Habakkuk 2:20
"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.
©2010
Daily Grace
Job 13:15
"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.
©2010
Daily Grace
Matthew 16:24
"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.
©2010
2 Corinthians 13:11
"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.
©2010
Galatians 2:20
"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.
©2010
John 3:30
"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.
©2010
2 Timothy 2:4
"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.
©2010
John 3:16
"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.
©2010
Proverbs 16:3
"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.
©2010
1 John 1:7
"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.
©2010
Isaiah 55:8
"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.
©2010
1 John 2:11
"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.
©2010
Isaiah 55:6
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.
©2010
Psalm 130:5
"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.
©2010
Mark 10:21-22
"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.
©2010
John 8:12
"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.
©2010
Matthew 13:22
"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.
©2010
John 21:17
"Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep.'" (NIV)
"Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." (KJV)
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.
©2010
Hebrews 10:36
"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.
©2010
Philippians 4:19
"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.
©2010
1 Corinthians 15:57
"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.
©2010
Philippians 1:29
"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.
©2010
Hebrews 12:11
"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.
©2010
Mark 2:9
"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.
©2010
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)
©2010
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)
©2010
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)
©2010
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)
©2010
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)
©2010
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)
©2010
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)
©2010
