MAKE YOUR HOUSE A HOUSE OF PRAYER!

Mark 11:17  "Then He taught, saying to them, 'Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves.' "

Jesus was quoting from the prophets, Jeremiah and Isaiah, to get His point across. Den of thieves refers to the practice of cheating people either through a crooked exchange of money, or by selling inferior products. When Jesus saw the men selling things in the Temple, He rebuked them. 

Let's be encouraged to make our own homes into houses of prayer. Let's not allow the temptations of this world to get into our homes and steal our peace. As we dedicate our homes to the Lord, He will surely bless them!

LET'S MAGINIFY THE LORD!

Psalm 70:4  "Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'Let God be magnified!' "

How can we not declare the Lord when He's done so much for us? As we recognize His love and great mercy toward us, it becomes an easy thing to magnify His name.

Let's be encouraged today, to share with someone about our relationship with the Lord. As we do, we are declaring His love to another so that they may also rejoice and reap the great blessings that we have experienced!

THERE IS A WAY OF ESCAPE!

1 Corinthians 10:13  "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

There is great comfort in knowing that God will not let us experience anything for which He has not prepared us for. He will give us grace and power to endure whatever comes our way. Let us be at peace in believing that God will not let us enter into anything that we can not bear.

Let's be encouraged today to not be fearful about our futures. But to be comforted with God's grace that He has instilled into our lives, along with His promise that we will always be given a way out of a difficult situation!

DON'T CARRY YOUR PAIN INTO THE FUTURE!

Lamentations 3:22, 23  "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed because His compassion fails not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." 

If we didn't have God on our side, where would we be? His compassion is new every morning. He is faithful in this to us. Whatever happens today does not need to trail into our tomorrow. The Lord gives us a new beginning everyday. A dark night can be distressing, but the light comes in the morning with all things new. 

Let's be encouraged today to yield to the mercy of the Lord. He never runs out of compassion and is faithful to us in all things!

MAKE A JOYFUL SHOUT TO GOD!

Psalm 100:1-3  "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God. It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." 

The Hebrew verb for make a joyful shout is a highly charged command for public praise. How would we share the goodness of the Lord if we didn't show our admiration and praise for Him? As we know, the Good Shepherd loves His sheep, which makes it easy for us to praise Him.

Let's be encouraged today to come before Him with a song in our heart, and share that song with others!

LOVE IS THE GREATEST OF GIFTS!

1 Corinthians 13:13  "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Faith enables us to come to God, and hope helps us to believe. Love helps us to imitate God. Love is the most powerful tool we have been given. With love, we may silence the ignorance of foolish men. With love, we may break free from bitterness. With love, we may learn the ways of Christ and be as He is.

I encourage you today to love all, even those who hate you. By doing this, you are taking the high road, and at the same time being an example to all around you. There is no disappointment in love, it is God's greatest gift!

LET'S NOT GROW WEARY!

Galatians 6:9  "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

Although good works cannot justify or sanctify us, they are an important fruit in our life of faith. And we will definitely reap what we sow.

We, as believers, are not only to serve other believers with love, but to show our love and do good deeds to non-believers as well. As we love our neighbor as ourselves, we are pleasing God.

Let's be encouraged today with the promise of a blessing coming as we joyfully give to others!

OUR JUSTICE WILL BE AS THE NOON DAY!

Psalm 37:5,6  "Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday."

As we commit ourselves to the Lord, it becomes important to entrust everything to Him. Giving over our lives to His guidance and control. We need to trust that He can take better care of us than we can. It's good for us to role-over our concerns and live for God.

The noonday is the brightest time of the day, in which the Lord says is our justice. Also, our righteousness will be as the light; pure and revealing truth.

Let's be encouraged today, knowing that the Lord has all things in His hands, as we yield to Him with our trust!

LET'S BE FILLED WITH GOD'S GOODNESS!

Ephesians 3:17-19  "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Once we believe in Christ and experience His wonderful love, we are able to experience the depths of that love. As we welcome Jesus to settle into our hearts, we make room for the supernatural to flow.

It is impossible to know the exact measure of God's love for us, but we can certainly receive it with an open heart. Let's explore the fullness of God, which holds His gifts for us!

GOD IS TRUTH - WE ARE TRUTH

1 John 3:18,19  "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this, we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him."

As we love one another with caring words, we must also show loving actions and deeds. We can say many words that will not amount to anything if we are insincere. Action speaks very loudly, and sometimes more so than words. But the two together make for a perfect team to bring love into its fullness.

I encourage you today, to love with a pure heart, to tell the truth always, to let your words be without hypocrisy, and to let your actions speak for themselves. You will bless many, and also the Lord, by doing so!

MAY THE LORD GIVE YOU INCREASE!

Psalm 115:14, 15  "May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

God is trustworthy and desires to bless all those who trust in Him. He knows our heart's desires and our needs, and gives to us accordingly. Since the earth and the heavens are created by God, He can certainly bless His children. He owns all things. 

Let's be encouraged today in trusting God for His generous provisions!

THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH!

Psalm 37:11 " But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."

Jesus quoted Matthew 5:5, to confirm that His own life was an example of this psalm that King David wrote so many years before. Jesus took on meekness and humility to come to earth and die for us all. He indeed owns the earth, and through His death for us, we gained that inheritance as well.

This verse is for us today. Through Jesus, we are more than conquerors over the troubles in our lives during the entire time of our stay here on the earth. This is why we can delight in the abundance of peace He gives to us!

GOD WILL GIVE US REST!

Matthew 11:28-30  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden light."

Rest is the release from all of the burdens we hold in this world. Whether it be religious, financial, or family responsibilities, they can all cause anxiety. The Lord is saying, "Come to Me." Let's respond to that call, take up His invitation, and therefore become lighter.

Let's encourage one another with the Scripture above. Today we have many burdens, but we can lay them at the feet of Jesus. He will make them light and give us rest for our souls!

TO LIVE IS CHRIST!

Phil. 1:21  "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

As far as the writer of this Scripture is concerned, he would experience gain in his own death because he would be with Christ. Isn't it true for all of us who believe? While we are living here on this earth, we live for Christ and serve Him. But when we die and go to heaven, it is a true gain since we will be with Him face to face forever. Imagine that!

What a great thought to meditate on today. Let's be encouraged and at peace with the reality of having the best of both worlds in Christ!

GOD WILL SATISFY YOUR SOUL!

Isaiah 58:11 "The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

As a watered garden continually brings forth blossoms and fruit, you too will have prosperity. As springs of water that never dry up, your life will be endless through salvation. When you are thirsty, God will give you fresh water to drink, and it will strengthen you.

I encourage you to receive His living water daily and to thank God for His provision. Let that water flow through you to touch other lives as well. He will guide you in doing so!

CLING TO GOD!

Romans 12:9  "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good."

If we have a hard time loving unconditionally, we can ask for God's help. With His guidance and the Holy Spirit, it is easier to love even the most corrupt of mankind. Only He can give us a supernatural love for others. Even for our enemies.

Let's be encouraged today to make a difference in someone's life. By doing good, they may see our conduct and want to do good as well. Let's speak love into a life today!

GOD DID NOT GIVE US FEAR!

2 Timothy 1:7  "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

We find the word peace in the Bible numerous times. God gives us a spirit of peace, not fear. He has also given us power in the name of Jesus to face the threats and trials that come our way. We need not be afraid when we know that God will watch over us, lead us, and protect us.

I encourage you today to trust in God's promises, and face the world's challenges with the confidence of His protection. This way you will experience peace in the midst of trouble.

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT!

Matthew 28, 19,20  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

We don't have to go to the farthest places on the earth to make disciples. The Lord will use us where we are. And if believers all over the world will follow this command, then everyone will be reached at some point. There are people everywhere who need salvation and who have never heard the Word. As we look around our neighborhoods and work places, we can clearly see a need.

Let's be encouraged today to reach out to someone in our own community and share with them the good news. Travel afar or stay close by, you will find many opportunities to spread the word and teach others about the Lord.

GOD IS OUR PEACE SOURCE!

John 16:33  "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Jesus warns us of things to come so that when they do, we will have peace. The Lord knows the beginning to the end of all things, as well as everything to come in each of our lives individually. We can trust that He is with us through good and bad times.

Let's be encouraged to know that God is in control. He will not leave us, but will hold our hand through our most difficult times, and bring us through with His peace!  Isn't He awesome?

KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS!

Hebrews 3:1 "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess."

Another way of putting it, is to keep our eyes on Jesus. If we make Him the focal point of our lives, continually seeking Him, and thinking of Him and His ways, we will be blessed beyond our imaginings. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, then the world tries to come in like a storm and flood our thoughts with other things.

Let's be encouraged today knowing that the Lord desires fellowship with us, to walk with us, and to commune with us. It isn't hard to get His attention, since His ear is always open to our cries!