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Pray: Dear Lord Jesus, You make my life whole and worth living. Please continue to strengthen my faith and grow me up in my love for You. Pour out Your Spirit that I might find comfort in Your presence and the ability to live as the new creation You have made me to be through the washing of Your blood. In Your name I pray. Amen.

Read: 2 Peter 1:2–11
http://www.esvbible.org/2 Peter 1:2-11

Think about It: Having the knowledge of God’s presence in our lives makes each day a little easier to face. God’s presence brings purpose and direction to our words and actions. But there is one other benefit that isn’t about us at all. It is about those who witness our lives every day. When we live practicing the presence of God, others can see that in us and it shouts of God’s love to the world. 

Galatians 5:22-23a says that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” The life that exudes these qualities speaks loudly to a world where these characteristics are in short supply. When you are a person of patient kindness, even in the face of struggle and attack, people notice. When you show love and joy rather than hatred and anger,  people notice. When self-control seems easy for you, people notice. And what you want them to notice is not you but God. Eventually, they realize that no one is that nice. There has to be something different about you and they might even ask about it. Now you have an open door to share the Gospel with them! You haven’t done anything special except live! 

Will you blow it? Absolutely! But do not fear, for the life that is lived through the Spirit, recognizing God’s constant presence is also a life that is quickly restored to that place of peaceful equilibrium. Do God’s people get angry? Sure do. Do God’s people lose control? Regularly. The difference between the person who walks with God and the person who doesn’t is that the believer is quickly restored to peace while the unbeliever has no quick pathway to that safe haven of peace. The    believer knows how to seek the presence of God, that safe fortress of calm and security where God is in control. Is it a magic pill or panacea for an easy life? Certainly not. God promises us that every life will experience stress, struggle, and pain. But He also promises to be right there with us as we walk through it. The blood of Jesus has made that relationship possible and the presence of the Holy Spirit empowers that lifestyle. God has all the bases covered.

Pray: Dear Lord God, I want other people to know that You are present in my life. Please inspire in my daily life a picture of what a believer in the living God looks like! When others see me, please shine through. May my actions and words let the world know that You are alive and moving on the earth. Let the fruit of Your presence in me be obvious to everyone. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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