Posts

I Will Not Be Shaken (Part 2 of 2)

-
Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. (NKJV) In the previous devotional David spoke of God’s direction and guidance (Psalm 16:7). David depended upon that relationship. That relationship was so secure, that David would move forward in all the things that God had called him to do almost as a second nature in his life. David was reverent. He approached God with great love and faith. David’s faith had been proven time and time again. As a result, we see the praises he offered up through the many Psalms. We see in many Psalms that the agony of the journey was clearly in play, but through God David overcame the sense of agony. David moved forward in the direction God had called him, rejoicing along the way. Sometimes sadness accompanies us through a certain journey, like the loss of a loved one, the loss of employment, sickness, or even a wayward child (adult or otherwise). If we move with today’s verse with God before us, the...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Will Not Be Shaken (Part 1 of 2)

-
Psalm 16:7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons. (NKJV) The solidity and strength of God in our lives through the Holy Spirit that lives within us as believers is a powerful tool! Often, we do not take time to recognize His presence in times where we do not sense direction in the way we need to go in certain situations. God provided guidance in the life of King David all through His journey. God provided instruction for his Journey. Every detail David needed, God provided. His relationship with God was that close. Our relationship with God can be that close as well. Paul instructs the Roman Christians that the Holy Spirit moves in our lives as we sleep and communicates with us in ways we cannot understand. Paul, in his travels through various cities, towns, and villages, experienced direction from the Holy Spirit and He makes mention of these events here in Romans 8:26. Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weakne...
Post a Comment
Read more

Because of Him

-
1 Corinthians 1:30   It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. (NIV) As believers, do we really appreciate all that Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross? The wisdom of God was poured out through Christ on the Cross. God poured through His Son the wisdom we would need to live out our salvation from day to day. Paul says in Philippians 2:12 that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (NIV). We should be fearful of our past prior to salvation and run from its actions as fast and as far as we can. The effort needed to run away from our past, even though forgiven, takes work on our part to build a resilient Christian life around the Scriptures. Our resources are found in God’s Word. Our time in reading and studying of God’s Word can be time consuming. However, beginning with fifteen minutes a day will make incredible advances in working out your salvation as a “l...
Post a Comment
Read more

Teach Me Your Ways

-
Psalm 86:11 Teach me Your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name. (NIV) Anything that is introduced into our lives that takes us away from God’s intentions for us makes us divided. When God calls us to focus on a particular thing and we become distracted our faith begins to waiver and we become divided. I knew a man some years ago that I would weekly meet for breakfast for some time of sharing. We would discuss the things of Christ. As time went on, he began to reveal what was really bothering him. He had been called into the ministry as a Pastor some years before and he had considered himself unworthy of God’s calling on his life. This really bothered him. To my knowledge, I was the only person he had shared this with. He was a very private person. He was so ashamed, it burdened his heart. I could not provide the relief that he needed even through sharing the Scriptures, but he continued to share over the next severa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Our Character in Christ

-
Luke 11:39 Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.” (NKJV) Do you know someone like this? Is that person looking at you in the mirror?   In Matthew 23:25-28 Jesus condemned the Pharisees and religious leaders for outwardly appearing saintly and holy but inwardly remaining full of corruption and greed. Living our Christianity merely as a show for others is like washing a cup on the outside only. When we are clean on the inside, our cleanliness on the outside will not be a sham. Living two lives like this is a lot of work. You have to work at guarding your life so no one will see the real inside of you. You also have to work at how others may see the outside of you and hope they do not discover your real heart on the inside as you live from day to day. I watched a young man try to do this and he was exhausted. He was trying to live the life of a believer at home in fron...
Post a Comment
Read more

When We Look…...

-
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (NKJV) When we look at understanding the power of God THROUGH the Gospels, we see all that was accomplished through the crucifixion. We are given the power of our testimony, we are shown the strength of our testimony, and we are experiencing the presence of the Gospel through our testimony. Let’s face it; we are being watched by other believers and unbelievers alike. When we accept Christ as our Savior the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts and He never leaves. God provides peace, strength, comfort, and courage and He can direct our desires in life toward that which is best for us as His children. Ask the Lord to help you share the Gospel of Christ’s free offer for salvation through the forgiveness of sins to as many people as possible. Your desire to speak the truth in Christ disables Satan and e...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gaining Greater Experience

-
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." (NKJV) Only God has the power to do what He did to give us the opportunity for salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Now that is real power, the power of eternal love. The Lord wants us to gain in greater experience the power of His Gospel. The power to change lives is incredible. Changing lives comes through the Holy Spirit. He works into our thought life and through our reasoning skills improving us through His great power along the journey. When we read the Scriptures, we give the Holy Spirit tools to work with. When we get up in the morning, we need to plug Scriptures into our hearts and minds so God can empower our lives for the day. He knows what is ahead of us, and we need His presence to be active and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). Entering the day whether we are retired or still a...
Post a Comment
Read more