Today is Your Best Day Because of Heaven

For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for His children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. -1 Peter 1:4 NLT

If you are alive on this earth when Jesus Christ returns, you will be caught up to be with Him forever. What a day that will be! If you were to die today, before the Lord returns, this would still be your best day. Your last day upon this earth will be your first day in heaven. The Bible tells us that to be "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." I recently heard a preacher say, "I don't care what method God uses to get me to heaven, just as long as He gets me there."

In heaven you will go from a temporary life to an eternal life; From a world of darkness to a place of everlasting light: From a life of walking by faith to a life of seeing Jesus face-to-face; From a life of knowing in part to a life of knowing even as you are known.

In heaven all your tears will be wiped away, all your sorrows will vanish from view, all your weaknesses will be swallowed up in His majesty, and all your suffering will give way to eternal shouts of joy.

My dad was raised in an orthodox Jewish home. He first came to know the Lord at the age of forty. He found a Gideon Bible in a Las Vegas hotel room, stole it, read it for three months, and while reading the book of Isaiah, discovered that Jesus was his Messiah. He lived until the age of eighty-nine. Throughout his Christian life he longed to be with Jesus in heaven. When he sent out letters he would often include these words instead of the date: "One day closer to glory!"

I went to visit him during his last few days on earth. The doctor had told my dad he was suffering from an advanced case of leukemia and only had a few days to live. When my dad heard the doctor's report he got all excited. "Really!" he exclaimed, "you mean I get to go be with Jesus?" My dad began telling people who visited him, "Before you go, let me give you my new address."

Just before my dad passed into a state where he could no longer communicate, a young couple came to his bedside. The young man was quiet and his wife was in tears (my dad had recently led her to Christ). My dad immediately reached out his hand to her and said, "No tears. This is what it's all about. We serve the Lord here on earth for a few years and then we get to be with Him in heaven."

When my dad finally passed out of this life and into the realities of heaven, all of us who had gathered at his bedside gave out a shout of joy in celebration of his homecoming. We all knew that he had arrived at the place where he always wanted to be.

This is the hope all believers in Jesus have. This is the hope that makes every day your best day! ... Thank you for joining us for the reading of Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day, by Roy Lessin. If you would like to purchase a hard-bound copy of it, please use our affiliate link to DaySpring, or contact a Christian bookstore near you. ©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day, and the Future Will Be Even Better

Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. -Titus 2:13 NKJV

The subject of the time machine has been a popular theme in science fiction. A common plot describes how someone discovers a way to go back in time to change the outcome of history. Another version of this plot describes how someone discovers a way to see into the future and tries to warn people about some tragic event ahead. Typically, as the story unfolds, few people believe the person's warnings, and only a few people are prepared for what is to come.

The world we live in is a very uncertain place. As people look to the future their fears and concerns only deepen as they worry about what will happen and wonder how things will turn out.

Years ago, when John Wooden was coaching the UCLA college basketball team, I became an avid fan. One evening I sat down in front of my television to watch a game between UCLA and a conference rival. The game was close, and as it neared the end the outcome was uncertain. Fans at the stadium were screaming with excitement, tension was everywhere, and nerves were on edge as the game reached the final minute. Yet, in the midst of all that tension, I sat in my living room, cool, calm, and collected. Even though the drama was high, I remained unfazed. How could this be possible? My reason was simple. the game I was watching was a late-night replay. I already knew the final score, and that UCLA had won.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, your future outlook is an upward look. You have a hope and a future that is glorious. The Word of God has already declared to you what the future will be and how things will turn out in the end. You can live today in calmness of soul and peace of heart because the final outcome has already been determined by God. You are on the winning side. Jesus Christ will come for you with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. He will come triumphant, in power, and full of glory. He will establish His reign upon this earth and rule with a scepter of righteousness. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and you will be a part of it all.

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©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow, all rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because God Will Fill Your Greatest Needs and Deepest Desires

How blessed is God! And what a blessing He is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in Him. Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus on His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. -Ephesians 1:3-4 MSG

What are your deepest needs and desires? They are not entertainment, wealth, sports, scholastic achievement, popularity, power, or influence. Your greatest needs and desires are matters of your heart and spirit. They are the deepest things within you that cry out for purpose, fulfillment, intimacy, meaning, and love. They are the longings that God has placed within you, and that only He can meet.

Your cries for belonging He alone can answer;
Your search for meaning He alone can fulfill;
Your thirst for fulfillment He alone can quench;
Your longing for intimacy He alone can satisfy.

God, through His Son, has already satisfied your need for redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation by being your Redeemer.

• He has met your need for righteousness by becoming your righteousness.
• He has met your need to be cared for by caring for you.
• He has met your need for security by holding you secure in His arms.
• He has met your need for companionship by being the God who is there.
• He has met your need for protection by being your Strong Tower and your Hiding Place.
• He has met your need for wholeness by being your Healer.
• He has met your need for peace by being your Shalom.
• He has met your need for identity by being your Heavenly Father.
• He has met your need for guidance and direction by being your Shepherd and Guide.
• He has met your need for self-worth by sending His Son into the world to die for you.
• He has met your need for hope and comfort by being the God of all Hope and Comfort.
• He has met your need for love by being the God who has loved you with an everlasting love.

Today, as you hunger after His bread, remember that God is seeking the hungry; as you long for living waters, remember that He invites the thirsty to drink; as you seek His presence, remember that He bids you to draw near; as you commit to walk in His ways, remember that He is always on the alert, looking for those who are totally committed to Him; as you desire to know His heart, remember that you are the object of His love.

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©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow, all rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because of Intercessory Prayer

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. -Hebrews 7:25 NKJV

How rich you are when someone is praying for you. It has been said that the poorest person is the one who has no one praying for him. You will never have full knowledge of how many times someone has prayed for you, or how often God has prompted someone to pray for you when you were in need. Those prayers have impacted your life at many times and in many ways.

I know a woman who, during the night, was awakened by God to pray for a friend. She didn't know what the need was, but she began to intercede on her friend's behalf. The next day the woman discovered that at the very hour she was praying, her friend was delivered from a very critical situation. 

As a young Bible school student, I was given an opportunity to minister to a small group of people. The meeting went quite well and when I returned to campus I was feeling pretty good about myself. It was at that moment that God spoke these words to me: "Your success today was not a result of your talent, but a result of someone who was praying for you."

As young missionaries, my brother and I, along with our wives, were traveling across the United States to visit some people we knew before going into Mexico. The trip was made possible when the Lord unexpectedly provided us with a blue pickup truck. While visiting our friends in Minnesota, we were invited to attend a home prayer meeting. During the meeting we shared our story of how God provided our pickup truck, and we also spoke about our plans to enter Mexico within a few days. When we finished, a man responded with great excitement. "For many days," he said, "God has put it on my heart to pray for Don and Roy, a blue pickup truck, and the country of Mexico. Until tonight, that was all I knew, but what a joy it is for me to actually meet the ones I have been interceding for."

Your life has been impacted by prayer. Today is your best day because prayer has made this day possible. I don't know how many people are praying for you today, but I am certain that at least one person is.

• As you seek to walk in the calling of a holy life, someone is praying for you;
• As you face temptation, someone is praying for you;
• As you seek the Father's will and His glory, someone is praying for you.

That person is Jesus Christ. He is your faithful Advocate and High Priest. He is the One who saves you to the uttermost, and His intercession for you is to the highest degree possible. He will always be interceding on your behalf.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven in His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
     -Charitie L. Bancroft, 1863

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Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day is available through our affiliate links to DaySpring, and at Christian bookstores everywhere. 
©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because God is With You

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

From the Scripture in Isaiah 41:10 there are several important things for you to be reminded of today:

• Because God is with you, He does not want you to fear.
• Because God is with you, He does not want you to be dismayed.
• Because God is with you, He will strengthen you.
• Because God is with you, He will help you.
• Because God is with you, He will uphold you with His righteous right hand.

Whatever your fears may be today or whoever your enemies are, you have a Friend that sticks closer to you than a brother. Today is your best day because you do not walk through it alone, abandoned, or forsaken. God is with you and He can handle any situation you face, any foe you encounter, any problem you meet, or any conflict you confront. One plus God is definitely a majority!

All of us can experience fear for many reasons. Fear can come when we face a difficult situation, when we step out into something unknown, when we sense our weakness, or when we take our eyes off the Lord, just as Peter did when he began to walk on water. The Bible does not tell us that something is wrong with us if we are fearful, but it does tell us that God doesn't want us to live in fear. Fear can paralyze us and keep us from moving forward in His will and plan for our lives.

God's presence with you is the reason He gives you not to fear. God told Abraham not to fear because He was his shield. God appeared to Isaac and told him not to fear because He would bless him for his father's sake. God told Joshua not to fear because He had given him the land, and that He would be with him as He was with Moses. David said that when he was afraid he learned to trust in the Lord.

Consider this conversation that God and Moses had together (Exodus 33:12-15 NLT):

Moses said to the LORD, 'You have been telling me, 'Take these people up to the Promised Land.' But you haven't told me whom you will send with me. You call me by name and tell me I have found favor with you. Please, if this is really so, show me your intentions so I will understand you more fully and do exactly what you want me to do. Besides, don't forget that this nation is your very own people."

And the LORD replied, "I will personally go with you, Moses. I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you."

Then Moses said, "If you don't go with us personally, don't let us move a step from this place."

Remember that today God has a firm hold upon you. God is not only with you today, but His mighty hand is holding on to you with every step you take.

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Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day is available through our affiliate link to DaySpring, and through Christian retailers everywhere. 

©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because of Forever

This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever. 1 John 2:17 NLT

Forever is a beautiful word. When our reference point is God and His Kingdom, everything takes on an eternal perspective. Life is filled with meaning and packed with purpose. Those who have this world as their reference point see only those things which are temporary, short-lived, and passing away.

Everything that God is, He is eternally. He is love, and He loves you all the time. He is good, and He is good to you all the time. There are no ups and downs, highs and lows, or comes and goes, with God. What He was to you yesterday when He showed you mercy and grace, He will show to you today. 

The acceptance you knew when He lifted you out of your sins is the same acceptance that upholds you today. The arms that were once around you to give you assurance embrace you today. All the delights of His presence, all the joys of His face, all the gladness of His heart, rest upon you today.

Here are some reasons why "forever" is such a beautiful word:
You can sing and rejoice in the Lord forever.
The God you trust reigns forever.
God will be with you forever.
You will be with the Lord forever.
God will be your God forever.
The One who is in control of your life is King forever.
God's plans and purposes stay firm forever.
God's Word is true forever.
God's goodness and unfailing love will be yours forever.
God knows your name forever.
You will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Your eternal reward will last forever.
Your love relationships with Jesus will go on forever.

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©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because You are Saved (Part 2)

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. -1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NLT

Jesus died and rose for you! Does this not say it all? Jesus' death was in the Father's heart before the world was formed, before a flower bloomed, before a creature moved, before you took your first breath.

Because of God's grace and mercy toward us, we can look back over our lives at all the wrong we have done—the sins we've committed, the promises we've broken, the evil thoughts we've entertained; our failures, our shortcomings, our inconsistencies, our hypocrisies—and hear our Heavenly Father say to us, "You are forgiven. I have washed you clean, even whiter than snow. My Son's righteousness has become your righteousness because He died and rose for you."

When we look back over lives at the good things we've tried to do to earn God's favor—the people we've helped, the kind deeds we've done, the nice things we've said, the money we've given, the hard work we've done—we hear our Heavenly Father say to us, "Your righteousness will never be enough to save you or keep you. No amount of work that you do can justify you in My presence. By the righteousness of the law no one can be justified. That is why My Son died and rose for you. By faith alone, His righteousness is now yours."

• Does God love you today? Yes, Jesus died and rose for you.
• Does God care about you? Yes, Jesus died and rose for you.
• Does God provide for you? Yes, Jesus died and rose for you.
• Does God forgive you and restore you? Yes, Jesus died and rose for you.
• Does God have a plan for your life? Yes, Jesus died and rose for you.
• Does God have a place for you in heaven? Yes, Jesus died and rose for you.

Jesus died and rose for you—

• If you only knew this one truth, it would be enough.
• If you only had this spiritual bread to eat, it would sustain you.
• If you only had this glass of living water to drink, it would quench your thirst.
• If you only could embrace this one aspect of His love, it would bring you comfort.
• If you only had this one reality in your soul, it would bring you everlasting joy.

Jesus died and rose for you! Is this not the taproot from which the tree of life grows? Is this not the song of celebration that fills your innermost being? Is this not the headwaters from which the healing fountains flow? Is this not the pen from which all other glorious things are written—justification, sanctification, redemption, and all the other truths of Holy Scripture are yours because Jesus died and rose for you.

Your life today is now an all-encompassing "yes" because Jesus died and rose for you.

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Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day is available through our affiliate link to DaySpring, and through Christian bookstores everywhere.

©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow, all rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because You Are Saved (Part 1)

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)...For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lets any man should boast. -Ephesians 2:5,8-9 KJV

Think of it. You are saved. You are forgiven. Jesus is your Savior and your life belongs to Him. Your past sins are in the sea of God's forgetfulness (and as Corrie ten Boom has added, "He has put up a sign that says, 'no fishing.'"). You have eternal life, you are on your way to heaven, and you have a God-given purpose here on earth.

The sky may be gray today, but you are saved; someone may have hurt you or let you down, but you are saved; you may be going through a difficult time, but you are saved; the enemy may be attacking you with doubts and fears, but you are saved; you may be tired, alone, or unappreciated, but you are saved. "What we suffer now is nothing," the apostle Paul wrote, "compared to the glory He will give us later" (Romans 8:18 NLT).

Today there are an endless number of reasons why your heart should be rejoicing and thankful that you are saved. If you weren't saved, you would be lost; under guilt and condemnation; without God and without hope in this present evil world; empty inside and without peace; in bondage to the enemy and dead in your trespasses and sins; without any eternal purpose, and no hope of heaven. What could be worse than that?

You are saved!

Saved by God's grace;

Saved because God loves you;

Saved because He sent His only begotten Son;

Saved because Jesus died for you;

Saved because Jesus shed His blood;

Saved because God provided everything that was needed for you to come to Him and receive His loving embrace.

Today you have not only been saved by Him, but you are also being kept by Him, and He will bring you safely home. What could be better than that?

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Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day is available through our affiliate link to DaySpring, and at Christian bookstores everywhere.

©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow, all rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because of the Cross

Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:2 NKJV

Was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ His worst day or His best day? From a human perspective everything about the cross looked like His worst day. His beaten body, the pain of the nails being driven into His hands and feet, the agony of hanging from beams of wood, His blood being poured out upon the ground—all of these point to failure and defeat if we do not understand the reason for His suffering. The events that preceded the cross only heighten the sense of His failure to the onlooker—the betrayal, the false witness brought against Him, the illegal trial, the mockery, the shame, the spitting, the pulling out of His beard, the lashing of His flesh, the crown of thorns.

From a divine perspective and from a believer's perspective the crucifixion, with all its horror, was Jesus' best day. It was His best day because prophetically this truly was the "day that the Lord had made." This was the day the Father had planned when He sent His only begotten Son into the world. All of Jesus' life on earth pointed to this day. This day was known before He was conceived in Mary's womb by the Holy Spirit, for it was at that time that Mary heard these words, "You shall call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins."

The Bible tells us that Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame, for the joy that He knew would be His. It was Jesus' best day because He could say, "It is finished"; because He would receive the reward of His suffering; because He destroyed the works of the devil; because He redeemed us back to God; because He glorified His Father.

Jesus' death on the cross has also made it possible for this day to be your best day. He took your sins upon Himself so that you could be forgiven; so that you could receive eternal life; so that you could be justified; so that you could have peace with God; so that you could be His bride, so that you could know Him, love Him, and serve Him; so that you could carry the hope of heaven in your heart today.

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Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day

©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because of Dependency

"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5 NLT

As God's child, today is your best day because you are totally and completely dependent upon Him. There is no way that today could be your best day if you were dependent upon yourself—your finances, friends, talents, abilities, resources, looks body, personality, will, mind, or emotions. Money runs out, friends come and go, talents and abilities wear down, resources diminish, and looks change. Your personality is flawed, your body is aging, your mind has limitations, and your emotions rise and fall. God is your only rock, your only security, your only certainty, and your only hope.

How blessed you are to be dependent upon God today.

His kingdom is unshakable, His power is unquestionable, His wisdom is unmistakable, His love is undeniable.

You are blessed to be dependent upon the One who is perfect, whose ways are past finding out, whose kingdom is without end, whose power is limitless, whose glory is endless, and whose love is boundless.

Dependency upon God means that your life is in the hands of the One who created the heavens, who designed the galaxies, who painted the sunsets, who set the earth in space, and whose hand formed every creature that walks, swims, crawls, runs, or flies.

Dependence upon God means that you have set your heart upon Him and put your faith in Him. God will not fail you.

When you face a problem He will solve is; When you have a need He will meet it; When you have a burden He will carry it; When you face a barrier He will remove it.

Today you are as dependent upon God as your lungs are upon the air, as your body is upon nourishment; as vision is upon light. God has made everything within you cry out to Him, and as you do, you can be sure that He will answer. Today He says, "Call upon Me...and I will show you great and mighty things which you know not."

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Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day is available through our affiliate link to DaySpring, and through Christian bookstores everywhere.

©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because of Newness

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

Today is your best day because God has exchanged your old way of life for a new way of life. In Jesus, everything in your life experiences a new beginning. Your past sins no longer stand against you, and a holy life is now before you. Your new life means that the way you used to be is not the way you have to be.

Your new life is not based upon your determination, but on God's transformation.

It is not about making resolutions to do better or following certain steps for self-improvement. God didn't try to improve you; rather, He renewed you and made you a new creation in Christ. God did not take your old way of life and try to patch it up or build it up. He did something far better. He brought an end to your old way of life by crucifying it on the cross with Christ. Through the cross, God has dealt with everything in your life that was a hindrance to your relationship with Him. "I have been crucified with Christ;" the apostle Paul wrote, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).

Today your old way of life has no claim upon you and no power over you. Your new life is the life of Jesus Christ. The life of Christ in you does not need improvement. It is a resurrected life. Everything about it is good, right, freeing, and loving.

Christ's life means His power is your strength; His will is your purpose; His mind is your wisdom; His love is your motivation; His presence is your joy.

In your old way of life everything depended upon you; in your new way of life everything depends upon Christ.

In your old way of life you were at the center; in your new way of life Christ is at the center.

In your old way of life you tried to be self-sufficient; in your new way of life Christ is your sufficiency.

God's call upon you today is to walk in newness of life, and to ut on your new life as you would put on a new garment. "Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe," the apostle Paul said. "Every item on your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete" (Colossians 3:10 The Message).

Newness of life means that today God wants you to be dressed in His very best.

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Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day is available through our affiliate link to DaySpring, and through Christian book stores everywhere.

©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because of Change

"For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert!" Isaiah 43:19 NLT

God never changes, but He is a changer. Because God never changes, you can trust His flawless character; because He is a changer, you can trust His creative hand. He changes darkness into light, deserts into waterways, water into wine, mountains into low places, wastelands into grain fields, death into life, ashes into beauty, mourning into joy, and rough places into smooth paths.

There is a process for purifying wine that is referred to in the Old Testament. We are told that wine was poured into a vessel and then left to sit for a season. During this time the impurities within the wine would settle to the bottom of the vessel. After this, the wine was poured from vessel to vessel so that the purifying process could continue, and the wine could become more fragrant and sweeter to the taste.

Like the wine, our lives are poured from vessel to vessel. God pours us into His appointed vessels. This pouring often involves times of heart change. This pouring also keeps us from becoming stale and stagnant. When God brings change it means that He is moving us out of something that has been comfortable and into something new that will cause our faith to grow, our hearts to be purified, and our vision to be broadened.

What are the heart changes God is bringing into your life? He may be pouring you into a new relationship, into a new line of work, into a new ministry, or into a new location. He may be bringing a new truth to your heart, allowing you to see a certain circumstance in a new way, imparting a new spiritual gift, opening up a new avenue of obedience, or setting you aside for a time of rest and refreshing.

Whatever vessel God may be using, it will be the best for you and bring His very best to you.

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©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Today is Your Best Day Because of Motivation

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in Him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. 1 John 4:16-17 NLT

The story is told of a woman who was married to a man who was harsh and cruel. He constantly placed demands upon her. Each day, before the man went to work, he would give his wife a list of jobs that he expected her to do before he returned home. In the evening, the man would go around the house with his list and inspect what his wife had done. If she didn't complete the list or if she did something poorly, he would become angry with her, scold her, and demand she do better the next day. It didn't take long for the woman's heart to be crushed and her love to be quenched.

In time, the woman's cruel husband died. She never thought she could marry anyone again. After some time, the most wonderful man entered her life. He was kind, thoughtful, and understanding. He constantly encouraged her. She was very guarded at first, but his constant love and devotion slowly broke down her walls of resistance. A few years passed, the woman's heart opened up to his love, and they were married. The woman began to live a life that she thought impossible. Each day was filled with happiness.

One day the woman was cleaning out her desk when she came upon an old piece of paper. On it was a list of duties written by her first husband. As she read the list, the woman's heart was overcome with joy. She realized that in her new marriage, she was doing everything that was on that list without being aware of it. Nothing she did seemed like work at all. Everything was motivated by joy and the love she had for her husband, instead of by duty and fear.

The love God has for you and your love for Him work together to make this your best day. There is no higher, better or richer way to live a day. This relationship is possible because God loved you first. He didn't wait on you to respond to Him before He showed you His loving favor. His love pursued you when your heart was far away from His. God not only loved your first, but He loves you best. You will never know a love as glorious and generous as the love that God has for you.

It is God's love for you that makes you a debtor of His love. Your love debt to God motivates you, not only to love Him in return, but to bring His love to others. Paul tells us to owe no one anything except the debt of love. It is Christ's love that controls you and moves you to respond to Him and to the people He brings into your life. Let all you do today flow out of the joys that come from your love relationship with Him.

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©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because of Preparation

But now, O LORD, Thou art our father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand. Isaiah 64:8 KJV

Like clay in the hands of a skilled craftsman, God is forming you for His purposes, shaping you for His plans, and molding you as a vessel fit for the Master's use. The vessel He is shaping you into will have no errors in its design. Do not think that your vessel needs to be a certain shape or size to be significant.

• God may shape you into a tiny vessel that can easily be used to pour oil into the wounds of others;
• He may shape you as a candle and place you in a dark place to shine for Him;
• He may shape you into a cup to bring living water to a thirsty soul;
• He may shape you into a handheld basin that can humbly be used to wash a disciple's feet.

God is using you today and is fulfilling His perfect plan for your life, and at the same time, He is also preparing you for what He has ahead. God is preparing you for a prepared place, a prepared ministry, and for a prepared people that He wants you to reach. God will use various things in your life for His preparation, even the things that are unpleasant:

• He used the desert to prepare Moses;
• He used opposition to prepare Jacob;
• He used slavery to prepare Joseph;
• He used famine to prepare Gideon;
• He used persecution to prepare Paul;
• He used isolation to prepare John.

Nothing about your day is being wasted. You are in God's capable, loving, skillful hands, and you are living under His constant watch-care. He knows how to perfectly prepare you for what He has ahead.

• He is teaching you so you can respond to His voice and learn the importance of quick obedience;
• He is testing your faith so you can learn how to trust Him completely in the battles of life:
• He is disciplining you so you can stand tall as you march under His banner;
• He is building your character so you can represent Him as His witnesses to a lost and needy world.

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Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day is available through our affiliate link to DaySpring, and at Christian Bookstores everywhere.

©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because of God's Wings

"The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come for refuge." Ruth 2:12 NKJV

God uses the term "wings" to help you understand more fully what it means to have His presence throughout your day, and His covering over you moment by moment. The Bible speaks about the wings of a mother hen, the wings of an eagle, and the wings (or fringes) of a garment, and applies them to the ways God is working in your life and watching over you. God's wings apply to His care, His protection, His health, His safety, and His strength.

As your covering, God's wings shield you and cast a shadow over you. His shadow is like the welcomed relief provided by a shade tree on a hot summer's day. God's wings shade you from the damaging rays of adversity and from the heat of every trial and calamity.

As an expression of His care, God's wings draw you close to His heart. In His care He knows your every movement, senses your every need, hears your every cry, and feels your every heartbeat.

As an expression of His protection, God's wings shield you from the searching eye of every prey that seeks to devour or destroy you. He is your protector against every scheme of the enemy, against every lie and deception, against every luring temptation, and against every enticement that would try to move you away from His heart.

As an expression of His health, God's wings are an extension of His tender compassion. His purpose is to keep you healthy and strong, well fed and nurtured, vibrant and full of life. When you are weak or ill, He wraps His wings around you as a mother would wrap her child in a blanket. He assures you of His love, draws you close, keeps you warm, feeds you with the food of His faithfulness, renews your vitality, and causes you to grow strong. "But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings," says Malachi 4:2 (NKJV).

As an expression of His strength, God's wings carry you to new heights, to new adventures of faith, to new discoveries of His majesty, and to new vistas of grace that your heart can explore and delight in.

Today you are under God's extreme watch-care. He calls you to draw near and trust fully in the covering of His wings. You are the Lord's delight and the apple of His eye. Today is your best day because your life couldn't be in better hands or under better care.

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Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day is available through our affiliate link to DaySpring, and in Christian bookstores everywhere.

©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow, all rights reserved.

Today is Your Best Day Because of Prayer (Part 3)

"What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to Him than a whole flock of sparrows." Luke 12:6-7 NLT

How detailed is God's involvement in your life, and how detailed is He when it comes to answering prayer in your life? Perhaps the following account of answered prayer will help to explain.

When I was a young Christian, trusting God to answer prayer was a common occurrence. I felt that there wasn't a situation I faced that God was not able to handle. One day I decided to enjoy a picnic in the country with some friends. Before we left I went to the shop where I worked to ask a favor of my boss. At the time, our department was starting to manufacture a portable, gas-burning, outdoor cooking grill. "Would it be okay with you if I borrowed one of the new cooking grills to take on a picnic today?" I asked.

"It's fine with me," my boss answered. "However, the only one I have available is a new prototype model. You can use it, but be very careful with this tiny valve that operates the gas flow. It is the only valve we have in the shop at this time."

"No problem," I replied. "I will be very careful with it and bring back the grill by late afternoon."

I packed up the grill and put it in the front basket of my bike. My other friends carried the other picnic supplies on their bikes. It was a beautiful fall afternoon as we biked along the countryside. We soon saw a spot in the nearby woods that looked perfect for a picnic. We turned off the road and headed into the woods. The trees were turning color and leaves covered the ground all around us.

We had a great picnic, enjoyed each other's company for a couple of hours, packed up our things, and headed back. Upon returning, I headed for the shop to return the grill. When I brought it in to the shop and placed it on the display rack, I realized that the tiny valve was no longer attached to the grill. My heart sank. "What will I do?" I knew that I needed to find that valve and return it, but where could it be?

I left the shop and asked the Lord to help me find the missing valve. I didn't know where to look. I decided to retrace my steps back into the countryside. When I got to the place where we had turned off the road to have our picnic, I slowly pedaled my bike a short distance into the trees and got off. I started walking slowly over the leaf-covered ground, when an inner voice told me to stop and bend down. As I bent toward the ground I extended my hand in front of me, brushed back some leaves, and there before my eyes was the missing valve.

Today is your best day because God is in every detail, and nothing is too hard for Him.

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Because of Jesus Today is Your Best Day is available through our affiliate link to DaySpring, and through Christian retailers everywhere.

©2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow, all rights reserved.