Saturday, February 1, 2014
Daily Devotional: You Lack Nothing
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Daily Devotional: God is All Around You
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Daily Devotional: Your Spiritual Appetite
John 6:27
27 “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
We are a nation of obese and lazy people. Even our military is overweight. It's a sad state of affairs when the people that should be able bodied are having a hard time with being disciplined.
We don't thirst and hunger for the food of the soul, that meat that nourishes our very being. God's word is there for us to study and meditate on, yet we find ourselves busy doing things of no consequence. I am guilty if this, for sure.
I pray that you all seek the manna of God, that he feed and water your very being. Be blessed with his word and find your appetite is renewed, your palate now ready for a more worthy meal. Look within and see that you could never be without.
May God grant you strength to endure this harsh world. Amen.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Daily Devotional: The Love of Money
Hebrews 13:5
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
An important scripture in this day and time, for this spirit (the love of money) is pervasive and moves its evil freely about the land, choking the life from the people. Truly, we love money. It is an idol, amongst many other idols, but it may be the most prevalent.
When you turn on your TV, it is difficult to avoid this idea of want, for they show us products and services that we can pay for or possess. We think we need these things to enhance our living. But I'm telling you, everything we want, we do not need.
Money, of course, is a necessity to live in this world. Don't be mistaken, however; this doesn't make it the "everything". God is our all and all. We must not forget that he supplies us with the ability to earn. Make sure that we have separation between the two, the thing created and the creator. We owe nothing to money, but we owe all to God.
"Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's... ". With or without money, remember that God is there for you. Therefore, don't misuse it, and make it just what it is: a means to procure goods and not a reason to live! The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, my friends. Use wisdom to discern how to use it to glorify God and live with love.
May God bless you today!
Amen.
Daily Devotional: Suffering to Persevere
Romans 5:3-5
3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Lord knows that I have been through my own suffering, as we all have, relative to our situations. I continue towards a better day, hoping that I can make the right choices.
As human beings, our plight is to endure and be remade in the process. There is not one success story that I have read that doesn't specifically discuss the trials that came with it. It is like we are going through a refining process, readying ourselves for the future.
So, I say that one shouldn't shy away from hardship. It will come, in one form our another. Your character will result from the way you handle those very problems. We have choices to make during those times, and God willing, they will be the right ones.
Even, if things turn out bad, do not despair. For this is but a time, and it will pass. When it passes, you will be all the better for it.
Blessings.
May Jesus be the light to your darkened path, and a shelter during the storm.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Daily Devotional: Pray for Rain Amidst the Drought
– 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NIV)
We expect God to forgive us, but often we forget that we still must repent for our sins. We must seek God in earnest, asking not only for forgiveness, but for guidance. We look toward him for deliverance, and we must find our way here, on the earthly plain while he works outside of time.
God does not condemn us to torment and pain. Often, we find ourselves on this path due to the problems we face and what we do to each other. We are all connected. Each and every one of us is linked, and what we do individually will eventually affect someone else; and so on, and so forth. Surely, you did not think you were here on this planet, alone, eking out your existence in lonesome drudgery? No, my friends. We are here, together. And until we understand this mere fact, that we share an eternal and fateful connection, we will consistently suffer each other's hurt over and over again.
Humility is not something one comes by easily. It takes effort to admit you are wrong. You, who have committed sin against another, will likely not admit it to their face. We barely like to admit that we are wrong. Isn't that sad? But God in Heaven shows us that forgiveness is not something that is just given, but earned and worked for, because you have to be able to forgive others, first.
May you be blessed today. Amen.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Daily Devotional: Through The Flame
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.