The Daily Breath of God Wednesday, April 30 2014
I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:33 NLTHere is a good question that should be asked on some kind of regular basis – “Who do you imitate?” The answer tells us in what direction we are faced on that day. God so loved that he gave, and he gave with joy and compassion to those, who at the time did not ask nor seem to want what he was. Even on the cross, with his flesh ripped, exhausted from beatings, carrying the cross and a crown of thorns on his head, he responds to the situation this way – “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 22:34. There is a freedom in the life and grace of Christ that many are missing along their journey. Grace relieves and blesses our life with the desire to see others refreshed so that they too may experience the grace of God in Jesus the Christ. On this new day may you blow the hair back on others as they see, hear and experience grace and kindness through you. This might be a good day for someone to imitate you. Enjoy! Friday, April 25 2014
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:6,7 NLTWhen I think of worry, I wonder where it comes from and why we let it into our lives. It does not seem to accomplish anything, it only takes. It removes sleep, it removes joy, it removes good attitudes and it removes peace. The beauty of our Lord’s grace is that it removes worry, now how cool it that? In this reality, peace comes into the room along with its cousin joy and our emotions and our thinking become refreshed. On this new day, let his grace lead you into his presence with thanksgiving and his peace will absolutely delight you. Joy and praise will bring refreshment to your soul and you will experience in real time the beauty and life of God’s love for you. Enjoy! Thursday, April 24 2014
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and prove what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2There is a good reason to not conform any longer to the pattern of this world. Pride is the pattern of this world and pride is the enemy of grace. The two are never found occupying the same space. But here is our great relief to our problem, it is the living power of God’s love which is greater than our sin, it is called grace. Grace will always refresh and renew the way we see ourselves and others. Transformed (metamorphosis) is the process we see in a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Butterflies see their world in which they have lived from a totally different view and respond with beauty and kindness. God’s grace gives the same drastic change in how we see our life and situations. On this new day enjoy the freedom of grace in how you process the life around you. You will find in grace joy, laughter, peace and encouragement in how you speak and act. Those around you will see this beauty through you and know it as good and pleasing. Thoughts of grace are always refreshing to you as well as those around you. Wednesday, April 23 2014
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:24God’s plan for mankind has always been grace, for grace brings about a love and joy in the midst of diversity. Sin on the other hand is destructive in its emotions, its words and its action. These things have destroyed many marriages and families along the journey. But the good news found in and through Jesus the Christ is that grace can overwhelm sin, for it was given in the power of the blood of Christ. Emotions of grace, words of grace and actions of grace always bring beauty to marriages, families and communities. You see grace does not just save; it gives freedom to us in the very center of our being. Grace enjoys being tolerant, patient and kind, all of which builds relationships. On this new day may you laugh a lot, encourage a lot and forgive a lot, for this freedom of grace will blow your hair back in all the right ways. This new day of grace will bring unity, kindness and encouragement in all the right places through you. Enjoy! Monday, April 21 2014
May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me. Psalm 69:6Being self-focused seems to be what is common to us naturally. But what is natural to grace is a freedom in our emotions, our thinking and our desires that wants to encourage others. The relaxing gift of grace comes when we are aware of the impact our words, our tones, our expressions and even our desires have on those who are around us. There is no stress, anxiety or regret with attitudes of grace that are heard and seen. Grace lightens our load so that the joy of others is important to us and in fact, down right refreshing. On this new day, may you rejoice knowing the impact you have on your family, your friends, your co-workers and even those who do not like you because of the power of our Lord’s grace in you. Your attitudes and actions can rekindle hope and bring about a joy that is absolutely renewing. Let the freedom of his grace have its way in you and you will like this day. Friday, April 18 2014
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3How empty life is when always consumed by not feeling loved, valued or important. In that place sadness is present, depression becomes a frequent visitor and desires fulfilled never seem to give us what we hoped for. Many who believe in God have found themselves living here as a habit of life, no matter how often they go to church. What they believe seems to be nothing more than a report of information. But here is the blessing of grace that will change everything. Grace lets us want to praise the Lord no matter what we may feel on any given day. In this place, worship takes us to a living hope which feels just like a new birth. Praise and worship is the fire of the soul and here our Lord communicates His presence to us. In praise there is no sadness, no depression and desires fulfilled bring joy that blows our hair back. On this new day may you let his grace bring praise to our Lord through your words, your tones of voice, your expressions and your hopes. Go ahead and start now and your day will be called new. Enjoy! Wednesday, April 16 2014
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17The natural nature we are born with along our entire journey through this life, gives us moment after moment of feelings of low self-esteem, guilt, condemnation, stress and the inability to forgive well. Many feel that God looks at them the same way they feel about themselves and as they view others. But the grace of God is completely different. He cannot say it any clearer than this - God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Grace in Jesus the Christ is a salvation that gives us the freedom to no longer be mastered by our old sinful nature. It does not mean that it is gone, but that it is no longer the controller of our life. This freedom of grace brings encouragement, kindness, refreshment and forgiveness in the midst of life's opportunities. On this new day, enjoy this freedom of grace that is in you because of Jesus the Christ. His grace will renew your emotions, thinking, words and your view of others. Being overwhelmed by grace is not just a statement; it is a freedom that produces delight, praise, and thanksgiving in our Lord. With the wonderful by- product of being a blessing to others. Monday, April 14 2014
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been make in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:9,10Sometimes along our journey, are we not amazed at what we feel and what we therefore say. The grace that has been given in and through our Lord Jesus the Christ is meant to refresh how we feel and respond to our world. Since grace is filled with kindness and encouragement, we are given the opportunities to speak words of grace to others on a very consistent level. In other words, expressions of blessings, encouragement and refreshment become not just what we say but actually who we are in the grace of our Lord. On this new day may you enjoy this freedom of his grace. May the expressions on your face, the tones of your voice and the words from your mouth bring encouragement and refreshment to everyone you meet. That includes your family, your co-workers and those you meet along your journey. Grace gives you the joy to express yourself in such a way that it brings delight to you and delight to others. Words of grace never have any regret. Enjoy! Friday, April 11 2014
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me. Psalm 66:18-20Grace is God’s gift to us so that sin no longer has the power to destroy our emotions, our intellect or our relationships. Sin in all its forms brings about a condemnation concerning ourselves and others, therefore our prayers, our desires and our goals in that condition are not listened to by our Lord. The beauty of grace is the freedom to live without fear, without bitterness, without resentment towards ourselves and those around us. This freedom releases the fragrance of grace so that we, as well as those around us experience the wonderful sensations of joy, encouragement and all kinds of blessings. On this new day may all the freedoms of his grace bring to you the joy of praise, the joy of thanksgiving and even the joy of delighting. Let his love overwhelm you in how you see yourself and it will naturally flow through you to everyone around you. This is a very good new day; our Lord loves the sound of your voice. Enjoy! Wednesday, April 09 2014
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:12,13For most of us along our journey through life, no matter what our age is, we enjoy having new clothes. It does not matter if it is swim suits, tank tops, shirts, pants, or shoes, something in these new experience makes us feel better and most of the time we at least think we look better. New clothes usually even impact our attitude and emotions; it’s just a refreshing time. God's grace puts new clothes in our closet every day and these clothes not only make us feel better, they bless everyone around us. Believe me; these clothes really impact our attitude and emotions for the day. What is wonderful about these clothes is that they are a gift from the Lord and they are wrapped in grace. That means every day we can experience the opening of a new gift and when we put them on, we not only look better, we feel better. On this new day may you enjoy what the Lord has given you in and through his grace. There is great freedom here with no condemnation and you will find that what he has given you to wear is a perfect fit. Thanksgiving and joy will come very naturally and everyone around you will feel the beauty of your new look. Monday, April 07 2014
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him praise his name. Psalm 100:4Our natural nature is birthed in condemnation, which is self-centered. In that condition we can find ourselves easily annoyed, irritated, criticized and shamed. In that condition giving thanksgiving and praise is something to do, which is just one more task along our journey. Grace changes the entire situation. It puts God's love right into the center of our lives and changes our values and who we are. In that condition, thanksgiving and praise are not one more thing to do, it is who we are. Living our journey in thanksgiving and praise to our Lord lets us encourage, bless, be considerate and esteem others as more important than ourselves. On this new day, may you absolutely enjoy his grace that has set you free from the control of your old nature. You will like this day and those around you will feel important, encouraged and refreshed. His grace will renew your emotions and let thanksgiving and rejoicing be your gift to those who come into contact with your today. Friday, April 04 2014
Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4New life is always refreshing to us. It can be the birth of our children or grandchildren and at those moments we find ourselves celebrating with emotions and thoughts of joy, no matter what we may personally be going through. Ever notice the joy of children when they are around puppies? Well God’s grace is his love given in power through the name of Jesus the Christ without any condemnation, and this is his glory. Here is a question – “what is true of the resurrection?” The glory of the Father, God’s power was exercised. The resurrection proclaims the glory and grace of the power of God. It was a public announcement that the reign of sin has been defeated. Because of his grace we now have been given a new life and we know this is true because God’s Word expresses it as a fact. On this new day may you let yourself rejoice in the presence of his grace that has been given to you. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:11 NLT. May you find your emotions and thoughts choosing to celebrate in this new life. Enjoy! |