9/1/02 Psalm 119:108
LORD, accept my grateful thanks and teach me your laws.
Jesus is the one that counts. Without Christ I am nothing. With Christ my life is complete. In Christ I have the power to be the person I was created to be. Life is tough. Christ equips me to deal with life and maintain a gentle heart and a kind spirit. Jesus I bend my knee before you.
9/2/02 Jonah 4:6
And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased some of his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
Three men robbed my missionary friend Rick in West Africa at gunpoint last week. The expression of His heart was gratitude to the Lord for his life. I want to learn to be grateful for the right things and satisfied with the things I have. Thank you Lord.
9/3/02 Philippians 4:10
How grateful I am, and how I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but for a while you didn’t have the chance to help me.
I exemplify Jesus when I am helping others. Kind words are important. Helpful actions are even better. Help someone today.
9/4/02 John 3:25
At that time a certain Jew began an argument with John’s disciples over ceremonial cleansing.
Religion imprisons. Christ gives freedom. I want to serve the living Lord. He sets me free from bondage to sin. He empowers me to be myself in the midst of the storm and in the face of adversity.
9/5/02 Hebrews 10:1
The old system in the law of Moses was only a shadow of the things to come, not the reality of the good things Christ has done for us. The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.
Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. He provides permanent, powerful, sin destroying forgiveness for me. I am saved by His shed blood and protected by His strong hand. Jesus is my redeemer.
9/6/02 Ecclesiastes 8:1
How wonderful to be wise, to be able to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights up a person’s face, softening its hardness.
If I want to be wise I must get to know Jesus and learn to trust Him. Often I will not understand why things are happening but I can always know the one who is in charge of things. Jesus is Lord and He is my savior.
9/7/02 Jeremiah 10:23
I know, LORD, that a person’s life is not his own. No one is able to plan his own course.
I am grateful to be alive. I want today to be the best day of my life. My joy is not controlled by me circumstance. Christ in me is the foundation of my joy.
9/8/02 Amos 5:6
Come back to the LORD and live! If you don’t, he will roar through Israel like a fire, devouring you completely. Your gods in Bethel certainly won’t be able to quench the flames!
One day I will die. When I die I will stand before the Lord. I want to make sure that I have Jesus in my heart now so that He will stand for me then. Jesus is Lord.
9/9/02 Matthew 15:31
The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking around, and those who had been blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.
I know Jesus is real because He changed me. He has been faithful in every aspect of my life. Thank you Jesus for the miracles you work in my life.
9/10/02 Matthew 20:22
But Jesus told them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
I will face trials and tribulation if I am faithful in sharing my faith and faithful in living a Christian lifestyle. I cannot compare my pain to the pain Jesus experienced. I can choose to be faithful whatever the cost. When I am faithful I am suffering for Jesus.
9/11/02 Psalm 116:6
The LORD protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and then he saved me.
The finality of life is expressed in a split second. When a person dies this world ends and then they face judgement. I must seek to live every day with an awareness of this. I love my wife. My children count. My job is useful. Flowers are beautiful. Music is a stimulating joy. Thank you Lord for my life. Help me tell someone about your love for me.
Second for 9/11/02:
9/11/02 Genesis 22:1
Later on God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”
The marvelous message of this passage is that the Lord was concerned about Abraham. Christ is concerned about me. He is here with me. Whatever good or bad is happening in my life Christ will not desert me.
Third for 9/11/02:
9/11/02 Mark 11:22
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God.
When it looks as if all is lost, I can trust God. He is faithful. He loves me. He will protect me with His strong right arm. My destination is my home with Him. He will make provision for my journey.
9/12/02 Mark 4:33
He used many such stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they were able to understand.
God’s Word always speaks to my need. When I study the Word Scripture that I have read many times will often shed new light on a nagging or overwhelming issue in my life. Scripture that I memorize will be used by the Holy Spirit to give me a word of truth or power in my hour of need. God is good all the time.
9/13/02 Acts 20:32
“And now I entrust you to God and the word of his grace – his message that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.
I care for you. I pray for you every day. I trust the Lord. I am confident that I can live with the full knowledge that the Lord is in control of my world and your life. Jesus is Lord.
9/14/02 Romans 4:21
He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised.
Jesus promised that I could have an abundant life. I want it. I find it by grounding my life in Christ. In Christ I have access to a relationship with God. My life is not structured by what I don’t have or cannot be. My life can be the exciting, abundant life that Jesus intended for me to have when He created me.
9/15/02 Romans 6:11
So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.
Jesus will deal with my sin. He will enable me to redirect the activity of my life away from sin and to the Lord. I am not at the mercy of the world. My old habits don’t have a choke hold on me. Jesus is Lord of all.
9/16/02 Matthew 26:60-61
But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, there was no testimony they could use. Finally, two men were found who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'”
What I say and what I do matters. When a lost person deals with me they are evaluating Jesus by the way I act. This puts a great responsibility on me to stay close to the Lord. Life hits by surprise. I don’t want my responses to be a surprise.
9/17/02 Exodus 20:20
“Don’t be afraid,” Moses said, “for God has come in this way to show you his awesome power. From now on, let your fear of him keep you from sinning!”
Jesus is everything to me. I have a relationship with Him through faith. I am encouraged to spend time with Him. When I get away from Jesus I am prone to act like a fool. Foolish actions require discipline.
9/18/02 Leviticus 25:17
Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the LORD your God.
Jesus loves people. I must make sure that whatever action I take affirms my love for people. I can love others because Jesus loves me.
9/19/02 Deuteronomy 6:24
The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.
I want a good relationship with Jesus. Christ provides for my access to the Father and gives me the opportunity to have a good relationship with the Lord. Obedience is the path to a good relationship. The result of obedience to the Father is a good relationship with Jesus.
9/20/02 Deuteronomy 7:19
You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.
God has worked many miracles in my life. I keep a list of those miracles. When I am faced with the impossible I can pull out my miracles list, get before the Lord and simply request, Lord I need your miracle working power again. My miracle list helps me to stay focused on the awesomeness of a loving Lord that really loves me.
9/21/02 Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
The Lord calls me to be who I am. Jesus wants me to be real. Jesus rejoices in my uniqueness, my form and my potential. The challenge for me is not to be like you. My challenge is to be myself.
9/22/02 1 Samuel 12:24
But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
God speaks to me. He speaks through His Word, He speaks in the quiet place where I pray and many times speaks through friends and family. He is intimately involved in helping me to mature and grow as His child. I need to remember the activity of the Holy One in my life. When I remember God’s activity in my life I am encouraged, empowered and enabled to face the unknown and deal with the reality of my life.
9/23/02 1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
God’s love for me is perfect. I do not have to fear failure. The unknown will not reshape my life. God’s love will always make a way for me to accomplish His purpose in my life.
9/24/02 Deuteronomy 20:4
For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.
Jesus can meet any and every need that I have. Focusing my life and my heart on Jesus will provide victory for me as I face the challenges of my life.
9/25/02 2 Samuel 22:36
You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great.
The Lord is thinking about me right now. So often my life gets bogged down with minutiae. God’s love and concern never get bogged down. He cares for me. When life gets out of control Jesus still has me on His heart. He is with me. I count. I am valuable to Him.
9/26/02 Psalms 60:12
With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
Time is a great enemy. I am constantly bemoaning what lies ahead and regretting what I did. I should have been more in control or kinder or more understanding. The past pulls like a noose. The future looms ahead. The Lord is with me. The present is where I will always be. Jesus will stand by me through the consequences of my past. Jesus will equip me to face the future. He does it all right now in the present. The Lord is victorious. He permits me to participate in His victory.
9/27/02 1 Corinthians 15:54-55
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
I am seated beside Jesus in the Father’s throne room. I can’t see that now but I know it by faith. When my day comes the Lord Jesus will walk me through the door into the spiritual realm. I will be with Him for eternity.
9/28/02 1 John 5:4
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Life is often an impossible journey. What may happen tomorrow can be very unnerving. I cannot properly prepare for the unknown by myself. God’s grace enables me to face tomorrow with strength, peace and joy. I am because He is.
9/29/02 Luke 10:17
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
I am not alone. I am not at the mercy of fate or the world. The Lord is a warrior who fights my battles. I can trust Jesus and follow His plan for my life. I am under the care of the Lord Jesus Christ.
9/30/02 Romans 8: 38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I belong to the Lord. It is not based on what I will or may do. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. He will always be my Lord and will never cease to be my Savior. I belong to the Lord.
