“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

Rewind to the early chapters of Exodus. Israel is enslaved to Pharaoh. We all know the story of God’s deliverance, including plagues, pursuit, and parting the Red Sea.

Imagine that. The Red Sea splits in two before you, leaving nothing but dry land and safe passage. Authors call this plot. Something is happening in the story. In this story, the driving force of plot is God. He is revealing who He is through what He is doing. But for some reason, plot isn’t enough for the Israelites.

After a mere three days of walking through the desert and they begin to complain. The complaining continues and develops and reaches a climax when they worship an idol of metal instead of the living God. They didn’t know God’s character, at least not like Moses who saw and spoke with God (Exodus 19:19) and not like David who yearned to be with God (Psalm 84:10).

Our experiences will only take us so far. Experiences become memories, often misplaced, and the character of God is called into question by our feeble and forgetful minds. So what’s the alternative?

Instead of plot, let’s seek character. Instead of always asking God to part our Red Sea, let’s ask Him to reveal Himself to us. Instead of another miracle or blessing, let’s ask for the greatest miracle and blessing: a greater revelation of who He is. The more we understand Him, the more our lives can change to model his own eternal life.

There’s nothing wrong with plot, it’s just that character is better.

God, Show me who You are.  Amen.

Question: Which aspect of God’s character do you find the most encouraging? Which one is the hardest to deal with?

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

God is spreading His aroma through us. The knowledge of Him is a sweet smell. What else does the Bible say about fragrance? In Exodus 30, God tells Moses to make a sacred, anointing oil. This fragrance was used to anoint holy things, like the tabernacle and also holy people such as kings, priests, and prophets.

What does that have to do with you? Everything.

If you are a follower of Christ, you’re a king (Rev. 1:5, Rev. 5:10) and a priest (1 Peter 2:9) and a temple (1 Corinthians 3:16) and therefore you are anointed. Historically, few people experienced it. Now it’s available for all who bear the name of Christ.

Christ, when He quoted the anointing prophecy of Isaiah (Luke 4:18), mentioned these attributes of His anointing – attributes of a godly smell:

1. Proclaim good news to the poor
2. Proclaim freedom for the prisoners
3. Recovery of sight for the blind
4. Set the oppressed free

You carry the fragrance of God. Live it, breathe it, be it.

God remind me that I am anointed to do good works, which You have prepared for me in advance.  Help to me walk tall in the calling You have placed on my life.  Amen.

Question: When people meet you, do you leave them with a good impression of who God is?

Do you struggle with self-worth and feelings of inadequacy? Talk to a mentor today.

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy” (Titus 3:4, 5).
I do a lot of things.

Errands, baking, making meals, driving kids to activities, writing, volunteering, cleaning, balancing the books, getting the oil changed. That reminds me, I need to get the tires rotated on the van.

Add to that list praying, reading my Bible, going to church, leading a Bible study.

But it’s not enough. It is never enough. There is always one more thing that needs to be done or one more area that I could improve.

That is why it is wonderful to be reminded that God didn’t save me because I have done a lot of righteous stuff. He didn’t save me because of my hard work or my willing sacrifice or my exemplary character.

God saved me because of His mercy.

Because of His great love for me, He offered Himself – Jesus – to pay the price for my sin. And He did it for you.

Stop and think about that today. Turn it over and over in your brain. Say it out loud.

“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.”

Be reminded of God’s grace, His great love for you, His forgiveness and His mercy.

Heavenly Father, thank you for this amazing reminder of Your goodness to me. Help me to meditate on its truth all day long. Use these words to transform my heart and mind.

Questions: How does this truth change your perspective? Who can you share this good news with today?

Please open your Bible and read 2 Corinthians 5:16-21.

When Paul says that “we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20a, NLT), that’s a scary thought, isn’t it? I don’t want people looking at ME! Can’t we just point to Jesus and leave me out of this?

One of my professors remarked that he once received an “Alumni of the Year” award from his alma mater. On one hand he was happy to receive such a prestigious award, but on the other hand, he couldn’t help but think: “Me? They think I’m a great guy? Maybe they should talk to my wife, she’d let them know that maybe I’m not as great as they think!”

Thankfully, the beauty of God’s grace is that we DON’T always get what we deserve!

Paul continues in his letter by saying “We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”" (2 Corinthians 5:20b, NLT). Many people have never opened a Bible, know almost nothing about Jesus, and have never heard the Gospel. All they know about Christianity is what they observe about us Christians. Therefore, we must become effective ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is an authorized representative, and we are called to be Christ’s representatives on Earth.

To be effective witnesses, and proper ambassadors for Christ, we must possess three qualities (among others): knowledge, wisdom and character. Knowledge is WHAT we know, wisdom is HOW to present that knowledge in a winsome fashion, and character is the way we live our lives. Let’s recommit today to work towards becoming effective ambassadors for God; a tall order, but one we will achieve with diligence and trust in a God who will accomplish many great things through us if we are open to His great works.

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6)

Question: What are the three main qualities needed to be God’s ambassador? Which of the three are you being called to focus on today?

Are you experiencing financial concerns? We are here to listen.

David shows us what to do when life doesn’t make sense. First, he expressed his feelings honestly: “Hear my cry, O LORD…Have mercy on me…save me” he wrote in Psalm 86. Then he recounted a trait of God’s character: “you will answer me… for you are kind and forgiving, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.”

When life did not make sense, David stood on the character of God. David knew that God’s character of love and faithfulness does not change. He is the same on bad days as He is on good days.

Are you going through a difficult and confusing time right now? Express your feelings honestly to God. You might want to pray, “God, I don’t understand what’s happening. I don’t like what’s happening. But I want to trust You with this. You are a compassionate and gracious God, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

Everything around you might be caving in. But when you stand on the character of God, you have a center, a firm foundation, a hope for the future.  David did eventually become king of Israel. Because he’d gone through a difficult testing time, He could now sing of God’s faithfulness in an authentic way.

Father God, I want to trust You even when life doesn’t make sense. Amen.

Questions: Are you going through a difficult and confusing time right now? What is the one sure thing that you know about God that can help you through these difficult times?

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: Discover the Character of God

About the Author Helen Grace Lescheid

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“I believed, so I said, ‘I am completely ruined!’” Psalm 116:10 (NCV)

Did you know that admitting your hopelessness to God can be a statement of faith? Trusting God but feeling despair at the same time, David wrote, “I believed, so I said, ‘I am completely ruined!’” (Psalm 116:10, NCV)

This sounds like a contradiction: I trust God, but I’m wiped out! David’s frankness actually reveals deep faith: First, he believed in God. Second, he believed God would listen to his prayer. Third, he believed God would let him say what he felt and still love him.

Focus on who God is—his unchanging nature. Regardless of circumstances and how you feel, hang on to God’s unchanging character. Remind yourself what you know to be eternally true about God: He is good, he loves me, he is with me, he knows what I’m going through, he cares, and he has a good plan for my life. Raymond Edman said, “Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.”

When Job’s life fell apart, and God was silent, Job still found reasons to praise God:

- That he is good and loving. (Job 10:12)
- That he is all-powerful. (Job 42:2; 37:5, 23)
- That he notices every detail of my life. (Job 23:10; 31:4)
- That he is in control. (Job 34:13)
- That he has a plan for my life. (Job 23:14)
- That he will save me. (Job 19:25)

Trust God to keep his promises. During times of spiritual dryness you must patiently rely on the promises of God, not your emotions, and realize that he is taking you to a deeper level of maturity. A friendship based on emotion is shallow indeed.

So don’t be troubled by trouble. Circumstances cannot change the character of God. God’s grace is still in full force; he is still for you, even when you don’t feel it. In the absence of confirming circumstances, Job held on to God’s Word. He said, “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” (Job 23:12, NIV)

This trust in God’s Word caused Job to remain faithful even though nothing made sense. His faith was strong in the midst of pain: “God may kill me, but still I will trust him.” (Job 13:15, CEV)

Question: Can any circumstances change God’s character or negate His promises?

About this Author: Rick Warren

Let the Spirit change your way of thinking. Ephesians 4:23 (CEV)

Throughout the Bible we see an important truth illustrated over and over: the Holy Spirit releases his power the moment you take a step of faith.

When Joshua was faced with an impassible barrier, the floodwaters of the Jordan River receded only after the leaders stepped into the rushing current in obedience and faith. Obedience unlocks God’s power.

God waits for you to act first. Don’t wait to feel powerful or confident. Move ahead in your weakness, doing the right thing in spite of your fears and feelings. This is how you cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and it is how your character develops.

The Bible compares spiritual growth to a seed, a building, and a child growing up. Each metaphor requires active participation: seeds must be planted and cultivated, buildings must be built – they don’t just appear – and children must eat and exercise to grow.

While effort has nothing to do with your salvation, it has much to do with your spiritual growth. At least eight times in the New Testament we are told to “make every effort” in our growth toward becoming like Jesus. (Luke 13:24 NIV; Romans 14:19 NIV; Ephesians 4:3 NIV; 2 Timothy 2:15 NCV; Hebrews 4:11 NIV; Hebrews 12:14 NIV; 2 Peter 3:14 NIV)

You don’t just sit around and wait for it to happen.

Paul explains in Ephesians 4:22-24 our three responsibilities in becoming like Christ.

• First, we must choose to let go of old ways of acting. “Everything . . . connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it!” (Ephesians 4:22 MSG)

• Second, we must change the way we think. “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking.” (Ephesians 4:23 CEV) The Bible says we are “transformed” by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:2) The Greek word for transformed, metamorphosis (used in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18), is used today to describe the amazing change a caterpillar goes through in becoming a butterfly. It is a beautiful picture of what happens to us spiritually when we allow God to direct our thoughts: we are changed from the inside out, we become more beautiful, and we are set free to soar to new heights.

• Third, we must put on the character of Christ by developing new, godly habits. Your character is essentially the sum of your habits; it is how you habitually act. The Bible says, “Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24 NIV)

Question: How do we often compete with, rather than cooperate with, God’s Spirit in our lives?

About the Author:  Rick Warren

Section One

• Can Anyone Really Know God?
• How Can We Know a God Who is Everywhere?
• The Truth About God
• Personalizing God’s Unconditional Love

Section Two

• Learning to Trust Our All-Knowing God
• Discovering A Merciful God
• Discovering The Faithfulness Of Our Sovereign God
• Discovering God’s Power

Section 3

• Following A Just God
• Following A Righteous God In A Immoral Society
• Sharing In God’s Holiness