Faith, Hope, and Love Connection

Some collect the knowledge from God’s Word and have the wisdom but fail to produce any fruit. Not only is there a need to learn from the Word but a need to share about God’s Plan for Us.  To connect to people with faith, hope, and love.

This day with God, we are focusing on 1 Peter 1:6-12. As verse 3 states, we rejoice in new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. A reward of an inheritance in heaven awaits that will never perish, spoil or fade.

Faith is expressed actively when we give praise, glory, and honor to Christ. There is inexpressible worship for the strength to handle the trials we go through as we have a chance to change, become victorious, and receive glorious joy for the everlasting reward which is the salvation of our souls.

The basic purpose of the Old Testament and the prophets was to speak of the grace that would come. To prepare their hearts and minds for God’s plan. To point to the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ would be available so that the new nature of loving their neighbor and seeing God at work in their life would be the outcome.

The photo at the top of this post was taken in March of 2020. It’s a photo of the wall on the house of my next door neighbors as the children were at home during the Coronavirus outbreak. Faith, hope, and love are the unseen weapons we have to defeat the disease of sin.

This day with You God, we feel Your presence. We are tuned in to the Holy Spirit and we are discovering this new way because the Cross of Christ paid for all sins. Our joy grows each day for the work being done in our hearts that enable us to fulfill Your purpose. There is joy deep in our hearts because You are a mighty God, a wonderful Counselor, an everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Amen.

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The Outcome of Faith

God gave Israel success and in being loyal to Him, we can expect help in conquering anything or anyone that keeps us from being all that He wants us to be. Stick to God’s plan for you and bring Him glory.

Mark Shields's avatarStep Ahead

Bitten by sin
By the snake that slivered
But thanks to the Lord
We’ve been delivered.

Away from the enemy,
He gives victory
By accepting the Lord
There’s liberty. 

Following the plan
And making a stand 
Against the venomous 
Snakes of the land.

Wisdom from the word 
To the mind and heart
Then into the soul
Which sets us apart.

Conquering anything
Or any one
To be all we can
And get things done.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 08-26-2021
Inspired by
“The Outcome of Faith”
Photo – Taken in San Antonio when family went to the Sadie Robertson “Live Original Tour”. The photo is of the band “Love and the Outcome” who are the artist for the praise song "He Is With Us".

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Heart of Wisdom

Teach us to number our days aright. That we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalms 90:12

In the post “Climbing Higher”, emphasized is to spend our time on activities that provide a heart of wisdom. The value of these activities will rise over time as commodities that will be useful forever; providing a living hope and a valuable resource forever.

A great song that also emphasizes spending time on activities that build a heart of wisdom is Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman. It’s a song about making the wise choice of appreciating each moment with a daughter before they grow up.

Some of the lyrics go:

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t wanna miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock with strike midnight
And she’ll be gone.

Index of devotionals

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Climbing Higher

As we live out our days on earth, many times we end up spending our time and money on those things that bring the least benefit to our life. They keep us away from climbing higher towards God with His Word that satisfies the soul. Instead, we stay in the valley of what the world offers with no firm principles to stand on. This day with God, we are climbing higher as we read 1 Peter 1:1-5.

Explained in this passage is that each person of the Trinity does specific work in the life of a believer. God the Father gives us mercy and hope. He gives us an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade (v. 4). Jesus Christ the Son offers salvation through His sacrifice on the Cross to give believers eternal life. The Holy Spirit sanctifies, instructs, and helps believers be obedient in following these instructions.

God has given optimism for a better future. Even during difficult times, we have something to hang on to until we experience better times ahead. There is no longer the ups and downs in life that depend on the unsecure world but our outlook is stabilized with thoughts of a steady climb to new heights.

There is God’s guarding power as we grow in our faith by reading His Word and take in the instructions for life which is food for our soul. These thoughts, lessons learned, and experiences as we live out our life give us something of value that is guaranteed to rise over time as commodities that are useful forever; providing a living hope and valuable resource for a future in which we reach heights never before reached.

This day with You God, we are pulling higher and higher towards You as we read Your Word for instructions. We pray for spending our time and money on activities that bring meaning, seeks to help others, and brings joy. These activities with the people around us give encouragement and build our faith so we can reach heights never yet obtained. In Jesus name we pray… Amen.

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Questions for Reflection for Study of 1 Peter Chapters 1 & 2

The journey through the book of Judges came to a close last week and now the journey will go back into the New Testament for a while through the book of 1 Peter. The reading plan below will be used to hold me accountable to sharing about God’s word. As I share about my study of the book of 1 Peter over the next few weeks, it’s important to have a plan. I’m thankful that Jesus is God’s plan for us and by accepting Christ as Savior; we have taken the steps necessary to make each day amazing!

Questions for Reflection

1 Peter 1:1-5  – What specific work does each Person of the Trinity have in a believer’s life? What has God done for you? In what ways has this changed your life? In what specific areas do you experience God’s guarding power?

1 Peter 1:6-12 – In what should you rejoice? How is faith to be expressed actively? What would you say is the basic purpose of the Old Testament and the prophets?

1 Peter 1:13-25 – What two thoughts does therefore connect? What event gives confidence to your faith? How are God and the Word related?

1 Peter 2:1-10 – What is the source of a Christian’s nourishment? In what ways does God’s Word make a difference in your life? Who has made this change for you?

1 Peter 2:11-17 – What motivations does Paul suggest for our personal and public behavior? What is it in the world that is at war against your soul? What do I need to surrender to the Lord in order to win the battle? How can you change a society so there is hope for liberty and justice for all?

1 Peter 2:18-25 – Who are your masters? Give examples of unjust suffering? In what ways did Christ go through unjust suffering (Is. 53)? With what effect for you?

Feel free to respond with a short note or a comment about any of the questions above. Also, I welcome any other thoughts or ideas, favorite inspirational videos, photos, or favorite Bible verses. Just add them to the comments or to a Facebook page I’ve set up at this link: This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey.

Resources and Supplementary Helps Used in Posts

Adeney, Carol. This Morning with God: A Daily Study Guide to the Entire Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1978. Print.

“Sermons.” Sermons | FUMC Waco. N.p., n.d. Web.  <https://fumcwaco.org/resources/sermons/>.

“Bible.” The Bible – The Word of God – ChristNotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 2017. <http://www.christianity.com/bible/>.

Nicholes, Lou. “Recent Commentaries.” Family-Times.net – Devotional Commentary Index. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.family-times.net/commentary/>.

“Bing.” Microsoft. N.p., n.d. Web. Images >.

“BibleGateway.” BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 150 Versions and 50 Languages. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.biblegateway.com/>.

To store up thoughts that are good for the soul, listen to a sermon. Download the free app in the App Store or on Google Play. Look for First Waco.

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