Faithful Creator

Passage : 1 Peter 4

“Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well-doing, as unto a Faithful Creator.” 1 Peter 4:19

God is a faithful Creator. Do we wonder if the sun will rise each morning? Do we worry that the earth will spin out of orbit? Do we have to know why the stars do not fall to the earth? No, we have come to take all these things for granted. Stop and ponder your faithful Creator. He provides for the tiniest sparrow; surely He will take care of you and me. We need but commit ourselves to God, the faithful Creator. Surely He will complete the work in us He began. Nothing He does is half-hearted. Surely it is all good, very good, and so it will be with you and me. He is faithful and we can trust Him. Your entire being is safe in His care. He will do what is good in His sight. He will be just as faithful to us as He is to the sun and the earth and the sparrow. His mercies are new every morning; His faithfulness encompasses the entire universe. There is nothing to fear; just trust Him. He is not only a faithful creator, but He is your Father. He will work out all for our eternal good and His glory.

Source : qwchristiandevotions

In His Steps

Passage : 1 Peter 2

"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow IN HIS STEPS." 1 Peter 2:21

We’ve all heard the ever popular phrase, "What Would Jesus Do?" and this passage gives us the very key to finding the answers to that question. Jesus Christ was empowered to do the things he did on this earth because he learned obedience by the things he suffered. That is the key to following in his steps. We all suffer, but have we learned obedience and submission to the Father through that suffering? If not, we are not following in Jesus' steps. He left us an example and the gospels are filled with stories of how Jesus sacrificed his own desires for those around him. He was the very epitome of submission to the Father’s will. No matter what the cost, no matter what the sacrifice; if it was the Father’s will, he delighted to do it. May we ever look to the author and finisher of our faith and use him as our guide through life. May we always be willing to lay down our lives as he did. May we reach out to others in love and compassion, even when we are burned out. Let us study our Saviour. Let us take in his every action as we read about him in the Word, and may we reflect him to the dying world in which we live. May we empty ourselves so that He can shine through us, and be a light in this dark place. He did indeed leave us an example; let us follow IN HIS STEPS daily.

Source : qwchristiandevotions

Living Hope

Passage: 1 Peter 1

“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

Before Jesus' death, his followers had a great hope that he was the Messiah. They were excited and sure that he was the one who would deliver them from the Romans. When Jesus was put to death on the cross, their hope died with him. When Jesus was laid to rest in the grave, their hope was buried with him. Peter lived through that time, and he remembers going back to his fishing boat, saddened that Jesus' death had brought an end to his hope for the future. He remembered how his hope had died and was buried in Christ. Peter is contrasting that experience with what he feels now. His Savior is alive and so is his hope for eternal life. His hope was once dead, but now is alive because Jesus is alive and all the hope that rested on him is alive with him, brought to life again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is the foundation of the hope we have for the future. All that Jesus had said to Peter, all that he had promised for the future, is alive. We can count on every word to come true. Hope for eternal life is real! Hope that the world of mankind will come to know and love God is sure! Hope that one day Jesus will take us home is a reality because Jesus lives!

Source : qwchristiandevotions

Sing Songs of Praise

Passage : James 5

"Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise..." James 5:13

What is our reaction when the storm clouds begin to gather and we find ourselves in trouble? James tells us we should pray. Prayer has a two-fold work in our lives. It is communion with our Father and tells him what is happening to us and lets Him know how He can help us, but it also changes our hearts. And that is the reason prayer is so vital to us as Christians. Prayer changes us. When we are in trouble and we kneel down to pray, when we give the problem over to the LORD to handle and leave it in His hands, we will experience peace, a peace that passeth all understanding. Prayer is vital for the Christian and in a mature Christian it is the first reaction to adversity. What is our reaction to happiness or joy that comes into our lives? It should be to lift our hearts in praise and adoration to God, the giver of every good and perfect gift! He is the source of all joy in our lives and when we praise him in song our very being is lifted into the heavenlies. Oh, that we might dwell there always! Someday that will be possible, but while we walk on this earth, the only way to get there is through praise! So let us give ourselves to praise daily, hourly, that we might dwell with Him in the heavenlies today.

Resource : qwchristiandevotions

MERCY

Passage : James 2

"Mercy triumphs over Judgment." James 2:13

What a statement, but one indeed that is true! When Jesus came to earth and died for each of us and our sins, mercy indeed triumphed over judgment! We have experienced this mercy; we have lived in its blessing. We were doomed to judgment and death, but God's mercy has freed us. Let us go forth today with this knowledge and live a life of mercy, reaching out to others not in the judgment that they deserve, but in mercy. We deserve judgment, but have been given grace; and in turn we, of all people, should be given to mercy. Mercy gave us freedom: freedom from the debt we owed, freedom from judgment. Let us bestow this same freedom on others, freeing them from the debts they owe us and in turn giving them mercy. There is no better way to live a life of Christ than to do so. Let our lives shine forth with Christ's mercy and grace that all might know and taste of His goodness and mercy.

ACTIVITY – 3-D Maze ( Use Your Arrow Keys To Move)

Resource : qwchristiandevotions / activity : calvary william sports

The Giver Of Perfect Gift

Passage : James 1

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..." James 1:17

At this time of giving let us reflect on the giver of "every good and perfect gift," our Father in heaven, the Father of the heavenly lights. I like that phrase "the Father of the heavenly lights"...as I look about me at all the beautiful Christmas lights that are displayed on homes I can’t help but look up and remember that my Father has set his lights in heaven for all to see, not at this season only, but all through the year. He set one special star in heaven to show to all that His Son had been given to us as the best gift of all. He loved us enough to give us the most perfect of all gifts, His Son, Jesus Christ, who through death brought us salvation and life everlasting. We have much to be thankful for as we reflect upon all the gifts that the Father has showered upon us.

Everything that is good in our lives is a gift from Him to us, his children, especially the gift of adoption. The trials that we have in our lives are gifts from Him also, for it is through these experiences that He draws us to Himself and makes us realize how much we need Him. As we go about giving gifts to those we love this season, let’s not forget to stop and give our Father in heaven the gift of praise for all He has done for us throughout the year. He is indeed the giver of "every good and perfect gift." Let us take time to thank our Father in heaven, for giving us the gifts we so often take for granted...the gift of fellowship, family, homes and work, all things necessary to sustain us both spiritually and physically. For he is a good Fathers and we are so blessed and privileged to be called his sons and daughters.

Thank You, Father, for the gifts You have given me. Thank You for the gift of Jesus; a gift for which I can never stop being grateful. Thank You for the gift of suffering and the way it changes me for the better. Help me to see the many gifts that You give to me each day. I am often oblivious to them; forgive me for that. As I give gifts to others at this season, may it remind me of the precious Father I have who is always giving so freely to me. Amen

Resource : qwchristiandevotion

Sacrifice of Praise

Passage : Hebrews 13

"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God." Hebrews 13:15

Have you ever stopped to think about praise as a sacrifice? A sacrifice is usually something that costs us. Praise is generally a result of a thankful heart and just flows; it doesn't really cost us anything. But what about the times when we are not feeling so thankful: the hard times, the dark times? Paul is calling us to cultivate a thankful heart, a heart of praise even in those difficult times. It is our privilege to offer this sacrifice of praise even when things are not looking so good to our mortal eyes. Even in the saddest of times, there is something to turn our sorrow into singing, but we need to be searching for it. If we belong to Christ, it is our duty to cultivate a thankful heart; this is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. This is what Christianity is all about: sacrifice, a grateful heart and a trust in God in all aspects of our lives, even those we do not understand. We are called upon to offer up the sacrifice of praise, not only because it pleases God, but also because joy and gladness are a source of strength to the soul. When life is dark, that is when we need strength more than any other time in our life. So take a lesson from the Apostle Paul, when things are not going your way, when life has gotten you down, step back and offer God the sacrifice of praise. Praise Him for knowing better than you do. Praise Him for what He has done for you in the past. Praise Him for what he is accomplishing in your heart right now, this very minute and as you begin to feel the joy of the Lord taking the place of the darkness in your life, praise Him again. Praise Him for the miracle of sacrifice: you may think it costs you something, but the return is so much more than you could ever hope. That is the mystery of the sacrifice of praise to God!

Resource : qwchristiandevotions