Day Twenty-Seven (of 31 Daily Reminders)

Who God Is…

God is Good!  (kind; able to work all things for good)

[God proved His goodness by overcoming evil with good! He can even bring good out of what was intended for evil.]

 

Who I am/we are in Christ…

I am an Ambassador for Christ!
(An ambassador is someone who is an official representative for someone else. God invites us to be His ambassadors, to join Him in His mission in our world.)

“All of this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”
2 Cor 5:18-20

All this, from first to last, is God’s doing for He has restored our relationship to Himself through Christ; and He has enlisted us as His agents of reconciliation. In other words, God was in Christ personally changing people from enemies into His friends – not counting their sins against them – and He has commissioned us with this message of reconciliation. We are now Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were directly appealing to you through us.

[God has redeemed and restored us through Christ’s atoning death. Now He invites us to daily join Him in His mission of redeeming and restoring creation to Himself… I, {state your name}, represent Him in all I say and do.]

“Therefore, as you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Mt 28:19-20

Therefore, wherever you go make Jesus followers of all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching these new disciples to put into practice all that I have revealed to you. And be assured that I am with you always to the end of time.

[The great GO mission! As Christ followers,we have been consecrated and commissioned to bring all people hope, healing and new life through Jesus Christ… I, {state your name}, can do all things through Christ; apart from Him I, {state your name}, can do nothing; as I abide in Him and in His Word my life will bear much fruit for the Kingdom.]

 

His promises for me/us today…

“All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.”
Rom 8:28

Everything that happens fits into a pattern for good to those who love God and are called to fit into His plans.

[“All things” – even when God doesn’t appear to make sense. “For good” – God knows what is best; He is even able to bring good out of what was intended for evil (Good Friday). When He looked at His creation, He said, “It is good!” Now as He looks at His new creation, He can also declare it “Good!” … As I find myself facing difficult situations and I, {state your name}, can’t see any possible way out, yet I can be confident that God can and will in His time and in His way.]

“Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Php 4:4-7

Delight yourselves in the Lord, yes, find your joy in Him at all times. Have a reputation for being reasonable, and never forget the nearness of God. Don’t worry over anything what so ever; when you pray, tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. And then you will experience the peace of God which surpasses all understanding and which stands sentry over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

[Joy is not dependent on circumstances. Because of Jesus, we don’t have to worry about anything. He invites us to pray about everything, thankful that He is in charge, not us… As I, {state your name}, put my life in His hands, I can experience the reality of His peace at those very moments when my emotions are all stirred up and my thoughts are racing.]

“Be joyful always; pray constantly; give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thes 5:16-18

Rejoice always; never stop praying; be thankful no matter what is going on in your life. This is God’s desire for you as you live your life in Christ.

[This is what the life of faith in Christ Jesus looks like for those who belong to Him… It shows me, {state your name}, how I am to live.]

 

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!

 

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!