Spirit in our Hearts- 2 Corinthians 1:22

21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NIV)

To the Corinthians, Paul explains that when we accept and stand firm in Christ, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. This means that God claims us as His own and recognizes us as His children.

With the Holy Spirit, we can have confidence in our salvation and trust in God’s unfailing love. The Holy Spirit is a gift from God, given to us as a deposit, a promise, and a guarantee of His faithfulness. A promise that assures us of eternal life and peace through Jesus. Jesus, His son, who died for us while we were still sinners.

God puts His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, a promise, a guarantee of His faithfulness. Assuring us of eternal life and peace.

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Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy and grace to us. Thank you for putting your Spirit in our hearts. Let us be guided by Your Spirit, drawing closer to You. Like the violet plants spread and grow in the sun, let us spread Your Word and grow in faith. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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Faith – Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2This is why the ancients were commended.
Hebrews 11:1-2 (ESV)

The word faith is often used in conversations. What is faith? Faith is defined as belief and trust in and loyalty to God. (www.merriam-webster.com) It is a trust that God’s promises will be fulfilled. Faith is trusting in God having the assurance that things hoped for will become reality.

Faith is a belief in things you can’t physically see. But you don’t need to view them when you trust in God, His truth, power, and Word.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11-3 (ESV)

We trust God because He never lies. He fulfills His promises; He is worthy of our trust.

When you live by faith, not by sight, you trust God even though you don’t know where He is leading you or the plans He has for you. It requires patience as well as trust, realizing God is in control.

God has plans for us, plans to prosper us and give us hope and a future.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

The undeniable evidence of God’s faithfulness is Jesus, who fulfills the hopes and promises of God.

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. 3 By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.
Hebrews 11:1-3 (MSG)

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Does faith in God change the way you live?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your faithfulness, love, and beautiful works. Help us to grow in faith, hope, and love. Guide us in Your truth and teach us. Like the azalea bush flourishes and produces new flowers every spring, help our faith to flourish and produce fruit. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

Sing for Joy

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Psalm 90:14 (NIV)

Psalm 90 is a psalm of Moses, a prayer for God to show the Israelites his mercy and His love every morning. It asks us to turn to the Lord and trust in Him and his unfailing love. When we accept His love, it satisfies us and brings us gladness and joy. In the King James Dictionary, the word satisfy definition is: “To gratify wants, wishes or desires to the full extent.” The faithful, unfailing love of God our Father satisfies and fulfills us, causing us to sing for joy.

22The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. 23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

When we trust in the Lord, we find joy and can be glad all of our days. For the faithful love of the Lord never ends. His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning. The Lord’s mercies are new each morning, so we may sing for joy!

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Do you turn to the Lord to find satisfaction or try to go forward on your own when you are dissatisfied or upset? Does the Lord’s love and mercies lead you to sing for joy?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and mercy. Teach us to realize that Your love and mercies never cease. Satisfy us in the morning with Your mercies so we will sing with joy all our days! As the hibiscus flowers glow in the morning sun, let Your love glow in us, and let us grow closer to Your son, and be glad all our days. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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We Wait in Hope – Psalm 33:20

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33:20–22 (CSB)

Faith teaches us to wait, for God is faithful, and to be patient with hope and accept God’s timing. God is our protector, our help, and our shield.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

Jesus is our advocate; He speaks to the Father for us, providing help when we need it most. Our hope is found in Jesus, who loves us and gave His life for our salvation.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
1 John 2:1 (NIV)

God’s unfailing love fills our hearts with joy! We rejoice, for we trust His Holy name! Our hope is in the Lord.

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Is Your hope in the Lord?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, You are our help, shield, and strength. Thank you for Your faithfulness and care. Teach us to be patient in hope and steadfast in faith. Guide us on our path and open our hearts to Your love. Like the buds on the Rose of Sharon open and the tree is filled with flowers, let us be open-hearted and filled with faith and hope. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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Fix Our Eyes on Jesus: Hebrew 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 (BSB)

It is believed Hebrews was written to persecuted Jewish Christians, encouraging them to persevere in their faith. Encouraging them to fix their eyes on Jesus. Reminding them to trust God, remain steadfast in their beliefs, and keep the faith.

Jesus faced persecution and hardship but was determined to carry out God’s will. He endured death on the cross for our salvation. He willingly finished His path to pay for our sins. By focusing on Jesus and following His path of faith, despite our present hardships and difficulties we know we can trust God with our future.

Jesus focused on the joy to come, to sit beside God, His father, and to save His sheep (us).

2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God – he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.
Hebrews 12:2 (MSG)

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Where is your focus this Advent season? Are your eyes fixed on Jesus, or worldly concerns?

Our Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace. Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus and turn away from sin. Teach us to be more Christ-like in our actions. Guide us on our path. Like the butterfly weeds orange flowers brighten the garden; let us fix our eyes on Jesus and brighten our lives. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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Perfect and Proven: Psalm 18:30

As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
Psalm 18:30 (NKJV)

David in Psalm 18, recounts how God rescued him from his enemies and guided Him. He praises God, the source of his strength, his foundation.

For the music director; by the LORD’s servant David, who sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul. He said: “I love you, LORD, my source of strength!
Psalm 18:1 (NET)

David states that the way of God is perfect, without blemish; His word and promises are true. The word of the Lord is proven; it is faithful, for the Lord is trustworthy.

Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
Proverbs 30:5 (NLT)

God is our shield and strength. He is a shield for all who trust in Him and look to Him for protection. Like David, when we follow God’s Word and rely on Him, He equips, strengthens, and protects us.

As David said, God’s way is perfect, and His Word is proven; He is our strength and shield.

30 What a God! His road
stretches straight and smooth.
Every God-direction is road-tested.
Everyone who runs toward him
Makes it.
Psalm 18:30 (MSG)

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When you hit troubles, do you solve them by your way or God’s perfect, proven way?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for your guidance and direction. Open our hearts to Your perfect way. Teach us to follow Your God-directed path and trust Your proven Word. Like a blossom on a rose brightens our days, may Your love shine in our hearts and brighten our lives. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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The Lord will Rescue Me – 2 Timothy 4:18

¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. ¹⁷But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:16-18 (NIV)

Second Timothy; was written by Paul while he was in prison. He was writing to encourage Timothy to assure him that God keeps His promises; He is faithful.

Paul praises God; he expected to die soon but was confident of his eternal destiny.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:18 (NIV)

He had the assurance that the Lord would rescue him from evil and; bring him safely to His heavenly kingdom. Instead of despairing, he was able to rejoice in the Lord, saying, “To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen”.
For Christ is the power and glory forever and ever!

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Do you have assurance in God’s promises; that He will rescue you from evil and bring you safely to His heavenly kingdom?

Prayer; Lord, we thank You for helping us and rescuing us from evil. Teach us to rely on You and have faith in Your promises. As the Gerbera Daisy flowers spread upward; toward the sun, let us reach upward toward Christ Your Son. We raise our praises, to You be the glory forever and ever. Amen

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Seek His Kingdom: Matthew 6:33

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

To seek means to strive after, endeavor to find, and tenaciously look for; to strive after something. In other words, Jesus tells us to strive after the Kingdom of God above all else. Instead of fruitless worry over worldly concerns, Jesus tells us to trust the heavenly Father; He provides His children with what is needed.

We need to pursue the kingdom of God, trusting in God’s righteousness and His love. God knows our needs. He will provide for our basic needs when we live righteously and trust in Him. We need to change our focus from material things instead make our priority focusing on seeking the Kingdom of God. When we make our relationship with God the center of our life, he will give us everything we really need. ⁂

Do you try to solve your problems and worries elsewhere, or do you turn to the Kingdom of God?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and care. Lord, teach us to reach out to you instead of relying on our understanding. Help us to live righteously and have faith and trust in Your care for us. Guide us to pursue Your kingdom and accept Your will. Like the Ranunculus blossom opening in the sunlight, let us be open-hearted and turn toward and share Your light, Lord Jesus. Amen

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