Devotions for each day

I call all this to mind –
therefore, I will wait.
Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended;
certainly God’s compassion isn’t through!
They are renewed every morning.
Great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3, 21ff

This morning I took my children to the bus stop. On the way back I recognized how wonderful, colorful and varied God has formed His creation. Therefore I started to worship Him and my heart became happy. I could cheerfully greet the people I met on the street and they smiled back. Yes, life is beautiful!
Actually I am a real grumpy in the mornings! I am still tired and there is much need to be done. Then I take a look at the street dust at my feet, briefly greet the pedestrians and remain silent. No, this is not what God has imagined!
This morning he’s back again, with His grace and mercy He wants to meet me. Even my phone I found in the rubber boots of my smallest one! I thought the guys, who were at our farm yesterday had stolen it; …. so we can deceive ourselves.
He is the merciful Lord who is standing above my life, above every little thing, and He says: I love you! I like you! I like your hair, your hands and feet, even your nose! Yes, you are my wonderful creation. The mix of talents and the things you are not so good at, is just right! I don’t like everything that you make of yourself, but you yourself, I like! Today I’ll be with you again and my grace shines on your life. Let’s make this day together!
Yes, so is our God: Every bad things of yesterday are over now. Also this morning He says YES to us, full of mercy and hope. He is there!

Thank You, Jesus, You are my best friend! With You this day will be successful, as Your mercy and grace reign! Thank You for Your wonderful creation! I can be glad about this and my heart is happy! Yes, You are my wonderful God!

I call all this to mind –
therefore, I will wait.
Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended;
certainly God’s compassion isn’t through!
They are renewed every morning.
Great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3, 21ff

This morning I took my children to the bus stop. On the way back I recognized how wonderful, colorful and varied God has formed His creation. Therefore I started to worship Him and my heart became happy. I could cheerfully greet the people I met on the street and they smiled back. Yes, life is beautiful!
Actually I am a real grumpy in the mornings! I am still tired and there is much need to be done. Then I take a look at the street dust at my feet, briefly greet the pedestrians and remain silent. No, this is not what God has imagined!
This morning he’s back again, with His grace and mercy He wants to meet me. Even my phone I found in the rubber boots of my smallest one! I thought the guys, who were at our farm yesterday had stolen it; …. so we can deceive ourselves.
He is the merciful Lord who is standing above my life, above every little thing, and He says: I love you! I like you! I like your hair, your hands and feet, even your nose! Yes, you are my wonderful creation. The mix of talents and the things you are not so good at, is just right! I don’t like everything that you make of yourself, but you yourself, I like! Today I’ll be with you again and my grace shines on your life. Let’s make this day together!
Yes, so is our God: Every bad things of yesterday are over now. Also this morning He says YES to us, full of mercy and hope. He is there!

Thank You, Jesus, You are my best friend! With You this day will be successful, as Your mercy and grace reign! Thank You for your wonderful creation! I can be glad about this and my heart is happy! Yes, You are my wonderful God!

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12

Our faith has great power. It grows when we do what God’s Word tells us: Be joyful! Yes, some may say, but why? There is nothing to be happy about! Yes there is! There are so many beautiful things and experiences with God. We only forget them so quickly and we tend to focus only on the negative, where we forget about God. This makes it so easy for enemy to rob us of our hope, peace and faith.
Let us rather stick to God’s word. He, Jesus, is our hope! He allowed Himself to be crucified because He loves us; – should He then be indifferent to everything else? No, HE will also fulfil HIS word to us and save us again and again! That is why we can already be happy now, even if the tribulation is still there: HE has promised to stand by us and carry us through. That is why we can be patient in the tribulation, because HE is the victor! That is why we persevere in prayer, because we put our hope in God!
Let us do what God tells us to do: to stay in constant communion and conversation with Him, and to let His joy work in our lives. He Himself is the cause of joy!

Thank You, Jesus! You are with me, I can be joyful! You are my Saviour, Friend and Helper, so I can remain patient in affliction. You are there, You take an interest in me and my affairs, so I can discuss all my things with You, even every little thing. It’s nice to go through the day with You!

It’s a good thing for the heart to be strengthened by grace!
Hebrews 13, 9

A strengthened heart: That means, somebody has found his place, has a meaning and an aim for his life, is safe and secure, has a firm opinion and is living a conviction, and he is solid as a rock – short: a strong, solid human. At the beginning of the verse it is written: Don’t let all kinds of strange teachings lead you into the wrong way. All thinking, which is not the gospel of Jesus, is this strange teaching. Many people constantly change their minds and their thinking. A friend of mine has a new diet every few weeks. He always tries to explain this in all details and is very excited, – but he has never lost a kilo. A friend is always anxious to what the community might think about her. She never risks something but limits her freedom through her anxiety. Some are constantly trying to please God. The list can be continued almost endlessly. But the Gospel of Christ will set us free! It wants our heart to get strengthened!
Our own activity and effort doesn’t make a strong heart. Only through the bondage or rather the solidarity of the Heavenly Father, we become strong. He is more important as everything others think about us! His grace, His mercy and His love for me are an undeserved gift. I want to grab it and hold on to it! I don’t need to work hard, because this grace I can not deserve. I can only bask in it and feel relaxed. Yes, He makes my heart firm, firm in himself. I am safe and secure. I will fear no evil. I can always look forward. At all times I can thank Him. As well, this solidarity in Him!

Thank You, Jesus, You have opened me the way to God’s heart. Now I can rest in Him and His peace. Nothing can worry or disturb me, because Your kindness is on my life. You care for me wonderfully!

You are saved by God’s grace!
Ephesians 2, 5

Yesterday I asked the Lord, how He is able to love all these people. They are all just liars, thieves and egoists merciless with each other and brutally against each other, ungrateful, bitter and without any remorse. Then He said: They can also be different! And He showed me, how lovingly a reckless man is taking care of his garden. And how an embittered mother is caring for her children. And how a violent father is playing with his dog. Yes, they really can be different, I thought. But… Do they not want, or do they not can?
His grace can make every man a loving, caring, pleasant, friendly people! But as long as we wear us down, make an effort and require things from God, grace certainly will not reign. It makes me soft, I’m grateful to Him and I give up fighting. I become dependent on Him, who wants to give me everything. In his gentle hand I become like soft wax he can mold now. He can put His spirit inside of me and can live in me. I want to listen to Him and talk, as he tells me and act, as he likes it. Just this way earth can become a piece of heaven. Although we know that we are dependent on His grace, we live differently. Grace is a gift, an undeserved gift. But we really want to try to be friendly and good.
Oh, if we finally could understand, how extensive His Grace is! Then our heart would be quiet in His presence. Grace is bigger than every problem, bigger than every sin and can even make you and me a good human. Just let God work! Today we rather look at the grace, the whole day, let us deliver to His grace with our shortcomings, unkindness, errors and problems – HE will do it!

Thank You, Jesus, I can entirely rely on You. Your grace is above my life! Your mind inside of me is doing, what I can’t do! I don’t need to deserve anything, but may accept Your love and grace – Yes, You are my wonderful God!

He brought me out to wide-open spaces;
he pulled me out safe
because he is pleased with me.
With you I can charge into battle;
with my God I can leap over a wall.
You’ve let me walk fast and safe,
without even twisting an ankle.
Psalms 18, 19. 29. 36

These are just a few verses from the 18th Psalm. They describe the ease of faith. King David wrote this Psalm, after God had freed him from all his enemies. It was important for him to write everything down so that he never will forget it.
A friend of mine writes down all the great things God did in her life. If doubts or difficulties come, she reads in her book and gets new confidence. In my Bible there are many marginal notes next to the verses. Often it’s just a word, such as “flu 2007”. If I see it, I remember how God has healed my heavy flu and how wonderful He carried me through. Another: “Feet”. My little one had burned both feet with hot oil, but God healed them, not the smallest scar is left behind. These little asides are very important to me, because they show me how great God’s love and mercy to me are. Because sometimes bad days come and our faith is only a small, almost extinguished flame or just a smoldering wick.
Here God wants to give us courage and confidence: If we remember His intervention, we are thankful to Him, and look at the future with confidence and calm. Let us create characters and memories that we can always go back on, then we will not become discouraged so fast, but we will look at our great God, our savior and helper!

Thank You, Father in heaven, You have never forget me so far and You will never do so! Thank You for Your miracles and acts of love in my life! I never want to forget it. I want to make signs of memory, so that I’m always grateful to You. Because You are the Lord who loves me!

But the Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8

We are still in the Gospel of Matthew. After the stormy crossing of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8, 28-34):
When Jesus came to the other shore, to the region of Gadara, two possessed people ran out of the burial caves to meet Him. They were so dangerous that no one could use the road that led past. Immediately they began to shout: “What have we to do with you, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us ahead of time?” Some distance away, a large herd of pigs was grazing. Then the demons asked Him, “When You cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs!” He said to them, “Go!” So they demons left them and went into the pigs. And the whole herd rushed down the slope into the lake and perished in the floods. The shepherds fled and ran into the town and told everyone there what had happened, including what had happened to the possessed. And the whole city went out to Jesus; when they met Him, they asked Him to leave their territory.
That is how it is: Jesus is the Saviour, HE is stronger than all darkness.
For Jesus it was not a question of whether evil powers existed. He had daily contact with them. He knew which illnesses, disturbances and bondages are caused by these powers and which are not. We know that evil spirits exist, but not everything is caused by them.
We are under the protection of Jesus if we cling closely to Him; – they can then do nothing to us. But if we are proud, or if bitterness and unforgiveness or self-pity take us captive, then we are also quick victims of these powers.
We have often experienced liberation when we prayed with people. But often people also had to change their behaviour in order to become free. It seems to go hand in hand, one cannot exist without the other. Most importantly and as a prerequisite, cling to Jesus, the closer the better.
Paul says we are not fighting against people, but against these powers that work through people and situations. Some Christians misunderstand and end up fighting each other and their opinions, almost to the death. This is awful! The enemy rejoices instead of being attacked. Dear brothers and sisters, let the other have his opinion and rejoice in one another! That is what Jesus wants.
The struggle for liberation and salvation against the power of darkness cannot be won alone. We need brothers and sisters who pray for us and with whom we can talk. That is how Jesus ordained it. The lone Christians, the know-it-alls quickly fall for the tricks of the enemy.
Devote your time to Jesus. Read His Words, talk to Him and do what He says. Then He will stand by you in every battle. Amen!!!

Thank You, Jesus, You are the victor! You are much, much stronger than all other powers, whether human, circumstance or darkness. I cling closely to You because You give me life, support and peace. Thank You!!!

The angel also showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, and coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Revelation 22, 1

This river is also described in Ezekiel 47. First, it is not deep, the water reaches to the ankle. Later, it comes up to the knees and then to the hip. Now you can’t go further through the stream, you have to swim. Wherever the water flows, everything is healthy.
God invites us to this river, this water of life, because there we are healed. We can wade through it, when the water just reaches the ankles, or we can swim. Some really are content with trying something of the water of life – but we, we are so tired of it! We want to swim and dive in this healing, crystal clear water of life! We can not get enough of it!
When I was at a seminar, we wanted to make an experiment. We should be quiet for half an hour at midday to hear, if God personally speaks to us. I was lying on the grass and felt completely at ease. And I realized how God wanted to say to me: I will always care for you (independent contractors often have existential fears). That were wonderful 30 minutes, which could have lasted longer! It really was as if I was lying on this water of life and let me drift from Him. God wants to invite us to swim. The water carries us! It flushes away all the pain and brings healing everywhere! Even bad memories are healed and don’t hurt anymore!
In the silence we can make this experience – God is true to His word. Let’s give Him ourselves and just be still. Then He will carry us.

I thank You Father, for the water of life! Yes, in You I find healing and in You I can be still. There, on the stream of life, my restlessness and anxiety passes away. You carry me on Your strong arm!

Jesus says to the centurion:
I have not found anyone Israel with such great faith.
Matthew 8:11

A Roman centurion had a faithful servant who was seriously ill and in great pain. The centurion went to Jesus and told Him. Jesus said: “I will come and heal him”. But the centurion replied: “No, there is no need! So much trouble, no, it is not necessary. You know, I too must obey orders and my soldiers must obey my orders.” Jesus was amazed: “I have never found such faith in anyone in Israel! And this man is a Roman, not a Jew! I tell you, many will come from the east and west and sit at a table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; but those for whom the kingdom was set will be cast out into the outer darkness; there they will howl and gnash their teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go! It shall come to pass, as thou hast believed. And in that same hour the servant was healed.”
It is quite amazing how much people trust Jesus when He has delivered them from the greatest filth. When they are just new in faith, their trust is greatest, unshakable, full of joy, full of mercy and compassion. They trust Jesus with everything. So it was with this Roman centurion. No question for him whether Jesus comes personally or gives the command: The servant will be healed. And so it happened, just as he had believed. Jesus was astonished, because in Israel, the people of God, He had never found such faith.
But He knows: when the Gospel is preached all over the world, many people will turn to Jesus and they will have the same faith as this pagan centurion. And then there will be a great feast. Everyone will sit around a table together and celebrate. It is a feast of joy, of fellowship. One gives the best morsels to the other and there shall be no jealousy. The beggar sits next to the highest official, the soldier next to the “enemy”, the policeman next to the former criminals. Old alcoholics, homeless people, drug addicts, thieves, everyone is represented there and all feel accepted by Jesus. They rejoice because He heals their wounds, stabilises them, fills them with peace, grants forgiveness. It is a heavenly atmosphere of enthusiasm for the Lord.
But all those, for whom the kingdom of God was meant, leave. It is too much for them, they can’t stand it. They crave order! Anyone could come ….. (well, hopefully everyone will come!).

Thank You Jesus, you have hope for everyone! It is wonderful with You! Thank You that You care so personally for everyone, that You are so fond of the outcasts, that You are salvation for everyone, that You are the Lord and not chaos, illness, addiction or anything else! Hallelujah!!!

PS: A small barbecue with our “clients” might be possible soon. As a little anticipation and foretaste of heaven! It will be good to talk over sausages and potato salad. Many are enthusiastic about the open atmosphere and the feeling of being accepted. Plan for it!

Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are El Roi” because she said, “Can I still see after he saw me?” Therefore, that well is called Beer-lahai-roi.
Genesis 16, 13f

Hagar was a slave. She had run away from her mistress because she could no longer endure her harsh treatment and injustice. She ran into the desert, where the Lord found her at a spring. He spoke with her, and strengthened her through His Word . And Hagar was overwhelmed by the care of the Lord and called Him: Beer-Lahai-Roi – A God Who Sees.
This slave was not indifferent to our Lord. He saw her misery and had pity with her because she was valuable and precious to Him. He met her in her desperate situation and she understood: He is the Living One who cares for me, He intervenes, rescues and releases! I can count on Him and endure every situation, because He is there and always has the final say!
We also want to look for the one who looks after us. He is the God who cares about us! He’s worried about us! In every situation He is with us and turns out to be Lord! Yes, we can trust Him! We want to look for the one who looks after us. We want our inner eyes are fixed on Him and won’t let our eyes wander. God’s Spirit who lives in our hearts, will help us doing that.

Thank You, Father in heaven! You’re worried about me and always care for me. I don’t have to worry about unnecessary things any longer! Such a life with You is liberating, joyful and full of peace. How well that I found you!