John 21:3-4 | “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

Do you trust God with your life? He created you and knows you completely. He understands your weaknesses and your desire to love Him. Even when you feel as though you’ve failed Him, He’s quick to receive you and prove His love to you.

After the crucifixion, the disciples returned to their former ways of life. Instead of living by faith and doing what God had called them to do, they went right back out on the Sea of Galilee to fish (John 21:3-4). Have you ever wondered how God views our lack of faith? It is certain He will never condemn us (Rom. 8:1). Christ’s presence on the shore of Galilee was enough to let Peter and the others know that it was time to stop being distracted by the voices of the world. Before the crucifixion, He’d told the disciples He would return to them, and He fulfilled His promise. God has kept every promise He has ever made. This is why we can trust Him with every aspect of our lives.

Although Peter denied knowing Christ, Jesus did not deny knowing him. We may falter and fail, but God doesn’t want us to focus on our shortcomings. Instead, He wants us to set our focus on Him. The Father evaluates our lives not according to our ability to remain faithful, but according to His faithfulness and the work that was accomplished at Calvary. While He doesn’t want us to yield to temptation, He knows there will be times when we fall. But always we remain the beneficiaries of His endless grace and eternal love. After the resurrection, one of the first things Jesus did was to go to Peter and reassure him of His eternal love. God’s plan for Peter’s life had not changed. Therefore, Jesus encouraged His disciple not to give up. We, too, can trust in our faithful God—the God who is trustworthy and will never let us down.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App
Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.
We would like to thank In Touch Ministries, Dr. Charles Stanley, for providing today’s devotional.
For more information, please visit: https://intouch.cc/lp-journal2

1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV) | But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

The direction your life takes is affected by many things, such as the environment in which you live, the decisions you make, and the education you receive. But by far the most powerful influence in a believer’s life is the transforming grace of God, which is His kindness toward you—regardless of your worthiness and in spite of everything you deserve.

God’s ultimate will is for every believer to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. His grace is responsible for your rebirth, and from that point it directs, moves, and influences you to become increasingly Christ-like. In that way, you can say with the apostle Paul, “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10).

The apostle’s life, in fact, is a powerful example of God’s transforming grace. In Philippians 3, Paul describes how he once depended on his good works, nature, and conduct to gain acceptance before God. He did not originally understand there’s only one way to be made acceptable in God’s sight—by His grace.

However, encountering the living Christ totally changed Paul, and he explained, “Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have [now] counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Phil. 3:7). He recognized that all of his human titles and achievements had absolutely no spiritual value. We, too, must realize we’ll never gain eternity by depending on anything we are or anything we do. It’s by grace, and grace alone, that we are saved (Eph. 2:8-9).

It was the grace of God that shaped Paul’s thinking. He learned that everything he once had counted as valuable was actually worthless. What made the difference was the fact that Paul came face-to-face with the Savior on the Damascus Road. And when he heard the voice of God speaking to him, he dropped to his knees in adoration and surrender.

May the same be true of us.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App
Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.
We would like to thank In Touch Ministries, Dr. Charles Stanley, for providing today’s devotional.
For more information, please visit: https://intouch.cc/lp-journal2

Hebrews 13:20-21 | Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,  equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

No matter where you are in life, odds are you’re thinking about your future more than ever. Whether a student getting ready for graduation, a young manager plotting the next career move, or a parent seeking the best for your children, you’re making decisions today that will affect the rest of your life. And with each choice you make, you’re trying to create the best life possible for yourself and those you love. Throughout my life’s journey, there’s one thing I’ve come to understand clearly: Only God can help you live a truly extraordinary life.

When you place your hope in temporal things—money, social status, achievements, acceptance, or even the love of your family and friends—your foundation will inevitably crumble. Worldly comforts are no defense against the tumultuous storms that life often delivers. Your identity must be based on something greater than what the world offers if you’re to stand strong.

As the old saying goes, life is not about who you are; it’s about whose you are. Being able to answer this question is extremely important because it has essentially everything to do with your personal relationship with God and your future. Your challenge is to get to know Him and, in the process, get yourself out of the way so He can move in and through you. He has a distinct purpose for your life, and He wants you to understand that purpose. When you finally see how beloved you are and how great your calling is, you’ll sense a desire growing within you to live for Him.

The Bible offers numerous principles for walking successfully with the Lord. It also teaches us how to live a strong, passionate, and committed life as we grow in our faith in Him. In this series of devotions, I’ll address nine time-tested truths that God uses to reveal His plans and purposes for our lives. They’re based on His principles and offer the right pattern for success, hope, peace, and victory.

Becoming the masterpiece God created you to be is a lifelong process in which He’s continually shaping you into a unique reflection of His Son. It’s my prayer you’ll embrace each of these principles fully and, in so doing, discover the extraordinary life God has planned for you.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App
Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.
We would like to thank In Touch Ministries, Dr. Charles Stanley, for providing today’s devotional.
For more information, please visit: https://intouch.cc/lp-journal2

Acts 14:27 | Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

The biggest reason why people give up, why people slow down, or why people don’t reach their potential is fear.

Fear that they aren’t good enough.

Fear that they will fail.

Fear that they aren’t qualified.

But God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies those who are called. You see this in the story of Moses. Of David. Of Saul. Of Noah.

These stories in the Bible speak of people who were fearful. People who lacked faith. People who were nobodies that became somebodies because of God’s plan.

Sometimes, life is tough. Sometimes we feel like Noah on day twenty. We’re stuck in the middle of the biggest storm of our life. We don’t know what else to do, so we hold onto the wheel and try to navigate to shore. When we place God outside of our circumstances, or we focus on what we want to do, then we find ourselves in trouble. When God isn’t in our circumstances, then things just don’t operate properly. The mechanisms don’t work.

But when God gets in the middle of it, it’s like pouring oil on a chain. Things begin to flow again, we begin to gain control of our ship, and the storm begins to clear up. When we have faith over fear, then fear is no longer an issue.

Faith is the backbone of belief. Faith is what keeps you going. Noah reached day forty as a result of his faith. Saul became Paul through faith. Moses lead the Israelites from Egypt because of his faith. David’s faith helped him defeat a giant.

Imagine the fear that these people felt. The fear of danger, the fear of failure, the fear of change. God doesn’t call you when you’re ready to be called, He calls you when it is time. It isn’t always ideal for you, but it’s what’s necessary.

What have you been called to do lately? How do you feel about it?

Psalm 107:28-31 | ²⁸ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. ²⁹ He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. ³⁰ They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. ³¹ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

People often focus too much on where they’ve been. Where they are from, the manner in which they grew up. The poor choices they’ve made, and the setbacks that they’ve experienced. But life isn’t about where you’ve been, it’s about where you’re going. The person I was isn’t the person I am, nor is it the person that I hope to become.

You see, God wants your attention to be focused on the present. He wants you to look straight ahead, because what He has for you is not behind you, but in front of you. Reminding yourself of your past mistakes does nothing for today. It doesn’t help you. People get so stuck looking back at the storms they’ve weathered that they don’t notice where their ship is headed. They look at their flaws and faults when they should be looking forward at the greatness that God has planned for them. They’re too focused on what the enemy is up to, and not focused on what God is doing in their lives right now!

Looking back is the same thing as dropping anchor. It is choosing to sit still, to be stagnant. To do nothing. Don’t drop anchor when God is telling you to open up the sails. Don’t let yourself focus on the negative when the positive is just within reach. Your best days are not to be left in the past.

Faith is the light that shines in through the tunnel. It is the compass that points north when you get off course. Faith is what you have left when everything else seems so far away. It isn’t always easy to have faith, but it is always necessary. Faith is what gives us as Christians the strength to carry on despite our circumstances.

Faith is easy to find when you have calm waters and clear skies. It’s when the clouds come in that Christians begin to struggle with their faith. It is when the water begins to get choppy and the wind starts blowing that faith starts to falter.

Have unwavering faith! Know that whatever is going on in your life has already been planned out. God has you covered.

Author David Villa