Appearances

Some people work hard at keeping up their appearances before other people. They have to have the highest quality material possessions and work hard to get the approval of others. The problem comes when they can’t maintain the facade and the deception becomes known.

I John 3:2-3 says, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” God has adopted as His children those who turn from their sins and trust Him for salvation and redemption. Let us, therefore, forsake our old self-centered ways and pursue purity. God will transform us into Christ likeness.

Transformation

We all want to be better people and to do better in the things we have to do. Change is hard and it is harder still to change our attitudes and behaviors. Success is sporadic and fleeting at times.

Proverbs 3:3-4 says, “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.” God’s love for us is steadfast forever and His faithfulness will never fail us. Therefore, we should ask God to build these attributes into our lives as we seek to become more like Him. In this building process, God promises to grant us favor with Himself and with people.

Victorious

One of the great things about sports is the excitement of rooting for your favorite team. As the match begins, we have no idea how it will turn out, but we are hopeful that our team will prevail. Even the underdogs sometimes prevail. As they say, “That is why they play the game.”

Romans 8:31-32, 37 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” If we have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, Jesus freely gives us all that we need. As the Lion of Judah and God Almighty, He makes us more than conquerors. Conquerors win at one level, while “more than conquerors” win at every level.

The Truck Is Here

You may be a person for whom some kind of delivery truck comes to your door every day. Whether it be Prime, UPS, FedEx, Door Dash, or Uber Eats, some deliver comes to your door daily. I am one who hasn’t ordered much online, so I rarely receive deliveries. But it is amazing how much and how varied the delivery possibilities are today compared to the past. It seems like it is possible to receive anything at your door, including a new car.

Matthew 19:25-26 says, “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, ‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'” Through Jesus Christ we can receive salvation. Left to our own efforts, salvation is impossible. There is no limit to the good things that God wants to do in our lives, if we will only believe in Him. We may not receive that new car that we want, but we will receive is even better.

More Power

Technology teaches us that more power is available to us. Most of us get new electronic devices and use them for some time, only to discover that these new devices can do many more things than how we have used them. In the words of Time Allen on the Home Improvement television show, “More Power” is at our finger tips. But where is this more power available to us when we simply want to live.

Luke 17:5-6 says, “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ and the Lord said, ‘If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.'” According to Jesus, it is not the amount of faith that is important, but rather who or what we place our faith in that gives us power. Let’s place true faith in the One who can and will do good and mighty things for us.