Today: Peace.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do
not lean on your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge him, and he will
make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

For I consider that the sufferings of this

present time are not worth comparing with
the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:18

However today goes, however the week ends,

accept the gift of calm that comes with it. It may
end great, or it may end terribly, but either way
it was predetermined. And He still loves you.
 
He loves you enough to teach you. Loves you enough
to continue standing in the storm with you. Loves you
enough to calm the storm when you’ve finally come
to trust Him. Loves you enough to surround you with
people who love you too.
 
Today is Friday, and it is going to be a good day,
regardless of how it turns out in the worldly sense.

Today: The Fighter.

And after you have suffered a little while, the
God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal
glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm,
strengthen, and establish you.
1 Peter 5:10

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of
various kinds, for you know that the testing of your
faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness
have its full effect, that you may be perfect
and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4

The fight. Every fighter has his strong points and his

weak points. The moves he’s known for and the places
where the blows do the most damage. So as a man fighting
through this broken world, what keeps us going? Trial
after trial we have to keep fighting, at times wondering
what God’s doing with all of this..

It’s the spiritual equivalent of being bloodied on the floor
screaming “is that all you’ve got?!”. The only difference is
we’re talking to God, so it should sound more like “I trust you
Lord, and I’m ready to be tested more.”

This is what he wants you to learn from. This moment, this season,

this particular frustration, this pile that seems to get bigger
and bigger… This is for you. Embrace it as that. Get into
scripture today. Even if only for two minutes. Set some
time aside for God today and see how he thanks you.

Today: This is good.

Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
strokes make clean the innermost parts.
Proverbs 20:30

For I know the plans I have for you, declares

the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil,
to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

This is a good thing! It’s hard to say it when

we think things couldn’t possibly get any worse.
You can’t quite get that bolt to fit into its hole,
the food got burned, you finish the work on the car
and realize you’ve got a left-over plug that you’re not
sure where it goes, the job is stressful, it’s starting to rain,
you’re out of gas, and it’s so hot outside.

These are good things!

It sounds like a completely insane thing to say, but

THESE ARE GOOD THINGS! God has given all of us hurdles,
obstacles, and challenges to overcome because He knows
they will help us grow and learn. Sometimes we get frustrated
by them, other times we breeze through them without any problems.

Find the peace that comes with accepting the absolutely

crazy idea that these are good things. Be comforted in looking back
at age 90 and being able to say “I wouldn’t change a single thing”.

These are good things. Today will be a good day.

Today: Transparent

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each
one of you speak the truth with his neighbor,
for we are members one of another.
Ephesians 4:25

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his
appearance or on the height of his stature, because
I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man
sees: man looks on the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks on the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

We can’t hide anything. As men we’d like to think we’re

Actually really good at hiding things. That crack in the
drywall, that ding in the car door (just buff it out), we hide
while we hunt, and we hide the imperfections in our lives.
But we also hide the darker stuff.

We hide our sins. We hide our fears. We hide our love.

God sees right through it all. We can hide behind things, but
God doesn’t see our outer, over-confident selves, he sees
the broken pieces inside. Come to a place of surrender, giving
Him those pieces, and forget about trying to convince him
otherwise. It’ll never work. He loves you too much.

Today: Overboard.

I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless

you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.
John 8:24

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those

who draw near to God through him, since he always
lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25

When all of the bad continues to pile up, we feel like

we’re not far from a breaking point. The broken car,
the hot house, the debt, the struggle… it’s as though
you’re backing closer and closer to the edge of the ship,
and with one more thing placed on you, you fall overboard.

It’s scary. You’re underwater, now feeling completely

hopeless. But instantly you see Jesus’ face staring down
from the water’s surface. He jumped overboard for you.
So what do you do? Do you give up and drown? Or do you
trust FULLY in Him, and reach up for his hand? He can help
you back onboard, and help you get everything in order.

Trust Him. Even if feel like you’re about to go overboard, I

can tell you that you won’t. But if you insist on thinking that
you may end up in the water, TRUST in the fact that He’ll jump
overboard after you, one of His favorite kids.

Today: At The River.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:2

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.
Psalm 23:2

Water can be a very powerful thing in our lives, both

literally and figuratively. It sustains us through long hot
days working in the yard, but also washes our sins away
through the promises of God. Our ‘waters’ can often be
equated to a storming sea, and other times to a still
farm pond.

No matter what your waters look like this morning,

Rest in the fact that God has promised to be with you
through any rough seas you’re going to encounter today.
He can, and will calm your waters if you trust him to.
He’s got this.

Today: #winning.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the

world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world
—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except
the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:4-5

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name,

he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12
 
#winning! We say it, tweet it, facebook it and laugh about it.
But, (without sounding too ‘out there’) what does it really mean
to be #winning?! Are we measuring our winnings against what
the world shows us victory is? Or have we left all of that behind,
only to compare ourselves to Christ. He’s the only perfect person
that has ever existed, so why bother with anybody else?
 
At work, under the hood of the car, at home with your kids, at church…
Be a winner, and an example of what #winning should look like. Success
is relative. Once we trust that God will provide ALL things, we receive
His peace, and can move forward with life’s ‘problems’.
SO.. today make sure that you keep reminding yourself that
you’re #winning because #youbelongtoChrist.
You’re winning because you’re #loved.

Today: Push.

So that the tested genuineness of your faith—
more precious than gold that perishes though
it is tested by fire—may be found to result in
praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:7

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for

my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will
boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

It’s between us and God. You and God. That’s it.

It takes some people a lifetime to realize that success or
failure rests only God’s hand. He’s given you the power
to show Him what you can do, so it’s up to you to
prove it to him. What He does with that hard work
is still up to Him at the end of the day.

The point is that we trust God enough to push on through

the tough times, knowing full well that what He’s got us
going through is a blessing, according to His word.

SO… push on, forget about the nay-sayers and the people

who don’t have the strength to encourage. Push on, and receive
whatever God does or does not give you. Celebrate all things.

Today: Goals.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and
straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward
the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14-16

But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:31
 
Priorities are often hard to place on life’s list of to-do’s.
We often think we’ve got things prioritized correctly, though
they’re most likely not. And when we’ve got things prioritized
correctly, we tend to doubt ourselves and change them around
again. Personal goals tend to take up a lot of that to-do list.

Our goals are typically healthy; a good way to gauge ourselves

and our accomplishments. However, all of our goals must fall
behind the first and main goal of being a strong man of God.

Make sure today’s goals are in the right order. Not sure? Pray about it,

see what God has to say about it.

Today: Week of Hope, Friday.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten,

and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
Psalm 9:18

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:24

The hope of the needy and poor doesn’t fall on

deaf ears. You say “I know I need to have faith,
but I don’t know how right now.” You know what you
need to do, but for some reason have trouble finding
the faith to keep hoping and trusting God 100%.

This is a great time to walk into God’s living room,

and just sit near him on the couch. Like I’ve said before,
just sit. Don’t say a word. Let Him feel your presence, and
let yourself begin to feel His.

Hope doesn’t always look pretty either. Get emotional with

God, let Him know how you really feel. Let him at your core,
and that’s where he’ll start to work.

Today: Week of Hope, Thursday.

And endurance produces character,

and character produces hope.
Romans 5:4

If we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he also will deny us
2 Timothy 2:12

Yesterday I mentioned patience, and how

calmly waiting for God’s promises can sometimes
be a difficult thing. But what if where we are requires
more than just patiently waiting? What if we have to
endure some hardships? Power through some hard times?
What if instead of patiently waiting in the foothills for
God’s promises, he asks us to climb the mountain instead?

Like it says in James 1:12,

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial,
for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown
of life, which God has promised to those who love him”

We must remain men of Christ’s own image through the

trials and tribulations. Through the good and the bad, we
must continue to be models of strong love, good morals, and
a calm and faithful mind.

Forget yesterday’s problems. They belong to yesterday.

Today’s problems are enough for today, give them, and everything
else to God and prayerfully thank Him for His help. He’s got this.

Today: Week of Hope, Wednesday.

But if we hope for what we do not

see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:25

Surely there is a future, and your

hope will not be cut off.
Proverbs 23:18

Yes, we have to be patient. Which stinks sometimes.

Waiting for great things has never been fun for man,
we’re just not very patient creatures most of the time.
When was the last time you felt pretty great about
waiting for the wife to get ready? Waiting for the commercials
to end so you can get back to the game is just about as
painful as waiting for the lady in front of you at the gas station
to finish counting her pennies.

Point is, we’re not patient, patience is hard. In a way, patiently

waiting for something is a small act of selflessness and surrender.
We have to put our needs aside for a moment, and just wait.
The same goes with being patient in our faith. We have to accept
that we don’t have control of everything, shut up, and sit
quietly in God’s presence. Knowing full well that He has control of
the situation. Our hope acknowledges God, and lets Him know
we’re faithfully waiting.

Today: Week of Hope, Tuesday.

Blessed is the man who trusts in

the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
Jeremiah 17:7

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why

are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God;
for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
Psalm 43:5

I love the scripture from Jeremiah. Blessed is the

man who’s trust IS the Lord. When everything we have
is in and of Him, where’s the room for doubt? How could
we possibly think any unfortunate event is against His
will?

So this begs the question: Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me? HOPE in God…
There’s only one answer to life’s problems: God.
There’s only one way to make it through it: Hope in God.
Give Him your full faith and love, especially when you don’t
feel like it, and the problems will begin to fade. Slowly peeling
back, you’ll begin to see the light again and enjoy the warmth
of His love.

Today: Week of Hope, Monday.

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread

of them (the enemy), for it is the Lord your God who
goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the

expectation of the wicked will perish.
Proverbs 10:28

It’s ok to long for God’s peace, but before we can

expect peace, first must come true, faithful hope.
The peace that you long for comes from more than
just a “well I sure hope God provides now, I’ve done
my part”  kind of hope.

This isn’t a bargain, nor a jigsaw puzzle in which we can

just get the right pieces in place and it all works. It takes
an entire lifestyle of living in God’s joy, even when you feel
as though there’s no joy to be had at all. We have hope
because we know He’s real, and His promises are true.

Today: Give up.

You were told that your foolish desires will

destroy you and that you must give up your
old way of life with all its bad habits.
Ephesians 4:22

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make

no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Romans 13:14

We don’t like quitting or giving up as men. The

world tells us it means we’re weak. To give up the
sinful, angry life the world tells us we should lead
means we’re less of a man somehow. That we’re
no longer strong enough to be called a man.

Our strength doesn’t come from the world however,

it comes from our Father in heaven. Giving up is hard,
turning in our old “fun” ways is even harder. But the joy
that comes with eternal peace from God far surpasses any
temporary job that we could receive here on earth.

Give up. Give up what isn’t God’s, and leave the enemy behind.

 
Be a quitter.

Today: Momentum.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some
count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing
that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who

keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
Revelation 14:12

Endurance is hard to maintain sometimes. Especially when

all you ‘see’ is failure after apparent failure. But it’s in His hands,
and He’s allowing things to happen the way that they are.
Peace comes with how we decide to move forward.

We must shake off our doubts, and push forward, fully trusting in

God. Blind faith and trust brings with it a calming peace.
Keep trusting in Him. He’s bringing you that future and hope
you’ve been wanting, but He’s doing it on HIS time, not ours.
Don’t forget that.

Today: Accept Calm.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for

this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

And let the peace of Christ rule in your

hearts, to which indeed you were called
in one body. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

And we know that for those who love God

all things work together for good, for those
who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Peace is the hardest thing for us to find sometimes,

Especially when it’s most abundant. When
we’re close to giving up, and frustrated with our
level of discomfort in life, all we yearn for is a little
assurance from God that things will be ok.

The funny thing is, it’s in those moments where God’s

yearning to love our hearts is the strongest. All he needs
to know is that we love Him, and that we’re doing our
best to emulate the life His Son lived. Finally, we make sure
He knows we trust Him with every molecule of our day,
and then with that trust, comes His peace.

Accept His peace today, trust Him with every moment.

Today: Alongside The Path

No temptation has overtaken you that is not

common to man. God is faithful, and he will
not let you be tempted beyond your ability,
but with the temptation he will also provide
the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

“The path of life” seems to be one of the most

popular metaphors for visualizing our journey
through life with God. The problem is that we tend
to speak about it only by looking up the path (our future)
or behind us (our past).

Every once in a while we look down at our feet, and evaluate

where we currently are. But we rarely talk about what’s alongside
the path. Our temptations.

God gives us temptation, to help us strengthen our faith

and love for Him. He places temptation in our lives for
the purpose of growing, not sinning. When temptation is
placed in front of us, the power to walk away from it was
already given to us by God. It’s the conscious choice we must
make that defines how the situation will play out.

Jesus was tempted in all things.

In ALL things.

He gave His life for you, and you have promised yours to Him.

Tempted? Take 10 seconds to stop and talk to Him about it before
You move forward with the wrong decision. He’ll help you out every time.

Today: It Doesn't Matter

All you can see is your struggle,

Haunted by ghosts that lived in your past.
You’re bound up in shackles of all of your “failures”,
Wondering how long this is going to last.
God grabs you, “the prisoner” and says to you:
“Son, STOP FIGHTING A FIGHT THAT’S ALREADY BEEN WON!”

You are redeemed.

He set you free.
Shake off your heavy chains, wipe away every stain.
You’re not who you used to be.
You are redeemed.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,
My Savior and my God.”
Psalm 42:11