Rejoice evermore. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5: 16, 18)

An old legend tells how a man once stumbled on a great red barn after wandering for days in a dark, overgrown forest. Seeking refuge from the howling winds of a storm that seemed to rage perpetually in the forest, he let his eyes grow accustomed to the dark and then, to his astonishment, he discovered that this was the barn where Satan kept his storehouse of seeds to be sown into the human hearts. More curious than fearful, he lit a match and began to explore the piles and bins of seeds around him. He couldn’t help but notice that the containers labeled “seeds of discouragement” far outnumbered any other type of seeds.

Just as the man had drawn this conclusion, one of Satan’s foremost demons arrived to pick up a fresh supply of seed. The man asked him why the great abundance of discouragement seeds. The demon laughed, “Because they are so effective and they take root so easily!” The man asked, “Do they grow everywhere?” At this the demon became sullen. He glared at the man and admitted in disgust, “No. They never seem to thrive in the heart of a grateful person.”

Be thankful for what you have today, and trust the Lord to take care of what you do not have!

Most Holy God, we are thankful to You for all that we have, even when we don’t realize we have it; may our gratitude keep us safe from the discouragements of the world around us!

A good person leaves an inheritance to their children’s children; and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. (Proverbs 13: 22)

If I can throw a single ray of light across the darkened pathway of another; if I can aid some soul to a clearer sight of life and duty, and thus bless my brother; if I can wipe from any human cheek a tear, I shall not have lived my life in vain while here.

If I can guide some erring one to truth, inspire within his heart a sense of duty; if I can plant within my soul of rosy youth a sense of right; a love of truth and beauty, if I can teach one man that God and heaven are near, I shall not then have lived in vain while here.

If from my mind I banish doubt and fear, and keep my life attuned to love and kindness; if I can scatter light and hope and cheer, and help remove the curse of mental blindness; if I can make more joy, more hope, less pain, I shall not have lived and loved in vain.

If by life’s roadside I can plant a tree, beneath whose shade some wearied head may rest, though I may never share it’s beauty, I shall yet be truly blessed – though no one knows my name nor drops a flower upon my grave, I shall not have lived in vain while here. ~Anonymous

God of all hope and joy, may our travels through Your world be laced with kindness and love, even though no one may realize that we are even here!

A new commandment I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13: 34)

Jesus describes His command that we love one another as being new. How can this be since the old law reminds us to love God with all our heart, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves? It is not a new commandment, but an old one. What is new about it is the urgency of the love Jesus commands us to give one another. The old law also drew people toward a hatred of their enemies, yet Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for them.

While love has always been a priority quality of God, Jesus’ ministry places a new and determined emphasis on it. It is also new because, through Christ, we have a new and greater example to follow. No one taught or exemplified it the way Jesus did. Jesus made it clear that love was the one quality that would define a Christian follower more than any other sign.

In today’s world, we see thousands who claim to be followers of Christ and they use bumper stickers, jewelry, knickknacks in their homes or they listen to Christian music, yet many of us watch their self-centered and reckless behavior. Jesus stated clearly that we would be known by our fruits and the greatest of those is love the way He defined it.

God of love, may the world know we are Your followers by the way we show our love to others!

...If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. (Isaiah 7:9)

A legend has it that a just and good man went to Sodom one day, hoping to save the city from God’s impending judgment. He tried talking to first one individual and then another and another, but nobody would engage in conversation with him.

Next, he tried carrying a picket sign that had “Repent” written on it in large letters. Nobody paid the least attention to him except for a casual glance here and there at the sign he carried.

Finally he began going from street to street and from marketplace to marketplace, shouting loudly, “Men and women, repent! What you are doing is wrong. It will kill you! It will destroy you!”

The people laughed at him, but still he went about shouting. One day, a person stopped him and said, “Stranger, can’t you see that your shouting is useless?” The man replied, “Yes, I see that!” The person then asked, “Well, then why do you continue?”

The man answered, “When I arrived in this city, I was convinced I could change them. Now I continue shouting because I don’t want them to change me!”

Speak out for those things you believe to be true and good. If you remain silent, others may take your silence as agreement with their position–which may not be at all what you believe.

Holy Creator, may our voices be heard above the noise of today’s world. May our message be heard in our own hearts!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature, a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:25)

Several years ago, a Union Pacific Railroad train barreled across the tracks somewhere in western Nebraska. The train had two engines, one in the front and one in the rear, operated by a remote control from the lead engine. Apparently a motorist became irate because the train was blocking traffic so he uncoupled the long string of cars near the middle. When it moved out, the engineer was unaware of what had happened. As the train rolled along, it separated until there was nearly twelve miles between the front section and the rear section. For nearly fifty miles the train moved along crossing roads and passing other trains until the conductor noticed what was going on. It is fortunate that no one was hurt or killed by the rear section which was moving forward without lights, whistles or an engineer to control its movements.

Our lives are much like that when we separate ourselves from God, our personal “engineer.” We feel like the last half of the train. We find ourselves doing things we know we should not do and failing to do things we know we should.

Paul was keenly aware of this conflict in our nature. He states in his letter to the Romans that he wanted to do good, but sin seemed to wage war against what he knew to be right. Almost in desperation he cried, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” He knew, of course, that there is only one answer to the divided self – Jesus Christ.

God of the lost, help me to remain whole in Your sight. Help me to refrain from dividing myself between Your love and goodness and the snares of this world.

I am your passing guest, an alien, like all my fore-bearers. (Psalm 39: 12)

The psalmist writes that we are God’s “passing guests.” What a revelation that image is to us! What a new and wonderful way to look at life! We are guests on this earth and God is a good and perfect Host! We are totally dependent on God’s hospitality. Food, shelter, companionship, security, even our ultimate salvation–all that we have is ultimately provided by God. As grateful guests, we seek to honor and glorify our Host by living in a way that displays our gratitude and love.

The image also carries the idea that we are passing through, here only temporarily. Our situation is not permanent. As my health has begun to change with age, that truth becomes more and more evident. One day I will go from being a passing guest in this world to a permanent home with my Host. I pray that I will live my remaining days here in a way that pleases God, a way that shows appreciation for the accommodations that have been provided me as a guest. I pray also that when it is time to leave, I may leave gracefully and joyously.

Thank You, Holy Creator, for being such a good and generous Host during my visit here on earth. And thank You for the eternal home You have prepared for me when I am finished with my visit!

And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward humanity. (Acts 24: 16)

These lines from the writings of Dr. Arnot give an interesting description of a person’s conscience. “A person may be saved from death by seeing the reflection of danger in a mirror, when the danger itself could not be directly seen. The executioner with his weapon is stealthily approaching through a corridor of the castle to the spot where the devoted invalid reclines. In his musings, the captive has turned his vacant eye toward a mirror on the wall; and the faithful witness reveals the impending stroke in time to secure the escape of the captive victim. It is thus that the mirror in the human breast has become in a sense the person’s savior, by revealing the wrath to come before its coming. Happy are they who take the warning-happy are they who turn and live.”

It has been said that human’s conscience was given after the Fall in the Garden. The creature’s desire to know good and evil had been granted. But God, in Divine Mercy, gave also a means of telling good from evil. That mechanism, which God placed in the human heart, was the conscience. Don’t ignore the prompting of your conscience or let your conscience become calloused. It’s more than a sixth sense–it’s a beacon whose homing signal is heaven.

Holy God of Love, thank You for the beacon within our hearts. My we never lose the signal or ignore the messages You send through Your Holy Spirit!