Daily Devotional - 9/30

Prayer Focus - 10's

Pray for:
Ten things you are grateful for
Ten people you are thinking about
Ten places that are important to you
Ten characteristics to grow in
Ten characteristics/habits to work on

Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.

Psalms 30

"Sing to the Lord, you saints of His; praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (vs. 4-5)

" You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." (vs. 11-12)

The Lord is the perfect Father. He disciplines and trains us so that we may become excellent, like refined gold. I know it is important to train my children. I know it is important to train my students. Sometimes, however, I am not willing to be trained myself. In my head, I know that I need to receive instruction in areas I am weak in, be it at a job or in some life area, and yet I falter. I do not like correction naturally, but I know that in all the areas that I have done well in, I have had a coach. Why do we become so unteachable as we get older? Is it our pride, our confidence in our ability to manage our lives? Sometimes it takes losing everything to show us that we have not arrived; that we still need to humble ourselves before the Lord and learn. Then, sometimes, even when I acknowledge my need, in day to day, living I fail. Consistency is so hard to come by. I am so glad that God does not give up on training us when we are difficult. He is truly the perfect Father.

I am reminded of Hebrews 12:5-11.

"And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: 'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.' Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined ( and everyone undergoes discipline ), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

I can't say this any better. Whatever I go through, it is for my training. I want to share in God's holiness so I am glad for it in the long run. Although our children fight our discipline, deep down I believe they are grateful. I know that I experienced the opposite growing up and it profoundly affected me. I was rarely disciplined by my parents and it bothered me. I remember being angry in one situation when I deserved to be disciplined and wasn't. I thought, "Why don't they care enough to tell me I am doing something wrong?" I knew in my heart I had done wrong and I wanted the correction and the love and healing that I thought it would bring to me. I needed their direction and so often it didn't come. This left me feeling all alone in the world and bitter. I felt that I had to do everything by myself and for myself.

Why my parents were so lenient with me is hard to say, but I do not know that it helped me to understand and appreciate the reasoning behind God letting me go through hard times in order to help me. I am God's child. He is telling me that He loves me by not letting everything come easy. I love the story that many I am sure have heard about a man watching a butterfly come out of its cocoon. It goes something like the following. A man saw a butterfly struggling to come out of its cocoon. He felt sorry for the butterfly and so helped it by cutting the cocoon open. The butterfly came out but his wings never fully expanded and the butterfly was unable to fly. The man was confused as to what had happened. Later he learned that the struggle of emerging from the cocoon enables the butterfly's wings to be strengthen as they need to be for flight. In helping the butterfly and making things easier, he had in essence crippled it.

We are those caterpillars that need the struggle we go through in order to emerge from our cocoons a beautiful butterfly. If God did not allow our struggles and did not discipline us, we would be spiritual and emotional cripples. We would never fly as God intended. I am so grateful God does not give up on us or make things too easy. I will exalt God because of this. I will also exalt God because He doesn't let our struggle go on forever either. In the morning, rejoicing comes. Our wailing and sadness becomes dancing and joy. His discipline and His anger is short lived, but His favor is forever! Amen.

QFT

1. How do I feel about discipline? Am I coachable? Why or why not?

2. Am I being trained in any area right now? What am I learning and who is teaching me? Am I being trained at all spiritually?

3. What struggles am I going through presently, and how am I handling them? Am I looking for the easy way out or am I looking for God's way to deal with them?

4. Am I being trained spiritually in any way? Is anyone coaching me spiritually? Who could I get to mentor me in this area?

Daily Devotional - 9/29

Prayer Focus - 9's


Pray for:
Nine things you are grateful for
Nine people that are on your heart or that need prayers
Nine places that are important to you
Nine characteristics to grow in
Nine characteristics/habits to get rid of
Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear and my eyes to see and grant me the strength to obey.


Psalms 29


"Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness." (vs. 1-2)


God is glorious. God deserves my worship and praise. I am amazed at all of the grand things He has done.  A few years ago, I read a book entitled, The Gold of Exodus, by Howard Blum.  It tells the story of two Americans who went in search of the true Mount Sinai by following the trail of Moses. The archeological finds that the two adventurers discover are astounding.  If you like Biblical archeology, this is a good book to pick up, but if not, I am mentioning it because it made me stand in awe of God. There are pictures of chariot wheels found at the bottom of the Red Sea.  Perhaps from Pharaoh’s army?  These are found near a submerged land bridge at the point where Moses and the Israelites probably passed over. There are so many other strange finds in their story as well.  This, to me, is so exciting.  Again and again, stories and facts found in the Bible have been proved to be true over the years.  Archeology has backed up many passages.  It inspires me to see the power of God.  He is able to do all that He has written in His word, and this is what the Bible is.  It is the word of God and it is powerful.


"The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic" (vs. 4)


The Bible is the only truly living and active document (Hebrews 4:12-13).  Every thing is laid bare before God and He knows us.  He has set out how we work best in this guidance manual.  The Bible is the only true “self-help” book, if I can even call it that, because it is really a “God-help-us” book.  Anything that works outside of the Bible does so because it is based on a Biblical principle.  I am totally convinced of this.  I have seen it in my studies of psychology (the subject I majored in in college).  I have seen it in the teaching and discipline principles taught in the teaching courses I took for my teaching credential.  I have seen it everywhere.

I am not surprised though, because God spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1, Hebrews 11:3, Psalms 33:6 & 9).  He knows where wisdom resides.  Nothing is hidden from Him (Job 28: 12-28).  There are no secrets from God.  If it works, it is His, whether misdirected or not.  Often the world or Satan takes one of God's principles and twists it around or takes God out of the picture.  The principle still works because it is like a law God has instituted, similar to gravity.  Apples still fall to the earth whether we believe in God or not.  His principles work and are faithful, whether we are or not.  So, we need to take a look at everything and take it back to God and His word. The Bible says to tests everything and then hold onto the good ( I Thess 5:19-21).


" The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." (vs. 11)


And in the end, if we cling to God’s word and obey it, there will be strength and peace.  I know.  I know this is true, because there were moments today when I was completely at peace.  How good it felt.  In the midst of the craziness of this past week, a moment of calm was welcoming.  I knew that the calm and peace came only from God, as nothing circumstantial had changed.  I was still exhausted to some degree.  I was still loaded down with work that I have to do at the school where I teach. When I came home from work, the house was still messy and my husband was still ill.  My children were still struggling to obey, but today, I was able to handle most of it better.
I think a turning point came this morning when I became very upset with my daughter over her not helping me get everything ready for us to go.  As usual, I went on and on about it, to her disgust.  Finally, I forced myself to stop talking and I just drove to work in silence.  As I drove and tried to pray, my heart changed.  I meditated on some of my favorite verses and I became resolved to work out this problem. We ended up having a good talk and both of us recommitted to doing better in our relationship.  It was good for us to part ways at school reunited again.  I know this came about because of God and His word.  He says it never comes back empty.
His word can work wonders in our lives if we will learn it and put it into our hearts so that we can meditate on it.  From my obedience to the verses I thought about, and my repentance or change in action, I was able to gain the strength and peace that God offers us.  There is a catch, though.  God offers these promises to His people, not just to anyone. While God loves everyone, not everyone is in a covenant relationship with Him. We must enter into a relationship with Him to reap the rewards.
A covenant, just like my relationship with my daughter, goes two ways. There are things that are expected of us and there are things that we can expect from God.  He offers promises that are reserved for "His People." Let us strive to be His people and let us strive to respect and honor, by obedience, the voice of the Lord.  It is all-powerful and God is even so much more.  If His voice can shake the earth, then what can all of Him do?  Whatever it is we need, praise God for He can do it!


QFT

1.  Do I stand amazed at what God has done and created?  Do I believe what is written in the Bible?  Why or why not?

2. How is my study of God's word?  Am I making time for it?  Compared to the other reading I do, for work or pleasure, is my Bible study equal to this?

3. Am I putting into practice what I read in the Bible or is my study more of an academic pursuit?  How can I put more into practice?  What have I been thinking about changing lately due to my Bible study?

4. Am I experiencing God's strength and peace?  Why or why not?

Daily Devotional - 9/28

Prayer Focus - 8's

Pray for:

Eight things that you are grateful for
Eight people that are on your heart
Eight places that you care about
Eight characteristics to grow in
Eight characteristics/habits to get rid of

Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to follow through and obey.

Psalms 28

"He will tear them down and never build them up again." (vs. 5b)

Who will He tear down? This sounds so ominous. The murders? The violent? The criminals? When I look back to see exactly who the psalmist is talking about, I am convicted and challenged. Let's look starting in verse three.

"Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts."

Wow! He is talking about people who are holding grudges against someone or have hatred, anger, or prejudice against another. I know I have sinned against others in this way. Maybe there is someone right now I need to clear things up with. I need to always search my heart to be sure it is clear.

How often have we been upset with someone and they come up to talk to us and we act like nothing is wrong. We speak nicely to them and all the while are angry deep down. God is expressing just how He feels about that here. That is doing evil and is putting us in danger of being torn down.

Why would this upset God so much? After all, isn't this exactly how the world works. This is so common. We are stabbed in the back continuously. People talk nice to us and as soon as we are gone gossip about us to their friends. We expect it. Sometimes we engage in it. In the church, we are tempted to do no differently. Why would it upset God so much?

"Since they show no regard for the works of the Lord and what His hands have done," (vs. 5a)

It goes back to the earlier psalm that reminded us that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it (Psalms 24:1). Every person belongs to God and is special to Him; whether they have a relationship with Him or not. He created them and knit them together in their mother's womb (Psalms 139:13-16). They are important to God and as such deserve good treatment from me. This is referring to my personal family, to strangers, and especially to those in the church. We are to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with special regard (Gal 6:10).

Thank goodness that God hears our cries for mercy (vs. 2). By myself, I cannot stand. I need the mercy of the Lord. I need His strength to do right, especially in this area; even after all this time. Conflicts will continue to happen in my life. As long as I am alive and interacting with people, I will have to deal with my heart, hurt feelings, and conflicts. I will never out grow it. Sometimes it will be my fault, sometimes it will be the other person's fault, and sometimes it will be just a misunderstanding. Even so, I need mercy and I need to give mercy.

When I do this and clear my heart so there is nothing false in me, I will be able to rejoice. My heart will leap for joy (vs. 7). It is so good to have a clear heart and a clear conscience. We can truly thank God then. He is our strength and will save and bless us when we are obedient. He will be our Shepherd and carry us forever.

Thank You Lord, because I cannot do it alone.

QFT

1. What is my reaction to the seriousness of harboring ill feelings towards another person? Do I see it as as serious offense as God does?

2. Is there someone I need to speak to and work something out with? When will I do this?

3. Do I have any stereotypes or prejudices that are hindering my relationship with God and my effectiveness for Him? How can I repent of these things?

4. How do I feel when I have a clear conscience? How can I strive to maintain this?

Daily Devotional - 9/27

Prayer Focus - 7's

Pray for:
Seven things you are grateful for
Seven people who need your prayers
Seven places you care about
Seven characteristics that you want to grow in
Seven characteristics/ habits that you want to get rid of

Dear Lord - Thank You for always speaking to me. Help me to hear You today and as always, grant me the strength to obey.

Psalms 27

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

I am waiting. I am trying to be strong. I am trying to take heart. I feel so on edge. My emotions raw. It is so hard to wait in patience. When I think of all that I have to do, it is overwhelming. I lose any calm I have mustered. I cannot think of tomorrow. I must just live. One step ahead; one step. I am waiting and walking. I am not thinking about tomorrow. It will think about itself. I will write my writing. I will lie down to sleep and I will wake again. I will get in my car and drive to work. I will work. I will deal with 200+ children and drive home to deal with three more and a sick husband and a messy house. I am not thinking, although I am. I will just wait. I will be strong. I will take heart.

I will wait for each moment to come and I will deal with it. I fail when I think ahead. I failed today as I thought about tomorrow. I became irritable and disheartened. "I cannot do this," I thought and of course I cannot, but God can. All I have to do is wait and in the meantime do what has to be done as God would have me. I must be strong. My children depend on that. I am demonstating Jesus to them. If I am not strong, what will they think? I must be strong. My husband depends on that. If I fall apart, what hope does he have?

And I am taking heart because I have the promises in this psalm. God will not forsake me. Even if my parents could, He would not. And I have tomorrow with all the newness it holds. I have a fresh start. I have 200+ eager faces with lives of promise that I have been blessed to contribute to. I have a way to make money to pay my bills. I have good health insurance. Amen to that. I have beautiful children waiting to be taught about God; waiting to see His truths lived out in my life. I have a husband who is recovering quickly and who has determination to fight for his life. I have forgiveness for the failures of today. It is all a matter of my perspective. I am taking heart.

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

I will see God's goodness. I will see it here. In the meantime, I have work to do. I will do it. I will go and walk and take one moment at a time and I will wait on the Lord.


"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

QFT

1. Am I waiting for God or am I trying to take things into my own hands? How do I know?

2. In what ways do I need to be strong right now? Who is depending on me? If I am not strong, how will it affect them?

3. How can I look at the difficulties in my life in a positive way? How does my perspective on life affect my feelings and my actions during the day?

4. Am I letting fear and worry keep me from doing the work and the activities I know I should be doing? How can I be more consistent in my follow through and obedience?

Daily Devotional - 9/26

Focus Letter - Z



Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your voice and grant me the strength to obey it.


Psalms 26



"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering." (vs. 1)



I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. What an incredible statement to make. I wish I could say it. I wish I could say I have led a blameless life as well. Perhaps if I followed the psalmists advice I would be closer to this ideal.



"Your love is ever before me"



I need to keep God's love before me. This will help me to stop worrying. Even yesterday, I was worrying about the swine flu and my youngest daughter's asthma. I was wondering what would I do if my husband dies, or if my daughter should die. Morbid thoughts and worry. I had to remember that God is here even in a swine flu epidemic or in some other great crisis. Thinking about God's love will help me to stop wavering because I will remember that He is in control. I can't do anything to fight disease; to make someone's body work right. Also keeping God's love before me will keep me from becoming bitter and trying to take vengeance. It will help me to stay righteous. I think of one of my favorite verses, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near (Phil 4:4-5)." I can be gentle if I remember the Lord is near. If I forget that, I try to take everything into my own hands.



"I walk continually in Your truth"



I need to follow God's word next. If I am not being very successful, perhaps it is because either I do not know what God says in His word, or I am not obeying it. Sometimes I don't obey because I think it is too hard, or perhaps I think it is not that important, or else I think I am too busy. Lots of reasons but none will hold up. I need to continually walk in the truth, not just when I feel like it.



"I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked."



I need to have deep convictions about who I hang around with and what I am doing. I will be influenced by others, including books, movies, and TV shows. It is impossible to not be. I need to guard my heart and I need to take a stand in a spiritual way. I do not need to be self-righteous, but I need to be training myself to be godly. I need to get around people who can help me make it to heaven. I need others. It can be difficult for me to accept that, as I tend to be a very independent person, but that is not God's way. He is all about one another relationships. I need to avoid bad relationships and I need to avoid no relationships. I can not be serving God and be a loner at the same time.



"I wash my hands in innocence and go about Your altar, O Lord"



I need to not be ashamed to be innocent. The world tends to look down on innocent people, almost as if they are stupid, but I need to see that God calls us to be innocent as doves yet shrewd as snakes (Matt 10:16). It is beautiful in the eyes of God to be innocent and not jaded; to have the wide eyed excitement about life that a child has. I need to treasure my innocence and that of my children and guard it by monitoring what we take in. Then I need to be busy about God's altar. I need to be out there serving Him. I have to be about my purpose. This is what will help me to be blameless and unwavering. I will not have time to worry about myself anymore or to get into sinful pursuits. David got into some terrible sin when he failed to go out to battle as he should have (II Sam 11 & 12). Who am I to think I will be any different? I must remember Philemon 1:6, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."




"My feet stand on level ground"



Finally, I need to stop going where I shouldn't. I need to stand on the level ground that God has provided. I need to seek out His will and His direction and I need to travel on it. I need to straighten myself out so I can travel on the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8-10). I need to strengthen my feeble arms and weak knees and I need to walk on the level paths so that the weak may be healed, including myself (Hebrews 12:12-13). I need to get strong!


"In the great assembly I will praise the Lord"



And in the end, I need to praise the Lord. I will turn to Him and express all that I have to be grateful for and I will be closer to my goal. I will be closer to saying, "I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. I have led a blameless life."


QFT


1. How can I keep God's love ever before me? When is this most difficult for me?

2. Am I walking continually in God's truth? What am I disregarding? Why?

3. How do I feel about being innocent? Am I striving for this or embarrassed by it? Why? Do I avoid evil and evil influences?

4. Am I working at the Lord's altar and am I walking on His level ways? Am I busy or a busybody?

Daily Devotional - 9/25

Focus Letter - Y


Pray for:
Five things that you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear Your will and grant me the strength to obey it.



Psalms 25



"No one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame" (vs. 3)

"You are God my Savior and my hope is in You all day long." (vs. 5b)

"According to Your love remember me, for You are good, O Lord." (vs. 7b)

"Good and upright is the Lord" (vs. 8a)

"All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant." (vs. 10)

"The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them." (vs. 14)

"My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare." (vs. 15)

"Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in You." (vs. 20)

"May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in You." (vs. 21)


I am tired and discouraged tonight. It has been such a long week and I am exhausted. I am encouraged by these promises. I can look to them when I am downhearted. All of God's ways are loving. He is refining my faith so that I will remain faithful. I am being forged into something useful through the fires of cancer. God will guard and rescue me. Whatever happens, He will not abandon me. I will be taken care of because God is good. I will go to sleep tonight and awake to a new day; a fresh start and a new hope. All things are possible with God. He will comfort me in the morning.

QFT

1. How can all of God's ways be loving? Do I really believe that? How do I know?

2. Am I keeping the demands of His covenant so His ways can truly be good and loving to me?

3. How does God confide in me? Do I sense Him doing this? If not, am I fearing Him and what does that mean?

4. Is my integrity and uprightness guarding me? Am I falling short in either of these areas? What can I change?

Daily Devotional - 9/24

Focus Letter - X


Pray for:
Five things that you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Open my eyes to see, my ears to hear, and my heart to feel. Grant me the strength to obey.


Psalms 24


"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;" (vs. 1)



Everything around me and everyone I see are God's. I must remember this. Frankly, if I can hang on to this thought, it will revolutionize my life. I am very careful when I am watching someone else's children. When I go to visit someone at their house, I am respectful of their belongings and I respect their wishes and rules in their house. It is only right I figure because that is how I would like my children and my home/rules to be respected. But with my possessions, with my husband, with my children, I tend to do what I want because they are mine. Or are they?

They are not. They are God's. They do not belong to me. They belong to God. And the earth around me, is it just there ot be used and abused, with no one to hold us accountable? No, it is God's as well. How about all of those strangers that I pass along the way? Who do they belong to? No one? Are they not important because they have not entered into my sphere of influence? No, they are God's treasured possessions. They are important whether I know them or not.

Let us consider the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25: 31-46. The King, representing God, separates all of the people into two groups; the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. Those on the right He praises for taking care of Him in many different ways. They respond in confusion, "When did we ever do this for You?" He replies, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Those on His left, the goats, He sends away because they did not take care of Him. They also respond before leaving and ask, "When did we not take care of You?" God's answer has always been convicting and challenging to me. "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me."


As I take care of my husband, I need to consider this. Am I caring for Him as I would care for God? How about my children? Am I being as patient and compassionate as I would be to the Lord? How about the people on the streets. Am I being kind to those I meet on a casual basis as if they were Jesus Himself? Also, am I offering people what they need the most, an opportunity to know God? That is really the most loving thing I could do. This goes even beyond people though, as the psalmist suggests. Am I being responsible with the money God gave me? Am I keeping my possessions and home in good condition. I must remember it is the Lord's, not mine. How about my body? Am I really taking care of it like it was God's temple? Finally, am I respecting God in His house, the earth, by obeying His rules and following His directions?

This is so challenging but so worth considering. I want to be a sheep. I want to be on the right side of the throne of God. I want to be able to ascend the hill of the Lord as mentioned in verse three.

"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?"


The one who will ascend is the one with clean hands and a pure heart; that one who treats everyone and everything as it should be, as God's. This person will receive the blessings. We can be this person. We can do this if we get the idols out of our lives. I know when I am preoccupied by making money or my little projects, or worries, I neglect what is most important, for example, my children and husband.

I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to waste the time that God has given me pursuing things that will not get me to heaven and will not fulfill me in the long term. I look back in sorrow at all the time I have already wasted. I must invest in what God wants me to invest in. I must seek God's face, and in doing so, I will be able to treat others right.

The Lord is strong and mighty. The Lord is mighty in battle. I will lift up my head and see God come in victory. I will honor Him by honoring others. I am climbing up the hill.

QFR

1. Am I treating those closest to me like they were God? If not, how can I change?

2. Am I taking care of my body like it was the temple of the Lord? If not, how can I change?

3. What areas of my life do I struggle the most with viewing as God's? Why?

4. What idols (anything that gets put before God and following His ways) do I have in my life? How can I get rid of them?

Daily Devotional - 9/23

Focus letter - W

Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear Your voice and grant me the strength to obey.

Psalms 23

"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comforth me." (vs. 4)

This is the valley of the shadow of death. I always wondered where it was and then I realized it was right here, the earth. We live in the shadow of our death, in the fear of the death of all those we love, every single day of our lives. But I do not need to be afraid because I will remember that the Lord is my shepherd. He will take care of me now and when I die. I shall not be in want if I don't want to because God is in control.

He will take care of me, all of me. God wants to take care of the physical, the spiritual, the emotional, and the mental aspects of my being. These make up the totality of who we are and the Lord is equally concerned about each one. If we look at this psalm and also at the greatest commandment we see each one represented.

"Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30)

The first aspect of our lives He is concerned about is our physical being. "He makes me lie down in green pastures (vs. 2a)." He provides for us physically and takes care of us. He gives us rest when we need it. "God grants sleep to those He loves (Psalms 127:1-2)." He wakes us up in the morning and keeps us going throughout our days. He knows what we need to physically stay alive. He does this so that in the end, we can love Him with all of our strength. This is the building block for the rest of the aspects of our lives because if we are not having our physical needs met, it is very difficult to focus on more spiritual issues.

Secondly, He is concerned with our emotions. "He leads me beside quiet waters (vs. 2b)." When all our emotions are on edge, we need to go to the quiet places and be still. It is very difficult to be spiritual and pleasing to God when we are overly emotional or having a temper tantrum. We need our emotions calmed down and God can provide that. How often does He offer peace to us in His word. We need to be emotionally restored and calmed so that we in turn can love God with all of our emotions. Once our physical needs are met and our emotions are calm, we can deal with the next level in our beings.

The third aspect God is concerned with is our souls or our spiritual development. "He restores my soul (vs. 3a)." He revives us and renews our spirits. When we are downcast, He lifts us up. We have all had those bad days and then something will happen and it all changes. We have been restored and it feels so good. Our souls are the deepest levels of our beings and God desires that they be completely His as well; that we love Him with all our souls. That is when we will be truly content.

Finally, God is concerned with our minds. "He guides me in the paths of righteousness (vs. 3b)." He knows we need guidance and instructions. Our minds are so easily filled with all the wrong things and society is continually bombarding us with messages, most of which are contrary to God's laws. Our minds need to be filled with His ways and renewed with His truth. Then and only then, can we love Him with all of our minds and we can use them to help others.

It is evident that God is concerned with all of us; all aspects of our lives and beings. One portion is not enough and we will continue to live in the valley of the shadow of death, fearing evil, until we can surrender it all over to our Good Shepherd.

Why does He do this? Why does He even care? He does it for "His name's sake (vs. 3b)." It is not about me. It is all about God. He takes care of me and loves me so that others will know how great He is and perhaps come to find Him. He restores my soul and guides me so that others might see the wonder of His ways and come to know Him. He gives me strength so that I might serve Him and others. It all comes back to Him. But that is okay with me because I, like a sheep, do not know how to do this thing called life. I would run off a cliff if the rest did, just like sheep without a shepherd might. I am not ashamed to admit I need a shepherd. I am tired of doing it on my own. I have seen where it has gotten me.

And so, even though I am here in this scary place, full of sadness, this "valley of the shadow of death", I will fear no evil. I will fear no evil for God is with me. The ways He leads me in are a comfort to me. God takes care of me in the midst of bad. God can do that. My cup overflows and everything is going to be alright.

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (vs. 6)"

Things will be okay, now and also into eternity. God will take care of His own.

QFT

1. Am I loving God with all of my heart (my emotions)? Am I letting Him calm them? How can I change?

2. Am I loving God with all of my soul? Am I letting Him restore me? What ways does He restore me?

3. Am I loving God with all of my mind? Am I letting Him guide me in the ways of righteousness? How can I start doing this?

4. Am I loving God with all of my strength? Am I letting Him care for my body and physical needs? Am I following His directions in caring for my temple (body)? How can I take better care of my physical body?

Daily Devotional - 9/22

Focus Letter - V

Pray for:
Five things that you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter


Dear Lord - Help me to hear your voice today, all day, and grant me the strength to obey.

My husband made it through surgery and is recovering. They removed the lower right lobe of his liver which had confirmed cancer and, unfortunately, also found another tumor on the left side. This was destroyed by laser. There are still two small unknown masses in the upper right lobe as well. As a result of this, more chemotherapy is recommended. We were sad about the news but are faithful yet. Thank you for all your prayers and support.



Psalms 22



As I sat at my computer, after a long day at the hospital and after receiving the bad news about the spread of the cancer, I felt a bit numb. On opening the Bible to review the psalm for this post, I had to smile. How fitting for this to be the psalm today. The opening words spoke to me.



"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent." (vs. 1-2)



How I have felt this the past year. At every turn, we have received bad news. My husband was diagnosed with cancer in February but we were confident that it would be contained in the colon. After all, he was only 49. My mother had had colon cancer at 61 and hers had been contained; it had not spread although it was about the same size of a tumor. We went into surgery confident. The surgeon told us after the surgery that it did appear to be contained within the colon, but of course, he could not know for sure until the lab work. How shocked we were to receive the call about a week later to find out that it was not contained and that it was in the lymph nodes.



"My God, my God..." I thought.



"Well, at least it was only in two of the 30 lymph nodes they looked at," I said to my mother-in-law who was devastated by the news. Surely it hadn't spread very far. There was that spot on his liver that the doctors had noted before his original surgery. But they had not been worried about it. The doctor had felt that it was probably not cancer. I was confident my husband would do his chemotherapy and be fine.


He went in for a liver test to confirm that the spot was just a benign occurrence, a hemangioma, and we waited, not worried. The results came back. A biopsy was needed. The tumor was not a hemangioma. I remember receiving the call. It was a beautiful day and I was playing Candyland with my daughters. The sun streamed in from the window, creating a peaceful, happy glow in the room. We were laughing.

My husband was out running an errand when the phone call came in. "Mrs. Jacobs, the tumor is cancerous," the doctor said over the phone.


Everything stopped and again in my mind, "my God, my God..."




Six rounds of chemo; so difficult. The embolism to block off the cancerous part of his liver. The surgery prep, all in the hopes that this would soon will be over; that life would soon return to normal. Then yesterday, the surgery, to remove the right lobe of his liver; so that he would be cancer free. At pre-op, the doctor mentioned that if they find something in the left lobe, they would burn it with a laser. I paused.


"But there isn't supposed to be anything in the left lobe," I said.


"Well sometimes it is hidden from the MRI. We are going to check everything out. We will take good care of him."


"Okay," I said, thinking with less confidence now that there would be nothing in the left liver. This warning of his was all precautionary. The surgery was going to be the end of this. Six weeks recovery and then life would go on. It would be this way. I had decided.




At 12 noon, the doctor came out and I approached, eager to hear the good news. "We removed the right lobe, but there was a half an inch tumor deep in the left lobe as well."


"What?"


"The left lobe, a tumor. We destroyed it with the laser but there are still small unknown spots visible on the ultrasound as well. They are too small to know what they are. We recommend more chemotherapy."

"More?" I said sadly.

"Yes, more. Cancer is like a dandelion which spreads its seeds when blown. We don't know, can't know now. Everything else in the abdomen looks clear but the chemo - it is necessary." The doctor smiled at me in a serious, sad way. My heart sank. The chemo... the walking death. It is difficult to explain life during chemo. Lets just say, it is hard.



"My God, my God..." again I begin to think. Why? Why, at every turn, has the road to quick recovery been blocked? What is it we must learn, my husband and I?



And then I read on in Psalms 22, the psalm that goes on to prophecy Jesus' suffering on the cross.



"Yet You are enthroned as the Holy One; You are the praise of Israel. In You our fathers put their trust; they trusted and You delivered them. They cried to You and were saved; in You they trusted and were not disappointed" (vs. 4-5)



It is painful. This is painful. It is not what I wanted. But it is what God has given me. He has given me this, and He has given me Himself to fall back on. I am not alone. I am a part of His plan. This morning, in the calm of the cool, early morning air blowing in through the window, I remember God. I remember to give thanks. I am thankful my husband is still alive. I am thankful that they removed or killed all known cancer in his body. I am thankful he is as alert and well as he is after surgery. I am thankful for the 12 years and the three daughters that I have had with him. I am thankful for all the ways we have grown to be better people through all of this. I am thankful for all the ways that we will grow before this is over.

God has given me the assurance that He will be with me through these difficult times. He will never leave me or forsake me (Joshua 31:6). He has given me a Bible full of good promises, all of which have been given to me so that I will have peace. As He says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)"

He will deliver me. He will not disappoint me in the end. In the short term, I may have sorrow. I do have sorrow. But God is not in this for the short term. He is the God of eternity. In the light of eternity, I am not let down. Things may not happen as I have planned. It hasn't happened as I had planned, but I have been delivered so far. My husband has also been delivered so far. He is still here. We are still living in faith, and we are better people for all of this.

God is still with me, just as He was with Jesus as He went to the cross; surely not what Jesus had wanted but it was what needed to happen. Jesus suffered immensely, more than any of us ever will, and yet He returned to God and His sovereignty. I must remember His words at Gethsemane, " Not my will, but Yours be done." At times, we may be momentarily disappointed, but in the long run we are never. In the long term, the victory is always ours. In Christ we have the victory. God did not forget Jesus. He did not disappoint Him. There were three dark days and then Jesus arose and brought salvation to all of us. In the same way, God will not forget me either.



"You who fear the Lord, praise him!...For He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden His face from him but has listened to his cry for help." (vs. 23-24)



There is a reason for all of this. I am not forgotten and I will praise Him yet.



QFT



1. When have you felt forsaken? Why?



2. What has God given you to deal with presently in your life? How are you dealing with it? Are you turning to God, or away from Him because of it?



3. When life does not go as you planned, how do you react? How can you react in a more trusting manner?



4. What reasons can you see behind some of the greatest crises that have occurred in your life?

Daily Devotional - 9/21

Focus Letter - U

Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord- open my ears to hear, my eyes to see, and my heart to feel. Grant me the strength to obey.

Today is my husband's surgery. We would appreciate your prayers.


Psalms 21


"For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken" (vs. 7)

How great are the victories the Lord gives. As we go into surgery today, I am remembering the greatness of the Lord. I will rejoice that I have His strength to support me and that I can have joy in His victories whatever they may be. God does not withhold the requests of my lips and He knows the desires of my heart. He gives life. I can do nothing to add or subtract from my life, save for eating and living healthy, which is important. But worrying will do nothing. Worrying will not add a moment to my life and will dissipate the energy that I need to be strong.


Regardless what happens today, I will cling to Gods eternal blessing and be glad in the Lord. He is not changing and He is here with me today. God's love is unfailing; the only thing that is secure and eternal. I will not be shaken today. I will be there for my husband, my in laws, and my children. I will be their strength because God is mine. God will lay hold of my enemies and crush them. God can crush the cancer and even if He chooses not to, I will still trust in Him.

God will be exalted. In my life, God will be exalted. Amen.

QFT

1. What enemies am I facing in my life today? How could the Lord conquer them?

2. When is it hardest for me to trust in God? Why?

3. What victories has God given me in the past? How has God blessed me?

4. How can God be exalted in my life, even in the difficult times? What can I do differently to ensure that this will happen?

Daily Devotional - 9/20

Focus Letter - T

Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.


Psalms 20

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm." (vs. 7)

Even the most untrusting of us trust in something. It is really the defining element of our lives - what are we trusting in. For some it is career. We sink our souls and hopes in a job. It is who we are. It gives us authority. For some it is a spouse. We pour all of our love and devotion into that other person and expect them to bring us happiness and security. For some it is money. They rely on their cash to buy them happiness and friends. For some it is their physical health and strength. They work out, eat right, and focus on their appearance in the search for eternal youth. For others it is pleasure. That continual high of excitement and fun. They search for the next good time to keep them going. There is something for everyone whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Unfortunately all of these things will fail us at some time or another. They may succeed in bringing us what we seek for awhile but in the end they all fail.

There is only one who never fails and that is God. If we trust in the Lord our God we will rise up and stand firm. God will save us in the end.

And why do we trust? We were created to trust. We need to trust because if we are honest with ourselves, there are holes within us; gaps and spaces that need filling. Emptiness exists and the desire for security that resides in our souls eludes us. We know that we can do nothing to ensure we wake up tomorrow (Luke 12: 13-21). We know that time and chance happen to all of us (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12). We know that whether rich or poor, wise or foolish, all alike die (Psalms 49). We know about uncertainty but we do not like to dwell on it. We find what works for us or at least what we think works and we cling onto it. We create our version of the world and how it works. We find our truth. The problem with that is, however, truth is not relative. There is absolute truth. As surely as the sun is still shining on a cloudy day, truth is still shining whether we believe it or not.

And so we trust in something because we need to. That is why there has always been false gods throughout the ages and though we do not have images we bow down to today, we bow down regardless. We need a God, a Lord, and a Saviour. Psalms 20 states why. We need answers and protection (vs. 1). We need help and support (vs. 2). We need to be remembered and accepted (vs. 3). We need to have our desires filled and our plans validated (vs. 4). We need to celebrate victory and have a cause to live for (vs. 5). Finally, we need to have our prayers and requests heard (vs. 5). These are inborn desires and needs that we search to have filled. God put those desires there and He knows best how to fulfill them.

If we trust in Him, we will see them fulfilled and then we can know as the psalmist knew that the Lord does save His people and He does answer from Heaven. He will answer when we call.

QFT

1. What am I trusting in? How do I know?

2. Of all the needs mentioned in Psalms 20, which is my greatest right now? How can I turn to God to fulfill this need?

3. What concrete steps can I take to trust God more? Who can I ask help or advice from about this?

4. How can I celebrate the victories God has brought into my life? Why is this important?

Daily Devotional - 9/19

Focus Letter - S

Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begin with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Please help me to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to obey.


Psalms 19


"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (vs. 14)



If I can please anyone in this world, if anyone is going to be happy with my life, I want that person/being to be God. I know I can't please everyone, and sometimes even pleasing those closest to me seems impossible. I used to worry about this quite a bit and compromise myself trying to make everyone happy. I wanted everyone to like me but in striving for this, I became someone even I didn't like. I came to the conclusion that I couldn't worry about it anymore. I had to live with myself and my conscience, and so I had to have integrity. I needed to be true to the one who matters the most - God.

Now I want everything about me to be pleasing to Him. How can I have this in my life? How can my words and even the thoughts of my heart be good and be pleasing to God? I fail so much in this area and I know that I only see the tip of the iceberg. As I mature as a Christian, I continue to see how far away I am. It seems impossible but it is not.


"Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me." (vs. 12-13)


God knows we fall short. He can see all of it. I think He is so kind to us in letting us see only what we can handle. If we could see the complete depth of our sin and depravity all at once, I think that would be the end of us. Thankfully, He has mercy. But we do need to deal with our sins if we want to be pleasing to God.

In Psalms 19:12-13 above, the author points out two types of wrongdoings that must be forgiven and dealt with. First he mentions our hidden faults. I equate this to what is often referred to as iniquity. These are those character issues and predispositions; those deeper controlling factors that lead to our outward sins. Often they can stem from family issues and perhaps even biological factors. A deeper study of this might be of interest. I know there have been times that I have done things and then wondered why on earth I did them. There was no conscious reason but there was a driving force hidden somewhere in me. We need these forgiven. We need to pray to be transformed and to have the deep core iniquities uprooted.

Next there are the willful sins. The psalmists asks God to keep him from them. The willful sins fall into two categories - sins of omission and sins of commission. Sins of commission are those things we do that we know we shouldn't. Basically, they consist of doing something wrong. They are spelled out by God in the Bible, so it is important we find out what they are. There are several lists of these types of sins in the New Testament. I have posted two of them below. One list consists of the "major sins"; the ones most people probably think deep down are wrong even if they are still doing them. The other is more intense as it lists the sins of the heart. Disobedience to our parents is on this list as is ingratitude and being a lover of ourselves. This list may surprise some as our society takes pride in many of them. The sins of omission are the second type. These are all of those things we know we should do and don't. This one is particularly frightening to me because I am excellent at having "good intentions". I always remember with trepidation the saying my mother used to tell me, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

So how can we deal with the sin in our lives so that we may be continually pleasing to our God? The first step is to turn to Him. The beginning of the psalm declares the awesome power of the Lord and the beauty of His creation. When we turn our eyes to Him and His ultimate authority and strength, it makes more sense for us to obey and turn from our sins. Often we continue doing wrong because we do not realize the greatness of God and how He can fulfill us. We turn to sin to fulfill us and it cannot. We worry because we forget God. We turn to love in the wrong ways because we forget God has this love for us. We are mean and selfish because we forget God can take care of us. The root of all sin begins with us forgetting God and His power (Romans 1:18-32). So in order to deal with our lives, we need to remember God. We don't need the sins, we only need God.

Next, we need to turn to His words which give us the directions for life. They tell us what to do and not to do. God was gracious enough to spell it out. He is not a God of confusion. He is the ultimate God of peace and order. He shows us the way. We need then to obey if we want to be free from sin. It is not enough to just look at the Word, we must do what it says (James 1:22-25).

In dealing with sin, I John 1:5-10 is a good place to start. We need to get things out into the light. We need to confess them to someone. The power of this is so incredible. I think that is why Satan does whatever he can to prevent us from doing so. We fear that if people really knew us, they wouldn't like us when the exact opposite is true. We think nothing will change even if we are open. How wrong that is. Even modern psychology acknowledges the benefit of openness which is what therapy is all about. It works because it is God's principle. He really does know.

Secondly, we need to accept God's forgiveness. We need to let it go and move on. If we continue to dwell on something, the likelihood of it repeating itself increases. If God who is perfect can forgive us, who are we to not. Thirdly, we need to fill ourselves up with good things, the fruits of the Spirit. It is not enough to just empty ourselves of evil because then we leave ourselves open for more evil and sin to come right back in. We need to stuff ourselves so full of God and His good benefits that there is no more room for the sin and iniquity in our lives. (Luke 11:24-26)

There is great reward in keeping God's word. The sins and iniquities that plague us can be things of the past. I love I Cor 6:9-11 because it mentions some of the more serious sins that can plague us (and I was guilty of some on the list) and then it says - That is what some of you were! It is true. Our sins and iniquities can be in the past. They can be what we were, not what we are now. What an awesome truth this is. I know. It is worth it to please Him. Let us strive to do so!


Verses for reference:

Isaiah 53:5-6

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His words we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

II Timothy 3: 1-5
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than overs of God -having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."

James 4:17
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins"

Galatians 5: 19-25
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."



I Cor 6:9-11
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."



QFT

1. Who am I striving to please? How do I know? Do my actions and words support this?

2. What sins do I need to deal with right now in my life? What are my sins of commission and omission?

3. What might be the iniquities in my life? How can I start to deal with them?

4. Am I being open about my life? Who am I open with? If I am not being open, is there someone I could open up to?

Daily Devotional - 9/18

Focus Letter - Q (I skipped this letter... Oops)

Pray for:
Five things we are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Please speak to my soul and help me to hear and obey. You are good, always good.

Psalms 18


I love God. I am not ashamed to say that. I am amazed at how He maintains me through everything. He is truly my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. I called to the Lord and He is saving me from my enemies - my lack of money, my daughter's illness, my husband's illness, my clutter, my worrying. He is working miracles.


I have felt just like the psalmist, "the cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. (vs. 4)" I have been so overwhelmed, that I could not even function. All I could do was go to sleep. My foes were too strong for me! My foes are too strong for me. I cannot defeat them by myself. I have tried for many years with some of them.

Yet I cried out to God. Sometimes that is what it takes for us to finally turn completely to Him. We have to be stripped of everything. I advise we do not make Him do this. It hurts. But however we get there, we need to cry out to God like a little child crying out to his or her father. And God will come in a mighty display. He does things in a big way sometimes. God rescues us from our powerful enemies that are confronting us and making our life miserable. The Lord grabs us and pulls us out of those bad situations and sets us in a spacious place. There is a place of rest, a time for recuperation after the struggles.

He does this because He delights in us. God enjoys and delights in me. I love that thought. I am special to God. He knows me and everything about me and He still loves me. He even likes me. He wants to be with me. He wants to know my thoughts. He is that perfect father that none of our earthly fathers could be. They tried the best they could, but God is perfect and I belong to Him.

It is good to know that what I do in my life is not in vain. I am not in vain and my efforts are not in vain. God does not forget our hard work (Heb 6: 10). He knows everything I do and have done. He knows my heart; sometimes I don't even know that but He does. He knows our deeds, whether they are good or bad, and He rewards us accordingly. Our works do not save us but they are evidence to a faith that is deep and alive. If I truly believe in something I act on it.

And besides rewarding us, He keeps our lamps burning - He keeps us going. With God's help, we can advance against a troop. We can scale walls. We can do remarkable things with God. It is God who arms us with strength and makes our way perfect. God even stoops down to make us great. God truly cares. No one stoops down, takes all that effort, to do something that is not important to them. It is too much trouble. We are not too much trouble to God. He is willing and able. I praise Him that He is on my side.


God does turns my darkness into light. I can see where I am going because I can see God. God will never leave me or forsake me. I love God. I am not ashamed.

QFT

1. Are you crying out to God about your problems, your enemies? Why or why not? How is your prayer life?

2. Do you feel that God delights in you? Is there anything in your life that you believe is not delightful to God? How can you change that?

3. Are we attempting to serve God? How are we serving God? Do we need help to do these things or to start something new?

4. What are some ways that God has given you strength or trained you in the past? How is He strengthening and training you now?

Daily Devotional - 9/17

Focus Letter - R

Pray for:
Five things that you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your voice and grant me the strength to obey.

Psalms 17

"Keep me as the apple of your eye" (vs. 8)

I would like to be the apple of someone's eye. This is a strange saying to me but I understand it slightly when I watch my children. Sometimes when they are oblivious to me, I just like to watch them in amazement. Did they really come from me? These little human beings with separate dreams and thoughts that I cannot access. They are so special to me. They are the apple of my eye.

It is almost unbelievable to me that this type of relationship is available from God. That He would even consider holding me as the apple of His eye; that I might even be right now in that special position. It is hard to understand this when I have always struggled to feel this type of love from others. Perhaps my grandmother held me as the apple of her eye. She was very special but she is long gone now.

But love is hard for me to feel. I know God has kept me this far. I know He has answered silly little prayers for me along the way; the kind a friend would do for a friend. So sometimes I think, yes, He must think I am special. He must truly like me.

I do not know why it is so hard for some of us to feel love, but it is. I understand that completely. I know my parents loved me, but I did not really feel it. I know my husband loves me, but I do not often feel it. When we are like this, there must be some emotional damage somewhere deep down that is hindering the registration of love. I know I must dig deep to deal with whatever is holding this back.

I will never fully experience what God wants for me as long as I cannot move beyond an intellectual knowledge of His love. It is Christ's love that compels us (II Cor 5:14-15). We love because He loved us first (I John 4:19-21). God is love (I John 4:7-12). "And now these three remain: faith hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (I Cor 13:13)". The greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is like it, love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt 22:36-40). Everything depends on these two commandments. Everything depends on love. Therefore, I must understand love. I must allow myself to feel love; to love and to be loved in return. I want this but it seems outside my grasp. I have tried so long to truly feel.

"You still the hunger of those you cherish" (vs. 14b)

God will still my hunger for this love and caring. God will provide for me in this way when the time is right; when I can receive it. I am loved whether I feel it or not. I will call on God for this, and He will answer me. He will listen to me and show me the wonder of His great love. This too can be changed by God. Someday I will feel that I am loved as surely as I know it.

God does watch me like I watch my little children. They do not understand the depth of my love just as I do not understand the depth of God's love. Someday they may, when they grow up. Someday, as well, I may grow up spiritually and understand the depth of God's love better.

Until then, I will be satisfied with what I do have and I will strive to grow in what I do not. And I - in righteousness, will see God's face. I will be satisfied with seeing His likeness. I will be satisfied with Him (vs 15) and I will never give up.

QFT

1. Do you feel special to God? Why or why not?

2. Is it easy or difficult for you to feel loved? What do you think has contributed to or hindered your ability to give and receive love?

3. On a scale of 1 -10, how would you rate yourself on the first and second greatest commandments? Why?

4. What are your strengths and weaknesses in the area of loving God and loving others?

Daily Devotional - 9/16

Focus Letter - P

Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter


Dear Lord - Please help me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.


Psalms 16


"Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge." (vs 1)

Sometimes with all that is going on in my life, I do not feel very safe. I have to be the strong one right now for my family because of my husband's illness. There is no one to take care of me. If you have ever had to be a caregiver for someone you understand. If you are a single mother, you understand. If you have been abandoned in some way by someone, you can understand. I think all of us can understand this feeling in some way. It can be overwhelming and we wonder, "What about me?" Who will be here to protect me and guide me. The answer is simple, though often hard to feel and understand. God will. He will be there to take care of me even if no one else is. He can be my ultimate emotional, physical, and spiritual support because He knows what I need even when I don't.

In this world, sometimes, we will be all alone. We cannot avoid this. Jesus was all alone in His greatest hour of need. All of His friends deserted him. One betrayed Him. What we go through is no different. We have been hurt and we have also hurt. But God is still there. He can restore our souls and He can help us to cleanse out the pain in our hearts. Anger and bitterness are easy to come by and hide deep within our hearts when we have been hurt or let down. Disrespect rages. But we must forgive. We have been called to let go. As we have been forgiven, we must forgive (Matt 6:14-15). We must take refuge in God. Let the vengeance be His and move on. We are only destroying ourselves by our bitterness (Heb 12:14-15). There is no point in it. Pain is part of the human existence and God knows.

The bitterness we can carry around from our hurts can destroy us. We envy those that we think have it better than us. We are miserable and forget that God has a plan. He assigned us our portion. He gave us our families. He allowed us to marry who we did. He has given us our children with all of the joys and sorrows they can bring. He has assigned us our portion and set our boundary lines. He has planned our lives and our times, even while we were still in our mother's wombs (Psalms 139:13-18). Who am I to resent what God has done; to be dissatisfied with the lot He has given me? Maybe someday I will have something better but for now this is it. It is what it is and I am serving God regardless. God is great even if nothing else is.

We must realize that life is not about us; it is not about me being happy. When I strive for happiness, it alludes me. When I forget about happiness and strive for God, it comes and rests in my heart. There is nothing truly lasting and worthwhile in the things around me or the career or the possessions. There is only God and what is of utmost importance to Him; people. Apart from God, we have nothing (vs. 2). I have nothing. I came to this world with nothing and I will leave with nothing. Blessed be the name of the Lord. That is how it always is. Life is fleeting. Good times are fleeting. Bad times are fleeting. Only God is permanent.

God will keep us safe. God will keep me safe. I will turn to God. I will love God and the saints in the land; my brothers. God has made my lot secure. God has made it okay. I will be okay. Everything will be okay. I do not know how anything will end but it will still be okay.

How can we do this? How can we go on with these ethereal promises; physically intangible securities when all we can touch is falling down around us? We have to set the Lord before us(vs. 8). We have to keep as clear a picture of Him, and of all He has done for us in the past, as possible in front of our eyes at all times. If He remains there, if we allow Him the presence He deserves in our lives, we will not be shaken. We must keep my focus on God as surely as we keep it on the road when we are driving. Then He will be our guide and we will reach our final destination. If we clean out our hearts and lift up our eyes; if we focus on God and renew our joy at the delightful inheritance He has given us, then we will be able to be glad and rejoice. We will be secure. God will make known to us the path of life. He will give us salvation and everything else.


God is always in control and it is good.

QFT

1. Do I have any hurts or bitterness in my heart from the past? Is there any unforgiveness in my heart? How can I deal with this?

2. Am I grateful for the life that God has given me? Am I grateful for my spouse and children? Am I grateful for the family I was born into?

3. Am I striving for happiness or am I striving for God? Would others say I was happy?

4. What tangible ways can I keep God always before me?

Daily Devotional - 9/15

Focus Letter - O



Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter



Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 15

"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?

Who may live on your holy hill?" (vs 1)

Walk blameless
Do right
Speak truth from the heart
No slander
No harm
Hate evil
Love good
Keep your word
Give your money
And never be bought



Be a man after God's own heart



If you do, you will never be shaken.
If you do, you will live in God's home.

QFT

1. Which of these requirements of God are most difficult for you? Why?

2. How can you hate evil without being self-righteous?

3. In what ways do you find yourself getting "bought"? What do you compromise your values for?

4. Are you a man or woman of your word? When do you struggle most with letting your "yes be yes, and your no, no" (Matt 5:37)?

Daily Devotional - 9/14

Focus Letter - N


Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 14



God is present in the company of the righteous. The Lord is their refuge.


If God is in the company of the righteous, that is what I want to be. I want to be with God; keep company with Him. I want to be able to go to Him with confidence and take refuge in Him. Often though, in my efforts to be righteous, I think I end up being "religious". I miss the whole point of what God desires from me and start following a bunch of rules. I have my checklist and do my duty thinking that is enough. I become religious like the pharisees and I must remember Jesus' harshest criticisms were directed at them. So what is the difference between being righteous and religious?

Some verses come to mind when I think about this question.

James 1: 26-27
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

I must watch my mouth. It is not okay to say whatever I feel. I must speak the truth in love. I must remember that I will be called to account for every careless word I utter (Matt 12:36-37). Thank God for His mercy here but I must try harder. I also need to be socially conscious and help out those less fortunate than me. I must remember, even in my current financial difficulties, that I am rich. Finally, I must keep myself from becoming polluted by the world. I must be different. I must not become corrupted and cynical. I must not become a complainer. I must be different from the world.

Matt 7:13-14
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

I cannot follow the masses. There are only two roads. Which one am I on? Are there a lot of people on it? I should be a little concerned then. If there are a few, I should not be discouraged or think I am in the wrong!

Matt 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never know you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

This one is scary to me. These people were religious, and they were not pew warmers. They were actively serving God in the way they thought best. The question, however, is am I doing the will of the Father, or am I just doing what I think is the will of the Father? I can be sincerely wrong! (Proverbs 16:25)

Philippians 2:12b-13
"continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose."

I must always keep striving to make sure I am following the will of God. It is easy to get off track and it is easy to follow the crowd, whether in the world or even in the church. I need to work out my own salvation. I must watch my own life and doctrine (I Tim 4:16). I must guard my own heart because it is the wellspring of my life (Proverbs 4:23). I cannot make anyone else do anything at all, but I can make myself do "all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)." I must do what I need to do and in doing this, then I may help save others. God is in the company of the righteous. Let us be righteous!


QFT: (Questions for Thought)

1. Am I righteous or religious? How do I know?

2. Am I helping those less fortunate? If not, how can I start?

3. Am I keeping myself from being polluted by the world? What are my temptations here?

4. Am I keeping a reign on my tongue? When is it most difficult for me to do what is right in this area?

Daily Devotional - 9/13

Focus Letter - M

Pray for:
Five things that you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.

Psalms 13

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil 4:13

"But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me (vs 5)."

How long are we willing to do battle with ourselves and our sins/character flaws? A day, a week, a month, a season? How about a year? How about ten years? That seems like a long time. I know because I went through it.

After I became a Christian in 1983, an issue came up in my life that was deeply embedded in who I was. It was contrary to the Word of God, however, and so I took up the fight against it. I prayed. I fasted. I confessed. I did everything I knew of to deal with it and yet it still was a daily struggle for me. I would have good and bad days but the problem remained. I even saw a psychologist for help. All the things I did helped to some degree but the sin remained with me.

I felt like the psalmist. I cried out, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? (vs. 1)" I did feel forgotten in many ways because I was trying. I was doing everything right. But this was something more than not swearing or not getting drunk. The obvious sins are often the easiest to overcome. Many things I had struggled with for years changed overnight the day I became a Christian. Deeper heart issues arose, however. And so it is for all of us. We are not changed overnight. We are changed continually. We are slowly sculpted into something beautiful that will not be finished until the day we stand before God.

I struggled and struggled but in the end I trusted in God and did the best I could that day. That was all I could do and I kept on going. I did not know when my struggle would end or if perhaps it would not and I would deal with this particular issue til the day I died. Eventually it did not matter anymore. I decided that no matter what, I would not give up. In becoming a Christian, I had found the best thing in my life, even if it was not easy. At 17, I knew that if I walked away from God, I would be walking away from the best thing I ever had and my only hope of change.

I felt like Peter when he declared to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go?Where else could we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:68). " I truly believed and still to this day believe there is no where else for me to go. Jesus still has the words of life. And amazingly enough, ten years later, I awoke one day to find my struggle was gone; never to return. As I look back over the ten years, now that I am on the other side of it, it didn't seem that long of a time. The relief was so tremendous that to this day it gives me chills just thinking about it. I was finally free. I am finally free. Finally.

It was all worth it. All the years of struggle, all the tears. I have no regrets. And now, "I will sing to the Lord for He has been good to me." (vs. 6) God is always good. Always.


Questions For Thought:

Is there anything in your life right now that you need to start fighting to overcome?

Have you given up working on something because it seemed impossible to change?

What can you do today to get back in the fight?

What verses can motivate you when you are feeling weak?

Daily Devotional - 9/12

Focus Letter - L

Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Thank You for always speaking to me. Please help me to hear You today and grant me the strength to obey.

Psalms 12

"The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men. (vs. 8)"

Our society is moving more and more away from its Christian roots. Some even go so far as to say it was never based on Judeo-Christian principles at all. The many scenes we see around us are often overwhelming and depressing. We want to change the course of society, but how? We immerse ourselves in politics and become passionate about some cause. We immerse ourselves in separating from the evil world and refuse to vote, read the paper, or listen to the news. We give up. I have been all of these places.

We need to balance social responsibility with our spiritual mission. It is so easy to sway too far one way or another on this spectrum. As a new Christian, I completely renounced any involvement with politics and major social issues. I was focused on my purpose as a disciple so I didn't have time to vote or to know about any world/social issues. I did not have time to become immersed in these "worldly issues". I used the verse in II Tim 2:4 about a soldier not getting involved with civilian affairs to justify my lack of involvement.

Then later, when I became discouraged with my lack of effectiveness in helping others know about God (the reasons for this were many and varied) I turned to politics as the saviour of the world and threw myself into that. When this proved to be completely ineffective and frustrating, I turned to my career as a teacher. Perhaps in this way I could make a difference in the world. It did not and so I turned to "just living." This made no difference to anyone as well. My family and I became no different than anyone else I saw around me. We were like everyone else and this also made me very unhappy. Where could I turn now? Fortunately, I turned back to God who had the answers all along. My discouragement with my perceived failure as a Christian had nothing to do with God. He had not changed. I had.

We do have a social responsibility, though, because evil will definitely triumph if good people do nothing. We are also completely responsible for living out our purpose in Christ. We will never be satisfied if we do not order our priorities correctly and seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. If we do not do this, we will always be seeking something to fill us. In our hearts, God has embedded eternity and a desire to make a difference (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Every child grows up with great dreams. Only after failure and discouragement do we give up on our dreams. Often we turn to the wrong avenues for fulfillment if we become discouraged or disillusioned with God and the church.

Psalms 12 states that the wicked can go about without fear when vile things are honored and when there is no one to oppose them. We must strive to the best of our ability to remain set apart and holy and to not honor what God considers vile. We also need to help our society to not be vile as well. We need to be involved with voting and trying to help laws and causes that we believe in and yet we cannot become so absorbed in this that we lose sight of what will really make a difference. God's purpose is what will make the most changes, one by one, for we do not know what God's ultimate course is for our country or our society. He does allows negative things to happen. Things we do not understand may be a part of His bigger plan.

We also need to make sure that we look at what we do and what we accept and make sure that it is not dishonorable to God. Our consciences are easily dulled by the constant bombardment of the world. "What would Jesus do" was a popular saying and movement but I think it is important for us to think about. What would Jesus do? Would he be listening to this music? Would He be watching this movie? It is not enough to just stay away from the "big sins". We must be becoming like Jesus. We need to not be ashamed about being righteous and refraining from evil. We need to be happy that we do not have to spend our time addicted to the behaviors that we indulged in before we knew God. I must remember, "Do not love the world or anything of it. Friendship with the world is hatred towards God" (James 4: 4-6).

Finally, I must be faithful. I must be faithful in the good and in the bad times. I must be faithful for myself and also for others. Sometimes, for the sake of others, I have to do what I do not want to do. About twenty years ago, I went through a very intense period of time as I tried to deal with a deeply ingrained character issue. I considered walking away from God. Many of my friends had when times got tough for them. Why not? Life would be so much easier. I could just go with the flow and be me.

I couldn't do it. I kept thinking about my friends in the church who had left and I thought about how much it had hurt me and my faith. I decided that even if my heart wasn't into it at the time, since I knew the Bible was right, I would keep going. I knew my faithfulness would help others in the long run, and for them, I would keep it up for as long as it took. Even if it was only to help a few people stay faithful, I would keep fighting.

The Lord was faithful, however. He changed me and renewed the joy of my salvation. He will always change us if we are willing to do the hard work as well. He will keep us safe and protect us from evil people. He does have a plan. We need to do our part, both in the social arena and in the spiritual realm, and then we need to wait on Him. His words are flawless and perfect. His promises will never fail. In this depressing world, we can be joyful. The future is as bright as God's promises and God's promises are amazing.


His promises include:

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" (Jeremiah 29 : 11)

"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'" (Malachi 3:10)

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks find; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matt 7:7-8)

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7)

"But seek first his kingdom and His righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well." (Matt 6:33)

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph 3:20-21)

"Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." (II Cor 9:10-11)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt 11: 28-30)

"With God all things are possible." (Matt 19:26b)

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matt 21:22)

Daily Devotional - 9/11

Focus Letter - K

Pray for:
Five things you are thankful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to work on that begins with the focus letter

Dear Lord - Please help me to hear Your ever present voice. I know You are always trying to communicate with me but often I fail to listen. Please grant me the strength to obey.


Psalms 11


Upright men will see His face. God examines the righteous. He looks us over and makes sure we are doing right. The wicked have punishment coming someday.


We often feel like running away when we see negative things happening. It is easy for me to avoid confrontation and want to escape. I am very nonconfrontational. There is a time to flee, however, and I appreciate those times but more often than not, we really need to stand strong and even fight. The psalmist says, "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? (vs. 3)" He seems overwhelmed by he sees happening around him. The evil is getting him down and people are even telling him to flee. He seems to be saying, however, that he can't do that. He can't just let evil take over without a fight.

He states, "In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: 'Flee like a bird to your mountain.' (vs. 1)" Once again, the idea of taking refuge in God in order to be able to do battle arises. We are to find the courage and the strength we need to fight in God alone. It is not in us. We have no power to save.


The psalmist then turns his eyes to God. He acknowledges there are dangers and problems. There are even wicked men waiting to destroy the righteous. Evil is there and it is destroying the foundations of their society, but still, he is not distraught. He looks to God and I can almost hear him declaring triumphantly, "The Lord is in His holy temple". He is saying, this is no problem for God. God is here, why are we afraid. The psalmist is clearly convinced of God's power and His presence. He believes in God's sovereignty over all the earth. He declares it by mentioning that God is looking down from His throne.


We need to remember this when the world is getting us down. God is not dead. God is here. God is in control. He is watching. He is examining each one of us and He knows. He knows who is righteous and who is evil. Nothing in all creation is hidden from the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account (Heb 4:12-13). The wicked won't make it, the righteous will.

We all love justice deep down. People protest when someone is treated unfairly. It is good to know that there is ultimate justice. There is a final righteous judge. Truth is not relative, regardless what society says. God has set a standard, and He won't make mistakes. In the end, the upright man will see God's face. I want to see His face. I want to make it and with God, I know I can.