“When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor.”

Psalms 8:3-5 HCSB

It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day cares of this world and into a pattern of thinking that says we are just little cogs of no matter to a giant system, but God does not look upon you and me as afterthoughts. In fact, even though He had created a vast universe of sun, moon, stars with plants, animals and sea life, it was only after creating man and woman that God could finally rest, saying, “It is very good.” Not only that, but He places a crown of glory and honor on our heads! Yes, the holy, righteous God looks upon us with respect.

Since you see how God views you today, you are positioned to think of yourselves and your relationship with Him in a new light. Take good care to prioritize your time with God not only in study but in one-on-one prayer as you show your mutual affection for the Creator who loves you and longs to be with you. 🚦

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“Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous. The One who examines the thoughts and emotions is a righteous God. My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who executes justice every day.”

Psalm 7:9-11 HCSB

Watching the nightly news can get discouraging with yet another the story of a mass murder, a bus load of student athletes hurt or killed by an out-of-control drunk driver, and a mother and child abducted and brutalized at gunpoint by an estranged ex-boyfriend. Where is God?

We want a worldly justice on our time table—which generally means NOW, but God executes righteous judgment that is beyond our comprehension:

‘Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay. In time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.’ Deuteronomy 32:35

Where is God? God is right there in the mix of it all, bringing new life to those left behind, healing wounds that can’t be fixed with bandages and casts, and mending hearts broken by the devastation. And He is bringing about justice in His time. Trust Him. 🚦

“Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger; do not discipline me in Your wrath. Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking; my whole being is shaken with terror. And You, Lord — how long? Turn, Lord! Rescue me; save me because of Your faithful love.”

Psalms 6:1-4 HCSB

Have you ever found yourself, or a loved one, so deep in your sin there was no way out but to look up? The fear, the anxiety, the gut-wrenching sorrow. Our knee-jerk reaction is to project our human emotions onto a holy God and assume He is angry and wants to act out on it, just as we ourselves feel inclined to do to ourselves or toward our relative. But people do wrong in weakness; God is never weak and will not sin in anger as we are inclined to do. Instead, in His grace and mercy, He stretches out His arms and dies to pay the penalty for us. Yes, He becomes that drug deal, that DUI, that assault, that sky-high debt that makes you so ashamed so that we can know true freedom in Him.

Have you accepted that gift and turned to start anew? 🚦

“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them shout for joy forever. May You shelter them, and may those who love Your name boast about You. For You, Lord, bless the righteous one; You surround him with favor like a shield.”

Psalms 5:11-12 HCSB

Life can be HARD, and even the toughest of us find a need for shelter in the midst of the crazy storms. The very name of God Elohim means protector, and we can find refuge in the God who created us from nothing more than dust and His breath. When we set aside our circumstances and step into His presence we find a joy worth celebrating and telling others about. God, in turn, sees our righteousness and calls us His favorites. He blesses us with provision of our needs, enriches our lives, and protects us in a beautiful cycle of seeking Him, praise, adoration, and favor.

This is definitely cause for celebration! 🚦

“Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord. Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us. Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Psalms 4:4-8 NIV

It gets so dark at times in these spaces where it seems God isn’t speaking. You have lost so much—job, health, relationships, finances. What’s left? It seems there is no light at the end of this pitch-black, God-forsaken tunnel.

But that tiny mustard seed of faith planted inside you tells you this is not true. Faith tells you God is still there and beckons you to continue to cry out to Him in obedience through the darkness. As long as you are pressing into Him you are in the sweet spot of safety, the place from which joy springs. It is then you will see His light as you draw closer and closer to the Source of light. He was always there. 🚦

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms,”

Ephesians 1:18-20 NIV

Has life beaten you down until you feel like you need to be scraped off the sidewalk with a spatula? Rise up, Christian! God has already displayed his power to us when He raised Christ from the dead. The power He offers us is so huge, so vast it cannot be measured; it’s off the charts! Once we truly know this we lay down the “if only’s” holding us back and walk in fullness of grace. We can live from a place of victory instead of defeat.

Are you walking in the fullness of this hope that is found in the risen Jesus? 🚦

“We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 6:19-20 HCSB

In the Hebrew temple, the Holy of Holies was an inner sanctuary where only the high priest could enter to present sacrifices for the sins of people. Jesus entered there on our behalf and took the place of the high priest once and for all, offering Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. As Melchizedek represents undying priesthood, Christ offers us unending life through the power of His resurrection.

Aren’t you thankful for this hope that can never be taken away which firmly tethers us to Jesus Himself? 🚦

“I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.”

John 15:15-16 HCSB

Jesus considers you and I His friends! He chose YOU! He looked at you and saw value in you. He has hand-picked you to help grow His kingdom. Sure, He could have done it all by Himself, but He chooses to do it with friends. And He doesn’t want us to do it on a one-shot basis but to stick with Him and to stick with those we usher into the kingdom. He teaches us by example that love sticks together.

The longer we stay with Jesus, the more and more aligned our thoughts are with His. Our requests are more likely to be aligned with His will, and He can give a resounding, “Yes!” Isn’t it awesome to know that you can ask what is truly in Jesus’ name and it will be given?!

Today, remember God calls you “friend.” 🚦

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

Colossians 1:9-12 ESV

The apostle Paul had heard about the reputation of the church at Colossae, known for its deep love. He instinctively knew he must pray for this church because their faithfulness to God meant they would be the target of enemy attacks, as satan cannot stand for God’s love to shine through adversity. The same holds true for us today.

Challenges occur both within the church and in our personal and professional lives, but God seems to be more concerned with our heart attitude than the specific job itself. No matter the position, we are to hold ourselves accountable to Him, pleasing Him and growing in the fruits of the Spirit as we serve Him, and our employer, to our fullest capacity.

If the path you are on does not have you strengthened, growing in endurance and patience with joy to the Father, you may need to take a fresh look at your path or your mindset or both. Are you spending adequate time in the Word each day? Are there negative messages coming in from outside influences that need to be limited? Or do you possibly need to move a new direction? 🚦

““You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”

Matthew 5:13 ESV

Palestine took much of its rock salt from the Dead Sea. Mixed with other minerals, the quality was often inferior, such that when the salt leeched out of the mixture the result was a weak product.

God uses Christ-followers to reach unbelievers to build His kingdom. God’s Word tells us that we as believers are “salt”; we season the earth by showing what how Christ changes our hearts when He takes up residence. The real measure of the “saltiness” of a Christian is the purity of their heart, and one can lose their effectiveness when weakened by lying, gossip, jealousy, anger, and bitterness. All of those things diminish the strength of our testimony until it is only as useful as the rock salt we throw on the ground when it is icy outside.

What are you doing to stay salty? Are you in daily communion with God through prayer and study of His Word?Are you having fellowship with other believers? Again, what are you doing to keep your salty flavor alive?🚦