Psalm 138:3  While working at a small, public school, a Christian teacher handled the stress of the environment with a positive attitude and a calmness not exhibited by his co-workers. Because of the way he responded to volatile situations, he was respected by his students. They went to him with their problems and concerns, and listened intently to his advice.

One day, another faculty member asked him, "How do you do it? How do you maintain your positive outlook with everything we go through each day?"

His answer was simple: "Jesus." He told of his daily quiet time in which he asked God for strength and wisdom for what lay ahead. He told of the peace he receives when, in his uncertainty, he relies on Jesus. And he told his co-worker how she could also find this peace and the strength to handle the day.

Where do you go when you need peace, help, and hope? How do you face each day with all of its uncertainty? When you go to Jesus in prayer, He will answer your call. He will not leave you to gp it alone - He can, and will, carry it all.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 57:1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

Why do you love Jesus? What causes you to rely on Him and trust Him enough to give your heart and soul to Him?

Those trying, stressful days when everything seems to be closing in on you sometimes feel like more than you can handle. You fall into bed at night wondering how you made it through. Then you remember that you spent time with God at the start of the day. You recall how, when the pressure was on, you called out to God for strength and serenity. And in the quiet of your heart, it hits you: He was there with you all day long!

That's why you love Jesus. All you had to do was ask, and His mercy was poured out upon you; grace was freely given. Now His presence surrounds you day by day. He is there, listening to your prayers and answering when you call. He is there, lending His strength, He is there, providing a place of refuge from the stormy day. He is there!

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Ephesians 1:5,7  He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ...In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.

We all want to feel like we belong. We are conditioned from birth to need to belong to someone. We experience belonging in our families, with our friends, with a spouse, in our church. And although each of these relationships fills that need to a certain extent, we can never feel truly satisfied, we can never truly belong, until we belong to Jesus.

The reason is simple. Life changes. We grow up and move out of our parents' home. Some of our friends move away. We may lose our spouse to divorce or death. There is only One person to whom we can belong forever - in this life and beyond. 

His life and death were meant for the purpose of giving all people a chance to belong to the family of God. He took your sin upon Himself as He was nailed to the cross. He bought your freedom with His blood. This is an intense, all-encompassing freedom - freedom from Satan's power, from sin and destruction, freedom to live your life in the joy of belonging to Christ the King. Rejoice that you can proclaim "I belong to Jesus!" now, and forever.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

1 Corinthians 2:9  No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

Even in your wildest daydreams you could never imagine what eternity with Jesus will be like. The inkling John gives us in Revelation 21 only serves to heighten the mystery and our anticipation. John describes a city made of precious and rare jewels, with gold so pure it is transparent.

Because we are all unique in our perception of written descriptions, each one of us will picture something different in our mind's eye. You may have a detailed image in your mind of what you think heaven will be like. When you finally arrive there, no matter what your preconceived ideas, you will not be disappointed.

Until then, live each day seeking to know what God has planned for you right here, right now. He has much in store for your life. When you pray daily for His guidance, the Holy Spirit will lead you. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah encouraged God's people by telling them God's promise: "I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). Just as God was with the ancient peoples, He is with you today, leading you all the way. His plans are good, bringing hope for the future in this life and beyond. God has prepared something wonderful just for you!

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.

God alone is holy! The only being in the universe worthy of our praise is our Lord Jesus Christ. If we are silent, the whole creation will rise and shout praises to the Creator, Most Holy God. In Jerusalem, the Pharisees told Jesus to tell the crowds to be quiet, to cease their praise. Jesus replied, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out" (Luke 19:40).

In the Book of Revelation, John is blessed to see the holiness of Jesus revealed to him in a dream. The heavenly beings never cease in saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come" (Revelation 4:8). How wonderful to know that we will someday join with the nagels is proclaiming the holiness of God face to face with our Savior!

Until then, we can live life in His presence, worshiping and offering our hearts to Him. He loves us so much! Loving Him in return is what He desires; as the song says, "it's the least we can do." And when we live in praise we find great blessings. He will keep us safe in the shadow of His wings (Psalm 17:8), watching over us as a mother hen would protect her young by spreading her wings over them. He allows us to drink from the "fountain of life" (Psalm 36:9).

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Psalm 122:1  I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.

Jesus Christ is your Savior and Friend, but He is also your sovereign Lord. When you approach Him, whether in a house of worship or on your knees at your bedside, you must show reverence and respect.

When you step into church, how do you feel? What do you see? What brings you to the realization that you are in His house, His courts? Do you ever contemplate the fact that you are there by His grace alone? When you praise with a pure and contrite heart, reverently stepping into God's presence, you can meet Him anywhere, transforming an elevator, your backyard, or even your car into a place where you are in His awesome presence.

When you come to God in worship, you come knowing that you are worthy of His blessings only because of His undeserved grace. In Psalm 28, David calls out, "Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your Most Holy Place." You can receive all God has to offer when you reverently approach the throne of grace with heart and hands open to the blessings of the Most Holy Lord.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Jeremiah 1:5 I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.

On a transcontinental flight, cruising along at thirty thousand feet, everything on the ground looks miniscule. Mountains appear as bumps in the landscape, roads are thin ribbons, and houses and people are indistinguishable.

How awesome it is to know that God, looking down from His lofty throne, knows your name. He sees your struggles and pain; He hears every prayer and longing of your heart. He sees each tear that falls. You aren't just a tiny dot in the landscape on planet earth. You have a Maker and Redeemer You have worth. You are loved.

Not only does He know you, He has a purpose for your life. He calls you His own. He never leaves you; He walks with you wherever you go. Each day, you interact with dozens of people who don't know you and may never interact with dozens of people who don't know you and may never interact with you again - from the telemarketer to the cashier at the grocery store. How you respond to others is a witness to your relationship with God. When your life displays the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control), you show to whom you belong.

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,