You have been good to us, Lord; You have forgiven our sins and given us Your Spirit to guide us and show us Your ways. Although You should have punished us and cast us out of Your holy presence, You have calmed Your anger against us and had mercy on us. In Jesus Christ, You have restored us and declared us righteous, out of love for Yourself. What could we do to deserve Your mercy? What could we give to avoid being cast away from You? We are but dust before Your majesty. But

Lord, You have granted us Your salvation without requiring us to do anything or to prove our ability to keep Your law and walk in Your ways. You know that nothing we could do would be pleasing to You, and yet You chose to deliver us from the burden of our sins. In Jesus, You made a covenant with us, You granted us Your forgiveness, and You remain faithful to Your promises to guide us on the path of salvation. You have given us Your Spirit to reveal Your will to us and to remi

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NKJV) When a child takes their first steps, we all know they will inevitably fall at first. Although mothers are aware of this reality, unlike fathers, they tend to overprotect their child. This protection isn't meant to prevent the child from falling; they know that falling is part of learning balance. Rather, it's about protecting them

5-: Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! 6-: Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments. Psalm 119:5-6 (NKJV) If God called David a man after His own heart, it wasn't because David was pure and holy. We all know that he committed a sin that displeased God and for which he suffered the consequences. When the prophet Nathan came to reveal to him what he would have to face because of his sin, David didn't ask God to forgive him and spare

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27 (RSV) As a child, I often heard people say they were "carrying their cross." When faced with difficulties, this expression seemed to bring them comfort. Although I knew it referred to Jesus' cross, I couldn't quite connect Jesus' situation with their own. I only understood, from their attitude, that life's problems symbolized the cross of Christ. I grew up with this idea in mind, but I ne

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. 1 Peter 3:12 (NIV) A young boy, whose father is a pastor, was arrested one Monday evening while on his way to church to pray. He found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Because he was running late, he crossed the street just as the pedestrian light turned green. A man who saw him running identified him as the wanted thief

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 (NIV) At school, a young boy decided to distance himself from a group of students. Personally, they hadn't done him any harm, but their behavior and malicious remarks towards other students bothered him. He felt they shouldn't behave that way at school. Although he did everything he could to avoid being involved in their schemes, he too became a target of their mockery. They even used hi

Lord, although you have allowed us to see this new year, we do not know what it holds for us. Therefore, we want to entrust all our plans to you. We ask you to guide us through the obstacles that await us and the difficulties we will have to overcome. If there is one thing we desire above all else this year, it is your presence in our lives. We have always lived according to our own desires, acted according to our own will. We long for a change in our lives, a change that onl

Before You, Lord, every knee will bow. There is no other name comparable to Yours, Jesus. You gave Your life to redeem us from eternal death. Now we can hope to live eternally in the presence of our God, our Savior. We submit to Your will, giving You the right to reign in our hearts. We choose You above all that the world can offer and above all those who try to influence us to follow them, for, O our Master, our Lord, there is no one greater than You. You humbled Yourself to

And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (HCSB) I remember that after a conference I gave on journeying through the desert with God, a woman came to me in tears, telling me that my message had helped her understand that she would never get out of her desert. She asked me to pray for her, not to get out of the desert, but to discern the reason why God had led her there. She had heard me say that it i

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 (NIV) A Christian alone can do everything possible to reach spiritual maturity. He can study the Bible on his own, read spiritual books to better understand certain biblical topics, attend enriching Bible conferences, develop a prayer life, and engage in many other activities that can truly help him. There is no doubt that he will see a change in his life after some time. He will see for himself th

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:33 (NKJV) When a pagan converts, the feeling he experiences is comparable to a spring of living water gushing forth in his life. The joy that overwhelms him is immense, especially if it's a moment he has long awaited. He is eager to rid himself of his sins, particularly those he knew were destructive to his life. It's like a burden he was anxious to lay down, but he waited for the righ

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15 (ESV) A phrase I learned in my childhood is, "Life gives nothing for free." This is a truth for some and a misconception for others. Everyone will interpret it according to the situations or opportunities in their lives. Those who agree are the ones who work hard to succeed or who struggle to maintain balance in their lives. But those who disagree are the ones who have almost everything at their disposal o

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. Psalm 90:12 (NTL) After her marriage, a young woman went to live with her husband in another city, far from her mother and her hometown. This didn't prevent her from maintaining a close relationship with her mother. She called her regularly, sent her gifts for her birthday, and flowers for holidays. Between her children and her full-time job, she was very busy. One day, her husband called her to announce

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. Colossians 2:6 (KJV) I remember, when I was little, a man came to deliver a package for my mother. Since she wasn't there, I decided to receive it for her. The man told me it was important. And since important doesn't mean fragile, I placed it on the dining room table. My brother, who didn't know what the package contained, nudged it slightly. But, accidentally, he pushed it a little too hard, the package