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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2 Corinthians 7:1
"Since we have these promises (6:17,18), dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit; perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." NIV
"Having therefore these promises (6:17,18), dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." KJV
God promises us that if we separate ourselves from the world he will receive us as His own, He will be our Heavenly Father, and we will be his children. With promises such as these, we should be doing all we can to get rid of the worldliness in our minds and hearts. We should be striving for Godliness and holiness. We do this not because we have to, but because He is worthy of our reverence and our gratitude which naturally directs us to do these things from love flowing from our hearts.
Heavenly Father, what great and precious promises you have given to us that we can fully trust and never be disappointed. Help us to internalize these promises into our hearts so that we will automatically want to rid ourselves of all the worldliness within us and we will desire to live holy in your sight. We can only do this by your grace and mercy and we ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Jude 1:24
"To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy." NIV
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." KJV
There is no entity that exists that can keep us from falling from God's grace except God himself. If we put our faith in Him, He will not let us fall. There is nothing that can allow us to stand before God without spot or blemish except the blood of Jesus Christ. If we believe in the Gospel message and endure, we will stand before Him clean and white as snow. If we are kept by God's grace and found faultless before Him by Jesus' blood, we will abound in overflowing joy for eternity.
Heavenly Father, we ask that you keep our minds always open to the reality of your saving grace and safety of your loving arms. We thank you for the joy that you give us when we recognize you are the One that can keep us until the day of your coming for us. We ask these things in the name of Jesus our Saviour, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Jeremiah 29:13
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." NIV
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." KJV
We all have an interest in seeking and finding God. Many of us search the scriptures and read great writings of our church fathers. Some of us gather with like minded Christians and share what knowledge we have accrued. These are all good ways to know about God. But to find him personally, our hearts must be in a place of desperation, a necessary thing for our survival. If our hearts are in this place, it is because we have discovered our pitiful condition. Then we will seek him with our whole hearts and we will find Him.
Heavenly Father, how thankful we are for your Word, the anointed writings of Godly men and women, and our fellow Christians with whom we can share. Most of all, we thank you and ask you to help us to see the condition of our hearts, that we will know we cannot make it without having a personal relationship with you. Help us to seek you with our whole hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Psalm 37:5,6
"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." NIV
"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday." KJV
It is difficult to stay totally reliant toward the Lord, even though we know He already knows us intimately, inside and out. But we tend to get distracted and caught up in the circumstances going on around us. If we stay strong, focused, and committed to Him, He will make it known to the world that we are His own and He will cause His blessings to fall on our lives, letting us know we have pleased Him.
Heavenly Father, how true are your words when you said "O ye of little faith." Help us in our weaknesses and our faltering faith. We trust you to take care of all things and to finish your work in us until we sit at your feet in eternity. In Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Isaiah 57: 11b
". . . .Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?" NIV
". . . .have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not? KJV
Haven't we all experienced those desert times when we feel God has left us to fend for ourselves? Those times are severe tests of faith for even the most mature committed Christians. It's at these times some begin to weaken in their faith and begin putting their trust in friends, money, or their own ideas of how to live. Any of these prove that we do not fear or trust the God who tells us He will never leave us nor forsake us. It is easy to maintain our faith when we are blessed with His presence and manifestations. It is difficult to walk along day after day with no sign or inkling from Him and to not fall away.
Heavenly Father, you know we are all like sheep. Most of us have not grasped true faith in our hearts, but we have a shallow faith that depends on external occurrences that prove you are with us. Forgive us for not keeping our faith strong within our hearts. Help us to read your word and stay in daily communion with you, whether we can sense your presence or not. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." NIV
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." KJV
The Word tells us that all things work out for good to those who belong to Christ. So whether we are experiencing blessings or tribulations, we still thank and praise God for His faithfulness, grace, and mercy to us. We are not thanking Him for the trials and tribulations, we are thanking Him in spite of them. This pleases the Lord because this shows we trust Him no matter what we are going through here on earth.
Heavenly Father, so often we fail to continue offering you the praise that belongs to you because we are too focused with worry about the things going on that trouble us. Forgive us, Lord, and by your grace, open up our floodgates of praise so that we will always be thankful and give honor to you no matter what we are going through. In Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Hebrews 3:14
"We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." NIV
"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end." KJV
As Christians we understand the concept of sharing in Christ. That is becoming one with Him, being filled with His Spirit, and sharing in His heavenly glory. Our sincerity and commitment to be united with Jesus Christ will be revealed at the end. We will be found with the first love, zeal, and commitment we had at first, or our love for Him will have faded and become tarnished with the ways of the world.
Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for the wonderful love and zeal you place in our hearts when we ask you into our hearts. Help us, Lord, to keep the fire of our faith burning as it did in the beginning so that we may be found holding firmly to that first faith we had in the beginning. In Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Hebrews 12:13
"Make level paths for your feet so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed." NIV
"And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed." KJV
In order to make the narrow path of God level, we are to be careful to keep from putting stumbling blocks, side paths, or debris on the path; and as we travel along we are to remove those things left there by others. In keeping the path level, any spiritual injuries we have suffered or any suffered by others coming along will not be further injured but will be naturally healed from walking on solid, level ground. Let's watch how we walk and stay on the even path.
Heavenly Father, please forgive us for putting stumbling blocks on the narrow path and causing injury to ourselves and others. Help us to keep the path level and free of debris so that those injured spiritually can have a chance to heal. We thank you for helping us complete this work for you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
James 1:16
"Don't be deceived my dear brothers." NIV
"Do not err, my beloved brethren." KJV
The Word tells us that God does not tempt any of us nor is He tempted by anything. It seems then, that we have all we need to keep from being deceived and from being taken off the course of eternal life. We have the responsibility to stay on the narrow path or not. God does not trip us up by throwing lies and stumbling blocks in our way. Those come from the evil one or our own natural desires. To give in to the deception by rationalizing or minimizing it will cause us to decline spiritually and if left going in that way, eventually, spiritual death. Let us not be deceived.
Heavenly Father, how aware we are that none of us are above being deceived. But we also know that if we stay close to You and Your Word and walk daily in Your Spirit, we will not fall into deception. Help us to keep alert and recognize that deception is all around us, so that we will not be trapped by it. It is only by Your grace and our total reliance on you that we escape deception. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Psalm 71:14
"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." NIV
"But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more." KJV
Hope is confidence, trust, and reliance. Since the Lord never leaves us or forsakes us, we learn that we can have hope each time He works in our behalf. Over and over we are strengthened in faith and hope that our God is faithful to His word. The only result that can emerge from such an awesome God from those who are committed to Him is praise to him, and more praise, and more praise. We never have to worry about the Lord leaving us stranded. Even if we die, we praise Him that He has delivered us from this cursed world and brought us into His blessed presence.
Heavenly Father, how thankful we are that we can always trust in your Word, your promises to us and that you will never leave us nor forsake us. Help us to keep these words locked in our hearts for our strengthening and ready on our lips to help strengthen the faith of others. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Job 23:12
I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread." NIV
"Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." KJV
Imagine being in a desperate, life threatening situation. How strong would our faith be? Would we question God and His intentions? Would we seek to take care of the situation by our own means? No one had a more desperate situation than Job. In spite of it and people around him telling him he was being punished for some sin he really hadn't committed, Job continued to glorify and live in obedience to God and His Word. Could we do that? Could we treasure God's Word more than the very basics of life we need to keep us alive? That would be a real test of our faith.
Heavenly Father, we want to think our faith is strong and able to withstand any storm of life, but we know we are but dust and our only hope is You. Help us to exercise our faith to meet the challenges that come our way so that we might give you the glory for sustaining us with the faith we need. In Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
1 Peter 1:7
"These have come so that your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -- may be proven genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." NIV
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." KJV
When gold is put through the fire it is purified and the true gold remains. God is more interested in the purifying of our faith after we have been through "grief in all kinds of trials." When our faith holds up through all of that, He is glorified and honored. He in turn honors us from all His eternal blessings. Let's think of this when we are going through fierce and troubled times.
Heavenly Father, forgive us when we complain and blame you for the fiery trials that come our way. You have told us we will have tribulation in this world. We want to thank you allowing these trials to purify and strengthen our faith and we ask that you give us what we need to overcome. In Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
2 Peter 1:5-9
v. 8
"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." NIV
"For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." KJV
What are these qualities we are to possess and keep striving to increase so that we will be fruitful and not dead weight for the kingdom of God? Along with our faith, these qualities are: goodness; knowledge; self-control; perseverance; godliness; brotherly kindness; and love. If we examine ourselves in truth, will we find these things active and increasing in our lives?
Heavenly Father, search our hearts and lives and reveal to us if we have these qualities that we need to be productive children of God. We thank you and praise for helping us be more like you, in Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
1 John 3:18
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and truth." NIV
"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." KJV
Words can sound convincing but be as hollow as a dead tree. We do not show real love by merely talking about it and speaking of love with eloquent words. Love is made real in actions and sincerity of those actions. Sometimes an act of love can be hollow when we have personal reasons for doing it. It is the genuine sincerity of the heart in an act of love that confirms we have true Godly love.
Heavenly Father, just as you proved your great love to us by your genuine willingness to give your life for our sins, we ask for your grace to do acts of love with genuine love and giving of ourselves. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Jude 1:20
"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit." NIV
"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost." KJV
We are exhorted to build up our faith. This lets us know we cannot sit and rest, expecting the Lord to keep our faith strong. He gives us all a measure of faith. It is up to us to build it up so that it will be fruitful. How do we build up our faith? By the Word of God, hearing it, studying it, and meditating on it.
Heavenly Father, how thankful we are for your gift of faith to each of us. We ask for Your grace to help us in building up our faith so that we may be useful for Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Psalm 34:4
"I sought the Lord, and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." NIV
"I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." KJV
As humans we tend to cry out to the Lord for help during bad times and we are bewildered and resentful if we don't get a noticeable answer right away. The Psalmist, David, said he sought the Lord, and He heard him. Seeking the Lord is the key here. It's not that we have to go hunting for Him, but we go to where He is. The Lord lives in the praises of His people and His name is our tower of safety. Seeking Him is remembering and acknowledging that our God is aware of our situation and He is in control, never leaving us nor forsaking us. What peace and hope this brings to us.
Heavenly Father, how humbled we are at our insistence that You respond to our needs when we feel You should. Forgive us, Lord, for forgetting that You already know what our needs are before we ask. We thank You that we can seek You by praise and the power of Your name to take care of all our needs. We glorify your name and ask you for these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Romans 2:13
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." NIV
"For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." KJV
Faith in Jesus Christ is not just believing He is the Saviour. It is also living our lives so as to reflect our beliefs. We will be living out the Word of God, and living as Jesus did. We can believe that seatbelts save lives in a car crash, but unless we put our seatbelts on, they will be of no use if we are in a head on collision. It is the same with out faith. Even Satan knows and believes that Jesus is the Christ.
Heavenly Father, we ask you to help us to live our belief in you and Jesus Christ so that we will be doers of the Word and not just hearers. Help us to be fruitful in doing good works so that your love will shine out from us and draw others to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
John 10:17-18
"I lay down my life......No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord." NIV
"I lay down my life.....No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself." KJV
We do the same thing as Christians. We don't follow a set of do's and don'ts. By choice, out of love and faith in Jesus Christ, we give up catering to our sinful nature and we willingly serve by living and walking in the Spirit of God. Our Lord gave up all He had to take our place on the cross. He did it willingly by giving Himself. Giving our lives to Him is such a small sacrifice in comparison.
Heavenly Father, help us to always remember the sacrifice You made for us from giving up Your heavenly status all the way to the humiliating cross. All we have to give are our lives here on earth. We ask that You take our lives and use them for Your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
1 Timothy 1:19
"Holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith." NIV
"Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck." KJV
Being a Christian is much more than one would think. God did His part by sending His Son to die a humiliating death, rise again, and conquer sin forever. But we must freely choose to accept that sacrifice by bearing fruit showing we are alive in Him. We do that by keeping a strong grasp on our faith, living Godly lives, and keeping clean consciences. Those who fail to do this completely destroy their faith.
Heavenly Father, we have the Word that shows us how to live righteously and increase our faith. Help us, Lord to always be aware that we can get distracted or complacent in our walk if we do not hold fast to our faith and seek to grow and mature in you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
2 Thessalonians 3:13
"And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right." NIV
"But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing." KJV
Is there any one of us who has never felt unappreciated or unrewarded for our sincere efforts? Of course, we've all been there at one time or another. When it comes to the things of God and living for Him, we continue day and night, day after day never losing heart. We press on in righteous living because we have the hope of Jesus Christ waiting for us. That far exceeds any reward this world could ever give.
Heavenly Father, we give you praise and glory because we know that you will honor us as faithful servants if we press on and don't give up. Help us Lord to keep seeking you and to draw near to you so that we will not lose strength. We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
1 Thessalonians 4:8
"Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit." NIV
"He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit." KJV
There may be many things in the instruction of the Word that we do not understand nor really want to follow. That is a natural thing for all of us. If we become complacent and are not careful to follow the things we are instructed to do, we risk turning away from the very God who saved us and gave us His Holy Spirit as a gift of power and comfort.
Heavenly Father, we humbly ask for your help in keeping us aware of the steps we are taking, whether they are steps toward you or steps away from you. We pray that you will not find us disobedient or rejecting you, but following the words you have given to us guided by your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Colossians 4:2
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." NIV
"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." KJV
If we stay in direct contact with God, watching with open eyes for the evil traps set just for us, we will be ready for anything that would distract us from our goal of becoming like Christ. And on our journey we can show gratitude and acknowledge the grace and mercy God shows us every day.
Heavenly Father, even though it is difficult to live victoriously in this world, you have given us all we need. Help us to draw on this great resource of prayer, vigilance, and gratitude, so that we will be strong when the storms come. In Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Philippians 1:27
"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." NIV
"That whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." KJV
If we believe we can blame our ungodly behaviors on the terrible circumstances we're in, we are mistaken. We are given the mandate as well as the ability to behave consistently with the good news of Jesus Christ. No matter what situation we find ourselves, we are to live and respond in Godly ways.
Heavenly Father, we ask your forgiveness for failing to take personal responsibility for our wrong doings. Help us, Lord, to always make ourselves accountable to you and live in unity with you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Ephesians 5:8
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, live as children of light." NIV
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light." KJV
Before we accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we lived in darkness. We didn't realize it because it appeared we were doing basically what the rest of the world was doing and it seemed natural. When we accepted Jesus as our Saviour, we immediately realized the difference by the light we received. It was then we committed ourselves to Jesus Christ as our Lord and now live totally in the light.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you for bringing us out of the darkness and into the light. We ask for your continued grace and mercy to help us stay within the light and to keep from drifting back toward the darkness that seems to want us back. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Galatians 5:17
"For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." NIV
"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." KJV
There is a constant spiritual battle going on within each of us between the Spirit of God and our human nature. By nature, they are adversaries and cannot abide together. That's why we cannot walk in the Spirit if we flip flop back and forth between the two. If we are walking in the Spirit, we will not be doing what our human nature wants. Actually we will be set free from our human nature so we can do what the Spirit wants.
Heavenly Father, how comforting it is to know that your Holy Spirit dwells within us so that we can cling to Him and not get drawn to the self-centered nature of our flesh. Help us, Lord, to have wisdom and discernment to know when our human nature is sneaking up on us trying to deceive us into giving in to it. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
2 Corinthians 8:9
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." NIV
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." KJV
This grace of God's is so amazing we cannot fathom its depth, height, or breadth. Jesus gave up all He had, which was eternal glory with the Father and became as nothing. What kind of person would do that? Then, He came to us, who are nothing and gave us what He gave up, which is eternal glory with the Father. What amazing love and grace!
Heavenly Father, how can we ever show our gratitude for the amazing love and grace you have lavished on us. Help us to give out to others who need this great gift, just as you gave it to us. In Jesus name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Colossians 3:13
"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." NIV
"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." KJV
How many times have we heard the saying, "Forgive and forget?" So many have felt they have failed to forgive because they can't forget. Our God created us with a brain that records all memories. Those memories that are significant will come to mind occasionally. It doesn't mean we haven't forgiven. We have forgiven when the memory crops up and we can say we are thankful to the Lord that He gave us the ability to forgive and we aren't going to let all the negative emotions, hurt, anger, resentment, enter back and hold us captive. Forgive? Always. Forget? Not necessarily the circumstance, but always the negative emotions that signify how much we were wronged.
Heavenly Father, we praise you for the forgiveness you have given to us, even though we didn't deserve such love. Lord, it is such a comfort to know that you will never hold our forgiven sins to our charge and we are rendered clean. Help us, Lord, to forgive as you have forgiven us and to never allow the hurt and resentment to enter back into our lives. We pray this in Jesus' name.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
2 Corinthians 5:7
"We live by faith, not by sight." NIV
"For we walk by faith, not by sight." KJV
It is truly difficult to live happily and contentedly in this world. As children of God, we don't live our lives by what the path looks like or by following our instincts. We go forward trusting in His Word and His promises to us, without seeing Him. This way of living is not natural to humans. It can only be done by a special work of Christ through His Holy Spirit. It is a common spiritual nature for one born of God.
Heavenly Father, forgive us for those times we have walked by the way that seemed right to us or the way others were going. Help us to walk by the faith you have freely given us to do your will. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
1 Corinthians 12:12
"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all the parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." NIV
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ." KJV
The physical body can only function when all its systems and their individual parts are working properly according to their function and working together to function as a whole. It is exactly the same with the Church, the body of Christ. All of the groups of churches and the individual Christians who are a part of them use the faith and ability given to them, and they work in unity, functioning as one, united by the head, which is Christ.
Heavenly Father, please help us to understand the importance of giving all our energies and abilities to complete the functioning of your Church. Give us hearts of fellowship and true love so that the Church will complete its mission here on earth. In Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
James 2:10
"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." NIV
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." KJV
We cannot for one minute think that it is all right to engage in a small sin that doesn't appear to be of any significance in the grand scheme of things. We cannot even give sin a rank of greater or smaller. Sin is sin. Love is the sum total of all the Law - it is all about love. If we harbor any resentment, ill will, or prejudice against any person, place, or thing, we have fully announced that we do not love God. We can call on God to help us when we fall short. We can keep from breaking the law of Christ's love by examining ourselves, staying alert, and turning our backs on those things that are inconsistent with the law of love.
Heavenly Father, we cannot accomplish keeping the law of Love without your help. Help us to examine ourselves, to stay alert, and to turn our back on those things that we know are not consistent with Your ways. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
Hebrews 12:7
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?" NIV
"If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" KJV
Everyone experiences difficult and troubled times. For us, as children of God, it is not a good testimony to complain or ask God why this is happening to us. He is our Heavenly Father. He brings us to Himself by discipline. It keeps us on the right path and causes us to be more attentive. If we look at our difficult circumstances from this perspective, we will grow and mature, becoming more like Him.
Heavenly Father, help us to remember that going through difficult times are opportunities for us to display our faith and trust in you and to produce spiritual fruit in the face of adversity. Forgive us for complaining and wanting always to be on the mountaintop where we will never learn your deep and enduring realities. In Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D.
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Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC
http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/
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