February 10
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Uncategorized Aside

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21, NLT)

Do not allow inaction to invalidate your profession of faith.

Jesus says that it is not just our confession (who we say we are), but also our obedience (what we do) that we establish our lives as securely as a house that is built on bedrock.  (Please see the verses that follow: verses 23 and 24.)  Clearly, it is not only our creed (from the Latin word credo, meaning “I believe”) alone that impress our heavenly Father; it is also action that is plainly consistent with our creed.. 

How different is that from what we see today: Professions of belief without actions that validate the words?  Strive to let your deeds speak as loudly as your words. – Luther

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February 8
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Uncategorized Aside

“We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.” (Psalm 33:20-22, NLT)

We esteem the privilege of having a wide variety of options from which to choose.

The psalmist in today’s scripture declares his allegiance to only one Lord; only one God; only one Savior.  We would do well to narrow our “essential list” as the psalmist did, and make our Lord the sole subject of our focus. Who else has been our help and our shield? Who else loves us with an unyielding love?  Who else is worthy of our unconditional, unalloyed, and unyielding allegiance? 

One, solitary, choice — if it is the correct choice — is all we shall ever need.  – Luther

Note: Have a great day in worship on Sunday. Daily encouragement will return, Lord willing, on Monday!

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February 7
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Uncategorized Aside

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.” (Romans 5:3, NLT)

The only way to become a successful long-distance runner is to put in the miles over a period of time. Anything less, and the runner fails because he or she lacks endurance.

God is building into us endurance (perseverance) through various problems and trials as a track coach might send his runners over rough, hilly trails; and through spongy meadows, knowing that in order to overcome, a runner must first endure.

God is fitting each one of us for His purposes. Trials and problems come into our life only with God’s permission. He permits them only to the extent that they are necessary to run the course we cannot yet see — or to run beside the individual we have not yet met.

When we recall these things, we can rejoice “when we run into problems and trials.”  – Luther

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