The Way
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“‘…how
can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me’”
(John
14:5-6, NIV)
TODAY’S WORD
Do
you need direction in your life today? Not only is Jesus the Way to life in
eternity, but Jesus is the way to everything you need in this life here on
earth. Do you need to know the way out of debt? Look to the Father through
Jesus. Do you need to know the way to having better relationships…the way to
overcome an addiction…to live in peace and joy? When you know Jesus, you know
the Way!
No
matter what you are facing today, no matter what challenges or obstacles are in
your life, He will make a way for you even when you don’t see how. God loves
you so much that He wants to strengthen and empower you to live in total
victory. That’s why He sent His Son, Jesus, to this earth—to show you the way
to live an abundant life! Open your heart today and receive all that God has
given you through Jesus. His is the way, and He made a way for you to live in
victory in every area of your life!
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father
in heaven, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to show me the way. I receive
Your truth and commit my heart to You. I invite You into every area of my being
and choose to follow You all the days of my life, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
***
“Job said, ‘I came naked from my mother's womb and I shall have nothing when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!’ In all of this Job did not sin by blaming God.” (Job 1:21-22 LB)
Grief is a part of life, but you can’t let a season of grief turn into a lifestyle of grief.
At some point you have to let it go!
There is a difference between mourning and moaning, weeping and wallowing. A loss can deepen me, but that doesn’t mean it can define me. A loss is a part of my maturity but not my identity.
God gives you grace to get through what you’re going through. Others don’t get that grace, so they may give you bad advice!
“Job’s wife said to him, ‘Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.’ But Job replied, ‘You talk like a godless woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?’ So in all this, Job said nothing wrong” (Job 2:9-10 NLT).
Job refused to become bitter and resentful. Bitterness prolongs pain. It doesn’t relieve it; it only reinforces it. “Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you ... it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives” (Hebrews 12:15 LB).
Job gives three steps in refocusing:
1. Put your heart right. That means you forgive. “But I can't forgive!” you say. That's why you need Christ in your life; he'll give you the power to forgive.
2. Reach out to God. Ask him to come into your heart and heal those wounds and help you and give you strength and power for tomorrow, next week, next month.
3. Face the world again, firm and courageous. Many people, when they're hurt, withdraw into a shell. They say, “I'll never let anybody hurt me again!” They retire from life. Job says to do the exact opposite: Resume your life; don’t retire from it. Get back out there in the world.
There's a happy ending to Job's life. “The Lord blessed the last part of Job's life even more than he had blessed the first” (Job 42:12a GNT). Job went through all this hurt, but, in spite of that, God blessed the last part of his life even more than he had the first.
Wouldn't you like the same in your life? Say, “God, I don't care whether I have five years or 50 years left. Would you bless the last part of my life more than the first part?”
The lesson of Job's life is this: It doesn't matter who's hurt you or how long you've been hurt or how deeply you've been hurt. God can make the rest of your life the best of your life if you're willing to forgive and let go of resentment and release the offender.
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