Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3 NIV)

Have you ever thought that you were swimming upstream? Have you ever thought that no matter how hard you tried, that one goal, that one task, that one item could not be completed? Did you ever feel like there must certainly be something blocking your path?

Free will is something that God gave us so that we could choose him, but in giving it to us, it also leaves the door open for us to not choose him.  God will allow us to make those mistakes. He will allow us to turn our backs on the One who loves us so dearly and walk down a path of darkness, all the while pulling at us to come back into His arms. He might or might not block some of our roads that are clearly not in His plan for our lives. He might or might not keep us from harm.

But when we commit what we are doing and give it t the Lord, even before we begin, we will succeed.  Committing before action is a sign of faith that God favors. This tells him that we believe we will succeed in His name even before we begin.  In these instances, God blesses us for our faithfulness. God kisses the fruits of our labors that are meant for His good.

Does this mean we will be rich so long as we commit it to God? No. Does this mean that our children will never get sick or hurt so long as we commit them to the Lord? No. We cannot attempt to understand why God chooses one plan to bless abundantly and leave one seemingly untouched.  We don’t know in what form our plan will succeed, we just need to trust that when we wholeheartedly give our plan to God, he will do what needs to be done with it.

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God I trust you. I commit my plans to you so that your will may be done through it.  I pray that I never lose sight of the fact that all I do I do for you.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NIV)

Raise your hand if you’ve got trouble in this world.  Yeah, my hand is up too. Some days, I raise both my hands.  Life here is hard.  There are so many things that take our eye off the mark. There are so many situations we find ourselves in that don’t reflect Jesus at all. If you’re like me, sometimes it’s hard for others to know we’re sons and daughters of the King.

But Jesus came and taught us and died so that we may have peace. Jesus came into this world and took all of the garbage we’ll accumulate and removed it from our souls.  Jesus himself says to us, “take heart, for I have overcome the world.” How utterly amazing is that? How infinitely comforting to know that the world that closes in on my so very often is in fact defeated.

So when things get rough, when the job is not secure, when the pills don’t work, when the arguing continues, remember that Jesus not only overcame the world, but he overcame the world for us.  Hang onto Jesus when it’s too hard. Just get to the end, because long ago he secured our future. We only have a short time on this earth, so endure. We’ll have forever with the one who loved us enough to die for us and in his death won the victory.

Jesus, it is all because of you. You came so I may have peace in the hope of your name. You came and died so I may have an eternity at your side. How can I even begin to thank you for such a gift as peace?

“It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts.” (1 Corinthians 4:4-5 NIV)

Every single day, every single Christian sins, multiple times. Every single day, we fall and, usually, get back up. Every single day we do things that are abominable before God.  So, who are we to judge?

We are not to judge. When we approach the lost, it is not our job to judge their sin. It is not our job to point out their flaws. It is not our job to open our Bible and show then the error of their ways.  It is our job to love them, where they are, as they are.

Jesus was very clear that the lost are lost and it is by our love and our example that the lost come home. Once their eyes are opened and they clearly see Jesus, the Holy Spirit will work on their sins. It is not our job. So, love them. Just love them. God will do the rest.

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God, I am not blameless. I am a sinner. Help me understand that all I need to do is show them love and live by example. I know the rest is up to you but my petty silly brain seems to think I can do your job and I can’t.

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.” (2 Peter 2:4-10 NIV)

God can do anything. Our God of mercy and grace will do anything short of sin to get us redeemed. He has shown us time and time again throughout the Bible that he has spared those who might otherwise have been lost forever, giving them another second chance. If we understand what God did for Lot or Noah, why don’t we think he’ll do the same for us?

Many great men have fallen. Watch the news, the media loves to point out when a man of God disappoints. As Christians, we tend to pull away from a fallen man of God, leaving him in the gutter where he lies.  But if God himself will pick that man up out of the gutter, brush him off and work on his sin, why won’t we?

God, I pray today for a healing of our hearts as a group. Lord, I pray that we understand that even the best of us are only human and that if you give us another second chance, it’s the least we can do to our fellow man.  God, work in us so that we may show compassion and grace when someone needs it most.