A concise daily devotional developed to encourage reading and understanding of God's Word.
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better." Ephesians 1:17 (NIV)
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"But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him." (NIV)
"But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him." (KJV)
Heaven is God's throne and the earth is His foot stool. All the monuments, statues, and icons cannot compare to the reality of His holy omnipresence. When we come to understand the all present, almighty God, we will be in silent reverence and being in His presence, we will know Him. The wall that separated us from His holy presence has been torn down by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, we cannot thank you enough that you provided the way for us to come boldly into your presence. We give you praise and glory that you are all present and allow us to bask in your presence. May we always know when to be silent so that we can commune with you and our lives be changed. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face." (NIV)
"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." (KJV)
If we only see life by the things going on around us, we are most likely lacking peace, hope, and Godly wisdom. It is when we understand our lives from God's perspective that we see there is purpose and great blessings waiting ahead for us, and we will know peace, hope, and Godly wisdom.
Heavenly Father, please help us to see our lives and the world around us from your eyes so that we will rise above the things that get us bogged down and immobile. Help us to use the wisdom you give so freely to us so that we will be fruitful for your kingdom rather than overwhelmed by the world around us. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (NIV)
"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (KJV)
Following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is not for the weak or fragile hearted. When we follow Christ, we refuse to recognize or acknowledge our own agenda. We disown our rights to ourselves and take on the responsibilities given to us as His fellow heirs of the kingdom.
Heavenly Father, we cannot deny ourselves in our own strength. We are humans with the weaknesses and self-centeredness that separated us from you in the first place. Help us, Oh God, to draw from the strength of the Holy Spirit, so that we can deny ourselves and follow after your ways that we will bring honor to your name. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." (NIV)
"Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." (KJV)
To aim is to narrow the target, have accurate sight, and hit the center. We achieve this in our Christian walk by having close communion with the Lord, daily ongoing prayer, study of the Word, and fellowship with other believers. Perfection is the ideal, the pure, and the untainted. None of us has reached perfection, save One, but we are all moving toward it if we are truly seeking Him.
Heavenly Father, please help us to follow your command to be perfect as you are perfect. In our own strength it is an impossibility, but with you all things are possible. Help us to trust you fully to bring us to perfection, we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (NIV)
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (KJV)
Since we have given our lives to Jesus Christ, as His children, we no longer live our lives the way we feel they should be lived. We live our lives according to the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit, in obedience to the way Christ would have us live. Even though we still have these earthly bodies that get in our way, we have total faith that the Lord will guide us safely through, because He gave His life for us.
Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for sending your Son Jesus Christ who loves us and gives us all we need to live the life you would have us live. Help us to listen and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and not to listen and follow the spirit of the world. We ask In Jesus' name, Amen.
"He must become greater, I must become less." (NIV)
"He must increase, but I must decrease." (KJV)
As new Christians, we have a tendency to pay more attention to how we are doing, looking for confirmation from other Christians and being sure to let others know how much our lives have changed. We get a bit caught up in ourselves and comparing our Christian walk with that of others. As we mature, we become more aware that the Christian walk is not about us, but it is about the Lordship of Jesus Christ and constantly pointing others to Him. He becomes the focus of our Christian walk--following Him and pointing the way to others.
Heavenly Father, sometimes we forget the real reason for the Christian life. We tend to focus on the social involvement, working in the church, or gathering all the Christian knowledge we can. Help us to be aware that following your son and pointing others in His direction is the only way to get ourselves out of the way so that others will see only Him. In His name we pray, Amen.
"No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer." (NIV)
"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." (KJV)
Choosing to give our lives over to the Lord is much like signing up for the military in that we are either 100% in or 100% out. There is no room for getting focused on civilian life when we are committed to preparation and carrying out battle strategies. Likewise, there is no room for getting involved in earthly things when we have made the total surrender to live for God and God alone. Let's examine ourselves to see if we are compromising our commitment to the Lord.
Heavenly Father, please help us to examine ourselves to find if we are holding on to earthly things that we just don't seem to be able to leave behind. Help us to be able to surrender totally to your charge so that we will be out of your way, hindering your plan for our lives. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
"For God so love the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (NIV)
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (KJV)
Do we really understand that God fully loves the world, all mankind, and not just a group of people who follow certain laws and doctrines, believing they only are the right way? When Christ died on the cross the dividing wall was ripped from the top to the bottom. From that moment on there were no separate groups, sects, or denominations that are an elite group with the one answer that excludes all others from the kingdom of God. There is only one group, the Bride of Christ, those who believe by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The world is the harvest field. If we are telling the Gospel to those we meet and not preaching a doctrine or denominational belief, we are a part of the body of Christ, His Church, His Bride.
Heavenly Father, we know that it all comes back to the cross where Jesus Christ gave His all. Help us to be aware that our commission is to spread the Gospel to the world, not our own beliefs and doctrines. We thank you and praise you for your wonderful grace and mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord and we pray this in His precious name, Amen.
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." (NIV)
"Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established." (KJV)
If there are things we are doing or plans we are making that would make us ashamed to ask for God's blessing, we need to get rid of them. Then we, with a clean conscience, can bring all our ways to the Lord knowing He will use them in His wisdom and make us successful in our Christian walk.
Heavenly Father, search our hearts and reveal to us if there are things in our thoughts, words, or deeds that would not glorify you and help us to do away with them. We then commit our ways to you so that you will be glorified and we will become more like you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (NIV)
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (KJV)
As we walk in our Christian life we receive increasing light of the knowledge of God. We all walk in different amounts of light, but, nevertheless, we walk holy and completely in the light we have. God is light and He is totally true to Himself, holy and righteous. If we are walking in the light, we are joined together with one another in His light and love, resembling Him, and having one purpose. God made the way for us to walk in His light by the cleansing blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, how thankful we are that You have made the way for us to come to the Light. Help us Lord to walk worthy and to seek more of You so that we will walk in greater light and help bring others closer to You. We praise you for enabling us to walk in the light by sending Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our sin. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord." (NIV)
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." (KJV)
It is such an awesome thing that God's thoughts and ways are all wise and loving. Unlike us, He forgives without seeking revenge, He forgives no matter how many times we sin against Him. He forgives everyone of both great and small infractions. God's plan of salvation could never have been devised by man. Because He has a plan for us, His ways will interfere with ours, they will frustrate us, and take us to places we never intended to go. But, we can trust Him because He knows all things and we can accept His ways.
Heavenly Father, we are but dust and yet we try to understand what you are doing. Help us to remember that our minds are limited and we cannot understand fully your plan and the ways you go about working them out. Help us to accept your ways and to live contentedly and with thankfulness that we serve an almighty God. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded him." (NIV)
"But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." (KJV)
If we find that God seems very far away, that we can't seem to find direction, or we aren't sure where we are going, it is time to search our own hearts for harbored resentment and anger. If we are holding a grudge or rehearsing angry thoughts about another person, we have turned off the light of the Lord and the Holy Spirit. If we let go of the resentment, forgive, and ask for forgiveness, the light will shine on us and we will again see the way we are to go.
Heavenly Father, please forgive us for harboring resentment toward others when we, ourselves, have a plank in our own eye. By your Holy Spirit, fill us with your love and forgiveness toward those we feel have wronged us. Cleanse us Lord of the negative hold of anger and hatred that leaves us stumbling around in the darkness. We ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near." (NIV)
"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." (KJV)
Looking for the Lord is a matter of opening ourselves to spend uninterrupted communion with Him. If this is the first intent of our prayer life, all else will fall into place. How many of us spend our entire prayer time with a word or two of praise followed by a long list of things we need the Lord to do for us? Praying for others and our needs is important. But unless we seek after the Lord in total abandonment to Him, we will not be effective intercessors.
Heavenly Father, how we must grieve you with our endless petitions for You to move on our behalf and we have not taken the time to just bask in Your presence and let You know what a wonderful and awesome God you are. Keep our minds aware that seeking You and Your presence is all we need to be able to live victorious lives here on earth. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." (NIV)
"I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope." (KJV)
Patience is a natural product of faith. It is much easier to wait when we are confident God will not disappoint us. So many things test our faith every day. But true faith will stay strong under the heaviest of burdens and trials. If we remember how long the Lord waited for us, and still waits for us, we will gladly wait patiently for Him.
Heavenly Father, forgive us for not allowing our faith to mature so that it produces the patience we need to wait on You. Help us Lord, to stand strong in our faith so that nothing in this world can cause us to waiver and lose hope. Thank you for hearing us. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
"Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' he said. 'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then come and follow me.' At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth." (NIV)
"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." (KJV)
Salvation, accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour is an easy simple act of faith on our part only because it cost God so very much. It is a free gift, extended to ALL who will believe. If we truly believe, we will find that it is not so easy to manifest the life of God in our thoughts and actions. Being a follower of Christ is not an easy mental agreement. It is living the life of God through our daily lives rather than living out what we think is right. That's not so easy.
Heavenly Father, the only way we can every repay you for the greatest gift in all of eternity, that is salvation through your Son Jesus Christ, is to give you all that we have. All that we have is our lives and worldly possessions. Take our lives and all we have and use them for your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (NIV)
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (KJV)
We can read all about sanctification, growing in the Lord, and walking in the Spirit. But, this only serves to educate our minds. Obedience to the Lord and His Word is what will change our hearts and bring about the wonderful work of sanctification, spiritual growth, and hearing the voice of the Spirit. Reading about it only makes us think about the time we will have it. Obedience results in it happening to us now.
Heavenly Father, we ask you to forgive us for sitting passively by, reading about the life we are to be living in you. Help us to be obedient in the light you have given to us and prepare us for the light that is ahead. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
"The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful." (NIV)
"He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." (KJV)
Are there things in your life that cause you to miss that time of communion with the Lord? We all have things going on in our lives that take up most of our waking hours and before we realize it, it's time to get to bed so we can get up and start all over again tomorrow. Have we read from the Word every day this past week? Have we spent time in thoughtful prayer? Or are the cares of this world choking out our personal relationship with the Lord? If we are going to be ready, putting on the armor of God, and in tune with His Spirit so that we will not be deceived, we will not be allowing the cares of this world to stand between us and our Lord. Let's prioritize our time by putting our time with God first. We will find that we have more time, then, to attend to the cares of this world.
Heavenly Father, we cannot use the excuse that we live in such a busy world with too many things to get done and so little time in which to do it. Your Son had a three year ministry and yet found time daily to get away by Himself to commune with You. Help us, oh God, to make it our primary goal each day to spend time with You, because our lives depend on it and You are so worthy. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
How often do we find ourselves tired, worn out, and in need of getting away from it all? What is it we have been doing that has us so spent? If we examine ourselves and the things on which we have been spending our energy, we will find that we have been struggling and striving to keep up with the demands of life. How do we have time and energy, then, to help other Christians in their walk as the Lord has commanded us? We can be giving out what the Lord has put in us in everything we do. A smile at someone in a busy store, the courtesy to let someone into the line of traffic in front of us, listening to one who is sharing a concern all seem like small things, but these small bits of giving might mean everything to the ones who receive them. Giving others spiritual food that the Lord has so graciously supplied to us will be refreshing and will uplift our fellow Christians.
Heavenly Father, You have told us to supply Your children with spiritual food that will help them grow. Forgive us for becoming so caught up in the demands of this life that we fail to do what You have told us to do. Give us sensitivity to the Holy Spirit so that we can supply the spiritual food to others at any moment in any situation so that Your children will be fed. In Jesus' name. Amen.
"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (NIV)
"For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." (KJV)
If we do not see the Lord answering our prayers, it is not because He does not heart us or because He does not care. It is most likely because we are sitting passively by as a spectator waiting for the show to begin. The Word tells us to: listen; walk; pray; be mindful; be ready; put on; throw aside; rejoice; forgive; keep the faith. And there are many more things we are instructed to do as followers of Christ. If we are doing these things He is telling us to do, we will always see and know that He is answering our prayers.
Heavenly Father, so many times we overlook what You are doing in answer to our prayers. We sit back and expect You to respond to our needs without doing those things we ought to be doing. Forgive us, Lord, for our neglect and help us to be actively working out our salvation. Help us to understand that it is in our obedience that we grow and become more aware of Your presence and Your working. In Jesus' name. Amen.
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (NIV)
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (KJV)
If we endure and continue to walk in the Spirit of the Lord through faith, we will never be hungry because we have the Bread of Life. We will always be well dressed because we wear His righteousness. We will always have shelter because we live in the shelter of the Most High God. There will be no need left wanting.
Heavenly Father, we humbly come before you with grateful hearts that you have provided the way to meet every one of our needs. Forgive us for our grumbling and complaining because we want more or refuse to be content. In Jesus' name. Amen.
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (NIV)
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (KJV)
We live in a cursed world. We encounter difficulties, trials, and frustrations every day. At times, we get so overwhelmed by it all that we feel ready to just throw in the towel. But......isn't it energizing and encouraging to know that Jesus Christ has every facet of our lives under control and will provide all we need to stay victorious over it all. If we think about that when we get to the end of our rope, we will never be defeated.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you for providing our every need to live in this dangerous and difficult world. We ask that you will bring to our minds that you are in control and we will come through each step with victory. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him." (NIV)
"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake." (KJV)
For those of us who have been drawn by the Holy Spirit, have recognized our sinful condition, have repented, and put our faith in Jesus Christ, there is joy and peace in knowing that we are His and that we will live in eternity with our Lord and Saviour. What an honor! How humbling to know that He did this for you and for me. Sometimes we forget that along with this wonderful salvation, we are still confined to this world until He takes us home. While we are here, we will endure the trials and sorrows that this world brings to us. Our tribulations are the same as those who don't know Christ. The difference is, we know what awaits us. We can continue on in this life going through very difficult times without complaining and continuing to praise Him, because we live for Him and walk as He did when He was here on earth.
Heavenly Father, how can we ever praise and thank you enough for your unending love and sacrifice of salvation? The least we can do is to keep walking through this life enduring the harsh and difficult things with praise on our lips and looking toward the hope of eternal life. Help us to do that, Lord, day by day, until Your return. In Jesus' name. Amen.
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (NIV)
"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (KJV)
Living the Christian life is one of constant discipline because we are in a perpetual state of staving off temptations, of struggling with our natural affinities, and of walking after the Spirit. At times, we give in to ourselves and the world. Then, we feel conviction and remorse. It is rough travelling through this life, but if we stay the course and allow the Lord to discipline us, we will win the prize of Christ's righteousness and peace. That's worth it all.
Heavenly Father, forgive us when we stumble and fall. Even though we may not like being disciplined, we know it is for our good and that You discipline us because You love us. We thank You and praise You for that. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
"After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them." (NIV)
"And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them." (KJV)
It is an awesome thing to have a mountain top experience with the Lord. It seems like those times just don't happen to us very often. The thing is, the Lord did not intend for us to stay on the mountain top nor to seek the mountain top experience. He takes us to a very precious spiritual place so that we will be energized and equipped spiritually to live day by day in the valley of the difficult world in which we live. We are not to seek those mountain top experiences, we are to seek Him. He will take us to the mountain top when He sees fit.
Heavenly Father, we humbly seek You and ask for Your forgiveness when we seek the mountain top experiences. We thank you for those times that you take us to a place with You by ourselves to be refreshed and ready to live in the valley where days become alike and the road gets rough. May You find us about Your business and seeking You from day to day. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Do we have the slightest hint of unforgiveness in our hearts? Is there a lingering resentment over hurts and disappointments of which we just can't seem to let go? Human nature tells us if we forgive someone who wrongs us, it is like telling them what they did was all right. How can we, as Christians accept the forgiveness of God after the ungodly and sinful things we do that grieve God so much, and then withhold that same forgiveness to someone who wrongs us on some or situation. Before we can receive the unearned grace of God's forgiveness for our own sins and wrongdoings, we must forgive those who sin against us.
Heavenly Father, help us to examine ourselves so that we might rid ourselves of any unforgiveness that lingers within us. We are in awe of the forgiveness you have given us after we were so ungodly toward you. Help us to see that it is all the more reason we must forgive those who sin against us. We pray in Jesus's name. Amen.
Read Matthew 6:14
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (NIV)
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (KJV)
There is a wisdom mankind has about the natural things of this world. There is also a human wisdom about God and the things of God. But man's wisdom has never and never will be capable of understanding or knowing God. Knowing God and the wisdom of God can only be known through Him. He chose to reconcile mankind to Himself by sending His Son Jesus Christ. In man's wisdom, this makes no sense. But we don't rely on human wisdom to know the things of God or to receive His salvation by faith. We rely on the wisdom of God.
Heavenly Father, sometimes we rely on our own wisdom to get by in this world. We ask you to forgive us for that. Please help us to rely at all times on your wisdom that leads us to you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Read 1 Corinthians 1:21
"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe." (NIV)
"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (KJV)
With so many daily routines and activities that we repeat day after day, it is no wonder that we learn to live on auto pilot. We can go through the motions of the morning routine, getting to work or school, and on with the day. If we get into the same auto pilot mode with our devotional time and prayer, we will be just making noise and not truly connecting with the Lord. The result of that is lack of spiritual renewal and growth. If we take careful thought of our relationship with the Lord and are deliberate in our prayers and Bible study, we will notice that we are growing in Christ from the way we cope with the things of this world and from the way we interact with others.
Heavenly Father, we ask your forgiveness for the times we hurry mindlessly through our prayers and devotions. Give us careful thought to those important things that cannot be handled by our being on auto pilot. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen
Read Haggai 1:7
"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thoughts to your ways.'" (NIV)
"Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways." (KJV)
Without humility, we are choosing to make decisions and plans based on our own strengths, knowledge, and reasonings. Because we are so limited in knowledge and understanding of truth as a whole, we have no hope of staying on the path of truth. We believe our own thoughts and those of others in the same place we are and we stumble around in the darkness. If we put on true humility, we give up our right to follow what we think or feel and we walk by faith and obedience after the leading of the Lord.
Heavenly Father, we know that we cannot find you and your truth if we do not have humility to let go of our own ways and follow yours in obedience. We pray that you would show us when we are not wearing the cloak of humility so that we can get back to the business of obeying and following you. In Jesus' name.
Read Psalm 25:9
"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." (NIV)
"The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way." (KJV)
For many generations, the human race has been held in captivity by the forces of self satisfaction and evil. We have literally been held prisoners in a cursed world. After so long a time in this condition, it became a normal way of life for mankind. We have all pretty well adapted to it. However, when the Holy Spirit draws us to the Lord and we respond, our eyes are opened and the light shines on the truth of our depraved and lost condition. We can also see the glorious realm of God's kingdom that we have been brought into by the blood of Christ. What an amazing rescue. If the Holy Spirit is drawing you to the Lord Jesus Christ, respond now and know the wonderful gift of freedom from a cursed world and freedom to dwell in the kingdom of God from now through eternity.
Heavenly Father, we just want to thank you and praise you for the wonderful gift of freedom you have provided for us through your Son Jesus Christ. Help us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit so that we can speak to those who need to be rescued and bring your light to this dark world. In Jesus' name. Amen
Read Colossians 1:13
"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves." (NIV)
"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." (KJV)
We have said at times that God is dealing with us about a particular situation. Actually, we are dealing with our own flesh and the temptation to take care of the situation in our own way. If we have God's armor on, we can fight against our own flesh and the forces that try to pull us away from God. God does not wrestle with us. He stays with us, brings to mind His Word through the Holy Spirit, and empowers us. It is our own choice to struggle and wrestle against our own wills and the temptations to disobey Him.
Heavenly Father, help us to understand that it is not You with whom we struggle when we are tempted, and that it is not You who tests us. We thank You and praise You that You are always with us to help us and empower us to gain victory over our own selfish wills and the lure of sin around us. We pray in Jesus' name.
Read Ephesians 6:13
"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything, to stand." (NIV)
"Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (KJV)
Imagine an average group of people, some Christians and some not, watching a video of people in a stadium cheering, waving, clapping, shouting, and jumping up and down. There is no sound with the video. When this group of people are told this is a crowd at a football game and their team just scored a touchdown, they will most likely comment that it must have been a very good play or the game was very exciting. If the group was told it was a crowd of Christians at a rally to win souls to Christ, there would probably be comments stating that these people are religious fanatics or going overboard with their emotions. If a star athlete deserves an excited, demonstrative crowd, how much more does the Lord Jesus Christ deserve our excited, demonstrative actions for saving us and giving us eternal life?
Heavenly Father, help us to never be ashamed to show our full excitement and joy at the wonderful gift of eternal life you gave us at the most costly price ever known. Give us boldness to show our love to you with everything we have. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Read Deuteronomy 6:5
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (NIV)
"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." (KJV)
