Monday - Spiritual Sowing - Hosea 10:12 
It is the wonderful work of God that brings to us the message of salvation, but we need to decide to receive and allow it to be planted firmly in the correct depth of our hearts. As that seed begins to grow and produce fruit unto the Lord, we see that it is the love of God that comes from that seed. We still need to seek the Lord for it is He who brings to us the showers of His blessing that waters, nourishes the seed so that it can grow to its full potential in us to His glory. Those showers are the opportunities given to us to bask in His righteousness and to become like Him in holiness of heart and life.

Tuesday - Spiritual Harvest - John 4:35-36 
Jesus, being the Lord or Master of the harvest, knows exactly the right time to come to us, revealing our role in harvesting souls for the kingdom. It first starts with our own soul being gathered in and carried by the Lord Jesus, Himself into the depths of the blessing of His kingdom that is nothing like this world at all. As we continue to fellowship with Jesus in the wonders of His kingdom, we have the privilege to pray, to share His compassion with, and to reach out to those who are in that place where we were of ripeness to be gathered in. Here at this time of thanksgiving we are reminded of all that the Lord has done to bring us into His garner, barn, and we are blessed.

Wednesday - Spiritual Abundance - Ephesians 3:17-21 
Paul shared with the Church of Ephesus that he wanted them to experience all that God had for them through Jesus Christ. It would include salvations fullness to the extent that they would be rooted (set deep) in the love of God and be grounded (well established) in the relationship that comes out of that love, to the point of knowing and experiencing all that is involved in the workings of God the Father. It was going to take them, and it will take us, well beyond anything that we could ever ask for, or beyond anything that we could imagine as being a part of this journey with Jesus, the Holy One of God. 

Thursday - God's Grace - Philippians 4:11-13 
Paul shares with the Church at Philippi that he had learned to be satisfied with the blessings he had received from the Lord and that in the on going relationship with the Lord, contentment had been His strength. Not that everything came easy. There were times of great need and times of great blessing, just like we have experienced in our lives. Yet in every situation that may have confronted Paul in all the dealings he had with believers, he knew that his strength came from one source and One source only, Christ Jesus the Lord. It is that grace that is given freely to us when we come and call upon Him, that brings us through it all. We, too, can have that type of relationship with Him, grace-filled strength.

Friday - Spiritual Growth- Hebrews 6:1 
There comes a time when we need to move on, from the things that we have already learned about in this relationship with Jesus, and go into the deeper teachings that will bring about a maturity in our faith which can be shared with others so that they too may grow in the depth in understanding the fullness of salvation. We need not to go over all the things we have already incorporated into our lives spiritually, but we step out into the depths of His love and compassion so that we can be carried by the moving of His Spirit, experiencing the tides of His blessings.

Saturday - Spiritual Riches - James 2:5 
James was eager to share with the Church the good news that though we may consider ourselves to be hard pressed, poor in spirit, needy and seeking; God has chosen us, who believe in Him , to be rich in the things that matter most for eternity - faith and in the hope of His kingdom that will last forever. It is that hope which brings value to our lives that are lived in Christ. He has promised all of the riches of that glorious kingdom to those who love the Savior and given their lives to Him. He takes care of His own and give to them all they need. That is what the Bible talks about when it says there are "unsearchable riches" in Jesus.

Monday - Assurance - 1 John 4:13 
As was shared in the message on Sunday, we can have an assurance that we are in that rightful relationship with God through the witness of his Spirit and here John repeats that statement that we can KNOW that we abide in Him and He abides in us because of that witness. There is a powerful strengthening of confidence when the Spirit witnesses to our spirit that Christ is in us that brings about a peace with God that we can sense in the deepest recesses of our soul. The gift of that knowledge comes directly from God through the given Holy Spirit. The proof is in His Presence. 

Tuesday - Divine Knowledge - Matthew 6:8 
Jesus gave us insight into the depths of the knowledge of God when He taught in the Sermon on the Mount that, we do not need to be wordy or repetitive in our prayers about what we need in our lives for the Heavenly Father knows what we have need of before we even mention it. He is waiting to give it to us. With this in mind, does it not point to the fact that in our developing faith that when we need assurance - when we need to know for certain - He knows and send the answer - the proof - through the witness of His Holy Spirit so that doubt will not come because of a lack of response on His part. He calls us to trust in Him and rest not in our own understanding but to place ourselves in His care. He will Provide and His divine knowledge know what, and how much, and when we need it most.

Wednesday - Spiritual Boldness - Hebrews 4:16 
Also through this witness of His Spirit to ours, we can enter into His Presence with a confidence a boldness that comes through the love and care that He lavishes upon us, the forgiveness and salvation that He brings. We can enter there to receive that which He knows that we have need of, "grace and mercy to help us in our time of need." That confidence is not an act of assumption, but a welcoming on His part to partake of His goodness store up for us. He wants to give us His very best through Christ Jesus.

Thursday - Pleasing God - 1 Thessalonians 4:1 
Paul shares with the believers who have been living in that rightful relationship with God, to do all that they can to continue to please the Lord God through the leading of Jesus Christ the Son and to do it in ever increasing fashion ("all the more," or "more and more"). This is not just to win or earn a place in heaven, but to continue to better the relationship by give Him our all continuously. It ought to be that we desire to demonstrate our love and appreciation for all that He has done for us in the past, in this present time, and what He has for our future. We want to always show our love for Him and our desire to know Him better. 


Friday - Brotherly Love - John 13:35 
John shares both in the letter of 1 John and in his gospel that a part of the work of building a kingdom that will not fail or fall is to build it on the love that we have for God, Jesus Christ His Son, and for each other, believers that have been won to Him just as we have been won to His kingdom. The love that w have for each other is a part of that assurance that we are in a rightful relationship with Him, but also that we are doing what He has called us to do as an extension of the work of Christ Himself. Sharing a compassion for others without pre-determining the cost, but loving others in spite of all, that is what pleases God and causes Him to love us and strengthen us all the more.

Saturday - Christ's Indwelling - Revelation 3:20 
Can you think of anything in your life that would have drawn the Lord Jesus to the door of your heart, seeking you out, wanting you to have the closest of relationships with Him. Yet, scripture tells us, reminds us, encourages us, to believe with all assurance that He stands at our hearts door desiring an opportunity to enter and establish a relationship with us that never ends, unless we want it to. And, once that relationship starts, He wants to abide with us and for us to abide in Him in a never ending adventure of blessing that He has waiting for us. John in the Book of Revelation speaks of that relationship as dining together, feasting on the very best of what God has. Come and dine!