Month: January 2025

Scripture Luke 18:17 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

Observation: I’ve been rereading the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn. I really enjoy his perspective based on scripture. If we could just see a glimpse of Heaven in our minds, we would be like little children excited to go to Disneyland for the first time. This is the place we get to meet our Lord who has sacrificed all for our admission. This is our forever home, filled with joy and wonder and we need to be focused on the place God has prepared for us.

Application: Each day I need to spend time looking at the brochure God has placed in my heart of my new home. All that I do here should be in anticipation of being there. God has given me the opportunity to earn rewards that will be used there and I should be excited like a child anxiously waiting my arrival.

Prayer My Lord thank you that You wouldn’t let me leave this earth without the opportunity to be with You. You’ve done everything to guide me home and I can’t wait to see You. May my day today be a day to show my appreciation and glorify You.

Scripture Luke 17:21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Observation: God placed the Holy Spirit in those that received Jesus as Lord and Savior. He has guided us and has given us the desire for our eternal home. We now may have the key to heaven for someone God puts in our path. We are called to be the light and to spread the gospel. For someone we may be an invitation for their own homecoming.

Application: I need to make sure I’m in God’s will and listening to the Holy Spirit. I need to be available to others that are lost and be accessible to them and to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to them. God may want to use me to be that invitation to come to His Kingdom.

Prayer My Lord, I thank you for using others to invite me home to You. Use all that You have given me to guide someone else home. I freely give you this life as a living sacrifice, may it be holy and pleasing to You.

Scripture Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Observation: Before I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior all I ever did was serve money. My existence was made up of what I had and how successful I thought I was. I would work all kinds of hours and spend money as fast as I made it. I was always looking for that purchase that would bring me happiness, but never found it. When serving God became my top priority, even though I fall from time to time, I found something better than happiness He gave me joy.

Application: Things are different now and it’s a long process from weaning away from the things of this world and seek God only. With God as my focus the things in this world become less and less appealing and He becomes my main desire. I hope as I continue on this path that glorifying Him will be my only concern.

Prayer Dear Lord You are my joy and I want to please You with the time You have given me. Guide me today to do what You desire of me and that I will not have any distractions from accomplishing the goal You have set before me.

Scripture Luke 15:7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Observation: I wonder what it was like when this sinner finally repented after 46 years of sin. I know God has watched over my life even though I continued to sin and never gave Him a thought. The angels must have looked down all of the times I fell flat on my back and thought this will be the day his eyes will be opened to God, but not yet. I wonder if the angels finally gave up on my repentance because of my hard heart. They must have been surprised that day, but my Father always knew and never gave up on me.

Application: I look back on my life and it was completely godless and self-centered. There was no room in my heart for anything or anybody I was too busy thinking only about me. Six times I tried to end my life, but God wouldn’t hear of it. When I received Jesus as my Lord and savior one of my first prayers was that I was tired of living my life for me and asked if He will help me live the rest of my life for Him. He never let me down.

Prayer Thank you Lord for answering my prayer. I don’t know how much time I have left here, but please use it to glorify You. Thank You for not just the joy in heaven that day, but the joy You placed in my heart.

Scripture Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

Observation: Jesus is saying unless we love God with all of our heart, mind and soul we can’t be His disciples. He does not want us to hate, but that our love for Him is so great that in comparison it appears to be hate. All throughout the Bible, it tells us to love God with all of our heart, mind and soul and to love others as ourselves. We can’t be His disciples unless our love for Him is great.

Application: Love is an action and I need to daily make a commitment to my Lord that I will love Him completely. In everything that I do I must consider what would please my Lord and show Him my love for Him. I’m here for a short time and need to live this way and for all eternity in love with My Lord.

Prayer Jesus, I want to love You the way You love me. I know that is impossible but may that not detour me from trying. Use me today that I may show others my love for You.

Scripture Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Observation: The narrow gate is just that You either believe Jesus is the Christ who died for our sins and has risen and sits at the right hand of God or you believe something else. Most of the world believes something else whether it’s Islam, Buddha, Jehovah Witness, Mormon or some other religion. They will find themselves outside weeping and gnashing their teeth. It’s a narrow gate, but all we have to do is believe and we can enter.

Application: I thank God that He continued to guide me through this gate. if I succeeded in ending my life I did I would be the one weeping, but God had other plans for me. He guided me through the narrow gate that will lead me home. God now calls me to help others see the way to God and their eternal home and I need to be obedient to that calling.

Prayer My Lord I thank you for your saving grace and guiding me through the narrow gate. Use me today to help someone else see the way home to You. I’m so blessed to be your servant.

Scripture Luke 12:33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.

Observation: I’m old enough now to realize nothing lasts. Whatever money I’ve save up for something, a problem crops up and the money is gone. The things I buy here break and are discarded and nothing lasts. Most of the time I’ve spent making money here is gone, but the treasures I’ve built up in Heaven are still waiting for me. I know I don’t deserve them, but God can’t wait to give them to me. However, my greatest treasure is to see my Lord face to face, embrace Him and thank him personally for the love He has for me.

Application: I’m still here so I should be working for my Lord. I need to use my time and possessions to help bring others to Christ. I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior and now I’m on the clock and need to be doing what I’ve been ordered to do.

Prayer Dear Lord thank you for this opportunity You have given me to earn rewards that will be used when I get home. May each day be a day that pleases You for that will be my reward for now.