Day 44: Beautiful Life

Reading: Proverbs 4:20-27

To have a beautiful life, God tells us to guard ourselves from the ways of the world. Though we live in the world, we don't have to take on it's customs. There are many ways advised in helping us achieve living life the way God intends for us here.
Guarding our hearts is one we've probably heard before. But what does it mean? Being cautious of what we think about and how we think can keep us pure minded and set straight on good things.
We also need to avoid saying bad things. Saying is eventually becoming and living. When we say things, even jokingly, we put a bad name on ourselves and even those around us.
Keeping our eyes from seeing the wrong things. We live in a world surrounded by media full of dirty things and concepts. When we come across a tv show or movie that doesn't help us live holy lives, it is best to turn it off or walk away.
Staying away from bad examples. We can do all we can to surround ourselves with great people who build us and our faith up, but in doing this, we need to avoid places that we know we can get into trouble or fall into temptation. Watch the paths you take and keep focused on what God intends of you.

How do you need to guard yourself from falling away from the beautiful life God intends for you?



Which of the above discussed areas do you need to work on?



Reading: Matthew 27:45-66

Jesus died an ugly, brutal death so that we all may have the opportunity to live beautiful lives with Him. Because of this grace, we can go to Him and have our slates wiped clean when we mess up and when our own lives get ugly. He is there to welcome us back anytime. Yet, we need to accept and go to Him. We see the work Jesus did and the power of His ministry in helping others to have beautiful lives. He made it so we can come to Him freely with our messes and our problems, and He takes them away so that we may be made new. Though He was abandoned and felt alone on the cross, He had each of us in mind when He took the weight of our sins and our lives on His back. This is the only kind of love and grace that makes our lives beautiful in the midst of darkness and mistakes.

How has Jesus made your life beautiful?



Who do you need to share this glorious news with?



Reading: Exodus 13:1-14:31

Cooperating with God and His plan is a way He can truly make our lives beautiful. We have seen Moses go from hesitation as to whether or not God had the right guy to lead the Israelites out of slavery to following God's every direction, and empowering people who doubted through the exodus. When Moses and the people are finally let go and make it to the Red Sea, they feel trapped and like it will be impossible to run away from the Egyptians. People claim they will die there and that all was for not. But Moses reassures them and trusts that God will get them out of an impossible situation. He tells them "the Lord will fight for you; you need only be still." How often do we trust these words? It can be hard to trust and know that God will get us through those situations in life that just don't seem to be feasible. Yet we read how He creates this amazing miracle in parting the Sea so the people may cross safely.
If God can deliver this nation, He can surely deliver you from the impossibilities of life and make it into a beautiful story.

When have you faced an impossible situation and thought there was no way out?



How did you trust God to deliver you and just remained still, waiting for His rescue?



Jesus died an ugly death for all of us so that we may have beautiful lives with Him, if we accept it. We see how God takes Moses and the people through impossible situations and declares His beauty and power through it and in the people He guides. We are advised on how to walk beautifully next to God in this life in guarding our hearts and watching what we allow into them in this world. The question that remains is whether or not you will accept Christ to make this messy life of yours beautiful or if you'll continue going it the world's way.