Daily Devotional - 10/11/15

Prayer Focus - Dreams



Day 2
Pray for:
One dream you have for yourself
One dream you have for your family



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



Psalms 101


"I will be careful to lead a blameless life - when will You come to me? 

I will walk in my house with blameless heart.  I will set before my eyes no vile thing.

The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.  Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me, he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence."   ( vs. 2 - 7 )


What a challenging call this is for us to live differently.  It calls us to be careful how we live our lives and to be different from the people around us.  Not many people in our society value living carefully anymore.  It is almost looked down upon to try to watch what we do.  Our society prides itself on being open and free.  We want to be free to do and say whatever we want even if it hurts others in some way.  Yet God has called us to check ourselves; to deny ourselves and to follow certain guidelines so that we will have something better in the long run.  Sin often feels good in the here and now, but it is later that we regret and reap consequences that are not always pleasant.  Self-control on the other hand is almost always difficult and uncomfortable in the immediate and yet it produces wonderful results that we look back on with gratitude. 

Let's look at a few of the things set out for us to watch out for in the verses of this psalm.  First, it mentions walking in our homes with blameless hearts.  I think this is especially interesting, because it is in our homes that we most often let our true selves come out.  It is here that we are not so guarded and we indulge in behavior  that we would never do in public.  It is important to think about this and evaluate if we have a double standard in our lives.  We should be the same in our homes as we are everywhere else. 

Then we are called to not set any vile thing before our eyes.  When I read this, it makes me think about the movies and shows we watch and the books and magazines we look at.  Are we being righteous in this area or are we trying to be "relevant" by watching what is popular even if it has questionable content?  Do we really need to fill our minds with some of the stuff that we do?  Once something has entered our mind, it is almost impossible to get those thoughts and pictures out.  A good question I ask myself is  - "Could I imagine Jesus watching and enjoying this?"  Even news can fill us with negative and vile images.  I like to look at all the current news stories on the Internet and do so nightly, but even this is not always a productive activity for me.  It tends to make me very down and upset.  I also waste a lot of time reading these negative articles when I could be doing something more productive like spending time with my girls or getting some sleep.

The next stanza of the psalm talks of staying away from men of perverse heart and from evil in general.  It speaks to us of watching the company we keep.  This is also not a popular concept in our world today.  We tend to want to hang out with whoever we want to.  We want to do what we want and become who we want to become.  There is often little thought to plans beyond our desires.  We are often draw to people with wild lives.  Look at the celebrities that we hold up and esteem by buying their albums, watching their movies, or reading about.  Our heroes today are more often than not, not people of strong character.  They are not people that most of us would want our children to become like. 

The issues of slander and pride are also addressed here.  God says He will silence those who slander their neighbors, even if it is in secret, and He also states that He will not endure proud hearts and haughty eyes.  In another part of the scriptures, it states that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble ( James 4:6 ).  This is very concerning as pride and slander are commonplace.  We are even considered unusual if we do not talk about others.  It is difficult to get through a day with out hearing gossip and often we are immersed in it before we even realize what is going on.  Our society also looks up to and admires a certain amount of pride.  We strive to be independent and confident.  Often this goes over board and we become self righteous and arrogant. 

Finally, the passage talks about deceit and lying.  It says that we will not be able to dwell with God or stand in His presence if we practice deceit or speak falsely.  How can we stay away from doing this, however, when it is almost expected that we will lie in certain situations.  People will even ask us to lie for them and we have found many ways to defend our deceit.  We are thought to be odd if we say no to others when they ask us to lie for them and we are often ridiculed if we take a stand for honesty; often by friends and family members. 

What a high calling this psalm is to us.  We are challenged to change and stand out in so many ways.  It seems overwhelming just thinking about it.  But God promises that His eyes will be on the faithful and that He can and will take care of us.  If we lead a blameless life, God will come to us and provide for us.  It must be possible or the scriptures would not for call us to do it.  We can with Christ.  We can if it is important to us.  It all comes down to our heart.  If our heart is right and we are striving with all we have to obey God, He will make up the difference.  He will see our faith and count it as righteousness as He did with Abraham (Galatians 3:6).  Let us then sing of God's greatness and be careful to live a blameless life.  It is worth it.




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We want to lead a blameless life.  Help us to put aside all of these sinful ways and embrace You.  It will be alright to walk a different road than those around us.  It will be worth it.  Help us to fear You and not men.  You are the one worth following.  You are the true one.  We praise You and sing of Your love and justice.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  Do I act the same in my home as I do elsewhere?  Do I have any double standards?  What do I struggle the most with at home?  Why?  How can I change?

2. Am I careful about what I look at?  How are my standards when it comes to movies and TV?  How are my standards with what I read and the magazines that I look at?  Am I spending too much time on the Internet and am I unproductive/unrighteous in any way with this area?  What do I need to change? What is going well?  

3. Do I stay away from people that are a bad influence on me?  Why or why not?  Am I drawn to people that are not very godly?  Why or why not?  Who are my heroes?  Why?  How do I feel about this concept of watching who I associate with?

4. Do I slander others, even if it is just in my mind (in secret)?  Do I engage in gossip or listen to it?  What harm does this do?  How can I change?  Am I prideful or arrogant in any ways?  Do I look down on anyone?  Why?  How can I deal with this?

5. Am I deceitful in any way?  Why?  How do I justify this?  Do I lie?  Do I feel there is a difference between "big" and "little" lies?  Why or why not?  How does God feel about this?  How can I stop lying and stop being deceitful if this is something I do?

Daily Devotional - 10/7/15

Prayer Focus - Needs



Day 5
Pray for:
One thing that you need to be grateful for but find it difficult to be
One person that you need to apologize to, resolve a conflict with, or forgive
One dream that you need to surrender to God
One challenge that you need to face and deal with
One health issue that you need to deal with



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



Psalms 97


"All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols ...

Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.  Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. 

Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name."  ( vs. 7a, 10 - 12  )


We have a tendency to rely on things other than God.  This can be equated to worshipping them.  I know in my life I am tempted to think money will take care of my troubles.  I sometimes think that if I had enough money, then my life would be better.  I would not have to work and drive so much.  I would have more time with my children and could be a better mother.  Many thoughts run through my head, especially when I have to pay bills.  Another thing that I often look to for comfort is relationships.  I think that if my relationships were closer, I would be happier.  If my husband and I were better friends then that would fix all my issues.  Or maybe if my children were more obedient, everything would be solved.  There are many others too, such as success, and self-development.  Career has taken up a lot of my time and focus before too.  When I look to all of these things to comfort or take care of me, I am in effect making them gods.  I am looking to them to provide what only God can provide.  In the end, they can do nothing, and I am sad and disillusioned again.  They cannot save, and even rich people are miserable at times.  We just need to look at the lives of the rich and famous to see that they are not satisfied.  I end up, as this scripture says, put to shame.

It doesn't have to be this way though.  I can make God my God and worship Him only.  I can do this by memorizing the promises in His word that He will take care of me and by putting His words into practice day in and day out.  I need to hate evil.  It is okay to hate sometimes, if it is for the right things.  I can not tolerate evil.  I can not defend evil.  I must hate it, for then I will be regarded as faithful, and God will protect me.  Light and joy will be shed on me and I will receive the promises that God has woven into His word for those that walk in His ways.  I need to hate evil, not because I am better than anyone else, but because I love God.  And just because I hate evil, it does not mean I hate people.  It is possible to hate sin and love the sinner; possible, not easy.  Too many people fail at this and so we have a bad reputation for hating others when we stand up for what is right.  Let us live correctly and have lives full of love and joy so that everyone will be drawn to God, and then as they learn that God loves them and as they learn to love God, the sinfulness will drop off like so many grave clothes.  God can do this.  Let us focus on love!




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


You are the only true God.  Help us to let go of all of the false gods that clamor for our attention.  They will only bring us to shame while You will bring us life and life to the fullest.  You are so good to us and we rejoice in Your blessings.  Help us to hate evil.  Help us to hate sin and love sinners.  Help us to become what You want us to become, and help us rejoice in You always.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  What things become my gods?  What do I turn to for happiness and fulfillment other than God?  Why?  How does this affect me?

2. How do I see these things leading to shame in my life?  How can I change my priorities and put God in the place He deserves to be? 

3. Do I hate evil?  Do I ever defend evil?  Are there certain things I know the Scriptures say is sin that I accept or that I think are okay?  Why?

4. How do I feel about hating what God hates?  Why do I think God hates these things and calls certain things evil?  How do these things affect us?

5. Do I think God will guard and protect me if I am faithful to Him and His commands?  Why or why not?  When have I seen God guard and protect me?   How did that feel?  Do I feel like I am in the light and do I have joy or do I feel that I am in darkness and do I have more sadness than joy?  Can I relate this in anyway to my faithfulness?  Why or why not?

Daily Devotional - 9/23/15 (1/23/10)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation



Day 5
Pray for:
One thing that you want to see improved in your relationship with God - (Love God)
One thing that you want to see improved in the way you relate to others - (with all your heart)
One past hurt that you want to see healed and overcome - (with all your soul)
One skill or topic you want to learn - (with all your mind)
One thing that you want to see improved about your health - (with all your strength)



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 83



"See how Your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against Your people; they plot against those You cherish. ...With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against You -" ( vs. 2-3, 5)


"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:10 - 18)


Life is a spiritual battle. We are in a spiritual battle each and every day and our enemy is strong and pervasive.  He can pretend to be good, even an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14). He is always out prowling around, looking to get us when we are weak, (I Peter 5:8-9), and he can use even our closest loved ones to get at us and make us fall (Matt 16:23). We forget this and think that we are fighting each other. We get so angry at circumstances and people but forget who really deserves our indignation.  The real enemy is so much more dangerous.  The enemy is a spiritual force.  The scriptures seem to make it clear that there are good and evil forces.  There is a whole unseen universe out there.  In order to survive, we must remember this, and keep a correct spiritual perspective on Satan and his demons.  We also must start fighting spiritually instead of like mere mortals.  We must put on the spiritual armor of God in order to fight these battles. (Ephesians 6:10-18).

First of all, we must be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. We can't fight any battles on our own really.  We can't even guarantee that we will get up tomorrow.  Plus, our weapons are not very effective.  When we fight as men, we yell and scream.  We hit and throw things.  We say mean words.  What will any of this do in the spiritual realm.  Satan must laugh when we try to fight him this way.  This is exactly what He wants.  He wants us to turn on ourselves and devour each other. It saves him the work.  Now if we fight God's way and are strong in Him, then we are truly strong indeed.  God has the power to raise the dead, so why are we worried. We must also remember that we are strong in Christ.  He has already won the victory. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13).

We need to change our perspective and turn to God.  We need to put on the full armor of God so that we can take a stand against the Devil's schemes. Our struggle truly is not against flesh and blood. It is a spiritual battle. What is going on at our jobs is a spiritual battle. Our problems with our children are spiritual battles. Our marriage conflicts are spiritual battles. Our emotional lives, our ups and downs, all the things that throw us for a loop. It is all spiritual. There is an enemy amassed against us, especially if we are trying to follow God. We have an enemy. Our enemy is not one another or circumstances. It is much more sinister.

If we can remember this perspective, we will do better. We will not take things so personally. Also, it may be easier to remember to use the tools that God has given us to protect ourselves and fight back. God wants us to stand. When all the dust settles, He wants to find us still there, sword drawn. If we don't prepare, we will get knocked down and perhaps out.

Put on the full armor and get ready to fight. Then pray and get out there.



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We forget so easily that Satan is out there on the prowl. He longs to have us but You have the strength to overcome him. Help us to turn to You and resist him. He will flee. You are stronger than him and You have already won the ultimate victory. Help us to stop fighting one another and start fighting him. Help us to remember to put on the full armor You have provided for us and help us to remember to pray. Keep our perspective on the spiritual battle and let us look beyond the people and circumstances that Satan is trying to use to get us down. We know You are able.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. Do I realize that I have an enemy that is out to get me?  Why or why not?  How do I see the enemy attacking me?

2.Do I see life as a spiritual battle? How can I develop the right perspective and keep it in the forefront of my mind?

3. What people and circumstances do I see Satan using to get to me? How can I fight the correct battle and stop letting him use these avenues to get to me?

4. Am I putting on the armor of God? What pieces of armor do I forget most often? Which ones am I good at putting on? How can I strengthen my battle?

5. Am I praying in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests? What do I pray about the most? What am I forgetting to bring before God? How will I remember to pray more about the spiritual battle?

Daily Devotional - 9/22/15 (1/22/10)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation

Day 4
Pray for:
One thing that you want to see improved in your relationship with God - (Love God)
One thing that you want to see improved in the way you relate to others - (with all your heart)
One past hurt that you want to see healed and overcome - (with all your soul)
One skill or topic you want to learn - (with all your mind)




Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 82



"How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

They know nothing, they understand nothing.  They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken" ( vs. 2 - 5 )


The world that we live in is very confused.  We can also be very confused.  We do not really understand what truly matters anymore.  Sometimes we call wrong right, and right wrong.  Sometimes we are defending the wrong people and things.  I don't know why we do this, but I have seen this struggle in myself.  Even in my teaching, sometimes I have caught myself trying to cater to the students who cause trouble in the class instead of the ones who are trying so hard to learn.  I often see myself looking at people in a worldly way, thinking about who makes a lot of money or who is more popular and successful in the world.  I can be fooled by glitz and glamor.  I can be envious of people that have a nice car or house and a lot of money.  I can want a life of leisure instead of a life of purpose.  Then I become very dissatisfied with my life and all of its blessings.

I often think it would be good if we could go back to a simpler time so that we would not have so many distractions from the pursuit of values and integrity.  We would have a completely different perspective, but unfortunately, we can not go back.  And, I must remind myself, there have always been problems.  But, I do often think about the story of Pandora's Box.  Once the box was opened, there was no going back.  This is similar to our world now.  Everything is out of the box and evil just seems to keep expanding.  But despite all of this, we are still called to a better life.  We are challenged with our thinking and taught about what is truly life. 

This short psalms calls us out. It asks, "How long will we keep valuing what is wrong?"  It challenges us with purpose; defend, maintain, rescue, and deliver.  It calls on us to change the world; to stop being blind to the truth and to start to understand.  The earth is being shaken right now by ignorance and hatred.  Horrible things are being done, and evil men are being regarded as good in many parts of the world, but if we look to the scriptures, we are still commanded to focus on what is good and noble, perfect and true (Philippians 4:8). 

We are still called to rejoice.  Consider this:

"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)

We are still called to love.  Consider this:

"A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)

We are called to make a difference by being different, and loving in a different way.  We are called to look at people from God's perspective and have His priorities in dealing with them.

"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.  Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!" (II Corinthians 5:16-17)

We tend to look at the outward appearance of others and judge them by our standards of what we like and dislike (I Samuel 16:7). We are doing wrong when we do this. I am definitely glad that God looks at my heart because I know I would never measure up outwardly; yet why do I forget that with others.  Often the best people are so far removed from what we would have imagined or picked. We need to take care of everyone that we can because that is what God desires.  He has called us to use whatever strength and resources we have to help.  We are not to just look at people outwardly, we are to look at need.  We are to help the weak and the poor.  We are to protect others from evil.  We are called and if we are called, we will be equipped. 

Let us keep our priorities right and remember we are here to serve and not be served (Matt 20:28). There are so many people who need us. Let us place others above ourselves today and everyday. We can make a difference.



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


Help us to see people as You do. Help us to focus on the heart and not on the outward appearance. Help us to not be drawn to what society promotes as the "beautiful people". We are all precious to You and so we should all be precious to each other. Help us to not miss out on the joy of serving and help us to help those who need it. Show us the good works You have for us to do and grant us the strength to do them.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. How do I view people? Why? How do I see the poor, fatherless, oppressed, weak, and needy? Do I have any stereotypes about others? Why? How can I change this?

2. Do I defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked in any way?  Why?  How do I feel about doing this?  How can I change?

3. How do I deal with spiritually needy people? Am I willing to sacrifice my money to help them mature spiritually or would I rather just meet their physical needs? How can I start giving more to others spiritually? Is there someone I know that I can help today?

4.  Do I make time for those in need? Do I defend and protect them in any way? What can I do to change?  What can I do to help the poor, weak, needy, oppressed, or fatherless? What opportunities already exist? Is there something I could help begin? Is there someone I know personally that I can help?

5. Do I believe that I can make a difference in the world? Why or why not? What can I study out in the Bible that will remind me that I can? What vision or dream can I develop about impacting the world in a great way?

Daily Devotional - 9/19/15 (11/19/09)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation

Day 1

Pray for:
One thing that you would like to see improved in your relationship with God



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.




Psalms 79



"O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble...How long, O Lord, will You be angry forever? How long will Your jealousy burn like fire?..Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may Your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need...Then we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will praise You forever; from generation to generation we will recount Your praise." ( vs. 1, 5, 8, & 13)


God allowed Jerusalem to be destroyed and His people taken into captivity. He allowed them to get into such a difficult situation that they were in desperate need. The Israelites were in captivity many times, often for such a long period of time that the original people that had sinned were long gone. This did not stop the latter generations from still reaping the consequences. This can be troubling to think about. In the Old Testament, there are long periods of silence from God when His people wondered where He was. In our lives, at times, we can feel the same. We face various trials from without and within. There can be issues with our health, our finances, our parenting, our marriage, our job or lack there of. Internal struggles can include grief, anger, bitterness, depression, guilt, obsessions, and worry. The list goes on and on. Struggles can endure for days, months, years. And we wonder, "God where are You?  God, do You even exist at all?"

Why is this? Why does God allow this? What can we learn from these times? There are many lessons in this, but they often run contrary to our modern culture.  This sometimes makes it hard for us to understand. We are people of sight. We are people of immediate gratification. We are people that deny there are consequences to our actions. Remember the slogan, "If it feels good, do it?" But reality doesn't base itself on our culture. There really are eternal truths that we will need to internalize if we are ever going to walk successfully through this life. The following are a few of them.

First, we need to learn that there are consequences to every action. We don't want to believe this. We are so used to being rescued.  I know I was.  When I was growing up, I was rescued many times in big and small ways by my parents. Although I know it was done in love, I think I might have been better off I had faced some consequences for my actions in my youth. As a result of how I was raised, I had to learn the hard way that no one comes to rescue you anymore when you are an adult. If you don't pay your bills, bad things happen, such as the lights get shut off.  If you overspend, you have to pay it off. Also, there are laws that have to be obeyed and there are deadlines that can not be denied. We can't always talk our way out of something. How many of us were shocked when we began to realize this? Often, we are still fighting this same issue.  We argue the consequences of our actions with a policeman that stopped us even though we know we were speeding. We bail our children out when they procrastinate or get in trouble. We blame others for our problems rather than face what we really deserve. Thankfully, God is not like this. He sees the big picture. He knows the ultimate consequences of life and He is not afraid to let us face what we deserve to face or need to face. He is the ultimate loving parent who is willing to let us go through the hard lessons so that in the end we might live.

Secondly, we need to learn that sin has far reaching consequences, not just in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us as well. Many times the Bible talks about the sins of the fathers (Ezekiel 18). We are not held responsible in the sense that we will die spiritually for what someone else does, such as our parents, but their sins will still impact us. Children and spouses' of alcoholics know the truth in this. Sin leaves scars that are often difficult to heal. Even sins we might consider less dramatic such as impatience and selfishness damage others. When we say careless and mean things in our anger, those around us will have to deal with the depth of that wound. Even if they forgive us, the words have gone out and can never be taken back. We often hear the echoes of cruel things that were said to us years later, try as we might to forget. The Bible states that we will be called to account for every careless word we speak (Matt 12:36-37). This verse is sobering to me as I know I have said many careless things in my life. It reminds me that we have to take our lives seriously because we do impact others for eternity, whether we want to or not.

Finally, the last lesson I will mention here is that God is still there in the silence; working away at the plan He has for our lives. In the silence of the Old Testament, God was working out His plan of salvation for not only Israel but for the whole world. We do not know why it took so long but it was worth the wait. The behind the scenes work of the universe is a bit beyond us, but it is good enough for me to know that someone who is able is back there working it out. As a child, most of us did not have to worry about the bills or the more complicated issues about what had to be done to provide for us. We trusted our parents and lived life. Think about all that went on to get us to adulthood. Even if our childhoods were not that good, there was work done on our behalf by many people. We will never know the full extent, but as we become parents, we get a glimpse of what it takes to raise a child and hopefully we have more mercy on our parents for all of their failings. It is so hard and although we try our best, we fail so often. But God is the perfect parent and we can rest easy knowing that He is working to take care of what needs to be done to get us to our final destination. We need to be like that weaned child resting with its mother, confident in the safety she provides (Psalms 131). God is there. God does exist. He has a plan.  The trials will eventually pass.  All hard times do eventually come to an end, and that in itself is good.

 

"My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore."  (Psalm 131)

Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


It is so hard to be like the weaned child. We have so many fears and it is so hard for us to just rest in You. Yet, You are majestic and able. Forgive us for insulting Your power and goodness. We, as sinful humans, know how to give good gifts to our children. You are so much more. Thank You for thinking in the long term and for not always giving us what we want. Thank You for letting us go through the hard times so that we might in the end make it to be with You in eternity. Help us to keep our eyes on the eternal and in the times of silence know that You are there. Just as the sun shines behind the clouds though we see it not, You shine throughout the universe. We praise Your name.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Do I feel like God is moving and present in my life or do I feel like He is silent and absent?  Why?  When have I felt these two different ways?  How do I deal with the times in my life when I feel that God is being silent?  What can I do to get through these difficult times?

2. Am I willing to face the consequences of my actions? Am I helping my children to face the consequences of their actions? How can I teach them this concept? Do I blame others for anything in my life?  In what areas do I see this?  How can I stop blaming others for my problems and start dealing more with my actions?

3. Am I dealing with any scars from the sins of those around me? How can I work on being healed?

4. Am I creating any scars? Are my sins affecting my children, spouse, significant other, roommate, etc.?  How?  What do I need to change and how can I?

5. Am I trying to control everything in my life? Am I filled with worry about all of the issues I face? Am I like the weaned child or like an unhappy child? How can I change? What will I do today to start trusting God more?

Daily Devotional - 9/4/15 (11/4/09)

Prayer Focus - Strangers

Day 7
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
One person in politics
One person you always see but have never spoken to
One person that you have read about that is still alive
One person that you have not met but struggle to like


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs


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



Psalms 64


"Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy." ( vs. 1)

It is okay to pour out our hearts to God, even if what we have to say is not always lovely. There are difficult and evil things going on in the world, and sometimes even in our own lives. God desires to hear from us. He is waiting. How incredible is that, that the Creator of the Universe waits to spend time with us. He is there in the morning, hoping we will make some extra time to sit down and have a coffee with Him. He has an appointment with us all day long. He walks with us and lives with us. We can ever turn to Him. He is concerned about the good, the bad, and the ugly. I know that I like to hear all the little things that are going on in my children's days, and definitely if they look upset or unhappy, I want to know what is going on. God, of course, is even more concerned about us as He is the perfect Father. He will hear, and He will protect us.



"Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning. But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what He has done. Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Hm; let all the upright in heart praise Him." (vs. 6b-10)


Men are devious. They think of so much evil, it is mind boggling. But in the end, God still wins. Sometimes He lets minor victories go to the enemy, but we know the final outcome. Evil men will be found out. Their words will incriminate them and bring ruin upon them. It is not for us to force, it will happen in God's timing. We need to remember this and we need to strive to keep our ways righteous because it is easy to envy the prosperous and those who go about seeking their own self interest. We are not living for the here and now, though. We are living for eternity and we need to take refuge in God and praise Him for His protection from the enemy. The rest will all come.


Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

It is easy for the world to get us down. There is such a lack of civility and morality these days. It seems that there is much evil around us all the time. It is enough to drive one's spirits down and cause desperation, but we know that in the end, You win. Help us to hang onto that thought. You will not hand us over to be destroyed and you will not allow other things to get in the way of our knowing and loving You. You are great and greatly to be praised.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. Do I voice my complaints to God or to others? How can I work on not being a complainer around other people? How can I be positive and encouraging to others and only give my complaints and frustrations to God?


2. Am I making time for God? Do I realize that God is waiting for me to come and spend time with Him? What can I do to make my time in the morning with Him a priority?


3. Do I let evil discourage me? How can I become more resilient when faced with evil?


4. Am I proclaiming the works of God and the wonders of what He has done? Am I letting others know how awesome our God is and what He has done in our lives?

5.  Am I developing a healthy respect and fear of God? How can I do this?

Daily Devotional - 8/29/15 (10/29/09)

Prayer Focus - Strangers

Day 1
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs


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



Psalms 59


"Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.  Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.

See how they lie in wait for me!  Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O Lord.  I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.  Arise to help me; look on my plight ...

They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.  See what they spew from their mouths - they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?"  But You, O Lord, laugh at them; You scoff at all those nations. 

O my Strength, I watch for You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. 

God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me...

But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

O my Strength, I sing praise to You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." ( vs. 1- 4, 6 - 10, 16 - 17)


Problems and evil people bother us.  They overwhelm us and fill us with dread.  We worry.  I know I do.  Sometimes I can be so worried about all the bad things that could happen that I feel paralyzed.  But God is different.  God is not worried by evil people.  He laughs at them and scoffs at them because He knows their days are numbered.  God is also not overwhelmed by our problems and difficulties.  He knows the big picture, and so therefore, all I need to know is God.  I need to get my eyes off of my problems and get them on God.  I need to watch for Him and for His deliverance.

I am reminded of Peter walking on the water when I think about focusing on God (Matthew 14: 23 - 33).  As the story goes, Jesus sent his disciples out ahead of Him on their boat. A wind came up during the night, and so the sea was rough.  It was at this point, that Jesus came out to them, walking on the water.  At first they were afraid, but when Peter realized it was Jesus, he said, "Lord, if it's you...tell me to come to you on the water."  Jesus told him to come and Peter did indeed walk on the water.  As long as he was looking at Jesus, he was able to do the impossible.  It was only when he took his eyes off Jesus and began to look at the wind and the waves, that he became afraid and began to sink.  He cried out to Jesus to save him and so Jesus took ahold of him and helped him into the boat.

We are like Peter.  We can walk on water, or we can sink.  It all depends on our focus.  When we focus on our problems, or on the evil in the world, we will sink.  When we look up, and watch for God, we will overcome.  We do not need to worry.  We are called not to worry.  As verse 9b states, God is going before us.  He is the trailblazer, carving out a path for us.  We just need to follow Him.


We are to watch and then we are follow.  We are to pray and then we are to watch for answers.  I will watch for God's provisions and for His ways of escape from the troubles that seem to outnumber me.  For God is my fortress.  I can run to Him when I am troubled or under attack.  He is my loving God.  I am special to Him in spite of all the trouble that overwhelms me.  The troubles that I have do not mean that God does not love me.  Nothing of the sort.  The trouble and hardship I face are just a part of life.  They are a part of what I need to grow.  They refine me for eternity.  I am to view hardship as discipline and training (Hebrews 12: 4 - 13), and in fact, evidence of my Father's love.

God is going before me and I will not falter.  I will not falter if I let Him clear the way and if I stay in the path He has for me.  God is strong and He will do it.  I will praise Him yet.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We are grateful that You go before us to clear the way.  Help us to walk in the path that You have prepared.  You are good.  We are grateful that nothing can hinder Your plan and that evil people are nothing but something to laugh and scoff at.  We get so worked up and worried over evil men but we need to leave them up to You.  Help us to let go of this.  You are our fortress.  Help us to run to You when we are tempted to worry or be discouraged.  You will keep us safe.  You love us.  We are so grateful for Your love.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. Do I realize that evil people are best left up to God?  What do my actions show of what I believe?  Do I pray for these people?  Do I care about their eternal destiny?

2.  Am I focusing on God and His power, or am I focusing on my problems and evil men?  What am I worrying about right now?  What are the issues in my life that will make me sink?  How can I give them to God so I can walk on water?

3. Am I watching for God?  Am I asking God for anything?  Am I praying and waiting in eager expectation?  How can I improve this aspect of my relationship with God?

4. Do I believe God is going before me and clearing a path for me?  How do I know what the path He is preparing for me is?  How can I ensure I am following it?

5. What is God using in my life right now to train me?  Do I see my hardships as discipline and training from a God who loves me?  How have I seen good come out of my struggles?

Daily Devotional - 8/28/15 (10/28/09)

Prayer Focus - Enemies


Day 7
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you
One person who you believe will never apologize for the pain they have caused you


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not


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


Psalms 58


"Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be." ( vs. 3-5)



This is a hard teaching.  Some people are evil early on. We do not understand this and we wonder why?  Perhaps we will never know, but God knows; the God who looks on the hearts of all men.  He knows everything about these people.  He knows they are people who will not listen to anyone.  He knows they are set on seeking their own will, no matter what the consequences are.  He even knows they have trouble looking past today.  Often these people do very well in life and they succeed in their ways.  Sometimes, they do better than those of us who are striving so hard to do what's right.  We struggle with this. We become angry and bitter.  We desire revenge.  Sometimes we even do stupid things to "pay them back".  But this is not what God desires.  God desires for us to let go and let Him take care of it.  God does see.  He does know.  He says in Romans 12:17 - 21:

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay' says the Lord.  On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Bottom line, we need to still do good, no matter what anyone else is doing.  Our salvation and well being is not worth throwing away because of some evil person.  We are worth so much more to God than that.  He does not want for us to ruin our lives.  He continually says, "I will take care of this!  You do what's right!"  God WILL take care of it.  It may not be on our timing, but it will happen.  We need to let it go and give it to God.  We need to pour out our feelings and emotions to God and then wait patiently.  He is the only one that can change a man's heart.  All our strivings will do nothing but destroy our lives.  Our bitterness and hatred does no damage to the evil person, only ourselves.  

This takes us to another layer of trust.  We need to trust that God will win in the end.  We need to trust that God will purge out the evil and then the righteous will find relief.  It is not up to us to do the purging. We are to stay righteous and to love our enemies.  We are to leave justice and revenge up to God, who is sinless. He will do it in the most effective way possible and we, we will be rewarded for walking the high road; for not seeking revenge, for loving our enemy and overcoming evil with good. So let us remember the final promise of this psalm: 

"The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, ...Then men will say, 'Surely the righteous are still rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.' " ( vs. 10a, 11)





Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

We pray that we are never like the wicked men. Keep our hearts in tune to Your word and receptive to the help and assistance of others. Help us to always be willing to learn and grow. Help us to train our children so that they will not grow up into wicked men and women. It is a serious responsibility that You have given us and we pray for Your strength, wisdom, and guidance. We are waiting on You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. How do I feel about this idea that some people are wicked early on? How have I seen this in my life or in the lives of those around me?

2. Is it difficult for me to accept the idea of God's judgment? Why or why not? How can I develop a greater understanding and appreciation for this aspect of God's character?

3. How do I feel when I see injustice? How do I feel when I see justice done? Why?  What do I do about unjust situations?  Is there a better way for me to deal with what I see around me?

4. Do I seek revenge?  Why?  How do I see myself being vengeful?  What should I do instead?  How can I get help with this?

5. How do I treat my enemies?  Am I overcoming evil with good or am I acting evil as well?  How can I do this?  Are there any situations that I am in right now that I am not handling correctly?  How can I change?

Daily Devotional - 8/27/15 (10/27/09)

Prayer Focus - Enemies


Day 6
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you

Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not


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


Psalms 57


"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me." ( vs. 1 - 2)


God fulfills His purposes for us. It is not our will that succeeds. We can make all the plans in the world but in the end, it is what God wants that triumphs. This can be a relief if we are hiding in the shadow of His wings, or a frustration if we are fighting His will for us. Hosea echoes this sentiment, "Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." (Hosea 14:9)  If we are not willing to accept and live the life God has planned out for us, we will always have trouble and difficulties.


"For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies." (vs. 10)


If we consider the love God has for us, this walking in His will would not be so hard. When we know someone loves us, we are willing to do just about anything for them. God loves us more than anything that we can imagine.   God's love is all around us.   It fills the heavens and reaches to the sky.  We cannot, with our mortal eyes, detect where the sky starts and stops and so it is with God's love. We cannot tell, as humans, where His love starts and stops. It just is; like the air. Without the air, we would die. Without God's love, we would all die as well. Sometimes we hear statements such as "How could there be so much bad in the world if God exists". If God didn't exist, that is all there would be. There would be no good anymore.

 God is love. God is goodness and kindness expressed. God is beauty. God is light. Without God, there would be none of that. It would be all evil and darkness all of the time. God gave us freewill, and Satan does roam.  We must remember that - there are two sides in this battle.  I am grateful that there is someone good to cling to and that there is morning after night and sunshine after rain. I am glad there is God.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


I am glad that You have a purpose for me. I had so many dreams as I was growing up, but now - I have You. As my life is half over, I see how fleeting our time is. We want to number our days right and focus on walking in Your ways and Your will. We can get so preoccupied in our successes and failures, but we are so minuscule in the scope of eternity. We run to the refuge of Your wings. We long for Your love and faithfulness. We get so exhausted. You have the strength. You are to be exalted. We thank You for giving us life and we praise Your glory and perfection. We know the world would be a dark dark place without You. Help us to reflect Your glory and shed more joy and hope into the world. Help us to make it a better place for our existence as well. We love You.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. What purposes does God have for me? Am I walking in them or stumbling in them?  Why?

2. Do I believe God's ways are right? Which of God's ways are the most difficult for me to believe are right? Why?

3. How do I feel about good and evil?  Why?  Can this view be supported biblically?

4. What does God's love mean to me? Is it easy or difficult for me to comprehend? How can I have a deeper understanding of it?

5. How has God been faithful to me? Have I been faithful to God? How can I be more faithful?

Daily Devotional - 8/25/15 (10/25/09)

Prayer Focus - Enemies


Day 4
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble



Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not



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



Psalms 55



"Listen to my prayer , O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger" (vs. 1 - 3)


The voice of the enemy. What a disturbing thought. Satan does speaks to us, often in our thoughts. Random strange thoughts that we wonder about and think "Where did that come from". Ideas that we know are not good for us. Temptations. Satan prowls like a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8-9) and we are definitely in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). We forget so easily about this and then we are easy victims for the evil forces that surround us. We think that our thoughts are just our thoughts, and so why shouldn't we indulge them. Why should we be so strict with ourselves, we reason.  No one knows what I am thinking about so what will it matter?  What will be the consequences?  What will this one thought do?

 But this is where all sin starts. It starts with just a thought indulged, a small desire, that over time grows and grows. James 1: 13 - 15 states, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

Satan plants a little thought like - "I never do anything right" - in our heads and then we begin to dwell on it. Soon we are angry and frustrated. This eventually becomes depression and negativity. We stop functioning properly and become completely inward focused. Satan has won, all from that little thought. Or how about - my husband/wife doesn't act like he/she loves me. We take that thought which might run through our head and begin to dwell on it. Soon, our husbands/wives are the worst individuals alive and we are so upset that we respond very negatively towards them as well. And it gets worse from there.

We have to recognize that there is an enemy and it is not another human being. I repeat Ephesians 6: 12 ("For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms") almost daily so that I will remember that I am not fighting my husband, my children, my students, or even myself.  I am fighting a spiritual enemy.  There is more to this world than we can see.  We have to remember that the next time someone is being mean to us or there is an irritating situation at work or at home.  It is Satan trying to get at us and he will use whatever will work best.  He knows what pushes our buttons.  So since we know that we will hear his voice, that this is a definite reality, then we need to take every thought captive (II Cor. 10:3-5).  This is where the battle starts.  The victory in our lives will be won day by day here.  We must take our thoughts captive, and then we need to take the next step - "Call on God".



"But I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." (vs. 16 -18)


We are in a spiritual battle, and although we are called to be spiritual warriors, we cannot win this struggle by ourselves. We are no match for Satan and we should not even try to battle him alone. We need God to win the battle. We need God's word and we need an active prayer life. We need to be calling out to God continuously - morning, noon, and night. God will hear us, but we have to call out to Him. We need to plead with Him. He will ransom us from this spiritual battle when we pray. His armies are much greater than Satan's.

 There is a story in II Kings about Elisha and his servant that always encourages me.  The town that Elisha was staying in was surrounded by the troops of the king of Aram.  It appeared hopeless when seen with human eyes and Elisha's servant was terrified.  Elisha comforted him and told him not to be afraid because the warriors of God were more numerous that the troops of Aram.  Then he prayed for the servant's eyes to be opened.  When the servant looked again to the hills, he saw them full of horses and chariots of fire.  The troops of Aram were then miraculously over come.  When I look at this story and the many others in the Old Testament, I realize that God is bigger than all of the struggles I face.  I just do not always look in a spiritual way for the victories. (II Kings 6:8-23)  I must go to God, and cling to God to win the battle.


"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall...But as for me, I trust in You." (vs. 22, 23b)

Finally, let us cast our worries on the Lord because He does care for us and He will sustain us. He will never let the righteous fall. Let us be righteous, and let us choose God. Let us be able to say like the psalmist, "Despite what is going on around me and even if no one else is willing to follow You anymore, God, I trust in You!  I will follow."




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We hear the voice of the enemy and often we don't recognize that it is an enemy at all.  Help us to discern our thoughts and help us to take every thought captive. We know that what we dwell on impacts our lives and our actions. We want to dwell on what is wholesome, good, and lovely. Let us direct our thoughts to whatever is honorable and right. Guard our hearts and our minds and help us to turn continually to You for the help and the strength that we need to stand firm in this spiritual battle. Make us into mighty warriors, Father, because we know that that is what You desire for us. We desire it as well.  You desire the victory for us and for others. Help us to be part of the solution. We are casting our cares onto You and turning to You. We know that You will ransom us and we will do our part as well. You are great. You are our God.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Do I recognize that Satan can feed me thoughts? Am I taking captive every thought and striving to dwell on what is good?

2. What thoughts from Satan am I especially prone to grab hold of and dwell on? What thoughts and verses can I use to counteract them?

3. Am I praying morning, noon, and night? What can I do to remind myself to pray more and especially at these three times? Where do I pray best? When have I felt most connected to God in prayer? How can I duplicate these times?

4. What cares do I need to cast on God in prayer? What verses can I memorize and meditate on that will remind me how much God does care for me?

5. Am I committed to trusting God no matter what happens? What would make me hesitate in my trust in God? What has made me turn back/look back in the past, even if it was just in my heart?

Daily Devotional - 8/22/15 (10/22/09)

Prayer Focus - Enemies


Day 1
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not


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



Psalms 52



"Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, ... Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.  You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth, You love every harmful word, O deceitful tongue!... Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent;...'Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!'

 But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. I will praise You forever for what You have done; in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good. I will praise You in the presence of Your saints." (vs. 1a, 2-4,5a, 7-9)


The world is full of good, and it is full of evil.  There are good people and there are evil people.  I can see that so clearly as I look at the news every day.  It can be extremely depressing to see all the terrible things that are being done day in and day out.  I am not sure if evil is increasing or if it is just more noticeable.  Perhaps it is both. Whatever the case, it can make me despair.  I don't know what will happen in the future and this uncertainty can be frightening.  I want good things for my children but I do not know what they will find when they are my age.  I want to protect them from evil, but I know I am so limited.  Yet, God still calls us to hope.  God still calls us to trust and praise Him.  He promises we can flourish, not just survive.  In spite of all the evil in the world and all the bad people who seem to be succeeding in their evil plans, we can still do well.  But how?

One of my favorite scriptures holds some keys to help us.  It is as follows:

"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. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you." (Phil 4: 4 -9)

So the first key is to "Rejoice" and to rejoice always!  We can do this, "rejoice in the Lord" because the Lord never changes.  He is good, always good.  God does not ask us to rejoice in the bad, that would be contradictory.  He calls us to rejoice in Him.  Then we are to be gentle.  How can we do these two things in the face of evil.  We need to remember the Lord is near.  This is what will enable us to rejoice and be gentle.  We don't have to take things into our own hands.  We don't have to yell or do mean things when we are upset.  We just need to look for God because He is near.  He can and will deal with the problem.  Next, we are to pray.  We are not to be anxious, but we are to pray and petition God.  Finally, we are to focus on what is good.  We are not to think about all the bad things and the bad people that are out there.  I shouldn't be pouring over the news for hours looking at all the negative. That will not solve anything at all.  I am to look for the positive, the noble, the pure.  I am to look for God! 

And if I look, I know that I will find Him. What an amazing idea.  I do not have to succumb to evil.  I do not have to become evil either.  I am called to rejoice and be gentle.  I am to not be anxious.  I know I fall so short of this but I keep trying to get up everyday and live this out.  I do not want to be anxious, and I want to praise, trust, and hope in God.  I can do this if I keep looking up!




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

Thank you that You are here with us, that You are near.  Help us to continually remember this as we go about our days.  It is so easy to get overwhelmed with the evil we see and the evil people that we read about.  Fear can grip us as well.  Fear and anger can lead us to do evil also.  Help us to look up to You instead and remember that You are still in control, no matter how out of control the world seems.  Help us to be gentle and let You take care of what is bothering us. You can make us flourish.  You can keep us secure.  We praise You.  We turn to You.  Our hope is in You.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT

1. Do I ever boast of evil? What type of conversations occupy my time? Is my speech pleasing to God?  Am I honest?

2. Am I rejoicing always?  What situations are a struggle for me to rejoice in? How can I keep my focus on God so I can rejoice?

3. Am I anxious or at peace most of the time?  Why?  How is my prayer life?  How can I improve it?

4. What can I praise God for? Can I write a list of 25, 50, 75, or 100 things that I am grateful for right now?

5. Do I focus on good things or bad things?  Use Philippians 4:8 and make a list of the things in your life that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  Try to read this list over to yourself several times a day.

Daily Devotional - 9/5/10 (10/5/09)

Prayer Focus - Leaders (any type - World, State, Local, Church, Business, Work)



Day 5

Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
One leader from another country
One local leader
One political leader


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs



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



Psalms 35



"Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me...Say to my soul, I am your salvation." (vs. 1 & 3b)


Sometimes someone we love can act like an enemy in our lives. It may be a spouse, a parent, a child, a sibling, or a co-worker. It can be anyone close to us really. This is a painful situation when it arises, but God knows what we are going through and why. Although it is difficult, we need to view the relationship from a distance and see that this is really a spiritual battle between good and evil. In many ways, it is not really about us, especially if we have done nothing to provoke the antagonism. We always need to search our hearts and make sure there is nothing we can change, but in the end we need to realize "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:10-12)." Since the battle is a spiritual one, we need to pray for God to contend with them and fight against the sinfulness in their lives. It is not up to us to fight them personally.


We definitely need to turn to God and cling to Him in these situations. We can feel like we are at the end of our rope and don't know how much more we can take. Only God can provide the comfort we truly need in this situation. He can speak to our souls when they are down and devastated and say what truly will heal and comfort them. God can make our souls know that He is our salvation. No one else is. God can and will save us when the time is right, and in the meantime, we are to remember that "our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us....And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:18 & 28)"


God can put a bubble around our hearts so that the attacks and anger of the person we are dealing with will just bounce right off of us and we will be able to say, "I am sorry that you feel this way. I am sorry that you are angry with me." God can help us to not retaliate. We are called to rise above as evidenced by the following scriptures.



I Peter 3: 9-17 (9, 14-15a, highlights printed below)
"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing...But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. 'Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.' But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.... It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."


Romans 12:19-21
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”


Proverbs 24: 17-18
"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him."


Matt 5:43-48
You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."


This seems like too much of a challenge at times, but God rescues us. Our enemies may be too strong for us emotionally. They may beat us down and oppress us. They may rob us of our joy at times, but God will rescue us in due time. God knows. God knows when we are being repaid evil for good. He knows when our souls are left forlorn by various relational conflicts. God will take care of it. Our responsibility is to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, no matter what happens (Phil 1:27a). We still need to love and pray and fast for our enemies. We need to be like God and rise above. Despite their actions, we need to be loving and full of empathy and compassion. We need to love our enemies, regardless.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Father,

You have seen our struggles. Do not be far from us, so that we can do right in the midst of our relational struggles. We will rejoice in You always. We will say to our souls, "The Lord is my salvation." We will not look for salvation from those around us because they will fail us, but You will never. Help us to be gentle as we remember that You are near. Forgive us Lord where we need to be forgiven. Strengthen us where we need to be strengthen. Vindicate us, Lord, where we need to be vindicated. We know You delight in our well being. Today we will speak of You because You are awesome, no matter what. You are in control of all that is going on in our lives and You know. Help us to keep doing right and keep rejoicing in You. You will take care of the rest.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. Is there any relationship in my life right now that is difficult? Am I dealing with it in a righteous manner?  What do I need to do to keep the proper perspective?  Do I have any support to help me get through these difficulties?

2. How do I treat those who do not like me? Am I loving my enemies?  How can I change and do better with this?

3. How can I overcome evil with good? What situations in my life might be categorized as evil? What is my attitude like towards them? What are my actions in dealing with them?

4. Is there a past relationship that I have not dealt with? How can I resolve this so that my heart is right before God?

5. How do I presently deal with conflicts with others?  What can I do when I am in the midst of a conflict so that I can do what is right?  How can I remember God in these situations?

Daily Devotional - 8/12/10 (9/12/09)

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)



Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

Help us to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness.  Help us to have our priorities correct and yet not forget our social responsibility.  You will fill our hearts when we are focused on You.  We long to be faithful in the good and bad times.  Although the world moves farther and farther away form You, we will stay close.  Strenghten us and increase our faith.  We know Your promises are true.

In Jesus' Name
Amen

QFT

1.  What is my focus right now? Am I focused on my spiritual mission or on another mission or goal?  Am I seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness?  What does that mean to me?  Do I have a proper balance of concern for the kingdom and for societal causes?  Am I willing to get involved to make the world better in both spiritual and physical ways?

2. What do I use to try and give my life meaning?  Is it always God or do I use relationships, work, or anything else to try and fulfill me?  Is it working or should I change my focus?

3.  Do I love the world?  What does my life show?  Is there anything I am doing that I feel Jesus wouldn't do?  Am I different from those who do not claim to be Christians?  Is there anything I need to change?

4.  Am I faithful to God in the good and bad times?  What tempts me to lose faith?  Has God always been faithful to me?  Why or why not?  How does my faith affect those around me?  Am I an inspiration to others?

5.  What promises of God are most meaningful to me?  Why?  How can these promises give me hope and joy despite what I see going on around me?

Daily Devotional - 8/11/10 (9/11/09)

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



"In the Lord I take refuge.  How then can you say to me: 'Flee like a bird to your mountain.  For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.  When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?'  The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne.  He observes the sons of men; His eyes examine them.  The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence His soul hates... For the Lord is righteous, He loves justice; upright men will see His face." (vs 1-5, & 7)

The Lord is in His holy temple.  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 what 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


Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,

Thank You for being here with us and for us.  It is easy to let the world get us down, but we need to take refuge in You and fight the good fight of the faith.  Give us the strength we need to do this.  Grant us wisdom to know when to flee and when to stay and fight.  Help us to never take the easy way out.  We want to be Your man or Your woman.  We pray that we may be found righteous in the end, and some wonderful day be able to see Your face.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT

1. How do I feel about how my society is morally?  Do I feel like the foundations are being destroyed?  Why or why not?  What can I do to make my neighborhood/ city/ state/ country better?

2.  Do I usually run from problems or confront them?  Why?  When should I run and when should I confront? What steps can I take to decide when I am faced with a problem?

3. How can I take refuge in God?  How can I remember daily that He is here?  How does remembering that God is in heaven and on His throne help me to be encouraged?  Do I think about this often?  Why or why not?

4.  How do I feel about God examining me?  Is there anything I am ashamed of?  Is there anything that I wish He didn't see?  How can I change these things?  How can I get help?

5.  Do I feel truth is relative or is there an absolute truth? Why?  What is my personal standard for truth?  Why did I chose that standard?  If I believe truth is relative, how do I determine right from wrong?  How do I feel about God being the final judge?  Why?