Looking to Jesus

 Isaiah 51:1
 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence you dug. 

The start of a new year is always a good time to reflect on the previous year. The events we experience in 2024 no doubt shaped us and molded us in some way. Hopefully, it was for the good. Personally, it was a very stressful year. Dealing with the health decline of my mother and her passing was tough. Through it all, I was reminded that life is but a vapor. We enter into this world, find our purpose, live our destiny, and leave a legacy behind us. My purpose was to live for Jesus, to follow after righteousness, and daily seek His face. To always remember that He brought me out of sin, gave me a new life, and to live a life that would bring glory to His name. We do not want to live in the past, but looking back to see how God has worked in our lives can help our faith to believe that He is still able to do great things in the future. What the future holds, God only knows. Life is uncertain as to the days we have left, but we are to be vessels, ready and willing to be used by God for as long as He gives us breath. In 2025, let us look to Jesus. He is our help and refuge, our Rock of salvation. In every situation, He will bring us out and save us in times of trouble. 

The True Light

 John 1:9
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Not everyone will believe that Jesus is the true light from God. Many will turn away from this light and continue to live in darkness, and by their choice, remain blinded to their sin. Jesus came down from heaven and He pierced the darkness of this world to show us the way to salvation. Salvation is for all, and not a selected few. Every man is given the opportunity to walk in the light or to refuse the light. Only God knows the hearts of all men, and is faithful to reveal Himself in His way. We were not predestined at birth to live in darkness. Jesus came to the world and His light will reflect in the lives of those who walk in the light. To those who choose to receive the light, He provides the power to live in a world that has rejected the light and continues to live in their sin. We are not to hide our light under a bushel, but to let our light shine that others may see Christ in us. We are to be a witness of the true light, and let our lives testify of the grace of God.

Our Manner of Living

Philip 1:27 “Only let your manner of living be as becometh the Gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or else am absent…”-

How we live out weighs what we say. The words we speak can be powerful, but it is the actions behind our words that speak to the integrity of who we are. If we say we are Christian, and a follower of Jesus Christ, then our manner of living should reflect the Spirit of Christ. It matters not if we are in company or alone, our behavior is consistent to the life we profess. The popular saying, “What would Jesus Do?” is very relevant to how a Christian should live. We are saved by grace, but it is grace that allows us to live in a manner that reflects the teaching of Christ. God who is able to save us by His grace, is also able by His grace to help us live in a manner that shows forth His love and mercy. 

Behave Thyself

1 Tim 3:15 “ but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou ought to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”-

A person who is part of the household of God has a responsibility to behave themselves in a way that will reflect well on the family name. The name of this family is the name “Christian” God is the Father, and Christ the the elder brother, and we are join heirs, adopted into this family through the blood of Christ. In Him is truth and His church is the pillar of truth. We are to behave in all manners of truth. Being part of the family of God or being part of the house of God is to love the Father with all our hearts and to love those who are part of this household. We may have different opinions and ideas, but our love for Christ binds us together, and His blood that was shed for us unites us as one. May we be conscious how we behave and always leave an example to others that we bare the name of Christ as a Christian.

A Desert Place

Mark 6:31,46 “And He said unto them, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.” ... And when He had sent them away, He departed onto a mountain to pray.”-

There are times in our lives that we just need to get away and find a quiet place to relax and reflect on God. We all need a desert place or a mountain to go to. A place where we can put aside all the cares of life and allow our minds to focus on things eternal, put our body on pause and allow God to rejuvenate us with new strength. We all get busy with things that are legitimate and pressing. We find it harder to take time everyday to get alone with God and spend time in His word and in prayer. God is calling us to lay it down and head to the desert to rest awhile. Our responsibilities our real and need to be done, but we are of no use if we are so tired and stressed out that we cannot do our job effectively. Jesus practice times of solitude and reflection, He often would pull Himself away from the crowd and the pressing things in life, and find a quiet place to pray and rest. In the desert place, God wants to meet with us, and fill us with new strength to face the days ahead of us with new life and determination.