Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

"Making the Right Decision"

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in Your commands. Psalm 119:66
   

Life would be so much easier if we had perfect judgment. Solomon has a reputation for the wise decisions he made. It is specifically wisdom that he sought when he became king.

The fact is that we too have to make decisions daily, and many times we make choices almost blindly, without any real assurance or even a hint of what the outcome will be.

All of us want to act decisively. No one appreciates a person who can't make up his mind. If the decision is ours to make, we should do so, with concern for the well-being of others as well as ourselves.

Probably the most important virtue in decision-making is humility, the humble recognition that we do at times make poor decisions that may be wrong. Human frailty in matters of judgment is universal. No one is exempt, though some may be endowed with a better sense of judgment than others. Above all, we know: If we have erred in our judgments, if we have tried to do what is right and in keeping with God's will, and if we seek forgiveness, we can be sure that for Christ's sake our mistaken judgments are forgiven. That assurance and that acceptance is most important.

[Soldier4Christ]

"To Him be Glory in the Church"

We are surrounded by such a great a cloud of witnesses. Hebrews 12:1
   

It would not take long to list all kinds of things to be thankful for: food and clothing, home and country, peace and health.

More important in my thankfulness are the gifts God gives by which I have His life: His Spirit dwelling in me, making life out of my mere existence; His Son, who died and rose again so I might have life instead of death; His Gospel, the message by which He gives me this new life; His church, my fellow Christians, some living on earth, some in heaven, who share this Gospel and this faith with me.

Such a great cloud of witnesses surround us: Christian parents, who started me on this Christian walk; a spouse, who by her example is a living gospel for me; Christian children, who also reflect the love of Christ; Christian friends, who by their Christlike lives are speaking Christ to me; a Christian pastor, who shows me how to speak God's Word with power.

Such a great cloud of witnesses surround us: the glorious company of the apostles, the fellowship of the prophets, the noble army of martyrs, the holy church throughout the world!

[Soldier4Christ]

"Moments of Meditation"

Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ. Romans 10:17
   

Amid the stress and strain of daily life--amid the hustle and bustle of this hurried, hectic work-a-day world--we need these quiet moments of meditation. We need these quiet times for communing with Jesus. It is good for us to dwell on God's Word and let the Holy Spirit lead us.

Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit works faith in our heart through the power of the Word. We need power so we can grow in faith and find forgiveness and peace in life.

Are you troubled by pet sins? Too often we hang onto our bad habits, hang-ups, and wounded pride. We struggle with our inclinations to gossip and be greedy. Often our nerves are frayed, and our tempers are short.

Does your conscience haunt you? Are you homesick? Does the tension at work get to you? Do you shudder at the thought of death? Then listen to Jesus and His Word. Jesus, our ever-living, ever-loving Savior, is our refuge and strength. Jesus, speaking to us through the Word, is our guide through life. We trust Him for forgiveness and for our eternal salvation. We hear Him say, "Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it" (Luke 11:28). Through that Word comes faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Windows of Opportunity"

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5
   

It happened at the Sea of Galilee just a few years ago. I was up early to photograph the sunrise over Galilee. It was magnificent. I snapped pictures, one after another. Soon I ran out of film.

Just then, coming into view on the lake was a fishing boat with a fisherman, casting his nets out just the way people did in New Testament times. I frantically looked for more film. The sunrise had been beautiful, but I had missed the richer moment because I wasn't ready for it.

In our role as witnesses of Jesus Christ, we are blessed with such rich moments. The Lord makes it clear that we are to be ready. They come as windows of opportunity, opened to us for just the right word, just the appropriate response. The window opens, then it is shut. We have time to say what's on our heart, give the answer to a question, speak the caring word of witness, and then the time is gone.

We must be ready, equipped with the Word, motivated by the redeeming love of Jesus Christ, full of compassion for the lost, and able to recognize an open window. We thank God for His Spirit, who guides our witness and reminds us of Christ's words.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Watch Your Words!"

Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. James 3:5
   

Someone has estimated that the average individual has as many as 700 occasions to speak during a busy day. In the course of these conversations a talkative person might speak as many as 100,000 words, using 12,000 sentences!

What destruction can be wrought in a single day by just one person with that many words! But also what blessing! It all depends on how words are used. Although damaging consequences can result from the tongue's misuse, much good can be accomplished if it is used properly.

How will your tongue be used today? To speak words that bless the Lord, encourage others, and witness for Christ? Or will it be involved in gossiping, judging, and criticizing? If during a 24-hour period everything said were recorded and then played back to us, would we be shocked?

So watch what you say! Whether you are a talkative person using 100,000 words or the silent type using less than 10,000, make them count for good! Penitently seek divine pardon for past misuses of the tongue, through the merits of the Savior, then let Him control your speech and conversation.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Most Important Day"

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ...Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 118:24, 29
   

Which is the most important day of my life? The day I was born? The last day of my school years? The day I got my first job?

This is the day says the psalmist. My red-letter day is today. Because of what I do and say today, the world and I will not be quite the same as yesterday.

This is the day the Lord has made. To me it may be a miserable day, yet all is happening according to His divine plan. The day may seem full of confusion, yet God is fulfilling promises each hour of this day. Everything may appear to be going wrong, yet "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28).

Therefore I can rejoice today and be glad. This day is a day of hope. God promises His presence in the midst of discouragement. This day is a day of peace. Jesus is still the Savior. His forgiveness and mercy are mine. This is a day of prayer. God is not "out." He is on call day and night.

This day, then, is the most important because it is now that I live, work, serve, and speak of God's wondrous love through Christ who saved me.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Every Christian a Caring Person"

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
   

"Mind your own business" is not a biblical maxim. "Carry each other's burdens" is.

The apostle Peter advises, "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). We have a caring God. He cared enough to send His Son for our redemption. His Spirit moves us to express His care. If we want to be like Him, it is essential that we care for one another.

God has put us into the church--a community of faith--so we may help each other stay on the path to heaven. The principle given the ancient church applies to us today as well: "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently" (Galatians 6:1).

"It's none of my business" is almost never true. What others do affects us, and what we do affects others. We have the responsibility to speak and act on behalf of Jesus Christ for the benefit of others. God has made it our business to do that.

We need the care of other loving Christians, and they need our care. God directs, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:.

[Soldier4Christ]

"It is Rather Stupid!"

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth." Matthew 6:19
   

"Riches have wings" is a saying understood in every age. People in their search for security find that nothing is forever. Money spent for pleasure or for daily needs is soon gone. Men put their money into sound investments, such as stocks, bonds, banks, or real estate, or they fill their safety-deposit boxes with jewelry or cash. However, no investment, no safety-deposit place on earth is safe. The stock market goes down and business firms fail. Obligations of corporations and of governments are annulled by inflation and refinancing. Banks close their doors, and fire and flood wipe away the value of land and buildings.

One man, afraid of a clothing shortage, bought several expensive suits. He placed them in mothproof vaults. Six months later he found that he had gained so much weight he could not wear even one of them! We may lock our investments in banks and make them burglarproof, but time and death -- the cleverest thief of all -- take away the owners. We end our days as we began them -- with nothing!

How much wiser is the Christian who, through the love of Christ, is generous toward the Lord and invests time, talents, and treasures in that which will bring eternal dividends!

[Soldier4Christ]

 "His Presence"

"Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20
   

Is it really possible to live and walk with Jesus in this day and age? Can we walk with Him in the shop, in the office, in the household, in the street? When trouble comes and work wears on us and our best-laid plans fall to pieces, can we then walk with God?

The answer is a confident yes. It is not necessary to flee behind stained-glass windows or into a quiet corner to have Jesus' continuing presence. He who knew the streets and shops of Nazareth and carried the cross of our salvation up a street in Jerusalem knows the streets of our cities and towns as well as we do. He knows the temptations they offer. He hears their noise and confusion. He sees the problems they bring. Our faith brings Him near through His Word and Sacraments.

Our faith is not everything it should be if it fails us in the everyday experiences and troubles in life. For great trials and sorrows our Lord gives great strength. But He also gives the steady power to bear the little problems of life, the daily annoyances, and the small difficulties in office, shop, or household. He is always present, a powerful Savior, a warmhearted friend, a loving companion in business and at home.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Offering of Prayer"

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone. 1 Timothy 2:1
   

Prayer can be an offering to God on behalf of others. It is so easy to forget this in our concern for our work, our family, and our health. It is reassuring to know that we can bring such personal needs to God in prayer. We can "Cast all [our] anxiety on Him because He cares for [us]" (1 Peter 5:7).

But let us not, lost in self-concern, fail to follow the instruction to offer prayers "for everyone." Remember that we are part of the church universal, united in Christ with believers the world over, many of whom are facing keen hostility toward the faith and even harsh persecution. Let us pray for them and for the work of pastor, teachers, missionaries, and Christian congregations around the globe.

Let us also remember our leaders in government. Daily they wrestle with problems of staggering dimension. Their decisions will affect the future of the world and its people.

We are likewise to remember our enemies. Christ tells us to pray for them. They do not need our revenge, our hatred; they need our prayers.

Christ died for our sins. By faith in Him we have access to God. Let us use this open door to offer prayers for the suffering and needy world around us.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Value of Work"

Make it your ambition to ... work with your hands, just as we told you. 1 Thessalonians 4:11
   

Christians in Thessalonica and in our world today need to understand the value of work. Our Lord holds us accountable to support ourselves and our families, to earn our own living. Paul isn't telling us that we ought to be driven by our work. In fact he's not really making a statement at all about work attitudes beyond simply telling us that God created us to take responsibility for our own welfare in this world -- to earn our own way.

Some big questions remain: In modern society, do we make it possible for everyone to earn his or her own way in life? How do we best provide every human being the dignity of a job? What are we prepared to do to provide for those who can't work or can't find work?

Paul worked in Thessalonica, probably making tents, to earn his own way. Jesus learned the carpenter's trade, and then He left that work to carry another piece of wood -- the cross -- to Calvary for us. He dignified our lives by granting us forgiveness and eternal life. He asks us to dignify everyone's life by providing the opportunity for all to work.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Benefit of the Doubt"

A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11
   

There are two words we use interchangeably that Scripture uses in specific ways. The first is perseverance: the ability God gives to deal with difficult circumstances or situations. The second word is patience: the ability God gives to deal with difficult people. If you are in a difficult situation, pray for perseverance. When faced with a difficult person, pray for patience.

It is the wise person who can patiently overlook an offense. We call this "giving others the benefit of the doubt." Instead of assuming every offense is a deliberate act meant to cause harm, be patient. Instead of trying to judge her actions, give your neighbor time to demonstrate her good intentions.

Parents would do well to take this proverb to heart. So often our children do foolish things. In those moments we are tempted to rush in to discipline only to realize later the offense was not that serious. Children deserve patience as much as anyone. Remember God is long-suffering with us, His children. He chose to overlook our sin until the day it was placed on the shoulders of our Lord, Jesus Christ. God's discipline is always carefully and thoughtfully applied. He is patient with us and treats us with forgiving love.

[Soldier4Christ]

"He Knows What is Best"

"But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." Then He said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." Matthew 9:6
   

The teachers of the Law constantly questioned Jesus' methods. They found fault with Him because He didn't do things in ways they found acceptable. But the miracle in our text proved to the crowd that Jesus did have the authority to forgive sins and to do things His way. It was the teachers who were wrong, not Jesus.

Someone becomes ill. We know instinctively what God should do, but He doesn't do it. Problems arise, and Jesus fails to remove them. We expect Jesus to do things according to our scheme and schedule. But Jesus is above our plans, and in His wisdom He does things in ways that we cannot begin to comprehend. Those ways are wiser; those ways are better; those ways are far superior to anything we might devise. Christ's plan is such an improvement over ours that we cannot comprehend the mind of Christ. His ways are beyond our finding out.

Jesus is Lord, and He knows what He is doing. We have neither the right nor the wisdom to second-guess His plan for us. Ours is not to question but to trust His Word. Ours is to place ourselves into His everlasting arms and depend on Him to carry us all the way to our eternal home.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Fancy Cars"

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy ... But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Matthew 6:19-20
   

Nothing is more important on the journey of life than to define and understand its purpose. Many people believe that material possessions will provide happiness. They think that the "good life" can be achieved by owning fancy cars or a beautiful home.

Jesus encourages us to take a long-term perspective. He points out that possessions are temporary; they can rust away or be stolen. We can be rich today and poor tomorrow. Furthermore, the apostle Paul states that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). It is easy to become so preoccupied with acquiring things that we resort to sinful means to get them. Have we profited if we gain the world but lose our soul (Matthew 16:26)?

We must be vigilant to maintain the right priorities in our lives. Loving God and others should rank far above acquiring material possessions. When we seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness, everything else we need will be supplied (Matthew 6:33). The Christian life will provide an inner happiness that is unmatched by anything we can get through what we purchase. Our journey through life with Jesus at our side will lead to our eternal happiness.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Throw off What Entangles You"

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1
   

Runners do not go to the starting line with their feet shackled or their coats on. To race well, runners must be prepared, and that means stripping off everything that might slow them, trip them up, or divert their attention from the finish line.

But how easy it is for believers to fool themselves into thinking that they can carry along some sin that turns their attention to themselves rather than to Christ and the goal that He has set for them! It is easy to forget the care of others, love for the loveless, and self-sacrificing for the suffering. We foolishly think that we can run the race with the shackles of greed, lust, or envy still binding us.

Jesus has come to be the coach and the trainer who will encourage us and stand by us as we run life's race. He empowers us to shift our gaze from ourselves to the goal, to take off the overcoat of sinful defensiveness and lay it on Him. He unshackles us from the insecurity that drives us into greed, lust, and envy. The forgiveness He gained for us and His presence enable us to run, alive and invigorated by faith in His promised victory.