God is gracious.

The LORD, the LORD,
the compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness
Exodus 34:6b niv

This day is dedicated to Hannah whose name means:
God is gracious, and He is!!!

Grace has been translated “unmerited favor”, which it most certainly is, but it seems to be even more… grace is given to us by God in spiritual gifts and transforming power.  God goes beyond showing us mercy by not condemning us, to showing us grace by changing us, equipping us and empowering us.

Prayer:  Lord, thank You for these free gifts that You give us.  Please help me to use them rightly today.
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God is compassionate.

The LORD, the LORD,
the compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness
Exodus 34:6b niv

This passage has always been one of my favorites because it is God describing himself to Moses.  We are going to take 5 days to savor what it has to say. It might be a good opportunity to memorize it.

Compassion speaks of a deep, forgiving, merciful love.  The Lord is compassionate.  Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, having lived in flesh among us, although He never sinned.  Compassion is a soft, tender refuge that we can depend on in our Loving God.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You have compassion on us when we struggle in our weaknesses.  Please help us to know that as we live out our lives today.
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Our God is a God who saves.

Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign LORD
comes escape from death.
Psalm 68:20 niv

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17 tniv

Our Lord came to seek and save the lost.  He has rescued us all from a peril we did not have the power to rescue ourselves from.  It can by humbling to accept, but our part is to be rescued, to be saved, to be redeemed and to worship the One who not only has the power to save—is not just able to save– but is willing!

Prayer: Lord, please save me from my daily troubles and temptations that I face today.
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God is light.  In Him there is no darkness.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is
no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5 niv

This day is dedicated to Luke whose name means:
bringer of light.

God is all light and goodness.  He has no part in the deeds or strategies of darkness.  It is said that the glory of the Lord lights up Heaven. (Revelation 21:23) He is the source of all spiritual light.  Jesus’ light has shown into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.  (John 1:5)

Prayer: Lord, please give us Your light of glory today, the same light that fills up Your dwelling place, may it light up our spirits.
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God is merciful.

But because of his great love for us, God,
who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ
even when we were dead in transgressions--
it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4-5 niv

Let us then approach the throne of grace with
confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 niv

Our sins deserved punishment, and God who is rich in mercy, gave his One and Only Son to die to pay for them.  Now we have new life through faith in His son.  Often, after accepting this mercy for salvation, we go forward in our lives thinking that we shouldn’t need it anymore… but God continues to offer his mercy to us, loving and forgiving us when we do not deserve it.

Prayer: Lord, please help me to receive Your abundant mercy today.

 

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God is perfectly wise.

...to the only wise God be glory forever
 through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Romans 16:27 niv

Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
       his understanding has no limit.
Psalm 147:5 niv

God has unlimited wisdom that is morally perfect.  He is not wickedly shrewd or cunning; He always has perfectly good motives and complete understanding.  Wisdom from heaven is: pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (James 3)

Prayer:  Lord, thank You for Your kind and generous wisdom and please reveal some of that to us and give us some of that wisdom as we face our daily challenges.
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God knows our limits. 

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 
for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:13-14 niv

Sometimes, especially when we feel overwhelmed by problems and burdens, we feel that God has wronged us… that He has given us more than we can handle.  The truth is, God remembers how he formed Adam and Eve.  He knows that we are just dust that He breathed life into.  He has not left us to handle things on our own, but directs us to cast our anxieties on Him because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7) 


Prayer:  (We encourage you to take a moment and lay down your worries before God.)
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God knows the details.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Matthew 10:29-30 niv

Record my lament;
list my tears on your scroll
are they not in your record?
Psalm 56:8 niv

We sometimes think that God is so very big and great, that He takes no notice of the small things.  But, on the contrary, because He is so very great in His unlimited power of understanding and attention, no detail is missed.  He knows everything that happens to every one of His creatures.  Nothing escapes his notice.

Prayer:  Lord, thank You that you are detailed and meticulous… that You take the care to know every little thing about us and all things.

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God is omniscient (all-knowing), “even” when it comes to us.

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:12 niv

But the man who loves God is known by God.
1 Corinthians 8:3 niv

God knows us.  He formed us in our mothers’ wombs.  He knows our thoughts and our words.  He knows our hearts.  Our deep longing to be “fully known” is met by our loving Father.  God knows us even better than we know ourselves.  He knows us and He loves us…through Christ we need not hide in shame.

Prayer:  Lord, thank You that you know everything about us. It’s such a relief to have a God who knows and understands us.
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God is omniscient, all-knowing.

Who has understood the mind of the LORD,
       or instructed him as his counselor?
Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
       and who taught him the right way?
       Who was it that taught him knowledge
       or showed him the path of understanding?
Isaiah 40:13-14 niv
See also Romans 11:33-34 niv 

Have you ever caught yourself directing God what to do to answer your prayers?  How could we teach God, or counsel Him… or direct Him to the “correct” solution to our problems? The Lord needs no counsel. Today we bow before the all-knowing God who needs no suggestions.

Prayer:  Lord, we praise You that You are wise and that You don’t need us to tell You what to do.  Thank You that You are completely self-sufficient.
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