Devotionals

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day three of our journey and our symbol is the Ark and the Rainbow.

Many years ago, God gave me a message to teach about venturing into the depths of His love. Because we cannot contain the fulness of God, the Spirit leads us from glory, to glory, to glory in his love and victory. The Spirit—the Living Water—is the One who washes the filth of the world off from us.

We begin with repentance at the surface level of God’s love where it is comfy, affirming, and warm. Everyone loves this season of splashing in the waters of the Spirit, but we must grow up, because spiritual immaturity does not bring glory to God or victory to our lives. Second, the Spirit calls us into the convicting love of God; some filthy areas of our hearts, minds, and wills get a real cleansing here. During these times, our faith must stretch for us to meet God’s will for our lives. We face trials and tribulations differently at this level; endurance and growth become our goals so we climb up closer to the presence of God in Christ [our Ark]. Lastly, there are the raging flood waters of God’s confrontational love where he calls us to rest in the truth of who He is so He can reveal his awesome and mighty power. Christ becomes the redemptive Ark of glorious hope that now carries us through every situation and protects us from evil. We need to rest in Christ’s salvation! In Him we now live, move, and have our being.

The story of the flood reminds use of the depths of Almighty God who can be gentle, compassionate, and inspiring, as well as powerful, holy, and awesome. Humanity did not learn the lessons from the garden, because they continue to eat rotten fruit. We become what we eat; therefore, the world becomes filled with violence and evil. So, God chooses to do something about it. He sends water..lots and lots of water; but, he chooses to preserve Noah [whose name means “rest”], his family, and every kind of animal. Then, God promises to never flood the world again and provides the rainbow to remind Him of that promise—a sign of God’s faithfulness to His covenant of redeeming grace.

Genesis 6:11-21 NLT
11 Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. 13 So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!
14 “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. 15 Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16 Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.

17 “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. 21 And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”

Genesis 7:17-8:1 NLT
17 For forty days the floodwaters grew deeper, covering the ground and lifting the boat high above the earth. 18 As the waters rose higher and higher above the ground, the boat floated safely on the surface. 19 Finally, the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth, 20 rising more than twenty-two feet[a] above the highest peaks. 21 All the living things on earth died—birds, domestic animals, wild animals, small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people. 22 Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died. 23 God wiped out every living thing on the earth—people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat. 24 And the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days.
The Flood Recedes
8 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede.

Genesis 9:8-13 NLT
8 Then God told Noah and his sons, 9 “I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, 10 and with all the animals that were on the boat with you—the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals—every living creature on earth. 11 Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

12 Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. 13 I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.

Hebrews 9:15 NLT
15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

Prayer: Lord, we know you are powerful yet gentle, sovereign yet merciful, holy yet compassionate and we worship you. Take us into the depths of your love so our lives may glorify you. Our hope rests in you, Lord! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day two of our journey and our symbol is the fruit.

The garden was a perfect environment for humanity, because everything was operating in the harmony [shalom] of God. But, there was an imposter lurking within the garden; a spirit of evil that twisted the Word of God in order to tempt Adam and Eve to sin against divine authority. [From our lesson yesterday, we remember there are realities we can see, as well as realms of invisible realities that exist beyond our natural senses known only to God].

In God’s love he set a warning, but gave human beings a choice. In the visible, it seemed like it would be all right to eat the fruit and it looked delicious, but “What was it exactly God said, again?” Adam and Eve knew what God said, but they wanted what they thought they lacked to make them happy, so they chose to please their human flesh and exalt their desires rather than obey God.

Adam and Eve lost the divine and glorious oneness God provided in the garden, because they disobeyed Him when they ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. The first couple desired wisdom and Satan made the fruit looked tempting. Fruit can look good on the outside, but be rotten on the inside or provide a very bitter taste that lingers. We were created to eat spiritual fruit that feeds us eternal life. We cannot judge whether spiritual fruit is good or bad by human visual examination alone, because there is a great deal of evil lurking within certain decisions—evil that injures and destroys our oneness with God. Only God knows what is really going to be “good” for us, because He made us. We need God to teach us how to identify good spiritual fruit or we will fall for the rotten fruit Satan offers every time. Praise God for the work of the Holy Spirit!

So from the first Adam, we received a sin nature; something human beings never had when God formed us. Yet, in God’s goodness and in His appointed time, through the root of Jesse, we have a new Adam to follow—Jesus Messiah the sinless One who takes upon himself the sin nature of the world [the cross] and reconnects us in the righteous oneness of God. We must choose Jesus and follow Him as the Way to eternal life. He has been made Wisdom for us and He leads us to feast on righteous fruit. Our lives can once again sing in the harmonies of God by our obedience to receive Jesus. He is the only one who can heal and restore us when we lose our righteous way.

Genesis 2:15-17 NLT
15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

Genesis 3:1-6 NLT The Man and Woman Sin
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

Romans 5:12, 15, 19 NLT Adam and Christ Contrasted
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.
19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

1 Corinthians 15:22 NLT
22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us understand the destruction hidden within the fruit of sin and disobedience. Help us to lean on your Word rather than on our own understanding. Heal and forgive us when we sin through selfish words or actions. Empower us to live godly lives in oneness with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.

Today, we begin our journey and our symbol is the world.

It is important to remember God created all things in heaven and on earth through the Word, breathed the Spirit of life into creation, and declared his workmanship “good.” Therefore, from the beginning it has been God’s story to reveal and, by faith in our Creator, our story now to live. Depending upon our vantage point, the earth can appear huge or very small all at the same time. For example, glimpses of the earth from space reveals the grandness of continents and oceans, yet it also becomes clear from that same vantage point the earth is small in comparison to the universe around us. Such is our God. He is up close and personal and at the same time beyond our ability to comprehend or encompass.

From the beginning of Scripture, we note God’s desire was to be present and a part of everything He created. He brought order and life to that which was void and lifeless. I can only imagine how excited the Creator must have been as he looked around at what His Word and Spirit made: day, night, waters above/below, creating land, seas, trees, seed-bearing plants, sun, moon, sea life, animals, and then the crowning achievement—a man and a woman to reveal His image [nature and character] in the world. Everything created would then take root, multiply, and procreate life.

Creation is truly a wonder; it speaks to my heart and allows me to follow the love of God for me. Creation is a personal gift for each of God’s children; we are to take good care of the world and one another because in doing so, we are acknowledging our Creator and sharing our gratitude for designing such a beautiful place. Every part of our world is unique and we have been uniquely designed to enjoy life in our place of the world. Yet, we must realize there are tangible things we see around us and understand and, because we are made by the Almighty invisible God, there are things around us we cannot see but are nonetheless still true and waiting to be discovered. Therefore, faith must lead the way for all our journeys.

OT Testament Reading
Genesis 1:1-2, 27-30 NLT The Account of Creation
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
27
So God created human beings [Heb. ha-adam] in his own image.
    In the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

29 Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30 And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.

New Testament Readings
John 1:1-3 NLT Christ, the Eternal Word
1 
In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
2 
He existed in the beginning with God.
3 
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.

Colossians 1:16 NLT Christ Is Supreme
15 
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 
for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
    and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for making this beautiful world and for drawing near to us through relationship. We know you are supreme in authority and power over heaven and earth. Please open our eyes to see the creative ways you have chosen to renew our souls through nature, the work of your Living Word, and to trust your care for us in the Spirit for the things we cannot see. Because you are compassionate, creative, and entirely good, please continue to mold and shape us as we enjoy life with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: When I was a small child, the expression on my father’s face told me whether he was please or displeased with my actions. Dad was very transparent that way and all it took was one look…”the look”…and I knew how he felt. Honestly, if Dad looked at me in a certain way, it was always enough to stop whatever I was doing before discipline commenced.

In our passage today, the psalmist wants God to face him. It is not unusual for a psalmist to speak of God’s face as a way of inviting His presence. To seek God’s shining face is to experience His blessing, provision, and protection. It is welcoming God into every aspect of life and asking to be led by love and guided in God’s will where salvation is promised. The shining face of God brings acceptance and an invitation to experience His glory. However, when God hides His face, it leads to chaos and shame.

Psalm 80:7 NLT
Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies.
    Make your face shine down upon us.
    Only then will we be saved.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the favor and grace we find as you make your face shine down upon us. We desire your presence, provision, and protection for our lives. We long for a stronger relationship with you so we can display your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: This morning very early I decided to turn on the news so I could get caught up on the very latest things happening in our nation and the world. I spend very little time reading the news online or watching it on cable, but I do try to stay informed. Today, I saw more about: 1) the innocent hostages released by hamas, 2) the innocent Jewish teacher in NYC (Queens) who was harassed and threatened by pro-Palestinian high school student protesters, and lastly 3) the “crash and carry” robberies violating innocent business owners. I prayed, Lord, please bring an end to the evil aimed at the innocent in your world. Shortly thereafter I read Psalm 7 and God’s principle of retribution presented itself before me. How would you define “retribution?”

Sometimes we compare retribution with vengeance, but they are really not the same thing. Retribution is about seeking justice but it is not personal; it is about taking issue with unrighteousness or wrong doing. Retribution takes no pleasure in the suffering of others, its goal is simply to mete out justice and remove the danger from society by deterring other criminals. In the Old Testament Law, retribution was to be proportional to the crime committed. Think about the phrase “an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth” (Ex 21:23-25). Jesus taught, “Don’t resist one who is evil” (Mat5:38). So, how are we to view retribution, today?

I believe God made it very clear that the judicial system was established to take issue with evil actions against the innocent (Ro 13:1, 6). So, it is the duty of government and those in authority to protect the innocent by enacting retribution on those who perform acts of evil. Yet, more and more it becomes apparent that our system of protecting the innocent is failing miserably. In fact, I believe this apathy to take issue with evil actions/criminal and violent behavior is being orchestrated by Satan in order to lull wicked people into thinking they will face no retributive action for the injustice they perpetuate against innocent people. But, Satan is a liar! (John 8:44).

In our passage today, David reminds us about the law of divine retribution. In other words, how God will take issue with humans who choose to do evil and thinking they will get away with it. God maintains moral order in the world by meting out justice. When a person or group of people are determined to rob, steal, or destroy the innocent, they position themselves for their own destruction (Mat 26:52). This is called sowing and reaping.

Psalm 7:14-16 CEV
14
An evil person is like a woman
    about to give birth
to a hateful, deceitful,
    and rebellious child.
15 
Such people dig a deep hole,
    then fall in it themselves.
16 
The trouble they cause
    comes back on them,
and their heads are crushed
    by their own evil deeds.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for providing a greater understanding of retribution and the importance of godly justice. I pray for you to deliver people from evil; I pray for them to want to be saved from their own self-destruction. Thank you for loving us enough to discipline us, so we do not face this kind of reaping or harvest. We place our hope in Jesus who has promised to one day usher in a just world as the Spirit transforms the world into a place of righteousness and peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In today’s passage, Paul was imprisoned for a second time in Rome, and he was writing to Timothy, his spiritual mentee, who was thousands of miles away sharing the Gospel message about Christ in Ephesus. Paul knew his death was coming soon, and he wanted to speak encouragement to Timothy who he considered his “true son in faith” (1 Tim 1:2). Think about Paul’s situation for a moment, he was imprisoned for sharing the Gospel message about Christ alongside of murderers, yet all he could think about was making sure that Timothy continued to share the Good News about Jesus long after he was gone. The best part is that the Romans believed that by putting Paul’s physical body in prison they could stop the spread of Jesus’s Message. But here we are, about 1,958 years later, learning from Paul and hopefully listening to his guidance about being “A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus” because every single one of us will one day physically die, but the Word of God can never be imprisoned, and it lives on (as our spiritual presences do) for all eternity with Christ.

Paul begins today’s letter with, “Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus (v.1).”

Read that again but this time insert your name and either son or daughter:” __________, my dear (son/daughter), be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus (v.1).”

Paul knew what it meant to “suffer” for his faith in Christ as he was chained like a criminal for it, but his message seeks for us to know that although we will suffer for our faith in Christ, we must never lay our faith in Christ down. We are to remain confident in our faith and hopeful in our trust that the Word can never be chained or imprisoned as He lives for all eternity.

How do we endure? Paul tells us in the beginning of his letter that we are to be loyal like a soldier (to Jesus), disciplined like an athlete (to His Word), and work hard like a farmer (for His Kingdom) (v.3-6). He goes on to remind us about Jesus’s path as a descendant of King David up until His resurrection. His path was paved for Him, and He was called to walk it out. The same is true for you and me, we are not called to carve our own path, God has our path carved out for us, and all we have to do is follow Jesus and walk it out because through our faith and salvation in Christ brings eternal life and glory with Him.

2 Timothy 2:8-13 (NLT)

8 Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9 And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10 So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.

11 This is a trustworthy saying:
If we die with him,
we will also live with him.

12 If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.

13 If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny who he is.

Prayer: Jesus, I want to be a good soldier for You so You can use me to help further spread Your Gospel message and to keep growing Your Kingdom. Help me to endure suffering for You, to not be afraid, to not be embarrassed, but to stand tall and firmly rooted in You. I long to spend eternity with You, Jesus, and I want all of humanity to choose You. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: God has generously poured within us [grace] everything we will ever need as worshipers of the Most High. There is nothing we lack if we are focused on worshiping the Lord. In our passage today, the psalmist—worship leader—instructs us to serve and worship the Lord with gladness. Did you know gladness is the sign of a servant heart?

It is alway a blessing to worship with my spiritual family; I feel secure and joyful. Therefore, I exuberantly express my gratitude and joy when we sing praises and when we open the Word of God. I cannot contain the excitement and joy I feel in worship; it just spills out because I know I am His!

When we know we belong to God, that knowledge permeates how we think and marks our actions and words. We are not worshiping others around us; people do not deserve our worship. Instead, we are joyfully focused on exalting the Lord for his goodness and grace extended to us. Joy is a choice and worshipers should be joyful people.
Psalm 100 A psalm of thanksgiving
1 
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 
    Worship the Lord with gladness.
    Come before him, singing with joy.
3 
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
    He made us, and we are his.
    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
    go into his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 
For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,
    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Prayer: Lord I will enter your presence with joy and thanksgiving, because I recognize your sovereign right to rule your world. You made me; I am yours. So, hear my praise and receive my love today in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Today we celebrate Thanksgiving; a time to give thanks to God for His many blessings. As the early settlers in America bowed to thank God for an abundant harvest that sustained them even during the hardest of times, we should take time today to bow and thank the Lord for sustaining us, as well. To be filled with thanksgiving is to recognize the goodness of God.

Generosity is a big deal with God, because He is the Master of pure generosity. Therefore, the believer’s life should be marked by a generous Spirit. When we are generous, we are sharing the unselfish kindness of the Savior extended to us. In this greedy and selfish culture, followers of Christ should be magnanimous!

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds us about the spiritual principle of sowing and reaping; an attitude that leads us into ever-increasing generosity. True thanksgiving exudes an attitude of contentment for what God has provided. When we have a thankful spirit, we will look for ways to be generous to others with our time, talent, or treasure.

So today, thank God for his goodness toward you. Put a watch over your mouth, so you do not complain about anything; it dishonors God. Finally, be content with what you have been given and resist the temptation to compare yourself or your life with others. Sow the seeds of kindness and goodness into the lives of those around you and look for the harvest only God can bring. Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 NLT
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
    Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity [righteousness] in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.

Prayer: Lord, I pray for your Spirit to make all of your children across the globe magnanimous in generosity. Thank you, Lord, for life and all you have provided to sustain us even during the hardest of times. Thank you for Jesus who came to save us and bring forgiveness of sin. Thank you for the work of your liberating Spirit who brings the truth to our souls and leads us in righteousness. Thank you for generously empowering us to be ministers of reconciliation, so others can experience the contentment in their souls only you can give. We give you thanks, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: There are times in life when we all need a vindicator; someone to represent our hearts and clear us of unjust criticism or condemnation. We were created to be accepted, affirmed, and adored by God, so criticism and condemnation works diligently to destroy us. Injustice is part of living in a fallen world, so until Jesus returns, we will face times of being falsely accused.

Criticism can be a traumatic and painful place that destroys trust and self-confidence. Being condemned without a vindicator leaves a person feeling abandoned and alone [think about Jesus on the cross]. Believers must remember we all have a spiritual enemy called Satan, the Accuser, who fights to gain control of our souls [mind/will/emotions]. Many people do not realize they can actually be a host for spiritual evil to pour condemnation and unjust criticism from their lips into the lives of others. The tongue can be very hard to tame (James 3:1-12). Sadly, we have all been a spewing host, as well as an innocent recipient of the Accuser’s handiwork. Thank you, Lord, for your merciful work of love and grace to change us!

In our passage today, David knew all about this unjust criticism and condemnation from the Accuser through other human beings. Yet, David knew God would uphold his just cause in time. God is not ignorant to the mistreatment of His children. The Lord took care of David and He will do the same for you and me. We are tenderly loved by the Giver of perfect Love; He does not miss a tear we shed (Ps 56:8).

When believers face injustice [falsely accused or misunderstood, unappreciated for the genuine love we offer, or working with integrity but criticized instead of rewarded] we must look Higher and focus on our Savior—Jesus the Christ—who will sit as Judge of the world. When we do not wait for Christ to vindicate us, we sit in hatred, self-pity, and make everyone around us pay for our pain. When we do wait for Christ to vindicate us, we rest in supernatural peace and are liberated from the false opinions and wrongful treatment of others. We must choose wisely and allow praise and thanksgiving to rise up to our Vindicator, because justice will come.

Psalm 9: 3-6 NLT
3 
When my enemies face you,
they run away and stumble
    and are destroyed.
4 
You take your seat as judge,
and your fair decisions prove
    that I was in the right.
5 
You warn the nations
    and destroy evil people;
you wipe out their names
    forever and ever.
6 
Our enemies are destroyed
    completely for all time.
Their cities are torn down,
and they will never
    be remembered again.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy, as well as being the Light of Truth for our lives. Please continue to liberate us from evil and transform us by Your love. Thank You for the promise that one day evil will be destroyed forever. We will wait for You to vindicate us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

NOTE: Please join us at 7PM tonight for our Thanksgiving Eve service at Connect2Christ Church 9398 Oakhurst Road in Seminole FL. We will be praising God and sharing our gratitude for all He has done and continues to do for us in Christ. Light refreshments will follow. Happy Thanksgiving!

Intro: “Thank you” are just two small words, but they pack a lot of power. Gratitude brings health benefits. In fact, research reveals being thankful reduces depression, lessens anxiety, supports heart health, relieves stress, and improves sleep. Who would have thought being thankful and expressing gratitude could be so beneficial?

In our passage today, David calls his whole being to a place of praise; nothing half-hearted about David’s praise. David makes a decision to expand his awareness of God as he proclaims, “I will praise!” He praises the goodness, character, and the wonderful nature of God.

When we praise God, we are expressing our gratitude to Him and acknowledging His worth. So, practice gladness and speak this sentence often, “Thank you, Lord!” Knock yourself out by saying “thank you” and you will actually be helping yourself!

Psalm 9:1-2 NLT
1 
I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 
I will be filled with joy because of you.
    I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

Prayer: Lord, I will praise you with all my heart. Thank you for the amazing way you shower your goodness and redemptive love upon me and my loved ones. Fill me with joy, today! In Jesus’ name. Amen.