Monday, 3 September 2012

Don't Put it Off



Don't Put it Off

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”
(Psalm 118:24, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD
Many people are waiting for their circumstances to change in order to be happy and enjoy their lives. All the time I hear things like, “As soon as I get out of this problem, Joel, I’ll be happy.” “As soon as I lose ten pounds...as soon as my business grows…as soon as my child straightens up…” No, if you don’t put your foot down and decide to be happy right now, there will always be something to keep you from being happy.

God never intended for us to put off our happiness. We have a choice to make each and every day. We have to set our minds in the right direction. That’s why David said, “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” He was saying, “This is the day to be happy; not tomorrow, not when the weather clears up. Not next week, when I don’t have to work so hard. Not next month, when I make it through this difficult time.” No, choose to honor the Lord right now by choosing to enjoy your life. Get rid of the excuses and rejoice because this is the day that the Lord has made!

PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, thank You for this day. Thank You for another opportunity to sing Your praise. I choose to set my mind and heart on You. I choose to rejoice and be glad so that everything I do brings honor to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

***
“Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.” (1 Peter 2:4 GW)
God says that not only are you accepted, you're valuable.
How much do you think you're worth? I'm not talking about your net worth; I'm talking about your self-worth. Don't ever confuse your valuables with your value as a person. You can be rich or poor, but it has nothing to do with your value as a person.
There are two things that determine value in life:
1. Value is what someone is willing to pay for something.
2. Value depends on who has owned something in the past.
Based on these two things, what's your value? Ask yourself, “Who owns me?” and “What was paid for me?” 1 Corinthians 7:23 says, "You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him” (LB).
You belong to God, and Jesus paid for you with his life. The cross proves your value.
Nobody has ever paid a greater ransom price than God paid for you! You're acceptable, and you're valuable.
Peter uses the imagery of a building project to illustrate our value. God is building this stone building that represents the Church, the family of God, and you're one of the stones. "Come to the Lord, the living Stone rejected by people as worthless” (1 Peter 2:4 GW). Jesus is the living stone. He was perfect, but some people still rejected him. Some of you may think, “If I could just be perfect, then I would be accepted.” No! Jesus was perfect, but even he wasn't accepted by everyone. But, he was “chosen by God as valuable.”
God is building his Church, but it’s not found in temples or church buildings. God lives in people, and you are his spiritual house. Peter says that you're a living stone. When you give your life to Christ, you become a building block in God's great plan.
Talk About It

  • How should understanding a Christian’s value in God’s eyes change the way you treat yourself and other believers?
  • What is the evidence in your life that you have grasped the freedom that comes from being ransomed by Jesus Christ?




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