Daily Devotions # 1
All devotions written by Belinda Jo Adams.
Bible version used is The King James Version.
Index
Verse: “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:22).
When I was a teen at camp, I did not know much about Christian things. As I walked toward my cabin one day I overheard a conversation between the director of the camp and a camper. The young man had an ink pen in the shape of a cigar, which was popular at that time. The director took it from him and quoted the verse, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” I did not understand it then but that scene stayed with me through the years. I do not know if it helped that young man or not, but it sure helped me.
Recently, I was at a Christian conference. That same camp director was there as a special speaker. You could tell the people in the room respected him. He is almost eighty years old now, and has influenced many people during the years by abstaining from evil.
We, as Christians, need to be careful what we do in our lives. We may think something we do is innocent, but if other people do not know all that is going on they may think the worst, and then we can prevent them from finding Jesus as Savior. Or if they are a Christian already, we may prevent them from living the Christian life.
Prayer: Dear Father, I want to be a good testimony for you. Help me not do things that would keep others from coming to you. Amen
Verses: “ And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee” (II Samuel 7:1-3).
During the years before King David, the Israelites worshiped God in a tent or tabernacle. Now, David wanted to build a house for God to dwell in. David talked about his idea to Nathan the prophet. Nathan agreed David should build a house for God.
They both forgot a very important thing. They both forgot to ask God first. God spoke to Nathan, and Nathan returned to King David to tell him that God did not want him to build a house for Him. Those were plans God had for David’s son to do.
We need to ask God about things we want to do today. It is hard to remember this sometimes. It is easy to make decisions, and then ask God if He approves. He wants us to ask Him first and then trust Him.
Recently, I had plans to go to a baby shower. A couple of friends asked me to do something different the same night. I had been wanting to do the second choice, so decided to change my plans for it. Then, God spoke to me and let me know that the baby shower was more important at this time. I felt bad, but did not want to cancel on the other plans and disappoint my friends. I prayed and asked God to take care of the situation. He did. Both people called and canceled because of prior commitments!
Another Verse “ O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: …” ( Psalms 7:1a)
Prayer: Dear Father, Help me first to ask You for Your will. Help me to read Your Word and trust You for an answer. Amen.
3. Children Seem to Listen to God
Verses: “But when Jesus saw it , He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the
We were stopped at a busy intersection. There was a truck in front of us with a big toolbox in the back. The tailgate was down. While we sat at the red light, I was anxious to hurry home. My eleven year old daughter said, “Mama, when the light changes, don’t go.” When the light changed, I listened to her advice, all the time wondering why. When the driver of the truck started going he revved up his motor and sped through the intersection. The toolbox fell onto the road. If I had not waited, it would have fallen on the top of our hood.
Children seem to listen to God more than most adults listen to God, either for salvation or service. Our daughter had a close relationship with God at that time and I trusted her God-given wisdom. As an adult, I was too worried about hurrying home and not taking time to listen to God’s warning.
We have to come to Jesus as a little child and trust Him completely for salvation, and when He calls us to serve Him either in full time service or our daily walk. Remember, we not only have to come to God as a child for salvation, but when He calls us to witness or sing or any other thing, we need to do each by trusting Him just as a child trusts Him completely.
Prayer: Dear God, Help me to trust You completely in my life and to listen when You speak to me . Amen.
Verse: “ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44).
As I walk on the beach, I look for shells. My favorite place to look is along the shoreline. The waves wash upon the shore and stir the shells and then roll away leaving them for me to enjoy. When the waves wash up and I have my shoes on I try not to let them hit me. I go as close as I can and look for shells while at the same time watching for the next wave. When the wave heads for me I back up, sometimes a little faster than other times! Today I dodged the water for a long time before I was not as careful and a large wave came in and washed over my feet
I could not help but think how we ‘play with sin.’ Not only lost people, but Christians as well. We think we can do whatever we want and not get caught. Unsaved people do this and if they never accept Christ as their Savior then they get caught when they open their eyes in hell and realize Satan tricked them. Christians do this when they get just close enough to God to make them feel good but not close enough to really serve Him with all our hearts.
Sometimes we have to wonder just how many chances God will give us. One day, time will be no more and we will not have another opportunity to either accept Him as Savior or live for Him the way He wants us to.
Dear God, Please help me walk close to You and not let there be anything between me and You. Amen
5. Cherish and Memorize Bible Verses
Verse: “And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision” (I Samuel 3:1).
The Word of the Lord was precious to the Israelites. During the time that Samuel was helping in the temple, God was not making himself known by visions, etc. It was unusual for that to happen. They also did not have the whole Bible as we have it today. This verse says the Word of the Lord was precious in those days.
Christians in other countries where the Bible is not allowed would love to have it, and sometimes they risk their lives for one page to read and share with friends. In many countries people try to destroy the Bible. They take the Word of God away from other people.
Do we take the Bible for granted today? We should read it, memorize it and cherish it daily. Many churches provide their members with opportunities to memorize scripture. We should use those opportunities, and plans of our own, to hide God’s Word in our hearts as Psalm 119:11 says. We can make a list of verses and take them with us wherever we go so we can refer to them and memorize them. It would be great for us to hide God’s Word in our hearts, by memorizing it, so that it will be with us constantly.
If the Word of God is taken from us, we will have it in our hearts and minds for those moments when we need to receive strength and wisdom to help in our lives or to witness to others.
Prayer: Dear God, as Psalm 119:11 says, help me to hide Your Word in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee. Amen
Verse: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139: 23-24).
I kept getting messages in my e-mail that I had a computer virus. I updated the anti-virus program and did a virus scan but still received the message. Then I learned there was a program to search the computer for a certain virus. I used it and found that I did have that virus on my computer. I used their program to get rid of it and the computer worked better.
I have been reading several books, heard sermons about how to search my heart and soul for deeper sin, maybe hidden for years or things I was bitter or angry about. I had been feeling out of sorts spiritually and physically. I prayed to examine myself for any sin in my life. And though I know I sin daily I could not think of anything that I thought I needed to tend to. But just as I had done a surface scan on my computer and found nothing, I needed to search for specific sins such as fear and anxiety. Then I discovered my problem, confessed and felt better.
Sometimes we needed to do a more in-depth search into our hearts and thoroughly seek if there is anything hidden from our sight. As we clear our computers of infections, so we also need to clear our minds of fears and anxiety and other sins that cause stress. Not asking forgiveness for those sins causes our bodies to be sick.
Prayer: Dear God, Please help me to recognize any kind of sin in my life and quickly confess it to You so I can feel better spiritually and physically. Amen.
Verse: “For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me” (Psalm 31:3).
After revising my manuscript at least a dozen times I saved it, once again, to the computer’s memory. Then the printer faithfully typed out what I had written. I glanced over it one more time before sending it to the publisher, just to make sure there were no mistakes. I noticed one small mistake that just could not stay.
Aggravation welled up inside of me because I felt I had wasted time, paper, and ink by not being more careful. I thought maybe that one mistake would be all right. No. I knew I had to re-do it.
When I was finished, I compared it with the first copy. I found that in the unique world of computers, the first copy somehow was missing one whole page. I had not noticed that, but I had seen the little mistake. If I had not noticed, I would have sent it in missing the page. God knew it and helped me notice the little mistake so I would do it over again.
He watches over us in every area of our lives and cares about what we do. We are important to Him. In our daily walk, He leads us step by step just as He led David.
Prayer: Thank You, God, for watching over us and guiding us in all we do. Amen.
Verse: “And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying , I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew” (Matthew 26:73-74). (also Mark 14: 70-71)
Throughout time, people have taught that it is wrong to use bad language. They have suggested using different words at these times, such as; sugar, fiddlesticks, or any word that you can use instead of a cuss word.
My husband says that anytime you use a word or words to express anger or frustration, you are swearing or cussing. He does not promote using cuss words of any sort, but that we should stop and think before we use any words to vent frustrations instead of calmly handling these difficult problems.
When Jesus was being tried, Peter denied Him three times. The books of Matthew and Mark say that on the third time, the people around said that his speech showed that he was a disciple. From this, I assume that the people knew that a true disciple talked differently than other people. Peter then cursed and swore to try to show them that he was not a disciple.
We need to be careful how we speak to people and how we handle our vocabulary when we are having problems. Maybe others will see Christ in us more if we do not swear and cuss, even though we think they are safe words to use.
Prayer: Dear God, Please let words I use be pure so others will know I truly am a Christian. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Verse: “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself” (Proverbs 18:2).
The heart is the center of our affections and emotions, while the head is the center of our intellect and will. Sometimes we do things because we want to do them, not because they are necessarily right. We need to be careful when we only listen with our heart. The heart can play tricks on us. “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty …” (Proverbs 18:12a). If we insist on ‘having our own way’, or ‘doing our own thing’ without consideration of others then we are headed for destruction.
Proverbs 19:21-22 tells us “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.” When we need to make decisions we need to seek the guidance of the Lord. Only He can help us know the right way in which we should go.
II Timothy 2:15 tells us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” As we read and study our Bibles and submit to God’s leading, we can have a happier life. “As for God his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him” (Psalm 18:30 ).
Prayer: Dear God, help me to trust Your Word and depend on it for making my decisions and not on the emotions of my heart. Amen.
Verse: “ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” ( Galatians 6:9).
People give their testimonies and explain to us how to live a good Christian life. They use their life as an example and tell how it can be done and how we can be when we do all things right. For example; how to have daily devotions or witness to others.
Following their teaching is good, but my problem, for years, was thinking I had to be as perfect as what I thought they said they were. A worse problem I had was thinking they were perfect.
As I live this Christian life, I see more and more that I keep failing and having to ask for forgiveness, then continue on serving God. I began to realize that those people, who are teaching me, fail and have to ask for forgiveness, then continue on serving God, also. I was so glad. Not because they failed, but because I know I am not a failure just because I do not keep up with what I thought they were.
We need to listen to leaders as they explain how to live a good Christian life and then work what they say into our lives. When we fail and do not do all we thought we should be doing, we need to keep trying again and again. Never quit serving God!
Prayer: Dear God, help me to do the best I can when I feel like giving up and quitting. I love You. Amen.
Verse: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” (Ephesians 4:31).
The flu virus is formed from a small cell that cannot even be seen with the eye. Only a tiny, little cell, but then it multiplies many times to be able to be seen under a microscope. When we get the flu virus, we become sick and it takes days of care and prayer to try to get rid of the germs so we can be well again. Some people die from the flu.
Most big problems in churches did not just happen as big problems. They started out as small problems until they multiplied to become the big problems. Then they need to have a lot of care and prayer to solve them. Some churches are destroyed by these problems.
We can take a flu shot or vitamins to help us not get the flu. We can also take better care of ourselves by washing our hands frequently and staying away from the flu virus to try to prevent us from getting the sickness.
In our spiritual lives, if we take care of our thoughts and actions, before we say or do something we should not, then many problems in churches would be prevented. If we ask God’s forgiveness when we have even the smallest sin in our lives and stay away from people who insist on gossiping, being bitter, angry or other bad attitudes or actions, then we can prevent many problems in our lives which will eventually cause problems in our churches.
Prayer: Dear God, Please let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking be far away from me so that I can keep myself from causing problems in my church. Amen
Verse: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth…” (Romans 1:16a).
When I was a teenager, a preacher suggested that we write on the first page of our New Testament these letters. TNT. Let me explain. The New Testament = TNT. The explosive TNT is very powerful. The Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes and is very powerful. The New Testament tells about the gospel of Christ. The gospel is the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “… Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 ). In this verse, creature means people. Jesus also said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matthew 28:19).
Paul said, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (I Corinthians 15:1-4)
Praise God for the gospel. We can tell others or give out tracts with the message of life eternal. We can be a witness and let our lives show we are a Christian, but if we do not share the gospel with people they will not know how to become Christians, also.
Prayer: Dear God, Please help me not be ashamed of You and Your gospel. Amen
Verse: “…truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (I John 1:3b).
Adam and Eve fellowshipped with God in the Garden of Eden. Sin entered and God punished them. God made a covering for that sin and showed them how to continue having fellowship with Him. (Genesis: 2,3)
As a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, God led the Israelites out of
In the New Testament, the disciples fellowshipped with Jesus. They saw the miracles and even performed miracles themselves. During that time they did not realize the full potential of who Jesus was and what He could do.
Today, we, as Christians, can read the Bible and see what God did for these people and we still fail to do what God wants us to do. When we sin and ask for forgiveness, God forgives that sin. Then He helps us draw closer to Him. Maybe none of us can fully realize just how much God’s love is toward us, but we should praise Him for this love and fellowship.
Prayer: I praise You, God, that I can fellowship with You. Help me to do so each day. Amen.
14. Growing into Responsibility
Verse: “ I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land” (Exodus 23:27 -30).
When the Israelites were ready to enter the promised land, God told them He would not get rid of all the enemies all at once because the land would become desolate. He let the Israelites possess their promised land a little at a time.
When our children were growing up, I gave them jobs to do around the house to teach them responsibility. I would do the hard parts and leave the easy parts for them. They never knew this for they thought they had done it all. I did this so they would not get a defeated feeling. As they became older, I gave them more of the responsibilities. Later, they could do those jobs on their own.
Just as God let the Israelites take possession of the land a little at a time, in our lives God does not take care of all our problems all at once. We have to grow in the Lord by studying our Bible and obeying it. As we learn to trust God, He takes care of our problems and prepares us for more opportunities to be a witness for Him. God said He would never give us more than we could bear. We may never know some of the things God does for us until we get to Heaven. As we learn more, He gives us more responsibility. As we grow in the Lord, He leads us to do jobs that we never thought we could before. Then we realize it is not we who are doing them, but God working through us.
Prayer: Dear God, please help me to do the jobs You give me without feeling overwhelmed, as I learn more so You can give me more responsibility. Thank You. Amen.
Verse: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
Our church had challenged us to memorize a section of Bible verses during a month. I took my list to the hospital with me while visiting my husband and studied my verses. That night every time I awoke I was quoting the verses in my head. That was a wonderful feeling!
Is it important for us to memorize God’s Word? God wants us to read, study, meditate, and memorize His Word. He has enabled us to have the Bible even though, through the years, people have tried to destroy it and remove it from our lives.
We should choose some verses that we can use to witness, or to quote to Satan when he tempts us to sin. As we memorize these verses and have them with us in our hearts and minds, when we are tempted to sin. When we cannot sleep during the night, we can remember and quote those verses, and they will help and comfort us.
More verses on this subject:
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalms 1:2).
“Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.” (Psalms 4:4).
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).
Prayer: Dear God, Please help me choose the verses You would have me memorize and help me to hide them in my heart so they can help me when I need them. Amen.
Verse: “ It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8 ).
In the Bible, Psalms chapter 118 is the center chapter of the Bible. Psalms 118:8 is the center verse of the Bible. There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118. There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118. 594 multiplied by 2 is 1188.
It is wonderful that God designed those chapters and verses to be that way! They say that the chapter and verse divisions were not in the original writings of the Bible. Those divisions were added later to make it easy for us to find certain Bible passages. But, God, in His divine plan, had this verse to be the exact center of the Bible!
It is also wonderful that God leads in each of our lives. God has a special plan for each one of us. As we trust in the Lord instead of man, God can work these special plans in our lives. God wants to be the center of our lives! Let God be the center of your life as You trust Him alone to lead You.
Another verse: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen , nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (I Corinthians 2:9).
Prayer: Dear God, Please help me to let You be the center of my life so I can see the special plans You have for me. Amen.
Verse: “We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. … In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever.” (Psalm 44:1, 8).
What are we telling our children about how great God is? Are we giving Him the praise when He helps us through problems, supplies our needs, or heals our sicknesses? Do we make sure our children see and hear us praising Him for the house we live in, the food we eat, and the clothing we wear? How about the air we breathe or the fact that we can wake up to a new day? How about things we get that we do not really need, but He gave us items we desire.
It is important to let our children know this, so they can learn to depend on God for their everyday needs and desires. A good thing to do is keep a journal of those blessings and praises. Then when we forget, we can look back and be reminded. Then we can remind our children, or they can read for themselves when they are older.
The psalms are poems or songs to honor God. The first eight verses of Psalm forty-four tell how the author is praising God for His help. Maybe we should write a poem or song telling of God’s goodness for all He has done for us.
Prayer: Dear God, Help me not to forget to praise You for all You do for me and to make sure my children are aware of those blessings and answers to prayers . Amen.
Verse: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalms 116:15).
I never really understood this verse until last month. I attended a funeral for a saint of God. God is not happy that we die, but He longs for our fellowship and sometimes takes people home to be with Him.
We live more than a thousand miles away from our relatives. Trips home are rare and we miss the fellowship we have with each other. When we get a chance to go home, we try to see each one of our relatives.
God made us to have fellowship with Him. When Adam and Eve sinned and broke that fellowship, God made a way for the fellowship to be restored. He sent Jesus to die and pay the penalty for sins. By accepting Jesus we can have everlasting life and fellowship with God forever.
God misses each one of us and when we die we are present with Him. (II Corinthians 5:8). Not only is God waiting in Heaven for us, but all our saved loved ones are also watching and waiting. (Heb. 12:1) The longer I live and the older I get the more friends and relatives I have as “witnesses.” So yes indeed, for the saint of God to die is precious to God because they are now with Him.
Prayer: Dear God, Please help me live this life by being a good witness so others will come to know You and can have fellowship with You. Amen.
19. Righteousness Through Faith
Verse: “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” (Romans 3:22 ).
We are coming to that time of the year children and adults wait for with excitement. Christmas. People are wishing for all the things they want. Children try to behave to make sure they get the things on their wish list.
Some religions are like this. They promise their followers rewards and a hope of Heaven if they obey all their rules. People try hard to do this but fail again and again. The ones who do succeed still do not go to Heaven, because they did not accept God’s plan of salvation. Instead, they accepted a man’s plan.
God tells us in Romans chapter three that we accept Christ’s salvation by faith, and we are saved by faith in Jesus’ blood. We also live our Christian lives by the same faith.
How can people live the life God wants them to live? There are many different do’s and don’ts. The Holy Spirit leads us in the way we should go and helps us daily to be what God wants us to be as we read and study our Bible and pray.
Prayer: Dear God, please help me not to follow a religion, but through faith follow what Your Word says for me to do. Amen.
Special Treasure
Verse: “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels...” (Malachi 3:17a).
This verse is about people who have accepted Jesus as their Savior. God calls us jewels. My reference Bible says that means a special treasure. I have a gold necklace my husband bought for me while he was on a tour of duty overseas. It is the only piece of real gold I have besides my wedding ring. I wear it most of the time. Sometimes I take it off and later reach up to touch it. I think, at first, I have lost it until I remember where it is.
This reminds me of the story of the woman in Luke 15:8-10. She had ten pieces of silver and lost one. She searched for it until she found it and was very happy when it was in her hand again. I Peter 2:2-4 talks about the newborn babes in Christ. These are people who have recently accepted Jesus as Savior. Verse four says they are chosen of God and precious.
A friend of mine received a ring for Christmas. She was happy to show it to me. Shouldn’t we be so happy with our salvation that we want to proclaim it to the world? God thinks we are special. Let’s make Him proud of us by sharing the good news of God’s salvation with others then He will have more jewels!
Prayer: Dear Father, please help me to proclaim your salvation, so others will want to be saved, also. Amen
Verse: “Fight the good fight of faith , lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (I Timothy 6:12 ).
In
One September, when I was in
I see many older Christians who seemingly have given up on life and are only waiting until God calls them home. They are not doing what God has called them to do, though all their lives they worked for Him. Now they are not being a good witness.
I see other older people who are still serving God, either busy working in the church or other ministries; or if their health is failing, by praying and encouraging others. We can still bloom for Jesus, even when we become old. We need to keep serving God until we die because we never know who we may lead to God before He calls us home.
Prayer: Dear God, Please help me still bloom for Jesus, even when I become old. Help me to keep serving You until I die. Amen.
22. Take Care of Yourself First
Verse: “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (I Timothy 4: 16 ).
In health care emergencies we should take care of ourselves first, so we can help others. Before each airplane ride, they tell you that if the oxygen mask comes down, to put it on yourself first, and then help the person who may need your help. A fireman or a lifeguard or anyone else who helps in emergencies, who does not take care of their body and learn the techniques to help people in need, will not do their best in a time of an emergency.
In our Christian life, we should make sure that we are living right and following God’s Word before we can help other people. Matthew 7:3-5 talks about judging other people, when we have worse sin in our lives than they do. These verses call us a hypocrite if we focus on other people’s sin problems instead of our own.
As we confess and repent of sin in our lives, God forgives us and we have a closer relationship with Him. Then He helps us either be able to talk to others about their sin with more compassion or have patience with them until He deals with them himself.
Dear God, please help me to not be a hypocrite, but take care of myself first by confessing my sin to You, so I may help others when needed. Amen.
23. Let JESUS Be Your Perspective
Verse: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
I like to take pictures, but sometimes when I look at the photos later, they do not look as good as what I had thought they would. I learned a few years ago that when you are taking photos of objects that are far away, it is a good thing to select something near you, a limb of a tree, for instance, to position in the corner of the photo for perspective. It sort of gives a frame to the distant object and makes the photo look better.
When we look to our future and wonder what it will be like, sometimes we are concerned about a certain unpleasant event coming up. We automatically start to worry and figure out what we can do to change it. It is good to keep a perspective and that perspective is Jesus.
We need to look to Jesus because He is the author and finisher of our faith. He wants the best for us and when we trust Him, He makes our life better. As we stop worrying and keep Him as the perspective in our lives, the future will be better.
Prayer: Dear God, just as I need to use perspective when taking photos, help me to let Jesus be the perspective of my future. Amen.
Verse: “Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thessalonians 4:18 ).
A few years ago, we had several burglaries in our neighborhood. I was invited to a revival and fellowship at a church. Before I left, I turned on several lights throughout our two-story house to make any burglar think someone was home.
Later, our married daughter came by to visit. She thought I was home because of all the lights that were on. She knocked and banged on the door, then drove home to call me. In the meantime my husband arrived home sooner than expected, looked for me, then answered the phone. They both could not figure out where I was. Later, we all had a good laugh.
I could not help but think about the rapture when Jesus comes in the clouds. Christians are going to disappear. I imagine other people will wonder what happened and try to find us.
Are you ready for when Jesus comes? If not, then ask Him into your heart by repenting of your sins and asking God to forgive those sins. Then you will be prepared to be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and be with Him forever!
Prayer: Thank You, God, for your promise that Jesus will come again to take us to Heaven to be with You. Amen
Verse: “Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power” (Psalms 150:1).
In the verses, I Kings 18:17-39, Elijah was in a confrontation with the prophets of Baal. They offered the sacrifice and called upon their gods to accept it but it did not help.
Now it was Elijah’s turn. He prepared his offering and added so much water it made it seemingly impossible to burn. Then in verses 36-37 he prayed about 60 words. God consumed the offering with fire. Elijah did not have to beg and plead and think positive about this petition. In fact, out of the words, 33% of them were praises to God.
In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gives us a model prayer. He used about 60 words. 24 of these words were praise to God at the beginning and 12 were praise at the end. That is over half of the prayer. How much of our prayers are spent in praise to God?
In Isaiah 37:16-20, Hezekiah prayed to God and began and ended his prayer with praise. The Psalms are full of praises to God. David praised God even though much of his life was spent in hiding and fear.
As I was growing up I heard often “Prayer changes things.” Then a few years ago, I heard added to it, “So does praise!” The other day I heard a saying, “The more I praise, the better I feel.” Do you want to feel better? Start praising God!
Prayer: Dear God, I praise You for being You! Hallelujah! Amen.
26. Inviting The Wrong Person to Church
Verse: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19).
A new family moved into our neighborhood. I met the wife at the mailbox one day and we exchanged names and pleasantries. Then, the Saturday before Thanksgiving I wanted to go invite her to the church Thanksgiving dinner. We lived in
The husband asked if he could help me. I asked if they were the new family. He said, ‘Yes’, for they had just moved in that week. They were bundled up so I could not see that the woman was not the lady I had talked to before and we did not exchange names. They said they had other plans and could not come. I wished them a good day and went back home.
Thanksgiving day, they were there at our church dinner. He said, “Hi, neighbor.” I was surprised and even more so to find out I had invited the wrong person … but the right person!
A preacher visiting our church encouraged us to witness and said, “You can never witness to the wrong person.” I guess the above incident is an example of that. We need to invite people to church and let God tend to the results!
Jesus told us to go and witness to others, inviting them to church and telling them about salvation. All we need to do is go, God will take care of the results.
Prayer: Dear God, Help me to be a witness for You and invite people to church so they can learn more about You. Amen.
Verse: “…Lord, I believe help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:14b).
In Judges 6:36-40, Gideon asked God for a sign to be sure he had heard right. Then double checked with another sign. He wanted to make absolutely sure he did right in his obedience to God. He did not have the Bible as we have it today so he could not read and find God’s will for his life.
I remember, as a child, doing different religious things that I heard or saw others do. I wanted to serve God in some way. I did not know that if I read my Bible and listened to godly men preach and teach, I would learn just what God wanted me to do. It is said that 95% of the will of God is right there in the Bible. He tells us what He wants us to do.
We only have to believe what God says and follow Him. Sometimes our belief seems so small but there is a special verse in the book of Mark. Mark 9:14-29 tells us of a man who had a child possessed with a dumb spirit. He wanted Jesus to heal his son. He said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
Even when we find it hard to believe, God will increase our faith! Praise God, He knows us as Psalms 139 tell us. God knows our innermost thoughts. When we, as Christians, cannot express how we feel, then our comforter, the Holy Spirit, takes over and intercedes for us. (Romans 8:26-27) Praise God, He understands.
Prayer: Dear God, I know You know my innermost thoughts, please Lord, help thou mine unbelief. Amen.
Verse: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” (1 Peter 2:21 ).
There is a book written by Charles Sheldon in the early 1900’s called In His Steps. It is about a pastor who encouraged his church to walk the way they thought Jesus would have walked. He encouraged them to ask, “What would Jesus do?” before making any major decisions. That phrase “What would Jesus do?” has been revived in the past few years – a hundred years after the book was written. In another century the same question is being asked.
We saw a video recently on soul winning. In it they used the phrase, “What did Jesus do?” That says the same thing but in a more reflective way.
Many people through the years have tried to do this in various ways. Johnny Appleseed was one of them. He dressed in simple attire and used the least possible to survive as he traveled throughout the mid-eastern
In some religions, people flog themselves with whips, carry crosses and even have themselves put on them to do what Jesus did. They think this is how to follow Jesus and gain salvation.
Do we need to go to that extreme of dressing oddly or doing outlandish things to follow in the footsteps of Jesus? No. We should live our lives as we need to, keeping a watch out for others we can help along the way, and praying God leads us in the footsteps He wants us to take. As we stay in God’s Word and pray for His leading, He will guide us to just the places He wants us to be the best witness.
Prayer: Dear God, Help me to walk in your steps as I read the Bible and know how You would have me walk to be the right example for You. Amen.
Verse: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
I am glad to know that our God is always there for us. His Son, Jesus, paid the price for all our sin; past, present, and future. He knows we cannot live with no sin in our lives. That is why Jesus paid it all. Our goal should be to live to please God and strive for a pure life.
When we fail, God waits with open arms to welcome us back just as the father of the prodigal son did. (Luke 15:11-24) God then restores us to full fellowship with Him so our joy may be full.
Sometimes our children make us sad by their actions but they are still our children. We do not stop loving them or kick them out of the family because they do wrong. No, as loving parents we are ready to receive them when they ‘come home.’ God is our Father and we are His children. It does not matter how far we move from Him, a little or a lot, He is only a prayer away. When we tell Him we are sorry, He forgives and helps us do better.
As the song says, “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is calling, Calling for you and for me; See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching, Watching for you and for me. Come home, come home, Ye who are weary, come home; Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling – Calling, O sinner, come home!”
Prayer: Dear God, Help me to strive to have no sin in my life. But, when I fail, help me to remember to ask your forgiveness, so I can have fellowship with You again. Amen.
Verse: “ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh ” (Matthew 24:44).
I grew up with five brothers and a sister. As children do, we sometimes bickered and fought. Sometimes, our parents went off for awhile to run errands and left us alone. We usually ended up getting into a dispute about something. But when the time for our parents to arrive home drew close, we always made-up so they would not know and we would not get into trouble.
We do not know when Jesus is coming back to receive those who have accepted Him as Saviour. “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (I Thessalonians 5:6). This verse warns us to be sober (to be calm and at peace in our spirit) and watch for Jesus’ coming.
No, we do not know when Jesus is coming. We need to be ready to meet Him. Will we be embarrassed to have Him know we are angry or bitter at other people? He knows, now, anyway and it makes Him sad. We need to take care of any problem in our life so we can please God and not be ashamed at His coming.
Prayer: Dear God, help me to make things right with anyone whom I have offended or am upset with. Help me to look for and be excited about your coming again! Amen.
Verse: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
The dangers of storms and shoals have caused many ships to sink off the coasts of all counties. Lighthouses are built along the shores to prevent this from happening. Lighthouse keepers are there all the time making sure the lights are burning and in good condition. The light in the lighthouse is not large, but the prisms and glass rings magnify the beam and directs it out and around the area.
Our lives are to be lights for God. Maybe our lights or witnesses are not large, but if we give what we have to God, He will bless it, magnifying it to shine more than we can imagine.
Have you ever heard of Edward Kimball? No? Well, he is the man who gave the gospel message to Dwight L. Moody. Have you heard of Dwight L. Moody? He preached from the 1860s until his death in 1899. Thousands of people were saved through his ministry all because Mr. Kimball obeyed the Holy Spirit and made an effort to talk to Mr. Moody. God took that small light and with His ‘prisms’ multiplied Mr. Kimball’s gift.
We need to let our light shine for Jesus. Maybe, we will never even know until we get to Heaven how much our gifts or talents used for God are multiplied, but let’s shine for Him!
Prayer: Dear God, Please multiply my talents that I give You, though they seem small compared to some other people’s gifts. Amen.