Category: Abba, Father God

Yes in Christ: 2 Corinthians 1:20

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 1:20(NIV)

Yes, in Christ, through Jesus is God saying yes to all the promises he has made. God’s promises for deliverance and salvation are found in Jesus. Our loving God, through Jesus, offers us redemption, forgiveness, and a glimpse of God’s glory. By accepting Christ, we are claimed as children of God.

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:26 (NLT)

The definition of Amen is to express solemn ratification, as an expression of faith, or heartfelt agreement and approval. (Merriam-Webster) God says yes, in Christ, and we say Amen.

20Certainly, Christ made God’s many promises come true. For that reason, because of our message, people also honor God by saying, “Amen!” 21God establishes us, together with you, in a relationship with Christ. He has also anointed us. 22In addition, he has put his seal [of ownership] on us and has given us the Spirit as his guarantee.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (GWT)

Our Heavenly Father adds His seal, His pledge to us by giving us the indwelling Holy Spirit; our guide and guarantee of what is to come.

God, through Jesus says yes to us, and we reply with heartfelt Amen!

Amen, to the glory of God!

20-22 Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit, he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (MSG)

Prayer: Lord, we thank You; You are our rock, strength, and caring Father. Thank You for Your son, Jesus, who was crucified for our sins and upholds your promises. Teach us to stand firm in faith and be guided by the Holy Spirit. Like a geranium plant that blooms spring through autumn, let us spring forth with gratitude and respond with a heartfelt grateful Amen. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

⁂

God’s promises are stamped yes, with Christ. Have you accepted the yes of Christ?

🌺

Living Hope – 1 Peter 1:3

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

Peter, an apostle of Jesus, says in this verse that we should praise and bless God for his great mercy, for He has blessed us with His son, Jesus. Through God’s grace, Jesus came to earth, was crucified for our sins, and resurrected from the dead. His death and resurrection gave us a new birth, born of God, and a living hope. In this verse, the Greek word hope means to have eager, confident expectations. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we have a confident living hope and the promise of salvation. We are born anew by grace and through faith.

By God’s steadfast love and through His grace, those who believe in Christ and repent their sin will be saved. Christ lives; He is our living confident hope for eternal life.

4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

1 Peter 1:4 (NIV)

God, in His grace, gave us His son Jesus, our Savior, our Living Hope, and our salvation.

⁂

Is your hope, your Living Hope, in Jesus?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy and grace. Teach us to rest in Your promises during difficult times. Let us grow in trust and faith, secure in the knowledge that we are born anew by Your grace. We thank You and praise You for giving us Your son, Jesus, to forgive our sins. He is our Living Hope and Redeemer. Like the three open tulips are facing skyward, let us be open to our triune God and keep our faces turned toward You. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

🌺

The Great Commandment: Deuteronomy 6:5

5You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NKJV)

In Deuteronomy 6:5, Moses is addressing the Israelites, instructing them before they enter the promised land. Telling them the Lord your God wants love from them, a complete love. To love God with our whole heart and soul, to love for Him with all we’ve got.


5 Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!

Deuteronomy 6:5 (MSG)

Jesus called loving God with all our heart, soul, and strength the Great Commandment.

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:37-38 (NLT)

God created us, loves us, provides for us, sustains us, and protects us. He is our refuge and our strength. God wants us to love him with our whole heart, soul, and mind.

⁂

Do you love God with your whole heart; with all you’ve got?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we are in awe of You and Your love. We know You love us with everlasting love. Help us to follow Your Great Commandment. Teach us to open our hearts to You, to love You, God, with all our heart, soul, and strength. Like the flowers grow and thrive in the sunshine, let us grow and thrive with love. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

🌺

Worries and Cares: 1 Peter 5:7

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7 (NLV)

Peter is writing to the Christians in Asia Minor, encouraging them to take their heavy burdens and give them to God. When we try to carry our worries and concerns on our own, we become weary and discouraged.

Why should we give our worries and cares to God? Because He cares for us. By casting our cares and worries on God, we are showing our trust in Him and His promises, realizing that He is willing and able to carry our heaviest burdens. When we give the Lord our worries, He gives us rest.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

How do we give our burdens to God? By reaching out to Him in prayer, understanding God cares about us and that he will sustain us and get us through this.

⁂

Do you let go of your burdens by giving your cares and worries to God in prayer?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for your care and love for us. Teach us to turn our worries and cares over to You. Help us to grow in trust and faith. Guide us, teaching us to be humble and loving to others. Like chrysanthemum flowers brighten autumn days, let us brighten everything around us with Your light. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

🌺

Our Deliverer: Psalm 68:19


Blessed be the Lord who daily carries us. God is our deliverer.

Psalm 68:19 (ISV)

The Lord deserves praise! Day after day he carries our burden, the God who delivers us. (Selah)

Psalm 68:19 (NET)

Our God, our Heavenly Father, is the creator of us and the universe and our refuge and strength. There is nothing too difficult or heavy for Him to carry. He can carry and deal with any of our problems and concerns. Day after day, he provides care and carries us and our burdens. He is our deliverer, our hope, and our Savior.

Giving our burdens to the Lord frees us, allowing us to live for God; and respond with praise and thanksgiving. Relying on the Lord releases the weight of our burdens, bringing peace. Yes, our Lord deserves praise, for He is God for us forever.

Blessed be the Lord—
    day after day he carries us along.
He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes!
    He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us.

Psalm 68:19 (MSG)

Are your burdens holding you down, or have you given them to the Lord, our deliverer, and lightened your load?

Our Heavenly Father, we praise and worship You. Thank You for Your provision and day-by-day care. Teach us to turn our burdens over to You, trusting in Your promises and strength. Lord, You are our deliverer and our hope, guide and direct us. Like the weigela’s open and trumpet-like flowers brighten spring, let us praise You with trumpets and song for You brighten our world. In Jesus’ name. Amen

🌺

Steadfast Love: Psalm 100:5

For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:5 (ESV)

Our Lord is good; He is faithful; He continually shows loyal love to His faithful followers. God’s steadfast love endures forever.

17 But the Lord continually shows loyal love to his faithful followers, and is faithful to their descendants, 18 to those who keep his covenant, who are careful to obey his commands.

Psalm 103: 17-18 (NET)

Our Lord is a faithful God, and to those who obey His commands, He keeps a covenant of love to all generations of those who love Him. (Psalms, Exodus, and Deuteronomy)

but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Exodus 20:6 (NIV)

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)

The steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. Thanks be to God!


Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

1 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV)

Yes, shout with joy for God’s faithful, steadfast love endures forever!

Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!

Psalm 100:1b (NLT)

⁂

God’s love is faithful, enduring, and steadfast; have you opened your heart to the Lord?

Our Holy Father, we thank You for Your love. We are blessed by Your faithfulness. Teach us to rest in Your steadfast love and give our concerns and worries to You. Like the magnolia blossoms in spring, Your steadfast love for Your followers springs forth through generations. Thank you for Your faithfulness, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen

🌺

Everlasting Love: Jeremiah 31:3

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

(NIV)

The Israelites had not kept God’s commandments. They were in exile in Babylon. In this verse, God promises to forgive them and restore them. This is an example of God’s grace and his love and kindness.

This verse showcases God’s grace, love, and kindness. For God is holy and just; and His faithfulness endures for generations. When we repent our sins, give up our sinful ways, and turn to God, He forgives us.

For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Psalm 100:5 (NLT)

For God is love; it’s His very nature; He is forgiving, and He loves us with everlasting love.

God is generous and doesn’t limit His kindness. For God shows us unfailing kindness, never-ending kindness through His everlasting love. He will always be there for us, listening to our prayers and helping us.

⁂

God loves us with an everlasting love; do you respond with love and forgiveness to others?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your forgiveness, grace, and kindness. We raise our thanks and praise for Your faithfulness and everlasting love. Guide us in Your truth and light. Like the red rose’s beauty shines brightly and brings happiness, let us shine brightly, reflecting Your light and Your love. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

🌺

See Clearly? 1 Corinthians 13:12


Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)

In this verse, Paul compares our present and partial knowledge of God to seeing a reflection in an obscure mirror; the reflection is blurry. Our current knowledge and spiritual gifts give us only a glimpse of God’s wisdom and knowledge.

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

Romans 11:33 (NLT)

In the future, when God comes to live in our midst, we shall see clearly, with perfect clarity. For we will see be able to see God face to face. Then we will know everything completely, just as He knows us completely.


12 We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

1 Corinthians 13:12 (MSG)

⁂

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, how great are Your wisdom and knowledge! We thank You for Your mercy and grace. Help us to grow in faith and rely on You, trusting Your promises. We wait for the day when we will see You clearly, Lord, face to face. Like the Sweet William flowers grow in the sun and flourish; let us grow in faith, follow Your Son Jesus, and flourish in Your love. Amen

🌺

God-breathed: 2 Timothy 3:16

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God a may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17(NIV)

In Greek, the word Theopneustos translates as God-breathed. Paul is saying that scripture is; divinely breathed into by God. Men penned the scripture, but the words were divinely inspired. Scripture written years ago is still relevant today; because God guides and counsels us through the ancient pages.

Scripture instructs us, points out sin, counsels, corrects us, and teaches us to accept and apply truth. Our God-breathed Scripture is for us; a firm foundation, the wisdom we can rely on, equipping us for good work.

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (MSG)

⁂

Is our God’s-breathed scripture your firm foundation?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, thank you for Your guidance and counsel. May your God-breathed scripture guide and direct our path. Teach us to go to the scriptures for clarity, counsel, and truth. Let us embrace Your Word, equipping us to do good works. May we cluster together like the spirea blossoms and spread Your love. In Jesus’ holy and loving name. Amen

🌺