Acts 2:38-39 (NIV)

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Reflection:

In this passage, Peter gives a powerful, Spirit-filled message that ends with a promise - the gift of the Holy Spirit for each person the Lord calls who turns to the Lord Jesus and surrenders their lives to Him. This same promise is for us today!

Response:

With a heart like a little child, let’s turn to the Lord and ask Him for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. May we get caught up in a rhythm of receiving the blessing of His Spirit over and over again in every part of our lives.

John 1:14-16 (NLT)

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

Reflection:

God gave us the greatest gift when He sent His one and only Son for you and me. We have already received this in our lives and yet this is a truth we must continually receive day in and day out, over and over again.

Response:

From his abundance, let’s receive once again, afresh and anew, one gracious blessing after another, the reality that we are forgiven and free in Christ. Let’s be like little children in believing in Jesus’s unfailing love and faithfulness and thank Him that He has made His home among us through His Spirit.

Joshua 1:7-9 (NIV)

7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Reflection:

To lead an entire nation of people after the death of Moses, arguably one of the great biblical figures in the bible, was no easy task. The pressure and responsibility, not to mention all the adversity, would have forced many to crumble. But Joshua received well the words of God, which brought encouragement, life, blessing, hope, strength, and boldness. Part of receiving well from God is receiving well from God’s Word.

Response:

Let’s recommit ourselves anew to be found in God’s Word so we too can live in the abundance of God’s blessing for us, as we go to class, work, and interact with others. May we receive afresh that God’s Word gives us life, and let’s ask Him to open our eyes and hearts even more to the truths in His Word.

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NLT)

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Reflection:
Paul bows down in worship before God because of His great love. In Paul’s excited prayer, he thanks God and is not afraid to ask God for big and small things because God gives from His “glorious, unlimited resources.” God loves to give generously to His children!

Response:
Let’s ask God to open our eyes to see just how much God loves to give to us and to help us believe that God truly wants to bless and lavish us with answered prayer all the time. May God enable us to believe and experience receiving all He has for each of us.

Luke 18:18-30 (NIV)

18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”
21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Reflection:

This story is about a rich young ruler who had life all figured out. But he could not accept and receive all that Jesus said about the kingdom of God. At the end, he walks away saddened, unable to fully live in God’s blessing for his life.
We too can have life all put together yet not realize that the key to living a life of blessing is to receive well from the Lord. God’s kingdom is far greater than what we can understand or imagine. No matter how old we may be or how much we’ve experienced, may we be always open to new revelation and blessings from the Lord.

Response:
Let’s pray for God to open our hearts and help us receive like a little child all that He has for us today. May we be humble and receive with trusting hearts.