Daily Devotional 03-16-2019

What a beautiful Saturday we have, with clear skies and sunshine. Praise the Lord for His endless blessings!

I know that He is the only reason I have made it through the last few days, mentally and physically. I was running on just a few hours of sleep and a was getting a very sour, cranky attitude. I spent some time in prayer, sharing with God my struggles and needs. Both days, Thursday and Friday, were good days at work. I had energy, a good attitude, and a clear mind not clouded by fatigue. This was only by the provision of God. I am thankful for His many blessings.

Today, let us remember that He has provided everything we need. It is there, waiting for us to be willing to accept it. It wasn't until I accepted God's help that the energy, strength, clarity, and good attitude were given.

It is the same in everything with God. Are we willing to accept His guidance and direction? May we learn to rely on Him completely.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-A brother in Christ

Daily Devotional 03-15-2019

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What a wonderful Friday! The Lord is good and His faithfulness continues forever. He answers prayers, and is here to fix and restore that which has been destroyed.

1 Peter 1:23 says:

You have been born again not from some seed that will decay, but from one that cannot decay, through the living Word of God that lasts forever.

Let's ponder the seed for a moment. In a seed, there is a future, a potential, a plan, and the things needed to start the plan successfully. However, as Jesus says in Matthew 21, some seed falls on the road, some in thorns, and some in good soil (which produces bountifully).

As believers in Jesus, we have the potential for great things. We each can be as amazing as Samuel, King David, Elisha, Elijah, Paul, Peter, and John and all the apostles, but only if the thorns of life don't choke out our growth. As long as our hearts are seeking God, the soil of our lives will produce much.

May our hearts be receptive of the Word and of the seeds planted by God. May we not be choked up by life problems. May we overcome in order to reach our full potential.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-A brother in Jesus

Daily Devotional 03-14-2019

It is a good morning, because the Lord has made it. I will rejoice and be glad in it.

So, today, we are looking at temptation. James 1:12 says:

How blessed is the man who perseveres through temptation! For after he has passed the test, he will receive as his crown the Life which God has promised to those who love him.

This is the blessing we receive when we persevere through temptation. But how do we persevere?

Proverbs 5:8 has some great wisdom:

distance your way from her, stay far from the door of her house.

There are two things to deal with here.

1. Stay away from the temptation. Cut it out of our lives completely, lest we fall prey to it again.
2. Stay away from the door to temptation. The door represents the path to the temptation. We are to even avoid the things that would lead us to the temptation.

Let us submit our desires and ways to the Father today. Let Him guide our feet, and He will not lead us into temptation, but He will deliver us from evil (from the last part of the Lord's Prayer).

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-A brother in Jesus

Daily Devotional 03-13-2019

Happy Wednesday! It is a good day, and blessed because our Father is with us ALWAYS, even to the ends of the earth.

Today, we are reading an excerpt from the songs of King David, Psalm 27:4:

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

This is a strange verse. In the song, it is surrounded by times of trouble – enemies closing in from all sides, injustice, etc. And yet, here is a heart full of love for God, despite all the negatives.

How many of us can say that in the middle of a crisis in our lives, we can still focus on God and our love for Him? Do we even love God that much?

If we read further in the Psalm, the last two verses (13-14) conclude with a result of the love David had for God.

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

May we be as confident in God's love towards us, that we can stand strong and seek God even when we are in crisis mode. May our love for God outshine our circumstances.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

- A brother in Jesus

Daily Devotional 03-12-2019

Good Morning! I hope that everyone is adjusting well to the time change. I am still adjusting, but I will be good to go soon.

So, I was reading today and was led to Isaiah 48:17-18:

This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea."

God was talking to the nation of Israel, who did not follow His teaching and instruction. The consequences were very painful for them to bear.

However, these verses hide a promise and a blessing. In verse 17, we find that God is not only our teacher, but that He knows what is best for us. He is trying to show us how to attain that which is best for us.

In verse 18, we see the blessings that the Israelites lost by not listening to God. We can, however read this as the blessings we will get by obeying and following God's teaching, which we already know is the best thing for us. We can have never ending peace.

May we listen to our Abba, Father. May we learn and follow what He has for each of us. May we then have the Peace that surpasses all understanding, and fills our hearts and minds to overflowing. May we experience true joy as we obey Him.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-A brother in Christ

Daily Devotional 03-11-2019

Happy Monday! And happy time change! We now get an extra hour of light in the evenings. Spring and summer are my least favorite seasons, but I do like the extra daylight.

Today's verse is often not quoted completely. I always hear the first half, but not the second.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says:

No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure.

Why is it that the second part is not quoted? It is because it puts the responsibility on us to endure the temptation. As Pastor Joe said yesterday, "We choose whether to give in to the temptation or to take the way out offered by God.”

I don't want to discourage any of us. The truth is sometimes harsh. But, know this: God is ALWAYS faithful. There has never been, and never will be a time where He is not faithful. There will always be a way out for us from all temptations. Yet there is Grace and Mercy if we fail.

Temptation allows us to really see our heart. Are we like King David with a heart for God or are we desiring the world? Our choices, when we are faced with temptation, make it clear to all where our hearts' desires are.

May our hearts be towards God today. May we learn to always chose God's way of escape from our temptations. And may we quickly repent should we fail. Thank the Lord for His Grace and Mercy.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-A brother in Christ

Daily Devotional 03-09-2019

Good morning! I just want to share a quick encouragement this morning to everyone.

Luke 1:37 says:

For with God, nothing is impossible.

Remember this when we face obstacles that seem impassable. When we are at a loss for words, or cant find a way past our emotions, financial difficulties, or even a volatile coworker.

There is nothing that God cannot fix or help us with. Let us put our faith in Him today.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-A brother in Christ

Daily Devotional 03-08-2019

May today be overflowing with God's presence and peace.

Today, we look at Hebrews 11:6:

And without trusting [faith], it is impossible to be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches him must trust [have faith, believe] that He does exist and that He becomes a Rewarder to those who seek him out.

I am sure a lot of us have heard this passage preached on. However, I was thinking about prayer this morning, and approaching God.

How often do we pray by rote, or by memory, i.e., saying a quick prayer before we eat our meals? Do we really believe that God is listening and that He will bless the food? Or are we just repeating words we know we should say? How about in our prayers for healing? Do we know God is listening and have faith He will heal? Or are we saying words to make the person we are praying for feel better?

This is not a message of condemnation, but of introspection. We talked of entering God's presence with boldness. This is how – faith. Do we truly know and believe that He can and will and does pay attention to us and answer our prayers? If we do, then our prayers are pleasing to God. Without faith, our prayers become nothing more than the mutterings of a madman.

Know that God is listening and cares. Pray with faith. And remember, just a tiny bit of faith is all God needs to start His work. If we let Him, he can help our faith grow. And we can stand rock solid in Him.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-A brother in Christ

Daily Devotional 03-07-2019

Happy Thursday! May blessings and God's presence be with us today in all we do.

King David wrote in Psalm 42:2:

Just as a deer longs for running streams, God, I long for you.

How many of us can say that we desire God the way David did? We struggle with the cares of life trying to distract us. And even though we do love God for what He has done for us, sometimes our love for Him lacks this passion.

We cannot feel guilt over this. I felt guilty for years because I struggled to desire a relationship with God like this. It takes time to build a deep relationship with anyone. I had to get to the point where I worked at my relationship. Prayer, reading, meditating, and most importantly, listening.

The more we put effort into our relationship with God, the stronger our love and desire for Him becomes. It doesn't just happen overnight. Are we willing to put forth the effort, or are we happy with the status quo?

May we all desire God the way He desires us.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-A brother in Christ

Daily Devotional 03-06-2019

Good morning and a blessed Wednesday. The temps are supposed to climb out of the frigid range today. I love cold weather, but this last cold snap was beyond cold. Thankfully, warmer weather is on the way.

Today's verse is Hebrews 4:16:

Therefore, let us confidently approach the throne from which God gives grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.

I am sure that we have heard this preached on many times. However, it has become more "real" to me over the last year.

Boldness is not demanding. Boldness is not born of selfishness. It is not a sense of entitlement. It is brought about by confidence that God is faithful to His promises, AND, that the request we bring is in line with His will.

Example: I can pray for a million dollars or that He provide the money for a specific bill or need. His promise is that He will provide our needs. So, I can be certain and bold about asking Him to provide the funds for a specific need (not the million just because I want a million).

The cool thing about this boldness, is that it brings with it an unshakable faith that allows God to work and do mighty things. For even with faith the size of a mustard seed (which is very tiny), mountains can be moved. Imagine what a multitude of God's children praying with boldness could accomplish!

May we learn to be bold in our prayers, not entitled. May we see the Lord work and may His name be praised for the miracles He works in our lives.

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

-A brother in Christ

Daily Devotional 03-05-2019

Good morning and a happy frigid Tuesday to everyone. Please be safe on the roads and bridges while heading to work.

As we strive to be like Jesus, there is an attitude that Jesus had that goes against every grain of our flesh. We tend to ‘forget’ about it, and yet, if we don't have this attitude towards our spouses, children, parents, friends, and anyone we wish to have a relationship with, that relationship will fall apart. Jesus gave an example of this when He washed His disciples' feet.

Matthew 20:28 says:

For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve — and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Now, we may not be called to give our lives up for others, but we are called to serve. What does a life of service look like? We have to look no further than Jesus, but if we need a modern-ish example, Mother Teresa is one such person. She touched the lives of probably millions, and she wasn't anything special, just a vessel for God to use.

We, too, can do great things and help many people. We just need to be His servant. Until we can humble ourselves to be God's servant, our lives will never reach the potential God gave us.

May we learn to humble ourselves before God today and willfully serve Him, not out of duty, but of love.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-A brother in Christ

Daily Devotional 03-04-2019

Good morning! A very blessed Monday to everyone. I am sorry for the radio silence. I have been out of town since last Thursday for a wedding.

Sometimes scriptures can be convicting and encouraging at the exact same time. Such is the case for Luke 16:10:

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

When I read this verse, I become convicted of the little things where I have failed. However, if we re-read the first half, we should be encouraged for the small things in which we are faithful. That means that we can be trusted in the big things because we have it in us, through Jesus, to be faithful in whatever comes our way.

Today, let us not dwell on our failures. Recognize them as areas to work on and then let Jesus guide us. With His guidance, we can't fail – if we follow Him. We can be faithful and hear those coveted words, “enter into your rest, My good and faithful servant."

May we not be weighed down by our failures, but look towards Jesus to give us the strength to overcome them today.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

-A brother in Christ