Love, Period

By DR. David Jeremiah – Posted March 29, 2017

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”
Jeremiah 31:3

Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 7:6-11

How many times have you heard someone say (or perhaps said it yourself): “I love you if . . .”; “I love you because . . .”; “I love you when . . .  ?” Compare those phrases with these: “I love you even though . . .”; “I love you in spite of . . .”; “I love you, period.” The truth is we don’t hear people say those words verbally as much as we see them act out the words non-verbally. The first set of words are examples of conditional love; the second set are examples of unconditional love. God loves the second way: “I love you, period.”

God has always loved that way. In fact, He told His Chosen People, Israel, that He did not choose them because they were a large and impressive people (Deuteronomy 7:7). In truth, He didn’t choose them at all. He chose Abraham, their forefather. And because of His love for Abraham, Israel enjoyed His love as well. Even when Israel was at her worst, God said through Jeremiah, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

Don’t ever mistake the world’s love (if, because, when) for God’s love (no conditions). God’s love for you never changes (2 Timothy 2:13).

God doesn’t owe us anything—yet in His grace, He still gives us good things.
Billy Graham

In All Your Ways

By Joel Osteen – Posted March 29, 2017

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:6, NKJV

TODAY'S WORD:

Do you need direction in your life? The first question we need to ask ourselves is, “Am I acknowledging God in all my ways?” In other words, is He first place in your life? 

All throughout the day, we should be acknowledging God, asking for His help, seeking His wisdom, following His commands and thanking Him for His goodness. In the morning, we should wake up and say, “Father, thank You for another beautiful day. I commit this day, my plans and my future into Your hands.” When you start the day like this, you are acknowledging God. He promises to crown your day with success. When you are driving on the freeway say, “Father, thank You for keeping me safe.” At the office say, “Lord, help me to be focused and productive today.” At home, “Father, bless my children.” Before you go to bed, “Lord, thank You for a good night’s rest.” When you’re acknowledging Him in all your ways, He promises to direct your paths. He promises to lead and guide you into paths of peace, joy and everlasting life! 

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, I acknowledge You in everything I do. I invite You to direct my steps and search my heart. I surrender every area of my life to You. Keep me close to You always in Jesus’ name. Amen.

GOD SAYS ‘I WILL’ IN THE NEW COVENANT

By Joseph Prince – Posted March 29, 2017

Hebrews 8:10, 12

…I will put My laws in their mind…I will be their God…I will be merciful to their unrighteousness…their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

You may be feeling stressed at work today because your boss just gave you a list of things to do. Maybe he told you, “You have to type this letter. You have to meet this client. You have to write this report. You have to…” Wouldn’t it be nice if your boss had, instead, said, “I will type this letter for you. I will meet this client for you. I will write this report for you. I will…”

Well, your boss may not be that gracious, but your Father in heaven is! When He found fault with the old covenant and established the new covenant (Hebrews 8:7–8) in His Son’s blood, His “Thou shalls” became “I wills”.

You see, under the old covenant, the focus is on you—Thou shall not…Thou shall not…Thou shall not…It is all about your performance, your obedience, your works. But under the new covenant, God says, “I will put My laws in their mind…I will be their God…I will be merciful to their unrighteousness…their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” It is no longer you working for God, but God working for you, in you, through you!

“Isn’t there something for me to do?” you may ask.

My friend, the only thing for you to do is to believe God’s “I wills”. The more you believe His “I wills” or promises, the more you will see His heart for you and the more your faith will grow.

It is foolish for me to just tell you, “Come on, man, have faith!” You will still find it hard to have faith because I am not giving you anything to build faith in you. But if I were to tell you all about what God says He will do for you, faith will arise in your heart. Faith is a response to knowing what God says He will do for you.

So the best thing you can “do” under the new covenant is to not focus on what you must do for God, but what God says He will do for you!

Thought For The Day

The more you know what God will do for you, the more faith will arise in your heart.

 

 

 

Enjoy the Pursuit

By Joyce Meyer - Posted March 29, 2017

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who considers the weak and the poor; the Lord will deliver him in the time of evil and trouble. 
—Psalm 41:1 

Do you ever feel that no matter where you go, somebody pursues you and hunts you down? Does someone seem to need something every time you start doing what you set out to do? Someone needs a ride to school, or somebody forgets their lunch, and before you know it, half your day is wasted. 

Jesus knows what it is like to be pursued, but He was never upset by it. As soon as He ministered to everyone in one place, He went to the next town to find more people who needed Him. He never said, "Leave Me alone." Ask God to show you the needs of people through the eyes of Jesus today, and your days will never be wasted.