Daily Devotional - 9/20/15 (1/20/2010)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation

Day 2
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)



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



Psalms 80


"Restore us, O God; make Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved." ( vs. 3, 7, 19 )


As the psalmist recounts the struggles of Israel in Psalm 80, the phrase above is repeated three times. The Israelites were longing to be restored to their days of glory, but there is also a message of restoration for us in these short verses. There is a deep longing within each of us for something better than what we have right now. We want to be more.  No child dreams about growing up to be something mediocre. They dream of being princesses and princes, heroes and heroines. God has set these dreams of greatness (Jeremiah 29:11) as well as eternity in our hearts (Ezekiel 3:11). He has also given us a desire for beauty and innocence. I think that is why we love art and nature.

We look wistfully at our young children (when they are behaving!) and often long for those carefree days when we were young. If our children are older, we miss the days when they were innocent babies. We treasure the joy of those days in our own lives because somewhere along the line, as we grow up, we get corrupted by our sins and the sins of others. Just like Adam and Eve, we fall from grace.  The longing for what we were supposed to be remains, however. We want the innocence back and the purity of heart that came with it.

Thankfully, God wants this for us as well and He has provided a way for us to receive it. There is still beauty around us. There can still be beauty within us.  There is still hope just as sure as there is still a sunrise and a sunset each day. We can be restored.

The key to restoration is in the second part of the verse. We have to let God's face shine upon us. As we look at Him and keep a steady gaze at what He is like, He will lead us and transform us. He created us to have life and life to the fullest (John 10:10). We are His works of art. Let us allow Him to transform us into what we were created to be and receive all He designed for us to have. If we can keep our eyes on Him, we can, like Peter walk on water (Matt 14:22-33). He is able and He will do it.




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We long for the days of innocence. Restore us to that childlike spirit. Grant us the faith and purity of heart to truly believe. You are able and You are willing. We are Your works of art. Help us to believe that and allow ourselves to be transformed. Help us to catch a hold of the vision You have for our lives and keep our eyes fixed on You. We want to radiate Your glory. We want to be saved.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. What were my dreams as a child? When did I let go of them? Why? Can I in anyway revive them?

2. What things (my sin and the sins of others) corrupted me and took away my innocence? Have I let go/ repented of my sins so that I can be restored? Have I forgiven those that hurt me? Can I get help to work through any issues here?

3. How can I let God's face shine upon me? Am I keeping my eyes on Him? How can I do a better job at this?

4. How is God transforming me? What can I see Him doing with my life?

5. Do I have any dreams to serve Him in any way? What can I try to do? What steps of faith can I take?

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

Prayer Focus - Gratitude



Day 5
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the state/region that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the city that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the home that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about your family



Thank God for the effect that what you are grateful for has on:
your spiritual life
your physical life
your emotional life
your mental life



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



Psalms 69



"My eyes fail, looking for my God...May those who hope in You not be disgraced because of me, ...But I pray to You, O Lord, in the time of Your favor; in Your great love, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation...Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of Your love; in Your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide Your face from Your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes...

The Lord hears the needy and does not despise His captive people. Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and all that move in them, for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will dwell there." ( vs. 3b, 6a, 13, 16, 33-36)


Sometime we are searching, and sometimes we are finding.  There are many seasons in our lives.  I love the scripture in Ecclesiastes that highlights this.

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:

 

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace."

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Psalm 69 contrasts two seasons - a season of struggle and a season of rebuilding.  Both are written by the same person.  I know I have been through both seasons and though I love the rebuilding, I do not regret the seasons of struggle.  I would not want to go through some of the valleys I have been through again, but I would never want to take them back.  They are why I am where I am at now and God has used them.  He has used them to humble me and to show me what life is truly about. 

I was very arrogant as a young person and I did not really understand struggle.  Many things came easy to me and so I became very prideful and sure of myself.  But we can not find God if there is no room for Him in our hearts; if we are too full of ourselves.  That was me.  I had been trained to be a student, not a person.  I was taught to achieve, not love.  I was taught that it was all about me.  There was no room for God in my life, even though I professed to be a Christian.  God had to allow me to face complete and utter moral failure so that I could truly see who I was.

All the things that I used to hide behind were stripped away in college.  It was there that I truly began to understand that I was not a "good person".  Whatever I had was not of my own doing.  I did not make myself intelligent.  That was a gift of God.  I did not make myself athletically talented.  That too was a gift of God.  What I had made of myself, however, was a mess.  I could finally see how I used people.  I could see how I thought so many mean and impure thoughts.  I could see how I thought I was better than others because of the gifts that God had given me.  I could finally see clearly. 

I did not want to bring shame and disgrace on those that hoped in God anymore.  I claimed to be a Christian, but in my actions I was denying Him.  I was as big of a hypocrite as the people I hated for being hypocritical.  In God's great mercy, He had allowed me to see this.  He did not show me this to destroy me, however.  He showed me this so that I could change.  He allowed me to start over.  He came to my rescue.  I had searched and searched for Him and He was found.  At the right time, when I was most open to see the truth, God was there.  God is here.  I was crushed so that I could rise to a better life.

God saved me from myself and He continues to save me from myself.  I can not believe how far I have come and I am so grateful that I can now understand life better and I know what it is to struggle.  I know what it is to have to climb that long ladder back up to normal; to be a successfully functioning human being.  God does restore and rebuild, even if everything right now lies in chaos around us and we struggle to get through each day. God will not despise us. The poor and needy will see and be glad. Our hearts will live. Our searching for God is not in vain. We will find Him and He will reward us if we are faithful.  I praise God every day for this.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We grow weary searching for You. We are looking. We are struggling but You are strong. You are waiting for us to come to You. You are not far from each one of us. Help us to clear all the fog from our vision and throw off the sin that so easily entangles us. Help us to run our race with perseverance and not lose sight of our goal to make it to be with You. Keep our sights eternal. We love You.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. What season am I in right now?  How do I know this?  What seasons have I gone through?  What have I learned from them?

2. Am I disgracing God and/or my brothers and sisters by the way I am living? What do I need to change to be living a life that pleases God?

3. Am I praying and pleading with God about my needs? How often am I praying? Can I make a schedule that would enable me to have more time to pray? When is the best time for me to pray? Where is most effective?

4. What do I need God to rebuild in my life? In what way am I like the cities of Judah that were torn down? How can God restore me? Do I believe God can and desires to do this?

5. How will I be able to help others better once I am rebuilt by God? What is my vision for what my life could be like and what is my vision for how God could use me?

Daily Devotional for 8/21/15 (10/21/09)

Prayer Focus - Friends


Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are


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 51


"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." (vs. 1)

"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)

"Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 6 - 7)

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10 - 12)

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (vs. 16 - 17)

In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; Build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight You; (vs. 18 -19a)


True religion is something totally different than what most of us think.  Often we think of going to church and a bunch of dos and don'ts.  Definitely there are things that should and shouldn't be done but it all seems to boil down to love.  What is the greatest commandment?  Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22:37-39).  This is what Jesus said summed it all up - Love. 

God is love.  Do we remember this?


I think we forget.  We think - God is a taskmaster. God is far away.  God does not care.  God is not fair.  God is mean.  God hates.  God just wants me to obey.  But is this really true?  Does God want our sacrifices? Will our hard work save us?  Can we ever be good enough?

The answer to all these types of questions are no.  No, no, no.  God is love.  God wants truth.  God wants integrity. God wants us to come back and say, "Thank You. Do not cast me away from You."  God wants us broken and contrite. Ready to be something different.  Ready to turn away from all the secrets within us.  Bottom line, God wants us to be with Him and He knows what that will take.


I think when we look deep into ourselves, we know this as well.  There is an aching part in us that just wants to be known, loved, and changed.  I think we long for transformation. We long to be clean - to be free from what ever it is that is binding us and keeping us from life. 

But even though we know this, there is a barrier to us reaching the healing we seek.  I believe this barrier is sin.  Sometimes we think we are so clever.  We do things we know are wrong and think it will never be found out.  We think no one can really see what is going on within us.  Well, that is not really true is it?  God sees everything.  God already knows, and sooner or later everyone else usually finds out too.

When I was a child, I used to think it would be a great parenting tool to have cameras in every room so that a parent could see what was going on at all times.  Now of course, that is possible now but it wasn't back in the 70's.  I was grateful back then that nothing like that existed because I did a lot of things in secret that I didn't what anyone seeing.  It was quite a revelation to me when I finally realized that God saw everything and that He had seen every single thing I had ever done in secret.  I was quite ashamed and embarrassed.


So in order to be transformed and healed, and since all the things we have done have been seen anyway, we need to deal with them.  We need to seek repentance.  We have to get these secrets out into the open and get help.  We need to stop doing wrong and start doing right.  That is what I had to do.

I had to come to grips with the fact that God wanted me.  He wants us, all of us, and He wants us to be true believers.  He wants our hearts, not just our outward acquiescence.  But I didn't know how to get from where I was to where I needed to be?  This is where Psalm 51 is essential.  It is the cry for forgiveness and restoration that we all need to cry.

When I was finally trying to get my life right with God, I had a mentor who was working with me in my life.  He knew just about everything about me and he gave me a key assignment.  He challenged me to memorize this Psalm and repeat it as often as I could.  He felt that when I could truly pray this Psalm from my heart, then I would probably be ready to become a Christian.

I would finally be ready to become a Christian, because I would finally be ready to deal with the sin in my life.  My heart would be ready to change because it would have released the things that were at that time controlling it.  Sin hardens us.  Sin hardens and breaks us.  This world is broken.  I was broken.  Sin breaks our communion with God, others, and even ourselves.  It cuts us off from our heart and it sears our consciences.  It destroys whatever good is in us and it destroys the good in this world.  We can not be close to God and be in sin as well.  It is impossible. 

I was so hard at this point in my life from all the sin I had indulged in that I needed a transformation.  I needed a new heart, and new spirit.  I needed to come to God on His terms, not mine.

I took my friend's challenge and eventually I had a breakthrough.  God did have mercy on me.  He did restore to me the joy of my salvation and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  God was faithful and created a pure heart within me.  I had not been pure in a long time but now I was and I could be completely different.  Instead of being religious, I could be righteous - right with God.  I could have integrity.  I could have truth.  I could walk without fear of what I was hiding. 

God was and is faithful.  Thirty some years later, I am still walking this walk and striving to keep this prayer and all of God's word in my heart so that I will not sin against Him.

I praise God that He did restore and in His timing, He did make me prosper.  He has given me so much and I would never have known all the good He had in store if I had not been willing to get on my knees and pray.





Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

Have mercy on us we pray.  Forgive us our sins.  Cleanse us.  Only You can do this.  We thank You for forgiving us.  We thank You for Your mercy and grace. We thank you for even caring at all. We know that we are completely unworthy. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT


1. What do I think God really wants from me?  Why?  Do I have a correct perspective of God? Why or why not?  How can I get a more accurate view?

2. Do I realize how much I sin against God?  Am I turning to Him for forgiveness?  Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God?  Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me?  How can I remind myself of this fact?

3. Do I feel burdened by past sins?  Have I been forgiven?  How do I know?  Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?

4. What does repentance mean to me?  What do I do when I have done something wrong?  How do I deal with it?  Is this the best thing to do or could I do something differently?

5. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?

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

Prayer Focus - Family



Day 1

Pray for:
One family member that you feel close to


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


Dear Lord - Help me to listen to You each and every day and please grant me the strength to obey.




Psalms 38



"My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.  My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.  I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning...My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.  My friends avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away...For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.  I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin." (vs. 4-6, 10-11, 17 & 18)

Sin can damage us in more ways than one. Our sin can affect us physically, relationally, and emotionally. The psalmist points to this when he describes in detail how our bodies are impacted by our guilt and sinful folly. I know that when I have something that I have not dealt with in my life, I become very tired.  I don't feel well.  Some people get headaches and stomach aches.  Many real illnesses have roots stemming from sin and wrongdoing that has been concealed.  Some mental illnesses can arise from this as well. 

Our friendships are also damaged by the things we cover up.  The psalmist mentions that "my friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away (vs. 11)." First of all, when we have sin that we are distressed about, we can't be close to others, even if the sin have nothing to do with them.  We are short tempered or else we tend to isolate ourselves so that no one will catch on to what is going on with us.  Often we lie to keep from being found out.  It is difficult to have good friendships when we are doing these things.  Secondly, relationships are cut off by the things we do to hurt one another or often by the thoughts and attitudes we have towards others that they might not even aware of. Best friends drift apart because on some unresolved issue.  Bitterness and jealousy also cause so much trouble in people's lives. If we let bitterness take any root in our hearts, it will take over. 

Emotionally, the affects of undealt with sin are enormous as well.  We lose our joy and can be driven to depression and isolation.  We become afraid for anyone to see the real person inside of us because we think they will not be able to accept us for who we are and for all the bad things we have done in our life.  We are truly walking in darkness.  We don't even know what is causing the dark feeling sometimes.  But sin festers and grows whether we realize it is there or not.  

Since these are the affects of doing wrong, it is imperative that we strive to do right. We must long for righteousness because in it, there is true life. We can know others and be known ourselves.  We can have clear consciences and walk with our head up.  It is so refreshing to not have any nagging thoughts about something we did or didn't do. To live a life of no regrets would be truly amazing. It can be discouraging sometimes though because we are all so far from this and we fail daily. What are we to do? We must begin by doing as the psalmist recommends - by confessing our iniquity and by being troubled by it in a good way (vs. 18). We need to get everything that we are hiding out of our systems and get ourselves out into the light.  Then we must repent or be truly sorry and troubled in a way that leads us to change.  Repent means to turn 180 degrees and go in the other direction. It is a sorrow that leads to action and not just depression.  Finally, we need to continue following this process so that we are staying in the light. 

This seems so difficult and if we have never been open before, it may seem impossible.  Without God it really is, but thankfully, He is there. He will answer us when we call and when we humble ourselves and ask for help. He will not be far from us and will come quickly to save us. He is waiting for us to take the first step back and then He will come running just like in the story of the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-32).


" I wait for You, O Lord; You will answer, O Lord my God." (vs. 15)


God is amazing.  Let us wait for God. He will answer.



Prayer for the Day
 Dear Lord,

Come quickly to save us. We know we fail so often. We have such great intentions but such weak results. Help us to start anew tomorrow and strive to deal continuously with our sins. Help us to hate them and strive to live purely so that nothing hinders us from being close to You and others. We want to live in the light as You are in the light. We want to be pleasing to You. We are lifting our souls up to You and are confessing and repenting of everything we know that is displeasing to You. Forgive us as well for those things we have done that we do not even realize displeases You. We are waiting on You and we know that You will save us.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. Is there any sin I am not dealing with at present that is making me feel guilty? Has sin damaged any of my relationships? How can I deal with these problems and make amends?

2. How do I feel when I finally confess or talk about something that has been bothering me? Why do I not do this more often?

3. Do I have someone who I can talk with on a daily basis to confess my sins to and get help from?

4. Am I striving for righteousness? Am I repenting or changing the things that I confess or am I struggling with the same sins over and over again?

5.  Am I calling out to God for help or am I trying to deal with everything on my own?  Am I waiting on the Lord for His answers?  How can I start to do these two things?

Daily Devotional - 9/2/10 (10/2/09)

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



Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something


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


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



Psalms 32



"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said,' I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' - and You forgave the guilt of my sin." (vs. 1-5)



We all want to be blessed.  Here are some keys for us to consider.  We are blessed if we are forgiven. We are blessed if we have no deceit. Why is this?  First of all, we can be right with God and have a relationship with Him now and after death.  But secondly, and quite relevant while we are here on earth, we can walk with out fear and guilt. It is a terrible state to be in when there is something we are hiding.  The psalmist writes that when he was silent his bones wasted away and he groaned night and day.  He was miserable.  That is how undealt with sin affects us.  We can think that eventually we will forget, but we are still haunted.  Only when we get things out can we feel that light free feeling that comes with a transparent life. It is a truly blessed feeling.  I have been in both places.  I know. We need to be open channels for God's love to flow through us. There is so much that needs to be done in this world, that we just can't let sin, clutter, confusion, and disorder of any kind block us and stop us up. We will lose the strength and power that is available to us.  We will miss the opportunities that God has in store for us.  We need to just open up our lives and then call out to God to search us and heal us.




"Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. 
     I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.  Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.  Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him." (vs. 6-9)


We do this by confessing and then by going to God in prayer.  We can't wait.  We must pray while God can be found. There are opportunities when God is calling us and we can miss them.  People miss out on God and eventually our hearts can get so hardened to everything that it will be almost impossible for us to change.  Unfortunately, there are deadlines in life. Whether or not we want them to exist, they do. Thank God, however, that we can hide in Him. We don't have to run and hide somewhere when we are feeling guilty.  We can go to Him because He is much better place to hide than any real physical place. God will protect us and restore us. He will make us into someone incredible if we let Him.  He created us for great and glorious things and He will teach us and show us the way to go. He will counsel us and watch over us.

There is a catch to these incredible promises though.  We have to receive His direction. We need to not be like an animal who has to be forced to go where its master wants it to go. God is longing for us to follow willingly.  Our attitude should be, "I will do it!" Let's not force God anymore.  The road is much easier for us when we are not rebellious.  The way of the rebellious is hard the Bible states elsewhere, but unfailing love surrounds us if we trust in God.


"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!" (vs. 11)


If I am righteous and upright in my heart, I will be able to do this. I will rejoice and be glad.  I will be able to see beauty in everything. This is God's world. Despite the sadness and difficulties, it still is good, and there is always hope.



Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

We are grateful for Your forgiveness.  Help us not to be deceitful.  We are praying.  Help us to pray more.  We want to find You.  You are our hiding place and it is good to be able to run to You.  We do not want to run away any longer.  Grant us the strength to face where we have gone wrong and turn to You.  We need You and we long for Your unfailing love.  We will rejoice in You for You are good.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. How am I deceitful?   How can I become honest in all my ways?
2. Is there anything blocking the flow of God's love and communication through me? If so, how can I get rid of it?
3. Am I praying about my needs and the needs of others regularly? Why or why not? How can I get in the practice of praying for others on a regular basis?

4. How am I doing at receiving God's instruction? Am I willing to learn or am I like an animal that needs a bit and bridle in my mouth to force me to obey? Why am I like this and what results am I gaining from my attitude towards instruction?

5.  Am I rejoicing daily?  What is my attitude about life?  Have I let undealt with sin make me bitter?  How can I change and start seeing the beauty that God intended for us in the world?

Daily Devotional - 8/28/10 (9/28/09)

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)


This fragment of a verse in the middle of Psalms 28 catches my attention.  Who will God tear down? This sounds so ominous and final and so I think, "Will it be 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 start looking 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." (vs. 3)


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 then they come up to talk to us and we act like nothing is wrong. We speak nicely to them and all the while we are angry deep down. Or perhaps we just avoid them altogether.  God is expressing just how He feels about that in this verse. What we are doing when we do this is 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. So why would it upset God so much?  The answer lies in the first part of the psalm I quoted at the beginning of the devotional.



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



The answer goes back to Psalms 24 which reminded us that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it is His as well (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, especially from me as I profess to be a Christian. This is referring to my 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).  But how is this possible?


"Hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your Most Holy Place." (vs. 2)
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.


"Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy.  The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.  The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one.  Save You people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever." (vs. 6-9)


Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

We want You to be our shepherd forever.  Purify our hearts and help us to not harbor any ill will towards anyone.  It is so easy to do wrong in this way.  We struggle to value people as You do.  It is easy to love those who love us but it is difficult to love everyone and keep our hearts pure.  Grant us strength.  We do not want to be torn down but rather built up.  Have mercy on us we pray.  We know You will do it.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



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 change my attitude about these things?

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

5. Am I treating everyone as a person that is special to God?  Who is the most difficult for me to treat right?  Why?  How can I change this?

Daily Devotional - 8/19/10 (9/19/09)

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 and 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 the verses written 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. It reads as follows:

"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."  (vs. 1-4)

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.



"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.  The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right giving joy to the heart.  The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." (vs. 7-8)

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, the guidance given in I John 1:5-10 is a good place to start. It states that we need to get things out into the light. We need to confess our sins 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. 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."



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

We are so grateful that You deal with our lives.  We want to change but are unable to on our own.  We are so grateful for the promises in Your word about how we can be transformed into Your likeness more and more each day.  We want to please You.  Help us to recognize and turn from our iniquities and willful sins so that we can say that the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouths are pleasing to You.  We commit ourselves to You today.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

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?

5.  Am I accepting God's forgiveness?  Is there anything in my life that I have not accepted forgiveness for?  Is there anyone that I need forgiveness from?  When will I ask them?  If I am not ready to do so, how can I get myself in the place to do so?  Do I need to forgive anyone?  When will I do this?

Daily Devotional - 8/15/10 (9/15/09)

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 ever present 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)


This question is in the hearts of most people whether they acknowledge it or not.  We wonder if we are really going to make it and what it takes.  Compare this verse to the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18: 18-30 (also Matt 19:16-30).  He had everything going for him in a worldly sense and yet he still came to Jesus asking, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (vs. 18 b)

Jesus told him to obey the commandments and the man said he had.  Then Jesus took it higher and confronted the man's heart.  He told him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me (vs 22b)."   In Psalms 15, the psalmist also lays out several principles to follow that are very intensive.  He then states that if we do these things, we will never be shaken - we will, in effect, make it. 

In Luke, however, the rich young ruler walks away sad.  He was not willing to part with his great wealth and often this is like us as well.  We wonder in our hearts what it takes to be right with God and yet when we find out,  we don't want to do what it takes to obey.  We walk away sad or we feel overwhelmed and hopeless at the prospect of really trying to live an exceptional life.  Many times we rationalize away the requirements of God by saying that the Bible was written a long time ago, or can be interpreted many ways.  Sometimes we focus only on the passages about God being loving and we throw around the statement that if God is love, then how can He judge or condemn.  We pick and chose what we will obey.  But do these coping mechanisms really solve the questions that lie deep in our hearts? 

I don't believe they do.  It reminds me of the line by Thoreau in Walden (1854) - "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." We go about our business and say everything is fine but deep down, a nagging feeling sits within us, rising occasionally, and so we too ask, "What will it take for me to make it?"


So, let's take a look at the different conditions in the psalm.  This is who will make it:

"He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord,
who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
who lends money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent." (vs. 2-5)


This is a high calling.  This is probably not what we expect.  Often we think of salvation we focus on the big things, "the externals".  We figure if we don't murder, or steal,  if we go to church once in awhile, if we are a good person (according to our definition) then we are okay.  But God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7).  The requirements in this psalm are like those in Luke and also those in the greatest commandment -  "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Luke 10:27)"  It is all about who we are deep down.   Can we say we are blameless?  I can not.  Can we say we speak the truth and never slander or say bad things about someone?  I can not.  Do we hate what God hates and honor what is good?  Often it is the opposite for us.  Do we keep our oath, even when it is hard to do?  Or is it easy to just blow things off?  Are we above reproach?  No.  We cover up all these shortcomings with the bandaid of outwardly appearing good or together, and so the question nags at us.  We know what we are really like.  Even the best of us, if we are willing to be honest with ourselves, are far from the mark.

So what are we to do?  The disciples in the story about the rich young ruler also asked this question when the man went away sad.  Jesus said as he left, "'How hard it was for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'  Those who heard this asked, 'Who then can be saved?' (Luke 18:24b-26)"  A good question to ask when we look at what is needed.  The passage goes on - "Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.' (Luke 18:27)" 

And with this we praise God.  We can be saved.  We can be purified from the inside and we can be forgiven.  Then we can walk in continual forgiveness as we strive to do our best at obeying God.  He knows we will sin; that is why Jesus died.  We are to walk in the light of God and walk in openness, and then the blood of Jesus will purify us from all unrighteousness.  The key is to acknowledge our sin and turn away from that which is wrong in our lives and strive to be different.  With God, we can do it.  The impossible will be possible.  Then as we grow, we will become more and more like the person in this psalm and we truly will, never be shaken.

This passage in I John is a great summary of this miracle.

"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
     If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.
    My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 
    We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands.  The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him.  This is how we know we are in Him:  Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did."  (I John 1:5 - 2:6)



Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,

We thank You for the miracle of being able to have a relationship with You.  We are not able to meet the requirements of heaven alone and so we praise You for providing a way for us to make it.  All things are possible with You.  Help us to strive our best to walk in the light and to confess our sins so that we may be healed.  We have all fallen short.  We are so grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus.  We are so grateful that He is interceding for us and that his blood covers over our sins.  We long to never be shaken.  Grant us the strength to stay on the path to You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


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

2. Do I hate evil?  How can I hate evil without being self-righteous?  Do I honor what God honors?  Do I honor those who fear the Lord?  Why or why not?  How can I change?

3. In what ways do I find myself getting "bought" or accepting bribes? What do I compromise my values for?  Why?  How can I stop?

4. Am I a man or woman of your word? When do I struggle most with letting my yes be yes, and my no, be no" (Matt 5:37)?  How can I overcome this?

5.  Am I walking in the light?  Am I open about my sins with anyone?  Do I have any accountability in my life?  Why or why not?  Who can I talk to about issues I may have?  How will this help me?

Daily Devotional - 10/21

Prayer Focus - Friends


Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are


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 51



"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." ( vs 1)

We need God's forgiveness. The fact that He is willing to forgive us at all is all about Him and not us. We don't deserve it but because His love is unfailing and because He has great compassion, we have hope. I am grateful for God's mercy and do not want to take it for granted.



"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)

Whenever we sin, we are sinning against God. Sometimes we forget this and feel justified in doing wrong if the person we are sinning against is evil or has sinned against us. We are never justified. Our sin is always an affront to God. We need to remember that as it may help us to curb many of our more flagrant misdeeds. The sins of the heart are harder to deal with but are also done against God as well. He is justified when He says that we deserve death. He is not mean or evil. He is just and fair. We earn our condemnation. Praise God that He does not treat us as our sins deserve



"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 7)

We can start over. God makes us like new and erases all of our filth. We do not have to have those burdens of regret around our necks any longer. We can be free, but let us not use this freedom to sin. Let us be like the sinful woman, who when pardoned by Jesus, was still challenged to go and sin no more and did allow her life to be transformed. We need to change and strive with all of our hearts to no longer sin.




"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me...Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10-11)

We need help to do this. God can create a pure heart in me. He can renew a steadfast spirit within me. He can restore my joy and help me get through by granting me a willing spirit. I cannot make it on my own. I am too weak, but God is my strength and God can change and strengthen anything in me. He is able. I want these gifts from Him so that I can please Him, now and forever.




"In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem." (vs. 18)

In God's good pleasure, He will make us prosper. It is all in His timing. I don't need to force anything. I just need to live and to do my best. I need to humble myself and keep going with a broken and contrite heart. He will lift me up.




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,



Thank You for forgiving us. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. We know that we are completely unworthy and we are so grateful that You care for us anyway. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. We can't keep it going by ourselves. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We are unworthy, but we know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT


1. Do I realize how much I sin against God? Am I turning to Him for forgiveness?


2. Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God? Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me? How can I remind myself of this fact?


3. Do I feel burdened by past sins? Have I been forgiven? Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?


4. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?

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 - 9/16

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?