O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  

Psalm 63:1, 3 NIV

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you. There may be moments in our life when we can be in a great throng of people and yet feel drained and alone.  It is as if we are in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  There in that place we discover emotions that never give any life, they only seem to exhaust whatever we thought we had.  We name them as hopelessness, despair, sadness and depression.  But right in that moment our God offers his grace which is water for our soul.  It is his love that quenches all our thirsts and brings hope, joy, refreshment and an abundance of kindness. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. That is why his grace is called amazing and overwhelming.  This would be a great way to start a new day!  So allow yourself to desire the life of his love and grace.  Let your lips glorify Him and you will experience thanksgiving and rejoicing in the depth of your soul.  Enjoy!

Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you.  But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.  If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.  Psalm 50:22, 23 NLT

Our sin absolutely has no desire for God or his will; it lives only for self, there is no thanksgiving within it.  If left to itself, it will tear apart the individual, the family, the church, the community and a nation.  Yet, in this place God’s grace can be found. Repent, all of you who forget me… Here in his grace an invitation is given without limit or condemnation. What does this repentance look like? But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.  His grace makes us new which changes everything, giving a life that is actually thankful to the Lord and esteems others as more important than ourselves.  Living in the grace of Jesus the Christ renews us, our family, our church, our community and even our nation.  It is a life, a salvation of no regret. Today may you actually desire to give thanks to our Lord as you consider your ways.  Let yourself find many varied ways in giving thanks for the life you have. There is no remorse, no brokenness or tearing apart in the grace of our Lord.  Enjoy!

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, jusrt as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1,2 NIV

Have you ever wondered what God really thinks or feels about you?  As dearly loved children, live a life of love, just as Christ loved us.  That is an eternal definition of God’s thoughts and what he feels about you.  Therefore, the  blessing is given -  Be imitators of God.  God's grace gives us this blessing and lets us clothe ourselves  with tender hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 NLT. We then become the images of God through his grace and with these new clothes, our thoughts, our desires, our hopes and of all things our emotions will be a fragrant offering and blessing to us and everyone around us. In fact, Being imitators of God will bless us with a graceful kindness that will be defined as making allowance for each other's faults and forgiving anyone who offends us. Colossians 3:13 NLT. WOW!!! What is wonderful about  being an imitator of God, being clothed in grace is that we become living expressions of the nature of God.  Today enjoy what the Lord has provided for you to be and wear through his grace – tender hearted mercy, kindness, humility gentleness and patience.  These are wonderful emotions that will clothe your heart and you will find that what he has given you to  be and wear is a perfect fit. Enjoy!

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.  John 7:37, 38 NIV

There was a time in my life when I know I became thirsty. If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  It was after I had grown up into a young man, finished my time in the Marine Corp and had come back from Viet Nam. The thought came to me – “what is life for, what is its goal?”  I had no problem believing in God because it says – “In God We Trust” on our money.  So I asked this God on our money to please do something with my life and he began to do something in me that would change and renew me forever. If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  By his grace he renewed my faith to trust again in Jesus the Christ and I have never been the same.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from with him. This living water flowed, which I discovered was the Holy Spirit producing a new character within me, which looked like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and of all things self-control, Galatians 5:22,23.  Today enjoy being thirsty for our Lord and his grace. The life that is eternal will be yours even through your opportunities.  As the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow naturally from within and through you.  This will give you a life that will bless you and bring inspiration to those around you.  Enjoy!

You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.  Matthew 5:14, 16 NLT

God’s grace in Jesus Christ really changes things.  You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  Wow, now that is a change.  In Jesus the Christ a new life is given to us which produces wonderful results. Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. The illustration of the life of grace here is seen as light, light that can be seen in all directions like a city on a hill.  But this light is also now our character which is the character of grace.  The life of his grace produces a new nature in us to “let” this new life be lived and seen in the midst of all our opportunities. Let your good deeds shine, they will refresh families, neighborhoods, churches and communities. Today may you find that what you are “letting” is like a light shining on a hilltop, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Enjoy!

Don't fool yourselves.  Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.  Some of you were once like that.  But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.   1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT.

The nature of sin will produce results that are catastrophic to relationships. There has never been a family, a community, a church, a state or a nation that has become refreshed when these sins are the habits of its people.  Therefore the promise of grace was given. God’s grace is offered to remove sin's power and give us a new nature that will be a pleasure to relationships. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.  Grace is the power of God's love in Jesus the Christ to release us from habits that are hurtful by our own natural nature. You were cleansed, you were made holy, you were made right with God.  Grace produces a new life that has its foundation in God's love, where there will never be any regret or shame.  Today allow the life of his grace to set you free from habits that do not bless you or anyone else. This new nature is now and forever yours because of his grace given to you in Jesus Christ.  Enjoy!

Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises?  Absolutely not!  If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it.  But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.  Galatians 3:21, 22 NLT

Let’s start with a question: Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises?  The answer that is given is: Absolutely not!  What is so amazing about God’s promises is that they give something to us that we cannot ever accomplish by our own efforts. If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But new life is given through what God promised his grace would do through Jesus the Christ.  But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ., God’s grace gives us the freedom to see clearly the difference between our new life and being a prisoner to our sinful life. Today enjoy being refreshed in who you are because of the promises in Jesus Christ.  His grace lets you choose what direction your thoughts and emotions will go. We now know why we sing – “Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me.” Enjoy!

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. 

Romans 3:21, 22 NIV

What a wonderful journey life is!  We usually try so hard to make things right in all of our relationships and yet we find we are powerless to change most things.  Righteousness is an amazing word which comes from the grace of God through Jesus the Christ.  It means to be declared free from any condemnation, guilt or shame because of our sin! Free from our sin’s authority or power over us.  But now a righteousness from God has been made known.  BUT NOW, is there two words that are more revealing than these?  Right is the midst of our sadness, frustrations and failures God has found a way to declare us righteous and give us a new nature through grace that looks like being born again (John 3:3 NIV).  This declaration is the life and power of His Grace in Jesus the Christ!  Martyn Lloyd Jones – “Would you like to know for certain at this moment whether you are a Christian or not?  I suggest that this is one of the best tests.  “But now,” is there something within you that makes you say, thank God!  Is there a “But now” in your experience?”  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Today may you live in the life that has been declared righteous by God because of your faith in Jesus Christ!  Enjoy!

But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back.  Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  Ruth 1:16 NIV

Sometimes along the journey of life we forget what the impact of relationships has on our life.  Maybe it is because of all the noise of the world or all the busyness , but think what this kind of grace could do in our marriages and churches. Sometimes we even take our faith in the Lord and turn it into some form of religion or standards by which we judge ourselves and others.  Well, God’s grace is relational and has no ridicule or condemnation with it.  His love in and through Jesus Christ is meant to give us new relationships with him and those around us.  Grace renews our moods, our goals and even what we value.  Listen again to the words and emotions of grace. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Today allow yourself the freedom of his grace to assure you that he will never leave you no matter where you may find yourself.  His life is now your life and your life will be a breath of fresh air to those who get to meet you.  Living in that freedom will bring you a sweet refreshment along your journey and flat our inspire your relationships!   Encouragement, thanksgiving and inspiration will just become who you are. Enjoy!