Focus Letter - N
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 14
"Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord? There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous." (vs. 4 & 5)
God is present in the company of the righteous. The Lord is their refuge.
If God is in the company of the righteous, that is what I want to be. I want to be with God; keep company with Him. I want to be able to go to Him with confidence and take refuge in Him. Often though, in my efforts to be righteous, I think I end up being "religious". I miss the whole point of what God desires from me and start following a bunch of rules. I have my checklist and do my duty, thinking that is enough. I become religious like the pharisees and I must remember Jesus' harshest criticisms were directed at them. So what is the difference between being righteous and religious?
Some verses come to mind when I think about this question.
James 1: 26-27
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
I must watch my mouth. It is not okay to say whatever I feel. I must speak the truth in love. I must remember that I will be called to account for every careless word I utter (Matt 12:36-37). Thank God for His mercy here but I must try harder. I also need to be socially conscious and help out those less fortunate than me. I must remember, even in my current financial difficulties, that I am rich. Finally, I must keep myself from becoming polluted by the world. I must be different. I must not become corrupted and cynical. I must not become a complainer. I must be different from the world.
Matt 7:13-14
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
I cannot follow the masses. There are only two roads. Which one am I on? Are there a lot of people on it? I should be a little concerned then. If there are a few, I should not be discouraged or think I am in the wrong!
Matt 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never know you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
This one is scary to me. These people were religious, and they were not pew warmers. They were actively serving God in the way they thought best. The question, however, is am I doing the will of the Father, or am I just doing what I think is the will of the Father? I can be sincerely wrong! (Proverbs 16:25)
Philippians 2:12b-13
"continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose."
I must always keep striving to make sure I am following the will of God. It is easy to get off track and it is easy to follow the crowd, whether in the world or even in the church. I need to work out my own salvation. I must watch my own life and doctrine (I Tim 4:16). I must guard my own heart because it is the wellspring of my life (Proverbs 4:23). I cannot make anyone else do anything at all, but I can make myself do "all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)." I must do what I need to do and in doing this, then I may help save others. God is in the company of the righteous. Let us be righteous!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank You for hearing us when we pray. We long to be righteous and not just religious. Help us to watch our mouths and take care of others. Help us to do Your will as we work out our salvation. We know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT: (Questions for Thought)
1. Am I righteous or religious? How do I know? What can I do to change?
2. Am I helping those less fortunate? If not, how can I start?
3. Am I keeping myself from being polluted by the world? What are my temptations here?
4. Am I keeping a reign on my tongue? When is it most difficult for me to do what is right in this area?
5. Do I know what the will of the Father is? If not, how can I find out? If so, am I doing it? How do I know? What evidence do I have? How can I start or improve on what I am presently doing?
Monday, August 16, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/13/10 (9/13/09)
Focus Letter - M
Pray for:
Five things that you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 13
"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" (vs. 1)
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil 4:13
"But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me." (vs. 5)
How long are we willing to do battle with ourselves and our sins/character flaws? A day, a week, a month, a season? How about a year? How about ten years? That seems like a long time. I know because I went through it.
After I became a Christian in 1983, an issue came up in my life that was deeply embedded in who I was. It was contrary to the Word of God, however, and so I took up the fight against it. I prayed. I fasted. I confessed. I did everything I knew of to deal with it and yet it still was a daily struggle for me. I would have good and bad days but the problem remained. I even saw a psychologist for help. All the things I did helped to some degree but the sin remained with me.
I felt like the psalmist. I cried out, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? (vs. 1)" I did feel forgotten in many ways because I was trying. I was doing everything right. But this was something more than not swearing or not getting drunk. The obvious sins are often the easiest to overcome. Many things I had struggled with for years changed overnight the day I became a Christian. Deeper heart issues arose, however. And so it is for all of us. We are not changed overnight. We are changed continually. We are slowly sculpted into something beautiful that will not be finished until the day we stand before God.
I struggled and struggled but in the end I trusted in God and did the best I could that day. That was all I could do and I kept on going. I did not know when my struggle would end or if perhaps it would not and I would deal with this particular issue til the day I died. Eventually it did not matter anymore. I decided that no matter what, I would not give up. In becoming a Christian, I had found the best thing in my life, even if it was not easy. At 17, I knew that if I walked away from God, I would be walking away from the best thing I ever had and my only hope of change.
I felt like Peter when he declared to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go?Where else could we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:68). " I truly believed and still to this day believe there is no where else for me to go. Jesus still has the words of life. And amazingly enough, ten years later, I awoke one day to find my struggle was gone; never to return. As I look back over the ten years, now that I am on the other side of it, it didn't seem that long of a time. The relief was so tremendous that to this day it gives me chills just thinking about it. I was finally free. I am finally free. Finally.
It was all worth it. All the years of struggle, all the tears. I have no regrets. And now, "I will sing to the Lord for He has been good to me." (vs. 6) God is always good. Always.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful for the power You give to our lives. We are grateful for the transformations that You grant. We believe in Your ability and desire to remake us into what we were created to be. We fall so short but we have great dreams. Forgive us and help us to get back up and fight on. We remember our past victories and we look forward to what is in store for our lives. Help us to walk the path You have planned for us and to keep our eyes focused on You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Is there anything in your life right now that you need to start fighting to overcome?
2. Have you given up working on something because it seemed impossible to change?
3. What can you do today to get back in the fight?
4. What verses can motivate you when you are feeling weak?
5. What things have I overcome already? How do the victories make me feel?
Pray for:
Five things that you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 13
"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" (vs. 1)
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil 4:13
"But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me." (vs. 5)
How long are we willing to do battle with ourselves and our sins/character flaws? A day, a week, a month, a season? How about a year? How about ten years? That seems like a long time. I know because I went through it.
After I became a Christian in 1983, an issue came up in my life that was deeply embedded in who I was. It was contrary to the Word of God, however, and so I took up the fight against it. I prayed. I fasted. I confessed. I did everything I knew of to deal with it and yet it still was a daily struggle for me. I would have good and bad days but the problem remained. I even saw a psychologist for help. All the things I did helped to some degree but the sin remained with me.
I felt like the psalmist. I cried out, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? (vs. 1)" I did feel forgotten in many ways because I was trying. I was doing everything right. But this was something more than not swearing or not getting drunk. The obvious sins are often the easiest to overcome. Many things I had struggled with for years changed overnight the day I became a Christian. Deeper heart issues arose, however. And so it is for all of us. We are not changed overnight. We are changed continually. We are slowly sculpted into something beautiful that will not be finished until the day we stand before God.
I struggled and struggled but in the end I trusted in God and did the best I could that day. That was all I could do and I kept on going. I did not know when my struggle would end or if perhaps it would not and I would deal with this particular issue til the day I died. Eventually it did not matter anymore. I decided that no matter what, I would not give up. In becoming a Christian, I had found the best thing in my life, even if it was not easy. At 17, I knew that if I walked away from God, I would be walking away from the best thing I ever had and my only hope of change.
I felt like Peter when he declared to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go?Where else could we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:68). " I truly believed and still to this day believe there is no where else for me to go. Jesus still has the words of life. And amazingly enough, ten years later, I awoke one day to find my struggle was gone; never to return. As I look back over the ten years, now that I am on the other side of it, it didn't seem that long of a time. The relief was so tremendous that to this day it gives me chills just thinking about it. I was finally free. I am finally free. Finally.
It was all worth it. All the years of struggle, all the tears. I have no regrets. And now, "I will sing to the Lord for He has been good to me." (vs. 6) God is always good. Always.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful for the power You give to our lives. We are grateful for the transformations that You grant. We believe in Your ability and desire to remake us into what we were created to be. We fall so short but we have great dreams. Forgive us and help us to get back up and fight on. We remember our past victories and we look forward to what is in store for our lives. Help us to walk the path You have planned for us and to keep our eyes focused on You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Is there anything in your life right now that you need to start fighting to overcome?
2. Have you given up working on something because it seemed impossible to change?
3. What can you do today to get back in the fight?
4. What verses can motivate you when you are feeling weak?
5. What things have I overcome already? How do the victories make me feel?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
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?
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?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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?
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?
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/10/10 (9/10/09)
Focus Letter - J
Pray for:
Five things I am grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first and 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 - Open my ears. I know You are always speaking to me but often I do not hear. I want to hear. Grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 10
"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises...In his pride the wicked does not seek Him (God); In all his thoughts there is no room for God... He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to hide the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, 'God has forgotten; He covers His face and never sees.' ...But You, O God, do see trouble and grief; You consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless...You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more." (vs. 1, 2, 4, 9-11, 14, 17-18)
God sees trouble and grief. I am not alone. I will just commit myself to God. He will take care of me and be my defender. He is Lord.
God is not far off although sometimes it seems He is. Abusers and bullies surround us and I believe that there is a part in all of us that can be this way as well. The innocent and weak are taken advantage of. They are abused. It is a dog eat dog world. There are the abusers and the abused and if we do not respond to God properly, we will become one or the other.
Why do people abuse? They do it because they can. They think they will not be found out. They have forgotten God. In all of their thinking, their consuming thoughts of themselves and their desires, there is no room for God. (vs. 4 & 11)
And why does God allow such bad things to happen? Why does He not stop it? It is difficult to understand but what we live through and survive makes us stronger. We can comfort others with the comfort we have received. If we can forgive and deal properly with something, we can survive, and even flourish. Eventually, we will even be able to help others with those same issues. (II Cor 1: 3 - 7)
But bullies and those they bully are not that different. They are both weak. A bully does what he or she does due to a weakness in their character. They are not satisfied to live. A deep seated insecurity drives them to tear down others. There is no room for everyone to succeed in their world. They are weak. And the ones who are bullied are weak as well. For whatever reason, they have not developed the inner strength to set boundaries or to stand up for themselves.
There is a third type of person, however. There is the strong person. Few of these people exist naturally. Most of us are weak in and of ourselves. We fluctuate between the two ends of the spectrum - bullying and being bullied, sometimes doing both within the same day. The good news is that we do not have to stay this way. We can become strong. This is what God wants and what we need so that we are not caught in the schemes of the wicked. God does not want us to be bullied and He definitely does not want us to be a bully.
Many of us have experience with codependency which is a bully partnering with a weak person who enables the bullying to continue. Of course it is more complicated than this, but if we can become strong in Christ, we will be able to set boundaries. The victim commits himself to God (vs. 14). God sees and will take it into hand. The evil person is eventually found out, if not here on Earth, then at the least on the judgement day which will be worse.
How do we become strong? We put on the full armor of God so that we can finally stand in the day of evil. We need to do this daily and we also need to work out the issues in the meantime (Eph 6:10 -18). God does hear the desires of the afflicted. He knows if we are being abused. He knows those secret thoughts, hopes, and dreams that we dare not mention. He knows the tears we have cried in secret. He knows the times we have hidden in our rooms hoping to be left alone. He was there. He is here now. He encourages us and listens to our cries. He defends us in the end so that as the Psalmist writes, "man who is of the earth may terrify no more."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We see pain and sorrow daily. We see our friends pass away, often tragically. We see and experience bullying. Life does not always make sense and yet, we know that You are near. You see our grief and our sadness. We are not alone. Help us to become truly strong. Help all that we experience to not be wasted but to be used for Your glory someday. Keep a bitter root from growing up in our hearts from the things we do not understand. We do not want to be weak any longer. We praise You. We praise You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. In what ways do I relate to the psalmist when he says. "Why, O Lord, do You stand far off?" What makes me feel like God is not watching over me?
2. Do I tend to be more of a bully or a victim? Why? How does this show my weakness? What do I need to do to become truly strong?
3. What have I survived through? How did I overcome or how am I overcoming? How will I be able to help others with this experience in the future?
4. Am I putting on the full armor of God? How can I do this? What parts of the armor are most important for me right now? Why? (Ephesians 6: 10-18)
5. How can the knowledge of God seeing my pain help me to overcome and make it through any difficult times I am facing? How can I remember this on a daily basis?
Pray for:
Five things I am grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first and 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 - Open my ears. I know You are always speaking to me but often I do not hear. I want to hear. Grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 10
"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises...In his pride the wicked does not seek Him (God); In all his thoughts there is no room for God... He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to hide the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, 'God has forgotten; He covers His face and never sees.' ...But You, O God, do see trouble and grief; You consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless...You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more." (vs. 1, 2, 4, 9-11, 14, 17-18)
God sees trouble and grief. I am not alone. I will just commit myself to God. He will take care of me and be my defender. He is Lord.
God is not far off although sometimes it seems He is. Abusers and bullies surround us and I believe that there is a part in all of us that can be this way as well. The innocent and weak are taken advantage of. They are abused. It is a dog eat dog world. There are the abusers and the abused and if we do not respond to God properly, we will become one or the other.
Why do people abuse? They do it because they can. They think they will not be found out. They have forgotten God. In all of their thinking, their consuming thoughts of themselves and their desires, there is no room for God. (vs. 4 & 11)
And why does God allow such bad things to happen? Why does He not stop it? It is difficult to understand but what we live through and survive makes us stronger. We can comfort others with the comfort we have received. If we can forgive and deal properly with something, we can survive, and even flourish. Eventually, we will even be able to help others with those same issues. (II Cor 1: 3 - 7)
But bullies and those they bully are not that different. They are both weak. A bully does what he or she does due to a weakness in their character. They are not satisfied to live. A deep seated insecurity drives them to tear down others. There is no room for everyone to succeed in their world. They are weak. And the ones who are bullied are weak as well. For whatever reason, they have not developed the inner strength to set boundaries or to stand up for themselves.
There is a third type of person, however. There is the strong person. Few of these people exist naturally. Most of us are weak in and of ourselves. We fluctuate between the two ends of the spectrum - bullying and being bullied, sometimes doing both within the same day. The good news is that we do not have to stay this way. We can become strong. This is what God wants and what we need so that we are not caught in the schemes of the wicked. God does not want us to be bullied and He definitely does not want us to be a bully.
Many of us have experience with codependency which is a bully partnering with a weak person who enables the bullying to continue. Of course it is more complicated than this, but if we can become strong in Christ, we will be able to set boundaries. The victim commits himself to God (vs. 14). God sees and will take it into hand. The evil person is eventually found out, if not here on Earth, then at the least on the judgement day which will be worse.
How do we become strong? We put on the full armor of God so that we can finally stand in the day of evil. We need to do this daily and we also need to work out the issues in the meantime (Eph 6:10 -18). God does hear the desires of the afflicted. He knows if we are being abused. He knows those secret thoughts, hopes, and dreams that we dare not mention. He knows the tears we have cried in secret. He knows the times we have hidden in our rooms hoping to be left alone. He was there. He is here now. He encourages us and listens to our cries. He defends us in the end so that as the Psalmist writes, "man who is of the earth may terrify no more."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We see pain and sorrow daily. We see our friends pass away, often tragically. We see and experience bullying. Life does not always make sense and yet, we know that You are near. You see our grief and our sadness. We are not alone. Help us to become truly strong. Help all that we experience to not be wasted but to be used for Your glory someday. Keep a bitter root from growing up in our hearts from the things we do not understand. We do not want to be weak any longer. We praise You. We praise You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. In what ways do I relate to the psalmist when he says. "Why, O Lord, do You stand far off?" What makes me feel like God is not watching over me?
2. Do I tend to be more of a bully or a victim? Why? How does this show my weakness? What do I need to do to become truly strong?
3. What have I survived through? How did I overcome or how am I overcoming? How will I be able to help others with this experience in the future?
4. Am I putting on the full armor of God? How can I do this? What parts of the armor are most important for me right now? Why? (Ephesians 6: 10-18)
5. How can the knowledge of God seeing my pain help me to overcome and make it through any difficult times I am facing? How can I remember this on a daily basis?
Monday, August 9, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/9/10 (9/9/10)
Focus Letter - I
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Please let me hear You today and understand. Grant me the strength to obey
Psalms 9
"My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before You." (vs. 3)
I have begun to view things that are not right in my life, such as sins, character flaws, and weaknesses, as my enemies. In fact, anything that is hindering me from knowing God and serving Him to the best of my ability has now become my enemy. This has helped me to fight my issues better. If I view my character and all its faults, as "just the way I am", then nothing will ever change in my life. Proverbs 26:11 states it well, "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."
I am forever repeating that which I do not hate. If, however, I make these things my enemy, I will be ready to do battle. This is what God desires for me to do as well. He wants me to flee from evil, not coddle it (II Tim 2:22 & Proverbs 3: 7-8). He wants me to resist the devil, not accept him (James 4:7). God has called me to fight. I am to be a soldier in His army. When I am fighting His way, in His battles, my enemies will turn back. They will stumble and perish. They will do so because God will be fighting for me. I just need to show up.
I will be able to win because nothing can stand before God. He says nations are as nothing to Him and His plans never fail. I just need to align my plans with His and be willing to do battle against my enemies when He says to. I cannot fail to go up to fight like the Israelites did when God told them to outside of the Promised Land (Deut. 1: 19-46 ). He said, "Go" and they said, "No! It is too hard." Later when they found out that they would not be able to go to the promised land because of their disobedience, they said they would go. Moses told them not to go because God would not be with them but they went anyway and were defeated. How many times have I been like this - refusing to obey something that I know God has told me to do? Then later, when I am reaping the consequences, I try to go up and do it, only to fail. I must listen to God when He speaks. I must be willing to fight, and fight in God's way.
If I do things God's way, the results will be astounding. God will aid me in my battle with myself. He can even wipe out the memory of my character issues. This reminds me of Hebrews 11:32 - 34, the inspiring chapter on faith. Many great men of God are mentioned in this chapter along with their successes. At the end of the section, the Bible states that these men's weaknesses were turned into strengths. Our weaknesses, our enemies, can be turned into our strengths. I can become solid and responsible with my finances. I can become an organized person. I can completely declutter my house and life. I can look my best as a woman. I can be a consistent person in my parenting and in my teaching. My weaknesses can be my strengths! How exciting that will be.
I can not wait for this to happen. God can do it. God is so faithful and I know He would like these issues to change in me as well. I will remember that He has never forsaken His chosen ones. I can run to Him and take refuge in Him. I can take hold of Him in the battle, day in and day out. He truly is my stronghold. He truly is our stronghold and He will do it.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Help us to view our sins and weaknesses as our enemies. Help us to turn away and hate all that is not of You. You know what is best for us and You have great things in store for us if we will only obey. We want to obey. We want to believe. Help us in our unbelief and in our failings. We truly are weak but we want to be obedient. You are our stronghold and You will uphold us in the day of battle. Help us to fight. We praise You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What are the enemies I am facing right now? What sins and character issues continue to occur in my day to day life? What triggers them?
2. How do I view these character sins and issues? Do I hate them or tolerate them? Am I changing to be more like Christ? Do I think about working on my life or am I just living?
3. Am I aligning my plans with God's? Am I doing battle when He says too? Am I listening to God and obeying or am I trying to obey after the fact? How can I do a better job at listening for God's voice and obeying immediately?
4. What weaknesses of mine am I looking forward to becoming my strengths? How can I begin to deal with these things? Is there anything I can study out in the Bible? Are there practicals I can start implementing?
5. How has God been there for me in the past? How has He not forsaken me? What can I do to focus more on His victories? How can I be more faithful? What action step will I take to increase my faith?
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Please let me hear You today and understand. Grant me the strength to obey
Psalms 9
"My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before You." (vs. 3)
I have begun to view things that are not right in my life, such as sins, character flaws, and weaknesses, as my enemies. In fact, anything that is hindering me from knowing God and serving Him to the best of my ability has now become my enemy. This has helped me to fight my issues better. If I view my character and all its faults, as "just the way I am", then nothing will ever change in my life. Proverbs 26:11 states it well, "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."
I am forever repeating that which I do not hate. If, however, I make these things my enemy, I will be ready to do battle. This is what God desires for me to do as well. He wants me to flee from evil, not coddle it (II Tim 2:22 & Proverbs 3: 7-8). He wants me to resist the devil, not accept him (James 4:7). God has called me to fight. I am to be a soldier in His army. When I am fighting His way, in His battles, my enemies will turn back. They will stumble and perish. They will do so because God will be fighting for me. I just need to show up.
I will be able to win because nothing can stand before God. He says nations are as nothing to Him and His plans never fail. I just need to align my plans with His and be willing to do battle against my enemies when He says to. I cannot fail to go up to fight like the Israelites did when God told them to outside of the Promised Land (Deut. 1: 19-46 ). He said, "Go" and they said, "No! It is too hard." Later when they found out that they would not be able to go to the promised land because of their disobedience, they said they would go. Moses told them not to go because God would not be with them but they went anyway and were defeated. How many times have I been like this - refusing to obey something that I know God has told me to do? Then later, when I am reaping the consequences, I try to go up and do it, only to fail. I must listen to God when He speaks. I must be willing to fight, and fight in God's way.
If I do things God's way, the results will be astounding. God will aid me in my battle with myself. He can even wipe out the memory of my character issues. This reminds me of Hebrews 11:32 - 34, the inspiring chapter on faith. Many great men of God are mentioned in this chapter along with their successes. At the end of the section, the Bible states that these men's weaknesses were turned into strengths. Our weaknesses, our enemies, can be turned into our strengths. I can become solid and responsible with my finances. I can become an organized person. I can completely declutter my house and life. I can look my best as a woman. I can be a consistent person in my parenting and in my teaching. My weaknesses can be my strengths! How exciting that will be.
I can not wait for this to happen. God can do it. God is so faithful and I know He would like these issues to change in me as well. I will remember that He has never forsaken His chosen ones. I can run to Him and take refuge in Him. I can take hold of Him in the battle, day in and day out. He truly is my stronghold. He truly is our stronghold and He will do it.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Help us to view our sins and weaknesses as our enemies. Help us to turn away and hate all that is not of You. You know what is best for us and You have great things in store for us if we will only obey. We want to obey. We want to believe. Help us in our unbelief and in our failings. We truly are weak but we want to be obedient. You are our stronghold and You will uphold us in the day of battle. Help us to fight. We praise You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What are the enemies I am facing right now? What sins and character issues continue to occur in my day to day life? What triggers them?
2. How do I view these character sins and issues? Do I hate them or tolerate them? Am I changing to be more like Christ? Do I think about working on my life or am I just living?
3. Am I aligning my plans with God's? Am I doing battle when He says too? Am I listening to God and obeying or am I trying to obey after the fact? How can I do a better job at listening for God's voice and obeying immediately?
4. What weaknesses of mine am I looking forward to becoming my strengths? How can I begin to deal with these things? Is there anything I can study out in the Bible? Are there practicals I can start implementing?
5. How has God been there for me in the past? How has He not forsaken me? What can I do to focus more on His victories? How can I be more faithful? What action step will I take to increase my faith?
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/8/10 (9/8/09)
Focus Letter - H
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 beginning with the focus letter for you and your family to grow in
Dear Lord - help me to hear your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey
Psalms 8
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise" (vs. 1, 2a & 9)
It is fitting to praise God. All of creation praises God. We are to look to nature and to the heavens to see the ultimate power and glory of our Creator. God is majestic and grand. There is so much beauty in the world because He made the world. I look to the mountains that surround my home and I see their strength. They are not moving. They are constant like God. I am reminded of the verse, " I lift my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalms 121:1-2)
There is an interesting psychological experiment that I read about and tried. It illuminated the principle of looking up and out at God's beautiful creation. Here is the experiment. Look down at the ground for about five minutes and let your mind wander. Then analyze what you thought about. Next, look up for about five minutes and let your mind wander. Once again, analyze what you thought about. Generally what people find, and I was no different, is that when they are looking down, they tend to think primarily about the past and about negative things. While looking up, however, people tend to think of plans they have for the future and they tend to have more positive thoughts cross their minds.
I believe that God made us this way and this is how we function best. We are to look up - at God and also at the world He made. We are to look up to the heavens, to the moon and stars. All of creation is shouting of His glory, existence, and power. This ability to enjoy the world and have the innocent view of God's beauty as seen in nature is something that children and infants know. In verse 2, it states that, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise." My children know how to see things that I miss because they are not too busy to go for a walk. They are not too busy to smell the flowers and make bouquets. They are not too mature to roll down the hills of grass in the park. They know this joy that we, as adults, have forgotten - that of play, the experience of sheer joy and the experience of the majesty of God that is all around us.
Before children become old enough to be corrupted by the sinfulness of the world, they have such a pure and unaffected belief and knowledge of God. I think they are in tune to the spiritual world in a way that we lose as we get older, just as surely as we lose the ability to play. Their faith is so much stronger than ours. This, I believe, is why Jesus stated that unless we become like little children, we will never inherit the kingdom of God (Matt 18: 3-4). Jaded people cannot really know God. We need to believe again. We need to have that pure joy, love, and devotion that children bring to everything they are involved with.
"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of Him, the son of man that You care for him?" (vs. 3-4)
If we can cultivate this type of mindset, then we will truly be able to consider how great God is. It inspires in us the incredibility that He is even paying attention to us at all. We are so weak and sinful and yet He created us and loves us. He cares for us. He has given us a special place and honor in His creation. His thoughts about us are too numerous to count. He is there. It is truly amazing.
And not only that, but He has put us over all of His created things. We aren't just one of His creations, we are one of His most special creations! We have been given the great task of taking care of His world. What a great responsibility! What a great honor; that the Creator of Everything, who knows me inside and out, would still crown me with glory and reward me. It is awe inspiring that He would stoop down to make me great. That He would even reckon with me at all! I praise His name. His love and belief in me makes me want to prove myself worthy of this honor. I do not want to hide my gifts any longer and fail to live up to the works He has designed for me. I want to hear Him say on that final day, "Well done good and faithful servant, well done" (Matt 25:21).
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Truly You are worthy of praise. We are nothing and You are everything. We are so tiny and insignificant and yet to You we are important. It is amazing that You know each one of us and are seeking to have a relationship with us even now. You have come after each one of us like a Shepard searching for His lost sheep. It is too much for us to comprehend yet we are grateful. Help us to remember this and to live in awe and gratitude. May we keep our eyes focused upward towards You. You are good, always good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How often do I praise God? How often do I take time to look at nature and remember that this is all God's doing? How can I increase my focus on the power of God through nature? How can I increase my praise of God?
2. Do I look up or down more often as I go about my day? What are my thoughts on more - good or bad? Am I known as a postive or a negative person? How can I become more positive? Do I believe that is what God wants me to be? If not, why? What holds me back from being positive and joyful?
3. Do I have a childlike heart and spirit? In what ways have I lost this? How can I regain or increase my childlike purity? Do I want to do this? What holds me back? How can I change?
4. Do I realize how truly insignificant I am in the scope of the universe or do I think too highly of myself? In what ways do I feel self-sufficient? What can help me to gain a more accurate view of myself in light of the nature and majesty of God?
5. Do I realize how important I am to God? Is the concept of His love difficult for me to grasp? What makes this difficult for me? How can I work on accepting His love and care? How do I fight His love? Why do I do this? How can I change?
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 beginning with the focus letter for you and your family to grow in
Dear Lord - help me to hear your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey
Psalms 8
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise" (vs. 1, 2a & 9)
It is fitting to praise God. All of creation praises God. We are to look to nature and to the heavens to see the ultimate power and glory of our Creator. God is majestic and grand. There is so much beauty in the world because He made the world. I look to the mountains that surround my home and I see their strength. They are not moving. They are constant like God. I am reminded of the verse, " I lift my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalms 121:1-2)
There is an interesting psychological experiment that I read about and tried. It illuminated the principle of looking up and out at God's beautiful creation. Here is the experiment. Look down at the ground for about five minutes and let your mind wander. Then analyze what you thought about. Next, look up for about five minutes and let your mind wander. Once again, analyze what you thought about. Generally what people find, and I was no different, is that when they are looking down, they tend to think primarily about the past and about negative things. While looking up, however, people tend to think of plans they have for the future and they tend to have more positive thoughts cross their minds.
I believe that God made us this way and this is how we function best. We are to look up - at God and also at the world He made. We are to look up to the heavens, to the moon and stars. All of creation is shouting of His glory, existence, and power. This ability to enjoy the world and have the innocent view of God's beauty as seen in nature is something that children and infants know. In verse 2, it states that, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise." My children know how to see things that I miss because they are not too busy to go for a walk. They are not too busy to smell the flowers and make bouquets. They are not too mature to roll down the hills of grass in the park. They know this joy that we, as adults, have forgotten - that of play, the experience of sheer joy and the experience of the majesty of God that is all around us.
Before children become old enough to be corrupted by the sinfulness of the world, they have such a pure and unaffected belief and knowledge of God. I think they are in tune to the spiritual world in a way that we lose as we get older, just as surely as we lose the ability to play. Their faith is so much stronger than ours. This, I believe, is why Jesus stated that unless we become like little children, we will never inherit the kingdom of God (Matt 18: 3-4). Jaded people cannot really know God. We need to believe again. We need to have that pure joy, love, and devotion that children bring to everything they are involved with.
"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of Him, the son of man that You care for him?" (vs. 3-4)
If we can cultivate this type of mindset, then we will truly be able to consider how great God is. It inspires in us the incredibility that He is even paying attention to us at all. We are so weak and sinful and yet He created us and loves us. He cares for us. He has given us a special place and honor in His creation. His thoughts about us are too numerous to count. He is there. It is truly amazing.
And not only that, but He has put us over all of His created things. We aren't just one of His creations, we are one of His most special creations! We have been given the great task of taking care of His world. What a great responsibility! What a great honor; that the Creator of Everything, who knows me inside and out, would still crown me with glory and reward me. It is awe inspiring that He would stoop down to make me great. That He would even reckon with me at all! I praise His name. His love and belief in me makes me want to prove myself worthy of this honor. I do not want to hide my gifts any longer and fail to live up to the works He has designed for me. I want to hear Him say on that final day, "Well done good and faithful servant, well done" (Matt 25:21).
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Truly You are worthy of praise. We are nothing and You are everything. We are so tiny and insignificant and yet to You we are important. It is amazing that You know each one of us and are seeking to have a relationship with us even now. You have come after each one of us like a Shepard searching for His lost sheep. It is too much for us to comprehend yet we are grateful. Help us to remember this and to live in awe and gratitude. May we keep our eyes focused upward towards You. You are good, always good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How often do I praise God? How often do I take time to look at nature and remember that this is all God's doing? How can I increase my focus on the power of God through nature? How can I increase my praise of God?
2. Do I look up or down more often as I go about my day? What are my thoughts on more - good or bad? Am I known as a postive or a negative person? How can I become more positive? Do I believe that is what God wants me to be? If not, why? What holds me back from being positive and joyful?
3. Do I have a childlike heart and spirit? In what ways have I lost this? How can I regain or increase my childlike purity? Do I want to do this? What holds me back? How can I change?
4. Do I realize how truly insignificant I am in the scope of the universe or do I think too highly of myself? In what ways do I feel self-sufficient? What can help me to gain a more accurate view of myself in light of the nature and majesty of God?
5. Do I realize how important I am to God? Is the concept of His love difficult for me to grasp? What makes this difficult for me? How can I work on accepting His love and care? How do I fight His love? Why do I do this? How can I change?
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