December 1, 2010

 Daily Verse

“I am the Lord, I change not.”
Malachi 3:6

Daily Devotion

 

It is well for us that, amidst all the variableness of life, there is One whom change cannot affect; One whose heart can never alter, and on whose brow mutability can make no furrows. All things else have changed—all things are changing. The sun itself grows dim with age; the world is waxing old; the folding up of the worn-out vesture has commenced; the heavens and earth must soon pass away; they shall perish, they shall wax old as doth a garment; but there is One who only hath immortality, of whose years there is no end, and in whose person there is no change. The delight which the mariner feels, when, after having been tossed about for many a day, he steps again upon the solid shore, is the satisfaction of a Christian when, amidst all the changes of this troublous life, he rests the foot of his faith upon this truth—“I am the Lord, I change not.”

The stability which the anchor gives the ship when it has at last obtained a hold-fast, is like that which the Christian’s hope affords him when it fixes itself upon this glorious truth. With God “is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Whatever his attributes were of old, they are now; his power, his wisdom, his justice, his truth, are alike unchanged. He has ever been the refuge of his people, their stronghold in the day of trouble, and he is their sure Helper still. He is unchanged in his love. He has loved his people with “an everlasting love”; he loves them now as much as ever he did, and when all earthly things shall have melted in the last conflagration, his love will still wear the dew of its youth. Precious is the assurance that he changes not! The wheel of providence revolves, but its axle is eternal love.

“Death and change are busy ever,
Man decays, and ages move;
But his mercy waneth never;
God is wisdom, God is love.”

Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your Word. Thank You are the same yesterday, today, and forever more. Thank you that You are my Help, my Provision and my Hope. Please be with me today and guide me. 
Amen

November 30, 2010

 Daily Verse

Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Psalms 119:105

Daily Devotional
"Nominal Christianity"- inspired by Dr. Lightfoot

How many times have I been guilty of being a Christian that stands on the sidelines? This is a question we must ask daily. 

I lived that life. I knew Jesus, and I knew Him as savior, but I did not know Him as Lord. I lived for me. I dabbled in Christianity when it was convenient. I went to bible study and I went to church, but it was horrible.  There was no life in going through the motions. Then in 1997, God shook my world upside down. He was beckoning to me to “ take up my cross and follow Him” and become a servant.

Hearing these words, will often feel like a knife in our very soul. Life and society will encourage the pursuit of things to please ourselves. There will be many situations where we will be challenged and be alone in our stand for Christ. Yet, in these times we must remember, this is the same path our Lord walked.  He did not walk an easy road, but He paved the way so that we could follow Him. 

Our goal and call in life should be to know God more and to become more like Him each day.   How different our lives would be if we choose to follow his example, listen to his voice, and step off the sidelines of nominal Christianity?

Dear Lord,

Help me to follow You and to hear Your voice. Encourage me when I am walking the road you walked. Please help me to step off the sidelines and become a servant and to know you in a new way today.

Amen 

November 29, 2010

Daily Verse
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 

2 Corinthians 4:17

Daily Devotion

"Hold on"- Anita Donihue

Do you feel like you are overloaded? Are your hands filled with heavy cares? Be faithful. As you keep trusting in God, He will take away your heavy cares and give you songs so that you may sing glory and honor to Him for all He has done. Remember to thank and praise Him.

Hold on and do not despair. There will be a time when you look back and your trials will seem as nothing in the light of many answered prayers, miracles, and evidence of God's glory and grace.

When we meet in heaven our adversities will become strangely dim in the shadows of God's unfailing love. Remember to thank and praise him.

Dear Lord,
Right now, is so easy to feel overloaded. I'm looking to you for strength to hold on. I thank you for the mighty miracles and prayer you have answered. I will continue to be faithful as I "preach the gospel and heal the sick." Amen

November 26, 2010

Daily Verse

O Lord You have searched me and known me.

Psalms 139:1

Weekend Devotional

" Know Thyself" - Author Unknown

The ancient philospher said, "Know thyself," but that's hard to do. Jeremiah 17:9 says, " The heart is deceitful and wicked; who can know it?" The apostle Paul cautioned us against being too quick to approve ourselves or condemn others saying, " I care very little if I am judged by you, Indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. it is the Lord who judges me( 1 Corinthians 4:3-4).

We must be careful about being overly introspective, and about being too quick to criticize others. As fallen creatures, we're capable of wounding ourselves and others with misguided judgments.

Yes, be discerning about right and wrong, and be willing to properly admonish someone when the Spirit leads; but remember there's only One who can actually read the heart. How much better to say with the psalmist, "Search me O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

Dear Lord, 

Search me and know my heart. Teach me to see what is truly in me and not look at others. In Jesus name. Amen

November 25, 2010

Daily Verse

In everything give thanks.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Daily Devotion

" Let us cherish Thankfulness" - Amy Carmichael

"In everything give thanks."

This is a constant word to me. It is so easy to give thanks for what one naturally chooses, but that does not cover the "every thing" of the text.

One morning lately in speaking of some small trouble, I quoted, In everything give thanks, and at once someone answered "I cannot give thanks for everything".  Now if our God tells us to do a thing and we cannot, there is something wrong somewhere, for we all know the words, " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" ( Phillipians 4:13). It is treason to say, "I cannot." But first we should make sure that we are commanded to do this that we feel we cannot do. 

I do not not think we are to give thanks for everything. To make sure of this verse, which is sometimes quoted with for instead of in, I looked it up in seven versions. In six of the seven it is in; only one version has four. So I take it that we may understand the word to mean, not " Give thanks for everything, but in everything," which is a different matter.

We can do that. We will do that. 

I often think we must disappoint our Kind Father by not noticing the little things ( as well as the countless great things) that He does to give us pleasure.

 Dear Lord, 

Let me not dissapoint you by not giving thanks in everything. Thank you for a great year, and for the ability to see a New Thanksgiving.

November 24, 2010

Daily Verse

"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the Glory of God. "

1 Corithians 10:31

Daily Devotion

"Direction of Focus"

Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow aspects of life are not ordained by God; they are ordained by him equally as much as the profound. We sometimes refuse to be shallow, not our of our deep devotion to God but because we wish to impress other people with the fact that we are not shallow. This is a sure sign of spiritual pride. We must be careful, for this is how contempt for others is produced in our lives. And it causes us to be a walking rebuke to other people because they are more shallow than we are. Beware of posing as a profound person- God became a baby.

  

To be shallow is not a sign of being sinful, nor is shallowness an indication that there is no depth to your life at all... even the ocean has a shore. The shallow things of life, such as eating and drinking, walking and talking, are ordained by God. These are all things our Lord did. He did them as the Son of God, and He said, " A disciple is not above his teacher..." (Matthew 10:24).

We are safeguarded by the shallow things in life. We have to live to the surface, commonsense life in a commonsense way. Then when God gives us the deeper things, they are obviously separated from the shallow concerns. Never show the depth of your life to anyone but God. We are so nauseatingly serious, so desparately interested in our own character and reputation, we refuse to behave like Christians in the shallow concerns of life.

Make a determination to take no one seriously except God. You may find that the first person you must be the most critical with, as being the greatest fraud you have ever known is yourself.

Dear Lord, 

Help me deepen my relationship with You and not fear appearing shallow in a place where it is expected of me to be profound. Help me to live a life that is more in touch with the mundane things of life because You are in those moments as well. Help me lead a life that does not allow others to feel the arrows of sharp criticism or disapproval, and continue to expose who I really am.

Amen

November 23, 2010

Daily Verse

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,^[a] a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his marvellous light.

- 1 Peter 2:9

Daily Devotion

"Our Work What is It?" - Anna J. Lindgren-

The one thing, more than others, that keeps men from the Cross is the fact that the Cross stands for man's complete failure both to be and to do. The natural tendency of the human heart is to do "A golden deed" a day, or salvation on the installment plan appeals more.

God's great command is not to do, but to be!""Be ye Holy" rings through the whole Old Testament. And the whole Old Testament story bears out the evidence that man was not holy.

But "being justified freely" what is my work? Again God's command is not to do, but to be. " Be ye filled with the spirit" is an all inclusive New Testament command. " If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" ( Romans 8:9). And- do I dare to write it- it seems such a daring thought: To have the Spirit of God is to have the character of God.

Why so troubled about your weakness? Does not the Master know how to use His tools? Why so disappointed in environments and people? Does He not know how best to bring about His likeness in you? Whatever you are in now, God's eye is watching you. He is eagerly looking for His own likeness."

Dear Lord, 
Help me to become more like You and not just do good works without Your character. Help me to endure current situations that are changing my character. Thank you for watching me and leading me to Your Cross. Bring me closer to You.
Amen

November 22, 2010

Weekly Verse

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus!

I Thessalonians 5:18

Daily Devotional

"The Thankful List" by Joyce Landorf

It's Thanksgiving time again. I know it because everyone is talking about it. If I were to write a list of all the things I am thankful for, I'd put down all the good things of life. But as i look over my list, I wonder about the difficult things of the year. Should they be on the list too? Our Lord clearly reveals in His Word that we are to be thankful and grateful for all things.

My list does not include some suffering I had this year, yet in order for my patience to grow ( the epistle of James tells us), I need problems, pain, and suffering. My list includes none of this past months' disappointment, yet it was exactly when my disappointment was greatest that Jesus was especially close and comforting to me. 

It is not easy to make out a pain and disappointment list, yet the Old Testament Prophet Habakkuk did such a thing. He said:

                       "Even though the fig trees have no blossoms
                       and there are no grapes on the vines
                       even though the olive crop fails,
                       and the fields lie empty and barren;
                       even though the flocks die in the fields,
                       and the cattle barns are empty,
                       I will still rejoice in the Lord!
                       I will be joyful in the God of my salvation"
                      (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

The secret is in the fact that he did not make up his list of praise and thanksgiving by how he felt emotionally. He made it a matter of will. He, like the psalmist, says,  " I will praise." That's thanksgiving! So this year I am making a new list.

Dear Lord, 

I thank you for everything you have done in my life. I thank you for the good, and I thank you for the things that I cannot always perceive as good. Please continue to use all things in my life for Your glory.

Amen