Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-

 

Humility in Spiritual Renewal 

Bible Reading: :1 Peter 5:6-11

Key verse:  

Bible Verse::“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 

DEVOTION

As the new year approaches, I’m sure many of us have different resolutions on our minds. The new year is a time of reinventing yourself and making changes - transitioning into a new stage in your career, maybe going to the gym and exercising more, saving more money, and more are all common resolutions. As with many things this season, they can be exciting and fun, but also cause stress and worry - the anxiety that you may fail, the exhaustion at facing obstacles while trying to accomplish your goal, or the stress at the uncertainty that lies ahead. 
In this passage, Peter wrote his letter to other believers who needed counsel. He encouraged all believers to stay strong and resilient, even when encountering difficulties that may discourage them. Within discouragement and failure, it can become remarkably easy for negativity and evil to slip in. We may feel too angry, too upset, or maybe even too prideful to go to God and admit that we need help. This can lead us away from God and cause us to withdraw due to the heaviness that we feel. Though we want comfort and healing, we may not feel like we want to go to God. 
However, something that we must remember as Christians is that even amongst our anxieties and fears, our God loves us and will never leave us. Peter also reminds each and every believer to practice humility in their lives and share their worries with God. As Peter says in verses 6 and 7, our God is a loving father who uplifts us and cares for us. He does not judge us or shame us, and he is ever-present and ever-loving, and we must humble ourselves and give up our anxieties and burdens unto Him. By sharing these worries with God, we can feel His peace and love, and furthermore gain renewed strength and healing. 
Let us always remember that our God is a God who loves and cares for us, and that we can go to him in both good and bad times. By humbling ourselves and submitting ourselves to God, I pray that we are able to find peace that we may otherwise be lacking in our lives during difficult moments. 

 

PRAYER

 God our Father, we thank you for all that you have done for us and will continue to do for us. I pray that we are able to put any pride or negativity aside to come to you in each and every single situation in our lives, and that we are able to feel your everlasting love, kindness, and peace. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

Thought for the DAY

“Don't let the burdens and hardships of this life distract you or discourage you, but keep your eyes firmly fixed on what God has promised at the end of our journey: heaven itself.” - Billy Graham 


Janie Mathew, Long Island Mar Thoma Church 

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind wh...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tel...
Read more