Day One (of 31 Daily Reminders)

This is from the devotional tool, “31 Daily Reminders”, that I have designed to help you begin each day aware of Who God Is, of Who We Are In Christ, of His Promises That Sustain and Empower Us, and of the Various Callings/ Vocations He Has Given Us.  If you would like a hard copy of these devotions, just let me know!

Who God Is…

God is Triune:

Father: Creator; Preserver, Provider, Protector

Son: Redeemer, Savior, Lord

Holy Spirit: Sanctifier; brings us to faith; keeps us in the one true faith

Who I am/we are in Christ…

I am a child of God!

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
Jn 1:12

However, He gave the power to become God’s children to everyone who believed in His name!

[God-centered, not man-centered; God the Father sent His Son into the world where many would reject Him, but those who welcomed Him through faith, He made them part of His family of faith!… By God’s grace through baptism, I, {state your name}, am a child of God!]

“How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
1 Jn 3:1

Consider the incredible love that the Father has lavished upon us that we are called His dear children – and in fact we actually are His sons and daughters!

[God demonstrated His love for us when He sent Jesus to die for us. Now, as a result of His gracious gift, He gives us the power to indeed become His children!… As a result of the gracious working of God, I, {state your name}, am a child of God, invited to confidently come to Him  a dear child comes to His dear father.]

His promises for me/us today…

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Rom 6:4

We died and were buried with Christ through baptism, so that just as Christ was brought back from death to life, so we, too, may live a new life!

[By our baptism we are intimately connected to Christ’s death and Resurrection. As He died and was raised to life by His Father, so also our old nature was drowned and we have been given a new nature in Christ and the daily rhythm of “dying” and “rising” has begun… As a result of my baptism, I, {state your name}, have died with Christ and have been raised to new life in Him!]

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Gal 3:26-27

You are all God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like Him.

[Faith saves us. Baptism and faith are intimately connected. In baptism we become God’s children as He clothes us with the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Not only do we put on Christ, but He puts His name on us so that we take on the family likeness of Christ… Through faith in Christ and as a result of my baptism, I, {state your name}, am a child of God, becoming more and more like Jesus.]

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs, having the hope of eternal life.”
Titus 3:5-7

Christ saved us, not because of good works that we had done, but because of His mercy and grace. He saved us through the washing by which the Holy Spirit gives us new birth and new life. He generously poured out the Spirit on us, so that having been made right with God by His grace, we, too, have become heirs, who have the confidence that we have eternal life.

[We are saved by God’s mercy and grace. [ Sacramental – God does it; receptive spirituality!  God-centered – we could do nothing to save ourselves or assist in our salvation.] Our confidence is not in who we are or what we have done, but in Him and what He has done for us!… because of Jesus, I, {state your name}, am a child of God, confident of eternal life!]

 

His callings/my vocations…

As you reflect on these words from the Lord, what do you sense God calling you to be or to do? How do these words and promises from the Lord speak to you today with the particular joys and struggles that are part of your life and life of faith?

Think of the people who are closest to you in the vocations He has given you?  [husband/wife; family; friends; neighbors; others]. What are some of the “take-aways” from these verses that you could share with them to encourage or support them in the challenges they face as they live in this broken world?

Now take a moment to pray, using the words of some of these Scriptures to shape your prayer, as you pray them back to Him. Pray them specifically for those things that you or those you love are dealing with today!