I Peter 5:6-8 (NASB)
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Satan is to the wolf, like we are to the sheep. The wolf doesn’t fear the sheep, only the shepherd. So, stay close to the only true shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. We can only stay safe by following Him wherever He leads us. We get into danger when we wander our own way.

When we begin to think that we can do what is necessary to stay safe, that is when we have wandered away. When we believe that our quiet time, our Bible reading, our prayers are enough to protect us, we are lost. Only Jesus can save, only Jesus can protect. Those things are only loving responses to the understanding that we can’t do anything on our own.

Jesus, forgive me for attempting to replace You by doing “religious” things. I pray that the Holy Spirit would constantly keep You in my mind and heart and that I would respond to Your love by getting to know you more by studying your words and talking to You. Humble me every minute, every hour, and every day. Only your might hand can save and protect. Give me faith to trust in You alone. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Hebrews 13:8 (NASB)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Psalm 102:25-27 (NASB)
“Of old You founded the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
“Even they will perish, but You endure;
And all of them will wear out like a garment;
Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.
“But You are the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.”

A couple of days ago, an acquaintance was expressing their anger over the fact that the big chain supermarket that they went to had stopped carrying the brand of turkey the they liked for their Thanksgiving dinner. They went so far as to say that they would no longer use that store for any future purchases.

I thought that was rather extreme, but we do tend to fight change in our lives, especially when we are comfortable with how things are.

God, who is unchanging, has created us in a world that is under constant change. Does God use change to expose us to His holiness? He is so unlike us or the world we live in. Does He use that to give us a glimpse of His perfection?

So, on one hand we fight change in this world. On the other hand we attempt to change God into our image of Him, rather than accepting the fact that He has made us into His image. When we pray, do we ask God to mold us into the likeness of Jesus, or do we petition Him to change His plan so that it is comfortable for us?

Heavenly Father, You are Holy, set apart from us in a way that I cannot fully comprehend. You are perfect. Even the word perfect doesn’t completely express your essence. You are unchanging, but I cannot understand just what that means. I pray that you would change me, but only in a way that moves me closer to the perfection of Jesus. I pray this in His perfect, unchanging name. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always;
17 pray without ceasing;
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Praying without ceasing at first seems like something that would be very difficult or even impossible to accomplish. Maybe in the day that Paul lived. But in this world with the constant bombardment of information, or just constant noise, it couldn’t be done, could it? Constantly thinking and praying about God would mean that we are doing that at the expense of something else. Or does it?

Francois Malaval, a 17th century theologian and poet, offered this: “The wings of the dove do not weigh it down.  They carry and support it. And so the thought of God is never a burden; it is a gentle breeze which bears us up, a hand which supports us and raises us, a light which guides us, and a spirit which vivifies us though we do not feel its working.”

Malaval believed that staying in the presence of God lifts our spirits, and does not burden us. It isn’t extra work, but rather brings to us a sense of well being and peace. When we look at it that way, it doesn’t seem impossible, but rather something that we would strongly desire.

Father, I pray that my love for You would grow each day. I pray that as I love you more, I would keep my thoughts constantly on You. As my thoughts reflect on you, I pray that your Holy Spirit would guide me and give me peace, that I would be comforted in knowing that you are in complete control. Amen.

Luke 12:25-26 (NASB)
And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span?
If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?

Luke 12:31-32 (NASB)
But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

John 14:1-4 (NASB)
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.”

During my quiet time today, I was reflecting on the last several weeks. Thoughts turned to the time I had spent worrying about various things. I realized how much time I had wasted doing that and also how it had impacted my life. It is a sin that can take over your mind and consume everything that you do. I had to repent, not only for the worry, but for the impact that it has had. It robbed me of keeping my thoughts on God. It caused me to spend time in worry instead of quiet times with Jesus. It robbed me of spending time in reading the Bible. It robbed me of sleep. If I allowed it to continue, it could rob me of my health.

It is a sin that can begin when we are going through troubled times. It seems natural to have concern about what will happen. But that is how it starts. And before you know it, it has taken over all your thoughts. Instead, I know that I must cling to Jesus and His promises.

The passage in John was one of my mother’s favorite verses. I think she loved it so much because if she kept it foremost in her mind, it could keep worry out of her life.

Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me this morning that Your promises are more powerful that any earthly situation. I pray that you would bring these verses to mind when troubled times appear. Help me to keep the sin of worry out of my life. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Christians should never forget that the highest kind of prayer is never the making of requests. Prayer at its holiest moment is the entering into God to a place of such blessed union as makes miracles seem tame and remarkable answers to prayer appear something very far short of wonderful, by comparison. We should be aware that there is a kind of school where the soul must go to learn its best eternal lessons. It is the school of silence. “Be still and know,” said the psalmist. It might well be a revelation to some Christians if they were to get completely quiet for a time-a time to listen in the silence for the deep voice of the Eternal God!
A.W. Tozer

Psalm 4:4 (NASB)
Tremble, and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.

Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

In times of sorrow, it is often better to listen than to speak. This week good friends lost their daughter to cancer. She was a young women with a husband and children. It would seem that she should have a long life ahead of her, but God had different plans. She is with Him now in heaven. We deeply grieve for those left behind. And we marvel at the wonderful place she now is, experiencing a full and joyful relationship with the Father. It leaves me speechless.

So, I am silent before God. I listen for the still, small voice to comfort, to renew, to remove the sorrow.

Always praying for the glory of God,