Him Who Loves Us

Him Who Loves Us

Revelation 1:5 NIV

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.”

As I read this verse, I noticed those beautiful words: “Him who loves us.”

Think about the love of Jesus toward you right now. His love is there. He is there with you.

If you do not know the saving love of Jesus, I encourage you to trust Him alone to save you and forgive you for all your sins.

And if you know the Lord Jesus, take a moment to thank Him for all His loving acts toward you.

When considering the worst thing you may have to face, consider the worst thing our Lord Jesus had to face—the cross. He faced it for you.

Jesus said in John 15:13:

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

The love of Jesus is shown to us by His willingness to die for us.

Romans 5:8 says:

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

What a wonderful thought to carry with us today: Jesus loves us. He proved that love at the cross, and through His blood He has freed us from our sins.

If you have never trusted Jesus alone for salvation, trust Him today.

And if you already belong to Him, thank Him for His amazing love.

This is a special day—a day to remember that you are loved by Jesus.

The Almighty

The Almighty

Revelation 1:8 KJV

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:8 is a powerful verse that emphasizes the sovereignty and eternal nature of God.

The Almighty God who appeared to Abraham is the same Almighty God we read about throughout Scripture.

Genesis 17:1 

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”

And for those of us who have faith in Jesus Christ, we have this wonderful promise:

Psalm 91:1 

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

Think about that. We can dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

And when we come out from among the influence of unbelievers, God gives us this promise:

2 Corinthians 6:18 

“And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

The Almighty God desires a relationship with every one of us. He desires that people turn to Him.

2 Peter 3:9 tells us that the Lord is patient, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

So, if you do not know God, keep in mind that He is calling you to turn to Him and have a relationship with Him.

Trust in Jesus alone to save you, and follow Jesus alone.

And if you know the Lord, rejoice that you have a personal relationship with the Almighty and that He is there with you every step of the way today.

God Our Shield

God Our Shield

Psalm 5:12 NLT

“For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love.”

As I read this Bible verse this evening, I thought about how you and I can have confidence that God surrounds us with His protective shield of love wherever we go.

We are reminded in Psalm 3:3:

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”

I love that. God lifts us up when we are down, and He is our refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 18:30 says:

“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

And God even gives us our own personal shield for spiritual warfare—the shield of faith.

Ephesians 6:16 says:

“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

Thank God He is our shield. He is our defender and our refuge in times of trouble. And through faith in Jesus, He prepares us to stand firm when spiritual battles come.

So, fellow follower of Jesus, whatever you may be facing today, remember: God is your shield.

Look Up

Look Up

Psalm 61:2 KJV says:

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

I was thinking this is a great reminder for us to look up when things are looking down.

Sometimes, when we are going through trouble, we can forget to look up and cry out to our Heavenly Father for help.

Psalm 27:5 says:

“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”

What a comforting promise. And while we wait for God’s deliverance, it is good to remember what He has already done for us and for others.

I think of what God has done for me. Psalm 40:2 says:

“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

So today, if things are looking down, look up.

Look to your Heavenly Father. Remember His faithfulness. And keep your eyes on Jesus, the Rock who is higher than we are.

It is always a good day when we remind each other to look up.

Give Me Understanding

Give Me Understanding

Psalm 119:73 says:

“Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.” — ESV

I love the simplicity of this prayer.

God made me. He fashioned me. And because He made me, I need Him to teach me how to live.

We see something similar in Luke 24:45. Speaking of Jesus, it says:

“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”

Jesus opened the minds of His disciples so they could understand the Scriptures.

And I think that is a prayer we can pray today:

“Jesus, open my understanding. Help me understand Your Word. Help me see what You want me to see, and then help me follow You.”

We don't have to figure it all out on our own. The One who created us is the One who can teach us.

So today, let's open the Bible, ask Jesus for understanding, and then simply follow Him.