In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.

Ephesians 1

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. v7-8

Both OverviewBible.com and MacArthur Bible Study Commentary (for purchase) indicate Ephesians as a letter written to remind the young church of Ephesus of their identity in Christ and to prescribe how to manifest this identity in their lives - practical advice.  We all need to be reminded of how lavishly God has blessed us - and undeservedly so. 

We are holy and blameless in His sight (v4).
We are adopted by Him and been freely given grace (v5-6).
We have redemption and forgiveness of sins in His blood (v7).
He shares wisdom with us (v8-9).

Of course there are so many more ways God blesses us but Paul's words are more than sufficient to give us the humility we need to appreciate who God is and what He has done for us.  It should encourage us to continue to come back to Him.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has lavishly bestowed an unimaginable amount of blessings on me - thank You Jesus - I am overwhelmed by Your love.  Even more so because I know I am undeserving.  I sin daily - not being who You desire for me, I fall down in my sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind, and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Luke 6

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. v38

Luke's version of the Sermon on the Mount (see also Matthew 5-7) includes verses instructing us to avoid judging others and instead focus on our own sin.  At the same time, as we look inward, we are to examine how we are good stewards on the gifts (time, treasure, and talents) God has provided us.

Jesus words on this subject are also recorded later in Luke in chapter 12: 
 
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48

I know God has blessed me beyond what I deserve in terms of time, treasure, and talents, and I am hopeful and prayerful that I am a good steward of these blessings.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has blessed me beyond what I deserve. I am grateful for Your grace and Your sacrifice - the greatest gift of all time. Thank You Jesus - but again, I am undeserving.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”

1 Samuel 25

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.” v39

Evil has been in the world since the very beginning - see Genesis 3.  Evil not only exists but it is pervasive.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9

 

David nearly succumbs to temptation by killing Nabal but he realizes that this is wrong and that justice belongs to God alone.

 

We must repay evil with good.

 

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9

 

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12

 

Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. Amos 5:14-15

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed a great God who sees my evil and pays me back with good.  I know that I don't get what I deserve but I do get what I don't deserve - grace.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love.  I often fail to come to You with my first fruits.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, "This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it. I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor I will satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.

Psalm 132

For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying,  "This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.  I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor I will satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy. v13-16

God makes numerous promises to His children and He always keeps His promises (Luke 1:37) so it is encouraging when He tells us how we will bless us.  I love talking and listening to God...don't You?

Of course we should expect Jesus' return and be ready - see here (Parable of Virgins) and here (Matthew 24). 

My Prayer: Lord You are a great God, full of love and blessing for us...and You promise life to the full - and You always come through!  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am weak and I get angry to quickly...I worry, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law.

Psalm 94

Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law. v12

This is often a difficult message - that we should consider all discipline as training, and that God is removing our impurities and making us more like Him.


Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

See also posts here.

My Prayer: Lord, Your righteousness reigns as perfect justice for those who love You and for those who reject You.  You know our heart and everything we do - nothing is concealed.  You are full of compassion and mercy and You often provide mercy when we don't deserve it.  I have experienced Your mercy myself - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such mercy as I continue to worry and be harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me and help me turn from such sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith. Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message today and every day. 

The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.

Psalm 24

The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. v4-5

In the verse 3 David asks: "Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?"

We all want to be near to God for He is our refuge, strength, who comforts us in our afflictions and suffering, guides us, etc. Yet we sin, and when we do we experience separation from God.  We seek His forgiveness and when we do, He is full of grace and provides it...what an awesome God.  Further, when we turn from our sin and turn towards God (repentance) and we strive for renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2), God will transform our heart and life to be more like Him...with "clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false God".  The blessing of course follows....it is a promise as true as Jesus is great.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, author of heaven and earth and all of its inhabitants...You created me, and You know everything about me, including my sin...yet You came and died for me anyway...thank You Jesus!  I stand in awe!  I am not worth such love and blessing...I continue to be selfish in my life...often.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

James 5

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. v10-11

There are many examples from scripture where prophets and others demonstrated patience in the face of suffering and I have seen with my own eyes brothers and sisters in my church.  God is always doing good in our lives and we must be patient for God to reveal the goodness of what we may see as suffering.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and You have brought much good out of difficult circumstances in my life and in the lives of those around me - You are amazing!  Thank You for how You have carried me and my burdens during these times and for blessing me!  I am not worth such love and blessing...I am weak and I worry, grumble, I am quick to anger and often impatient.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin!  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa, comfort, strength, and freedom from pain.  Please heal her from this surgery and also of this cancer.  Please make the side effects of cancer go away...quickly.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me be patient and persevere.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.