This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. (Lam 3:21-23)

This morning, you can your start day off fresh and new. This scripture instructs us to begin each day with a deliberate mental “recall” to the Lord. It is deliberate because we are easily tempted to dwell on the failures, or even the successes, of yesterday. So often we allow our thoughts to drift into our plans, worries, and concerns for the day ahead. But we find here in God’s word the ability to break this vicious cycle and resist from the enemy’s trap. Transform your day with a new mindset (Rom 12:1) and do a mental reset with “I will recall to my mind.” Recall to your mind the goodness of God, His faithfulness, His love for you and the many other things that demonstrate “His compassions.” “The Lord’s mercies …are new every morning” to those who will resist temptation and begin with the thought “I will recall to my mind” the things of God. God promises that you will find new hope and start the day fresh and new. Father, I thank you for the promises of Your word. “Great is Your faithfulness” and Your “mercy endures for ever (Ps 136). In Jesus name. Amen.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: (1 Pet 3:15)

What are you passionate about? It will show. It will show up in your conversation. It will show in the things that you invest yourself. Your passion is the signature that others often identify you with. The Apostle Peter learned firsthand how his devotion to Jesus Christ became his passion and ruled his heart. He was part of the inner circle that would pull aside and learn greater truths from the Master. He learned that the battleground of faith occurred in the heart and the objective was take control of his will. The weapons he needed most were prayer, fasting, and devotion to the word of God. As an ambassador of the Great Commission, he needed more than an academic knowledge and understanding of the scriptures and his past experiences with the Master. Peter understood for him, and all followers of Jesus Christ, to fight the good fight of faith and stand against the “wiles of the devil” the Church would spiritually grow only as saints would “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.” My friend, there is a battle for your heart today. Pull aside as you begin your day and “sanctify…in your heart” to the Lord. Take back some of the moments that God has given you throughout this day and give yourself unto the Lord. God will richly bless you and your testimony as other “asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.” Father, strengthen and encourage our hearts in the moments that we set apart with You so that the light of Christ would so shine before men that He may draw some to Himself. In Jesus Name. Amen.

“Yea, hath God said…” (Gen 3:1)

The scripture this morning enlightens us to the first question recorded in the bible and an example of how knowledge of the word of God keeps us from sin. The first recorded question was a tactical maneuver by satan. He comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. His tactic was to distract the woman’s attention from God onto herself. The maneuver planted a seed of doubt in her knowledge of God’s word, deceived her with hope of greater personal gain, and sought to discredit the word of God. He employs these same tactics against believers today. Though the woman enjoyed the provisions God provided in the garden, along with the pleasure shared in fellowship with Him as He came to walk with the man and woman in the cool of the day, she had yet to know the joy of the Lord through faith and obedience to His word. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). The word of God strengthens us to live by God’s grace through faith and combat the “wiles of the devil” that seeks ultimately to separate the believer from fellowship with God. The first couple failed to resist satan’s deceit and temptation and sinned against God. They saw their nakedness and were ashamed. They made an attempt to cover their sin and hid themselves rather than come to the joy that God created them to know through faith and obedience to His word. My friend, we not hide in our sin. Arm yourself and stand in the strength of God’s word to face down the doubts, deceptions, and deceits of the enemy and know the “joy of the Lord” (Neh 8:10). Jesus came that we might life and life filled with His joy. He promised “these things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (Jn 15:11). Father, today we endeavor to live by faith in Your word. When pressed to respond “hath God said,” I pray that Your word that is hidden in our heart will draw near, strengthen our faith to proclaim the word of truth and fill us to the utmost with the joy of the Lord. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.