The Daily Dose

The “ride” of life

This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalms 118:24

For the next five days, I am going to take a detour from going through some of the new testament books.  I will continue with 1 John next week.  However, I want to spend the next 5 doses on a message I am preparing for next gen students and young adults.  It has 5 points, so I will talk about one point each day.

Point #1                                                Enjoy today

With all the pressure and fast pace of life, it can be so easy for people to get caught up in activities and responsibilities.  Never even considering that enjoying the “ride” of life may need to be part of a daily plan. It can be so easy to be swept away in the pressures of becoming successful, that taking time to enjoy life can be of low priority.  I’m not talking about taking vacations and getting away from the hubbub of daily living.  I’m talking about enjoying live right in the middle of it.  What would it look like if you enjoyed your life when you went to work each day.  What would if be like if you enjoyed coming home to your family each evening.   I’m sure you don’t have the perfect job or family, nobody does because there is no such thing as the perfect job or family.  The point is, you can still enjoy the life God has given you even without the most expensive things, most current technology or perfect friends and family.  Life is most often enjoyed in the simple things.  Today verse says that we can enjoy today simply because God made it!  How wonderful that is, yet how often do we actually consider that “today I can enjoy my life”.  You have heard the old saying to take time to smell the roses and how true it is.  It seems that we have entered an age where we have to purposefully stop and set time aside to enjoy life before it slips away right through our fingertips.

The Psalmist goes on to say in verse 29 of this chapter to give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.  A thankful heart is also not only good, but a requirement for enjoying life. To look around and recognize the hand of God not only in the world, but in your life personally will produce joy and thankfulness.  On days when it seems like there is no time to enjoy it, spend a minute being thankful.

Today’s scripture reading is in Philippians 4.  It encourages us to rejoice all the time.  It means to be thankful, kind and gentle.  Not anxious or worried about where life is going, but committing all to the LORD and trusting Him to handle it all.  Then the peace of God comes and will guard against anything trying to steal your joy from you. 

The bottom line is that when you trust the LORD, you will find it easier to enjoy your days.  This life flies by so fast.  In fact James 4:14 says our life is as a vapor that is here for a little while then vanishes away.  It’s like steam or smoke.  Now you see it, now you don’t.  Even if you haven’t discovered the brevity of life yet, make the decision to enjoy your days now.  If you do, when you get to the end of your time here in this world, you will look back and say . . . Wow!  I really enjoyed living this life!!

Today I want to encourage you to make a plan now to remind yourself each day to enjoy it.  We make plans our whole life of what we will do each day.  Whether its work, play or make more plans, make sure to begin each day with the plan to be glad in it, be thankful in it and rejoice in it.  Even when you are in the middle of storms and troubles remember, your plan is to enjoy life.  Not by accumulating things and experiences, although they can be part of it.  The main thing is that your heart is trusting in the LORD and rejoice because you know He is helping you to enjoy each day that you are on this planet.

Today’s scripture reading: Philippians 4:4-9

Grow in grace

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

Peter closes his letter by encouraging the believers to grow.  Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Savior Christ Jesus.  This is good advice and the same thing that we need to be doing today as we are at the end of this age. 

So how do we grow in grace?  Grace defined in today’s words would be courteous, kind and polite.  A gracious person is humble and generous with their space, time and resources.  Grace is also used in handling things.  If you handle something gracefully, it is smooth, tastefully, and with fineness.  We can also talk about the opposite of grace to come up with a picture of what grace is not.  It is not crude, vulgar and grotesque. If you handle something ungracefully, you are clumsy, inept and awkward.  The kind of grace we want to grow in is the God kind of grace.  We can find it defined in 2 Corinthians 9:8 that says God makes all grace available to you so you have all you need for all occasions in abundance for every good work.  So to grow in grace would be to grow in God’s good work each day.  By taking every opportunity to help and be generous to others so that they can see the love of God in your actions.  God has the supply to empower you to do this and gives it to you abundantly.

Next, grow in the knowledge of Christ Jesus.  This is easier.  The way to get to know Jesus better is to talk to Him and read about Him in the Word of God.  By spending time with the LORD, you grow in knowing Him.  Your relationship with Him is like any relationship in that you grow closer as you spend time with Him.  If you want to be closer to God, spend more time with Him.  Read about Him and talk to Him about what you read.  Ask Him to make Himself known to you in new ways each day.  The aspects of Christ Jesus and God the Father are eternal, so you could learn something new about them each day and never exhaust the newness.

Today I want to encourage you to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ Jesus.  Start by praying for God’s grace to be on you to accomplish the good plans He has for you to walk out each day.  Pray for boldness to share the love of God with others and be on the look out for opportunities to bless others.  You can start by praying for others.  Pray that God would prepare hearts ahead of time so that when you get there, they are waiting for the grace you have to share with them.  Spend time with God in the morning to start your day, then throughout the day as you have opportunity to, talk to Him, or sing a praise song or meditate on a scripture you read that morning.  Grow in the knowledge of Him by growing closer and walking out His purpose!  This is your calling for these last days.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Peter 3:14-18

Keep overcoming                     

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13

This is a great promise and definitely something we are looking forward to.  The promise of a new heaven and earth where everything is right.  However, as we talked about yesterday, even though the time is getting closer every day, His return will be at the exact planned moment when all things are fulfilled for this age.  It is easy to get caught up in the escape mentality, especially as we see things getting darker around us.  LORD!  Please come get us now!!  This is not what His plan is for us to be doing.  Yes!   Thank God we will be able to escape the judgements to come, but until that time comes, God’s grace is sufficient to get us through any trouble we face right now.

It’s no secret that we are in perilous times (see 2 Timothy 3:1-9).  There is more to come and we should not only be ready for it, we should not be surprised.  Jesus said it will look like the days of Noah in Matthew 24, but God got him through, and he will do the same for us.  We are to walk out these final days with confidence in our LORD, that He will bring us through every struggle, He will take us through every fire and He will continue to do what He has always done and that is empower us to overcome!

Today I want to encourage you in these last days to not be overcome and discouraged by the darkness.  Continue to shine the light wherever you are and keep overcoming all the fires that come at you each day.  Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to those who are searching and pray for His strength to grow in you each day!  Become bold like the apostles were and do not be afraid.  Spread the good news and stop looking at the bad news.  There are no surprises to God, and He has everything well in hand.  Don’t worry about when the time will come, just be ready for it at all times.  Make the most of all your moments, because His return can happen today!

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Peter 3:10-13

Not willing that any should perish

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

I like the way this verse is phrased in the New Living Translation.  It says: The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but He wants everyone to repent. 

Apparently, Peter was getting a lot of questions about when Jesus would return for His people.  He explains that the LORD is not procrastination or forgetting about the promise He made to return.  He is being patient for our sakes.  It’s not His will that anyone should perish, but His will is that all people would come to repentance.  This is good news for us today on many levels.  First of all, if He had returned after He ascended, we would not be here to be a part of His return.  Second, there is still hope for our loved ones and those we care about to come to know Him personally.  Lastly, the prophecies of the old testament would not have been fulfilled.  Many of God’s promises to His people have been accomplished since the time Peter wrote this letter and the scripture plainly says that He will not come until all is completed.  Jesus Himself said in Matthew 5: For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

So many things happening in the world today are pointing to His soon return.  We do not know when, but we do know the time is near, closer today than ever before.  This doesn’t mean that we just sit back and wait.  Even if it looks like all things have been fulfilled, God is still moving.  Nothing has changed in regard to our purpose either.  Jesus told us to go and make disciples and we know it is God’s will for all to come to repentance, so our job is to tell all people how to do that.  Introduce everyone around you to Him and tell of His goodness wherever you go.  While there is still time, He will still save.

Today I want to encourage you to share the love of God with someone who may be needing to hear some good news.  You don’t have to look far to see lost and hurting people.  Extend your hand and offer hope to those who are feeling hopeless.  Show the love and compassion of God to those who need a help.  Walk closely through life with those who stumble and can’t yet stand on their feet and make these last days of our time on earth to count for all eternity!

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Peter 3:1-9

A warning

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.  2 Peter 2:20

This portion of 2 Peter 2 is a warning to all believers about the deception of false teachers.  Peter gives us some characteristics to watch out for so we don’t fall into their deceptions.  You may be thinking that you got this all figured out and you are too close to God to be deceived, but it is good to be on the look out for deceivers and know how to help others not to fall into their traps.  Below is the list of attributes to identify someone who would lead others astray.

They speak evil of the things they do not understand.                                                     They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight.                                                  They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals.               They commit adultery with their eyes                                                                                     Their desire for sin is never satisfied                                                                                 They lure unstable people into sin                                                            They are well trained in greed                                                                                They have wandered off the right road                                                                        They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting                         They have an appeal for twisted sexual desire                                                            They lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception

If you study this list closely you will notice that many of the traits listed here are what is in the heart of a person and can easily be hidden.  Therefore, there could be someone setting right next to you and you not even realize the secrets they hold.  Always be ready to help those around you that may not be able to see through such deceptions and ask the LORD to expose anyone around you that may be trying to deceive you.

Today I want to encourage you to first of all check your own heart.  Is there anyone you are giving attention to that may have ulterior motives for your life?  Second, be aware of those closest to you and the secrets of their heart.  Lastly, look out for those around you who may not be able to see through deception and take hold together of life with them.  Don’t just tell them what they may be doing wrong and what they should be doing instead, come along side them, pray with them, love them and help them to overcome.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Peter 2:12-22

Grow through

If the Lord Yahweh rescued Lot, he knows how to continually rescue the godly from their trials,  2 Peter 2:9

This passage makes me think about my own life and how God has been so faithful to rescue me throughout the course of my life!  I depend on that faithfulness to bail me out even today.  When I get into trouble whether it’s my own fault or not, if I call to Him, He comes running to rescue me.  As I look at this passage, I recognize that my troubles are so miniscule compared to Noah’s and Lot’s.  Noah was in a world of constant turmoil.  I’m sure he was always on guard against evil.  It was not so subtle as it feels like it is today.  Lot was oppressed by filthy conduct.  He was trapped.  I have often thought of Lot to be in a self-induced predicament.  However, that didn’t matter to God.  When one of His people needs help, God comes rushing in. 

God is so compassionate, He knows we are going to get ourselves into trouble from time to time, but because He wants the best for us, He always comes to get us out.  That doesn’t mean it will always look like we think it should.  Most of the time God makes a way for us to grow through our struggle so we never have to go through the same thing again.  If you find yourself going through the same struggles continually, maybe its time to step back and ask yourself how to get beyond.  Ask your Heavenly Father how to grow through the issue so you don’t have to repeat it again.  Life is a test, and if you fail your tests, you will repeat them until you pass.  It’s how we get stuck in the “ruts” in life, but praise God we don’t have to stay there.  There is a way out!

Today I want to encourage you that no matter what your trouble is, call out to your Heavenly Father!  He will rush into rescue you.  Even if you have gotten yourself into a predicament and may be deserving of the consequences, that doesn’t matter to God.  He wants the best for you and will help you through and bring you out to victory every time.  Thank Him for His faithfulness and ask Him to show you the path out of the mess you have gotten into.  Then learn from the struggle so you never have to go through it again.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Peter 2:1-11

A more sure Word

Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19

This is a truly amazing passage.  The apostle Peter is talking about the return of Jesus and he says, “we (the apostles) are not making up stories when we talk about the return of our Lord Jesus.”  He says “we saw Jesus glorified with our own eyes and heard the audible voice of the Father on the mount of transfiguration.” (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9)  Then Peter goes on to say that because of that experience, they have an even greater confidence in the messages written by the old testament prophets.  The original KJV translations says a “more sure word!”  He said that he heard the audible voice of God, but the prophecies written in the old testament about the return of Jesus is even more real to them because of that experience on the mount. 

How can this be?  This solidifies once again, how important it is to know the written Word of God.  Peter says that the scriptures are like a lamp shining in the dark places of your heart and life that lights up the areas of your life that need to line up with Christ Jesus.  He goes on to qualify that the scripture was not from human initiative but the prophets wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit from God. 

So, what about that?  How serious are taking the Word of God that we have so available to us today?  Are you hiding it in your heart to guard against sin coming into your life?  Are you looking to it for direction for your future and your hope?  Or do we pick it up Sunday morning to take to church and then set it back down when we get home and never look at it again until next week?  James 1:25 tells us that we are to look into this perfect law of liberty daily as one who looks into a mirror and line our lives up with it.  This needs to be our goal in life!  Get a hold of God’s Word for your circumstances, believe it is true and hold to it with a thankful heart until your life situations line up with how God says it should be.  The Word works always, it is up to you to speak it!

Today I want to encourage you to first of all think about the authenticity of God’s Word, the Holy scriptures.  Consider that this is a book spoken directly to you for today from the creator of the universe and your Savior Jesus.  He wants you to know Him, He wants you to know all the good He has for you.  He has made Himself available through Jesus, His Word and talking with Him.  Now all you have to do is stop running, turn around and look at Him.  Tell Him you want to know Him and He will make Himself so real to you!

If you have never received God’s gift of Salvation through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus, do it today by simply praying this prayer:

 Pray:  God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior.  I want to turn away from my sinful life to the good life You have planned for me.  Please forgive me for my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new.  I know your Son, Jesus died for me.  I believe in my heart that You raised Him form the dead.  At this very moment, I accept, confess and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward.  Thank you, Jesus for Your grace that has saved me from my sin and has given me eternal life.  I now have a right relationship with God my Father. I also ask for Your Holy Spirit to guide me and to empower me to do the things that You have planned for my life in Jesus name, Amen

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21

Your call and election

For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. 2 Peter 1:12

Because faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love supply us an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of God, Peter says he will always keep reminding us to keep these truths.  So as not to become unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, do not be shortsighted or forget that we were cleansed from old sins.  We are to be more diligent to make our call and election secure.  In that way we will never stumble.  He says as long as he is here in the world, he will keep reminding the church of these things to stir them up and he has written them down so they can remember even after he is gone.

I wonder if Peter knew that he would be talking to us here today through these same words?  Yet, they are as relevant today as they were when he first said them.  This admonishing can be incorporated into our lives today and we can be assured of the same results he promised back then.  To keep these steps of faith in mind and to live your life by them will ensure that you will never stumble.  That is a great promise.  As you become more diligent each day to make your call and elections sure, remember that you are the one that does it, not God.  You secure this call by following the progression laid out in verses 5-7. 

Today I want to encourage you to consider what it means to make your call and election sure.  How can you have the assurance of your salvation and the plan that God has for you while you are here in this world?  If you do not know or are unsure of your salvation and the path God has for you, ask Him for a scripture to solidify within yourself these things.  You can also ask Him to speak something to your heart (backed by scripture) to assure you of your relationship with Him.  Make sure to write it down so you can refer back to if often. Then begin to walk out that call step by step as the Spirit of God leads you.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Peter 1:12-15

Next steps

Also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 2 Peter 1:5-7

This scripture is a progression of steps that you grow in when you walk with God.  In today’s dose, I want to break down each step and how it builds to the next step.  As you read, consider which step you are on and what you must do to move onto the next one to grow in your walk with God. 

The passage starts out talking about faith and how to add or build on that faith.  Peter starts out this chapter by saying that he is writing to those who have obtained like precious faith.  These are believers who need instruction on how to grow in their faith walk.  He says to add virtue to your faith, but faith in God through Jesus is the first step in your walk with God.  We start our faith journey by getting into relationship with God through the sacrifice that Jesus made to reconcile us (bring us back together) to Him.

Virtue is the next step.  He says add to your faith virtue or purity.  Essentially, he is saying to separate from a sinful life style and your old way of thinking and doing things.  After you have separated from your old habits, now you are ready for your next step.

The next step is to begin to create new habits by adding knowledge to your virtue.  This knowledge is of God.  He says, now it is time to get to know God and His character of goodness and love for you.  The way to get to know God is to spend time with Him, by reading His Word and talking to him each day.  Start this new habit of setting a specific time aside each day to get to know God better.  Like all relationships you are in, it takes a commitment of time to nurture and grow it. The more time you spend with someone, the better you get to know them.

After some time of getting to know who God is and how much He loves you, the next step is self-control.  Self-control can be measured by submitting yourself to a spiritual authority or mentor. This is done by purposefully placing yourself into a body of believers that will encourage and keep you on track.  Whether it’s in a church, small group, or Bible study, we all need each other to grow through life.  If you keep yourself isolated your flame of faith will quickly be quenched when the troubles of life happen.  Ephesians 5:21 says, “submitting to one another in the fear of God.” 

Next, to your self-control add perseverance.  Perseverance is consistency.  Once you have created these habits of purity, daily personal time with God, and getting yourself submitted to spiritual authority, now comes the habit of doing it regularly.  You are not ready to go onto the next steps until you have become consistent with these first three.  It should all happen rather quickly but can also take some people longer than others to become consistent in these habits.

After you have mastered these, you’re ready to add godliness.  Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”  God has given each of us gifts and abilities to do His work while we are here in this world.  So, to exercise godliness we need to identify the gifts He has planted inside us and begin to practice using these gifts and abilities everywhere we go.  In adding godliness to your spiritual habits, you will automatically add brotherly/sisterly kindness.  By using your gifts and abilities to bless and work together with others to accomplish God’s plan for this time, brotherly kindness is achieved.

Lastly, to brotherly kindness add love or compassion for others.  Get involved in the ministries that you can effectively use your gifts to show compassion to the hurting, lost, and dying world. This is the design God made for you while you are here in the world.

Today I want to encourage you to identify where you are in your walk and calling with God, then choose to take the next step on your faith path.  We get a very short time in this life so begin to recognize that the days here are limited and make the most of your time count for eternity.  Verse 11 says, “if you do these things you will never stumble, and an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Take some time today to identify where you fit in today’s progression and make a plan how to move on to the next step.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Peter 1:5-11

Precious promises

by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4

We have been given exceedingly great and precious promises!  These promises are to enable us to have a part of His divine/heavenly nature.  This is a super-natural nature, not of this world nature.  This is God’s supernatural nature that He has enabled us to take part in through our salvation in Christ Jesus.  However, the only way to take part in this divine nature is to know His great and precious promises are.

So, what are these great and precious promises that contribute to our divine, born again nature?  These promises are in your Salvation in Christ Jesus.  Any place you read in the new testament, in Him, by Him, because of Him, these are great and precious promises that God, our Heavenly Father gave to us when Jesus paid the price for our sin.  Now all who have received the gift of His salvation are partakes of these promises.  Some of these are for right now in this world and some are for after we leave this world.  However, they are all great and precious!  Below is a short list of promises God made to all those who receive Jesus as their Lord.

Promises for right now:

We are more that conquerors. (Romans 8:37) He always causes us to triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14) We receive the Holy Spirit as comforter and guide (Acts 1:8). We are adopted and have the relationship with God as sons and daughters (Romans 8:17). God hears our prayers and answers them (John 5:15). In His name we will do the miracles that Jesus did and even greater (John 14:12). He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) Jesus loves us in spite of our failures and sins (John 3:16). God will meet every need we have according to the extent of his riches (Philippians 4:19). As He is so are we in this world (1 John 4:17)

The promises Christ makes about the future are equally precious and great:

Eternal life (1 John 5:13). We will escape the punishment we deserve for our sins (Hebrew 2:3). Christ will return and take us to himself (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Our bodies — whether living or dead at Christ’s return — will be raised and changed. We will rule and reign with Christ in the new heavens and new earth (2 Timothy 2:12). When we see Him, we will be like Him. (1 John 3:2)

Today I want to encourage you to stop and think about these promises every time you come across one in your daily reading.  Sometimes we see scriptures like these and say “oh yes, we have great and precious promises!” but never consider what these precious promises are.  I’m going to start by making a list and every time I see in Christ Jesus, I will write the promise on the list and review it often.  Consider doing this too.  Start taking part in your divine nature.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Peter 1:1-4