Matthew 19:5-6 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? We live in a time when marriages and the families are constantly being undermined. Yet in the church and among God’s people things should be different. We should be doing all we can to encourage and support the family. This week let us spend some elongated time praying for the families closest to us. At the same time seek for ways to encourage the families we know especially those who might be going through a difficult time.

Matthew 4:22 “And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were called by Christ in verse 21. Without understanding what the future held the two brothers acted on what they did know. They had been called. This meant leaving what was most important. Understanding the culture at the time, leaving their father was a giant step. Today, let us respond to every call of God in every situation, great or small, with the same pattern of obedience. Immediate and complete.

Zechariah 1:3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. With all the movement in our lives and hearts it is not difficult for a Christian to turn from the Lord. Sometimes when we least expect it we can end up walking completely contrary to God's plan. This sometimes happens with one significant choice, but normally it occurs through a series of smaller choices. Daily choices. At times apparently harmless ones. Today let us take stock of the eyes of our heart. Do we need to turn our hearts back to Christ and away from the world, the devil or our own selfish will? May we each commit to living this and every day with our hearts forced on and in love with Christ.

Jonah 3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. We never know what might happen when we obey God. The city of Nineveh was wicked almost beyound description. No one would have predicted their response to the message from Jonah. Yet when we simply surrender our steps to God's will there is no telling what might happen. So today let us, "Do the next right thing!". Then get out of God's way and marvel at His power, goodness and grace.

Hosea 4:1 Hear the word of the Lord , ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. In our verse today we see three things in the lives of God's people that they needed to confront. The people had rejected the absolute truth and lost their compassion for others. (Mercy) Ultimately they did not know God, which was seen in their life of disobedience. Today let us ask ourselves the question, "What is it about my life today that bothers God?" Remember God never becomes accustomed to our sin. Let's confront what needs to change so that we can walk daily at peace with God.

Ephesians 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart There are often multiple reasons for doing something. For example: We might go to work because we feel an obligation or because we love what we do or because we simply need the money. Yet, the one reason that needs to be first and foremost is the conviction that we are doing the will of God. The surrounding verses of our text for today deal with the relationship between employees and employers (masters and servants) In that context we are challenged to “do the will of God from the heart”. Today, let us approach each responsibility of every area of our life with a commitment to doing God’s will from the heart. This commitment will put every day-to-day obligation we have into eternal perspective as we do it to please the God we know and love.

Ephesians 1:5-6 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. So many people are doing so many things to try to earn God’s acceptance. Yet, in our verse today we are reminded that we find acceptance in Christ and in Him alone. It is true that every believer is called upon to live a holy life after salvation. But nothing we ever do can make us worthy of God’s love and grace. So today let us do right. Let us seek to be all that God would have us to be. But let us do it all, not so that God will accept us, but because He already has, the moment we trusted Christ as our Savior.