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

Luke 22:47-53  [NIV] | ⁴⁷While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” ⁴⁹When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” ⁵⁰And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. ⁵¹But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. ⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?⁵³Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

After the Passover meal, Jesus asked Peter and James and John to join Him in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus went to pray. He asked them to wait for Him, to pray, at this late hour. They were weary. It was very late. Imagine how the roller-coaster of the last several days must have caught up with Peter. He was probably still trying to process the stunning exchange with Judas. The friend he had trusted, who had been side-by-side with them for three years, who had given up everything, would now sell Jesus out. He didn’t want to believe it. So Peter drifted off to sleep, only to be awakened by the sight of an ashen, weary Jesus, tears and blood rolling down His face. His words pierced Peter’s soul, Could you not have prayed and watched?

And then it happened so suddenly. Soldiers marching into the dark garden. Torches and swords. And . . . Judas, their friend, embracing Jesus in a final, sick display. The kiss of betrayal. Peter was so enraged, adrenaline flowing. His world spinning. His life coming unglued. This was so unfair. So unjust. So wrong. So he clumsily stole a sword and struck the high priest’s servant. Jesus didn’t accept Peter’s defense of Him but instead healed the ear of His enemy.

The disciples, we are told in Matthew 25 and Mark 14, scattered. But Peter and John lingered, using John’s connections to get into the courtyard where the secret and illegal trial of Jesus took place in Ananias’s house. Should Peter have gone? What else could he do? He had to find a way to be near Jesus, to protect Him, to fight for Him, to demonstrate his loyalty.

Author: Daniel Darling