Share the love of God with women through the study of His word. Share the love of Christ with women through spiritual encouragement and support. Create a safe environment where women can freely share their hearts with one another.
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
We can promote a cheerful heart by dwelling on the bright things of our lot; by counting up the mercies which are left, rather than dwelling on what we have lost. When the heart is full of the light and love of God, can it be other than cheerful? How can this be obtained except by a living union with Jesus Christ. In Him there is an infinitude of supply of peace and joy, sunshine and light. Let us open our hearts to him, and put on these things as we array ourselves each morning in our garments.
“‘You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven’” (Matthew 5:13–16).
In these four verses the Lord summarizes the function of believers in the world—influence. This is a mandate for Christians to influence the world. The Beatitudes are not to be lived in isolation or only among fellow believers, but everywhere we go.
In verses 13 and 14, the pronoun “you” is emphatic. The idea is, “You are the only salt the earth knows and the only light the world sees.” The world’s corruption won’t be retarded and its darkness won’t be illumined unless God’s people are its salt and light. “You” in both verses is plural; that means the whole body, the church, is called to be the world’s salt and light.
By definition, an influence must be different from that which it influences, and Christians must be different from the world they are called to influence. We cannot influence the world for God if we are worldly ourselves, nor can we give light to it if we retreat to places and ways of darkness ourselves.
Ask Yourself Is there anything that’s currently taking the bite out of your saltiness, or dimming the brightness of your light? Deal openly with the Lord about these things, asking Him to rid you of their influence so that you can be used of God to influence others.
You whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. Isaiah 41:9-10
It is tempting to think that our significance is determined by what we’ve achieved, where we’ve been, or where we are going in this life. Yet each of these is irrelevant when considering our lasting significance, which is grounded only in our relationship with God. This relationship is not based upon our wishful thinking or elevated opinions of ourselves. No, it’s based on the surety of these words: “I have chosen you and not cast you off.”
Have we not given God grounds to reject us? If God’s covenant with us and acceptance of us were based upon our daily performance, then none of us would remain in relationship with Him for more than 24 hours. But the wonder of His covenant with us is that it is founded upon His choice. He has chosen us, He has called us from the farthest corners of the world, and He will not cast us off.
Before we can obey and experience God’s grace, we must understand it. Grace is the antidote to all fear and anxiety. We will never be able to overcome worry by simply repeating self-help mantras, nor will we gain victory over fear only by the exhortations of others to obey what Scripture calls for. Such an approach will result in discouragement and doubt, even in despair.
When dreadful thoughts arise—I am afraid and overwhelmed, and I don’t know what to do or I am weak and insignificant, and I don’t know how to go on—we must remind ourselves of God’s grace, which says to us, I called you. I chose you. I love you. I have not rejected you. Only the grace of God can help us to overcome our fears and give us this confidence. His promises put all else in perspective, teaching us to fix our minds on the hope of eternity and live in light of its reality.
Do you have any rivers that you think are uncrossable? Are there any mountains that you can’t tunnel through? Are you afraid of a new task that is awaiting you? Are you faced with continual difficulties? Remember that God’s truth doesn’t change. His purposes don’t change. His Son doesn’t change. This unchanging God is the one who is with you and for you. Listen to Him now: “I have chosen you and not cast you off; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.”
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1Peter 1:3)
We have a myriad of reasons to bless our great God, to speak of Him with grateful praises. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our heavenly Father has mercifully showered us with so many blessings that we rightly desire Him to honored and blessed. “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You” (Psa 86:5). Based on His great love, He sent His Son to pay for our debt of sin. Through faith in His name, we have received forgiveness and new life. Day by day He is present with us and is working in and through our lives. How blessed we are!
In the scripture before us, God’s merciful heart toward us is focused on a magnificent matter: “who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope.” The Lord’s mercy has provided a plan whereby He can righteously hold back the awful judgment that we rightly deserve. This plan of salvation offers new birth. God has “begotten us again.” This could be rendered, “caused us to be born again.” We all were begotten of our earthly parents, a birth that brings temporal human life. For all of us who believe in the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior, we have been given a new birth from God into everlasting spiritual life in Christ. This is one of the heavenly realities that relate to justification (being declared righteous in God’s sight, and thereby able to begin a walk with God).
This new birth is also “to a living hope.” When we were born into the Lord’s family, real “hope” became available to us everafter. Biblical hope is about absolute certainties concerning the future. It is about guaranteed expectations for time and eternity. These are vital needs for every person. Otherwise, people flounder in hopelessness and despair, or they march along in vain fantasies and imaginations.
The unique hope the Lord provides for us is a “living hope.” It is a hope that pulsates with resurrection life. “[God] has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” This hope is permeated with the Lord’s resurrection. This resurrection hope is sufficient to raise us from any agonizing deadness, whether in our aching hearts or in our threatening circumstances.
Lord God of mercy, I praise You for Your abundant mercy toward me. I thank You for new birth. I am especially grateful for living hope. I now ask You to work in the dead aspects of my life. Lord, You know what areas of my heart are lifeless. You see the circumstances that are killing me. Raise my heart to new vitality. Lift me above circumstantial living, through the reality of the resurrection of Your Son, Amen.
Devotional material taken from Day By Day Grace by Bob Hoekstra
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