Tag Archives: Devotion

May 26, 2015 · 7:51 AM

Peace In Uncertainty

Have you ever noticed that the in depth weather report is at the end of the news? They might bring them out early to give you a tease about the weather, but they won’t give specifics until later in the broadcast. I’ve read many times that the weather is the most watched part of the news. I’ve always wondered why. They’re rarely right. The rest of the news is a presentation of facts that have happened and the weather is a prediction of what will happen. We are intrigued with possibilities and predictions more than the past.

I also think it’s interesting that the opposite is true when it comes to the Bible. We are more concerned with what’s happened than with what will happen. I would venture to say that Revelation is probably the least read book in the Bible. We care about the future of the weather, but not the future of mankind. I understand it’s very cryptic and hard to follow at times because a man two thousand years ago was trying to describe the world of technology and advancement like what we live in. 

Another reason I think people steer clear of it is fear. We fear what we don’t understand.we fear the wars and plagues that are coming. I’m convinced that God did not give John the Revelation to make us afraid, but to inspire hope and to give us peace. As believers, the book of Revelation reveals the final steps before spending eternity with Jesus. It is a reminder that no matter how bad things get in the world or in your life, God knows ahead of time what’s going to happen and that He and those with Him will be victorious.

I get hope in knowing that no matter what comes my way, God knew it in advance and has prepared me for it. He is not like the weather reporter who guesses at the future. He knows with certainty what will happen. We can trust His promise in Deuteronomy 31:8 that says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you. (NLT)” He knew we would be afraid of what the future holds. He knew that we would need Him right there with us so he made us that promise.  

Another promise I hold onto when the future is uncertain is Isaiah 43:2. It says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (NLT)” Jesus even told us that in this world we would have trouble. He told us that hard times were coming. He then said, “I have told you all this (the future) so that you may have peace in me.” We don’t have to be afraid of the future, we can have peace.  

What’s your favorite promise from God?

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May 22, 2015 · 6:59 AM

10 Scriptures On Honor

  
1.   Show respect for old people and honor them. Reverently obey me; I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:32 GNT)

2.   Show respect for all men [treat them honorably]. Love the brotherhood (the Christian fraternity of which Christ is the Head). Reverence God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:17 AMP)

3.   Honor your father and mother so that you’ll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you. (Exodus 20:12 MSG)

4.   Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. (James 1:9 NLT)

5.   Honor the Lord, all his people; those who obey him have all they need. (Psalm 34:9 GNT)

6.   Render to all men their dues. [Pay] taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, and honor to whom honor is due. (Romans 13:7 AMP)

7.   And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love! (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 MSG)

8.   Some people keep on doing good, and seek glory, honor, and immortal life; to them God will give eternal life. (Romans 2:7 GNT)

9.   Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. (Romans 12:10 NLT)

10.   Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 AMP)

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May 21, 2015 · 7:17 AM

The Law Of Correspondence 

Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but Let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind.Romans 12:2 (GNT)

One of Brian Tracy’s psychological laws is the Law of Correspondence. It states that your outer world will always be a reflection of your inner world. Your demeanor, actions and reactions are indicative of what’s going on inside your mind. Jesus put it this way, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)” Whatever is going on in your heart and mind shows up in your words and actions. That’s why you can often look at someone and know there is something wrong going on with them.

We try to cover up our hurt, our insecurities, our fears and sins, but they always seem to find a way to the surface. We can try to change our actions, but those on,y last for a little while. Ben Franklin carried a book with him in which he wrote down his vices. He tried to keep track of what he did, when he did it and what triggered it. Then he would do everything in his power to not repeat those things. What he found was that he could only do it for so long before other vices popped up. He was trying to control an inside problem with an outside mechanism.

Because we judge each other based on external actions, we often try to control our own external actions so as not to be judged. The problem is that we can’t do it for very long either before something else pops up. That’s why God doesn’t deal so much with our actions as He does with our heart. He knows that our external actions and sins are a result of what’s going on inside of us. He doesn’t deal with the fruit of the problem, He deals with the root.

Romans 12:2 tells us that God wants to transform our minds so that we won’t conform to the ways of the world. When we allow God to transform our heart and mind, we begin to act differently than before. II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any person is in Christ, he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old previous moral and spiritual condition has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new one has come! (AMP)” God takes away our old way of thinking and puts in us a new mind that wants to do things his way. 

If you’ve accepted Christ, but are still struggling with actions that are in conflict with how He wants you to live, pray and ask God to transform your mind. Give Him permission to come in and change your inner world so that your outer world will be a direct reflection of who He wants you to be. Scripture says that man looks at outward appearances (actions too), but God looks at the heart (mind too). He is more concerned with what’s going on inside than outside. It’s important that we stop trying to control our actions as Ben Franklin tried to do and to allow God to change our actions through the renewing and transforming of our hearts and minds. 

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May 20, 2015 · 7:35 AM

False Assumptions

One of the most frightening verses in the Bible to me is Judges 16:20. Samson was a judge of Israel and probably the strongest man who ever lived. He was given supernatural strength at times in his life and was used by God to fight the Philistines. We all know how Delilah tricked him into telling the secret of his strength. When she had his hair cut off while he was sleeping, she let Philistines in the house to capture him. Verse 20 says, “Then she shouted, ‘Samson! The Philistines are coming!’ He woke up, thought, ‘I’ll get loose and go free, as always.’ He did not know (realize) that the Lord had left him.”

The first thing that stood out to me is that the enemy is coming. There’s not a time as a believer that the enemy is not coming for us. He is always behind the scenes trying to get to the source of our strength. He knows that if he can get to our source, he can cause us to fall. Like Samson, he wants to bind us up and blind us spiritually. The enemy desires to make each one of us as ineffective as possible. We must stand guard against him. I Peter 5:8 says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

The next thing I saw is that Samson became complacent with the gifts God had given him. He assumed that what had always worked in the past would work in the future. He felt like he was above sin. He thought he could play with fire and not get burned because he had always gotten away with it. Numbers 32:23 says, “You may be sure that your sin will find you out.” Just because you’ve sinned and haven’t had major consequences in the past doesn’t mean you won’t get them in the future. Don’t become so complacent with sin that you think God will always overlook it.

The last thing that frightens me is that he didn’t even realize that God had left him. Since he was a young boy, the Lord’s spirit had been with him. It had become normal for him to experience it. For some reason, he forgot that his strength was supernatural and thought it was his own. He relied less on God’s presence and more on his own wisdom. When we do that, we push God’s presence out if our lives. God expects us to get our spiritual strength from him and to not rely on our works to save us. In II Corinthians 12:9, God reminded Paul that it wasn’t about him. He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

Samson’s biggest problem was assumption. He assumed that he would always be able to defeat the enemy and that it was his strength and not God’s. His assumptions caused him to lose the power of God in his life. When he repented, God was able to use him one more time to defeat the Philistines. He finally learned that it wasn’t about his ability, but God’s. He remembered that his strength came from God and not from within. When we do that, we can be prepared for any attack the enemy brings and defeat him in the strength of the Lord. 

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May 19, 2015 · 7:09 AM

Raising A Standard

We all know the saying, “When it rains it pours.” Somehow when bad things happen, the sky seems to let loose and we struggle to find a ray of sunshine. There are times when those days of rain turn into weeks, months and sometimes years. We can get caught up in a cycle of bad things happening to the point that we forget what it’s like to experience God’s goodness. During those times it’s easy to want to give up or even to quit hoping for the sun to shine again. In those times, it’s important to submerse yourself in God’s Word to help you pray and to find hope again.

One of the scriptures I stand on and pray when bad things continuously happen is Isaiah 59:19. It says, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. (AMP)” When bad things keep happening and I’m beginning to feel like I’m going to drown because there is so much bad news, I ask God to raise up a standard against the enemy who is coming to attack me. I pray that God would deflect the attack and help me to get my head above water again. 

I also like to turn to the Psalms. David was a man who was constantly under attack and he recorded some great prayers asking God to help him. One of my favorites is found in Psalm 54:1. David’s prayed, “Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might.” David understood what we need to understand. The battle is not ours, but the Lord’s. Pray that He would come defend you against the attacks of the enemy and rescue you. God is our rock and our fortress in times of need. Run to Him and allow Him to defend you.

Another one I pray is from Isaiah 54:17. God said, “But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgement you shall show to be in the wrong. This peace, righteousness, security and triumph over the opposition is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. (AMP)” That word “prosper” simply means to succeed. No matter what the enemy brings against you, he will not succeed because you are a servant of God and it is your heritage to have peace and security in the bad times. 

As a Christian, you are going to face hard times. You are going to see some dark days. That doesn’t mean that you are out of God’s will or not His servant. Jesus said the rain falls on the good and the bad. The biggest difference is that you and I have a God who will rise to the challenge on our behalf. We serve the One who is made strong in our weakness. Quit trying to fight the battles in your own strength and rely on His. Pray His Word over your life and your situation and rest in the peace that God will work out whatever is going on to your benefit.

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May 18, 2015 · 5:49 AM

Look At Your Heart (Video)

6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Jesse’s son Eliab and said to himself, “This man standing here in the Lord’s presence is surely the one he has chosen.” 7 But the Lord said to him, “Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.”

I Samuel 16:6-7

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May 14, 2015 · 7:27 AM

Building A Good Name

I was in the Sixth grade when I was first made aware of Proverbs 22:1. Mr. Davidson had all of our names written on scrolls and placed up on the bulletin board. Right on the middle was a bigger scroll with the words, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” I remember looking at it and wondering if the name “Chris” was better than the other names on the board. I was looking at it the wrong way. Mr. Davidson explained that name meant reputation and that each one of us were in control of our reputation through our actions.

I’ve given a lot of thought to that verse since my first day in Sixth grade. When faced with tough decisions, I’ve always asked myself, “Will this give me a good name or destroy the one I have?” I wish I could say I’ve always made the right choice, but I haven’t. When I’ve messed up, I’ve had to go back and rebuild. A good name is not given to you, it’s earned and built over time. I’ve learned that a decision made in a moment can tear down something that has taken a lifetime to build. 

One of the best ways to build a good name for yourself is to be honest. For some reason, we buy into the lie that we have to make things up or embellish the facts in order to build a good reputation. The truth is what Ben Franklin once said: Honesty is the best policy. When you tell the truth, you don’t have to try to remember what you told someone. Psalm 51:6 says, “But you (God) desire honesty from the womb.” And Proverbs 11:5 tells us that the godly are directed by honesty. In order to have a good name, you’ve got to start by being honest.

Another way to have a good name is by being humble. Don’t think higher of yourself than you should as Romans 12:3 put it.  There’s a fine line between being confident and being proud. People are drawn to confidence, but pushed away by pride. I’ve found that not only does God resist the proud, but people do too. Humility doesn’t mean you constantly beat yourself up. It’s having a mindset that reminds you that you are not above anyone or anything. If we are constantly seeking glory for everything we do, it’s hard to stay humble.

When I think of people that have a good reputation, I think of happy people. They don’t let the pressures and problems of life hold them down. They have a positive mental attitude that sees struggle and hardship as opportunities for growth rather than as reasons they’re being held back. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing. (AMP)” Happiness is a force that attracts others because it bring healing to their lives. It is an outward expression of an inward peace that comes from knowing God has everything under control. 

These are just a few ways that you can build a good name. What ways have you seen? 

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May 13, 2015 · 7:35 AM

Let Go And Let God

  

I’m sure you’ve seen Newton’s Cradle on someone’s desk somewhere. If you’ve seen it, you’ve pulled back one of the silver balls and let it go. The ball you pulled back and let go smashes into the first ball, which doesn’t move, but transfers the energy to the next ball and so on until it reaches the farthest ball. That ball then swings out like a pendulum and returns to start the process over again. They’re a lot of fun to play with, but they also represent so many of us in our faith.

When it’s just sitting there on someone’s desk not being used, it’s just for show. It might get used every once in a while, but more often than not, it just collects dust. So many people show up to church and sit there collecting dust. They don’t move, they don’t transfer energy or shine. They go for nothing more than to see and be seen. They feel that they’ll get to Heaven because they went to church or that their kids will learn good morals. A church should not be a place to collect dust. It’s a place to knock off the rust, and send you out into the world with kinetic energy that moves other people.

There are many Christians who are like the picture above. They have been pulled back and are ready to be released to do God’s work, but they’re afraid to let go. That’s nothing more than wasted potential. I understand the need to be in control. I’m a control freak myself, but if you are ever going to do anything great for God, you have got to let go and let God work through you. Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” 

You’re committed when you let go because you take your potential out of your hand and place it in God’s. He is the one who will accomplish the work. It’s easy to be frightened by looking at what our potential is in God’s Kingdom. We pull back the ball to start the chain reaction, but hold onto it out of fear. We never release ourselves fully into God’s control. So much of what God wants to accomplish is thwarted by our inability to let go and trust Him. We look at our strength and our abilities instead of His. 

Phillip Brooks, who was an Episcopal bishop in the 1800’s, said, “Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.”  It’s time we quit looking at our potential energy in the Kingdom and released ourselves to do God’s work. It’s time we quit talking about what God has called us to do and started doing it. Until we let go, we will not release others to do what they’ve been called to do. Remember, when you let go, you engage others and release them to move in God’s Kingdom. It’s not just about your potential, but about releasing others to meet theirs.

*The concept and training of motivating people from their potential energy to their kinesthetic energy belongs to Trinfinity. Used with permission. 

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May 12, 2015 · 7:16 AM

Leaving The Doldrums

Not long after Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, other ships began to make the voyage across the pond. Several ships noticed a strange phenomenon as they sailed near the equator. There was very little wind and ships would drift there for weeks or months. In time, this area of the ocean became known as the doldrums. Sailors avoided it because they didn’t take the provisions to survive a trip that got stuck there for a long period. It was a place of stagnation, depression and death which is why it became known as the doldrums.

There are times in life when you and I sail into the doldrums. Everything seems to be going fine, we are moving along and then the wind stops. We begin to float along. We get stuck and can’t seem to get out of the place we are in. It often seems like God has forgotten us. We question ourselves and what we could have done to cause God to leave us in this place. I’ve seen people stay in these types of doldrums for years not knowing how to escape. It seems like their prayers to put wind back in their sails are falling on deaf ears, but that’s not the case.

If you read the first part of Acts, the disciples had been in the doldrums since the crucifixion of Jesus. They had moments where Jesus would appear to them, but when He left, they would feel just as stuck as before. On one of those occasions Jesus spoke to them and said, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised as I told you before. (Acts 1:4 NLT).” Wait? For how long? How could Jesus leave them adrift in the doldrums? It was a dangerous time to be in Jerusalem. Just 40 days before, Jesus had been killed and they feared they were next.

They met in the Upper Room and prayed for the next ten days as they waited. Then Acts 2:2 says, “Suddenly there was a sound from Heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. (NLT)” God sent the wind of the Holy Spirit to fill their sails and push them out of the doldrums. That wind pushed them and the message of Jesus all over the world. They were no longer stuck in their depression and doubt. They were revived and renewed because they waited on the Lord in prayer.

If you’re stuck in the doldrums, let me encourage you not to give up. Wait on the Lord in prayer and ask for Him to send the Wind of the Holy Spirit into your life. I’m talking about spending some serious time in prayer. The disciples prayed and waited in one place until God answered. We need to do the same thing. We need to commit to praying not just a one or two sentence prayer, but an active, waiting on God all day kind of prayer if we truly want out of the doldrums. We need to wait on the Lord until He answers. Be prepared though. When that rushing, mighty wind blows into your life, God will take you farther than you ever dreamed possible.

One final thought: The doldrums are where hurricanes originate from. What seems like a windless place is where God launches the most powerful forces.

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May 8, 2015 · 6:39 AM

10 Scriptures On Mothers

 
1.   He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the LORD! (Psalms 113:9 NLT)

2.   Don’t curse your father or fail to bless your mother. (Proverbs 30:11 MSG)

3.   My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. (Proverbs 1:8 NLT)

4.   Let your father and mother be proud of you; give your mother that happiness. (Proverbs 23:25 GNT)

5.   Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. (1 Timothy 5:2 NLT)

6.   Honor (esteem and value as precious) your father and your mother–this is the first commandment with a promise. (Ephesians 6:2 AMP)

7.   That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. (2 Timothy 1:5-7 MSG)

8.   The man called his wife’s name Eve [life spring], because she was the mother of all the living. (Genesis 3:20 AMP)

9.   Respect your father and your mother, as I, the Lord your God, command you, so that all may go well with you and so that you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you. (Deuteronomy 5:16 GNT)

10.   Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:3 NLT)

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