer, allowed Himself to be viciously executed for us so that we might be freed from death row where we all sat waiting for our sentence to be carried out.

Thank You, Lord, for granting us freedom from eternal death.

*Merriam-Webster.com
**thesaurus.com