May 31, 2024
1 Timothy 1:5-6 “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling”
Vain jangling is useless babble. It’s what we’ll be hearing a lot of for the next few months until the elections are over. In matters of faith, the Lord would have us keep things simple as today’s verses tell us, and concentrate on genuine love, clear consciences, and sincere faith. Jesus taught us that what we say is a product and a reflection of what is in our hearts. The Bible says in Matthew 12:34, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”. When we are confident that we are saved and our faith is focused on Jesus, our words will testify to the goodness and grace of God. Jesus taught that a good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things. The treasures of faith and love are inseparable and when we are filled with faith, hope, and love, we are living the good life that God has purposed for us. Our words are kind and respectful towards others and we have no use for the language and attitudes of this world. But the reverse is true that when we are filled with strife, bitterness, selfishness, pride, confusion, and ill will, we will fall into the trap of the enemy. Instead of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, such as love, joy, and peace, we will produce the works of the flesh. And what we say will be vain jangling. God’s way is described in 2 Corinthians 1:12, “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation (lifestyle, the way we live) in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. Religion makes things complicated with its rules, traditions, and rituals. But the Holy Spirit leads us to the simplicity of faith in Christ alone. Faith in Jesus Christ honors God, satisfies God, and is the foundation of salvation by grace through faith. As far as what we say, the Bible says in Proverbs 15:4, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit”. A “wholesome tongue” means we say words that help, heal, and comfort others. The sum of what God desires is love issuing like a fountain from hearts that are like Christ.
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May 30, 2024
Jeremiah 18:3-4 “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it”
We love the analogy of the potter and clay when it compares to our Christian life. It is such a great comparison because the potter starts with dirt, He takes the ugly, formless, and simple clay and, with his skill and precision, turns it into a masterpiece. The value of the finished product is not in the clay but in the ability and skill of the potter. A lump of pottery clay, which can be bought for two or three dollars a pound, can be used to produce a work of art that is valued in the thousands. The crafting process, a messy, sloppy procedure, gives the appearance that nothing good can come out of the thing. The water and clay run off the work, down the potter’s hands and arms, and drip onto the floor. At a point, it might seem the entire attempt to produce something valuable from the clay is a waste of time. It’s the same with us. As God is shaping and molding us into the image of Christ, we might resist His will, appear a hopeless cause, and those around us might give up on our ever being anything but a mess. But God is faithful and He knows when and how to put the pressure on, how to shape and form us and He does it perfectly according to His will. He knows the finished person He wants us to be before He ever puts us on His wheel and He will not stop until we are complete. The Bible says in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”. In today’s verse, the scripture tells us when the vessel the potter is working on becomes marred in His hands, the potter doesn’t throw it away, He restores it into a new creation. There is much truth to meditate on in these verses. Praise the Lord! In the words of the old hymn which we can sing as a prayer, “Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still”.
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May 29, 2024
Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”
What we think and think about sets the pattern for what we believe. We either live our lives in faith or we walk in unbelief. The Bible teaches us that faith is what God honors. When we believe God’s Word, act on it, and live our daily lives according to God’s truth, there is no limit to where the Lord will take us. But our minds have been programmed from our birth by our sin nature and by the world around us and most of the thinking we do is centered on ourselves. When we become Christians, there is a struggle to surrender our way of thinking to a life that is Christ-centered because we have years of momentum pushing us to think like the world. We have followed patterns of thought for so long that they have become ingrained in us and God wants to set us free to think like a believer. He wants to transform our minds into the mind of Christ. When our minds are changed to think the way Jesus thinks, we will walk in faith and doors of opportunities and blessings are opened that only faith can open. He does not transform us to think religiously because the Pharisees are good examples of how religious thinking disguises itself as faith but is really just another version of self-centered unbelief. Our thoughts might center on our failures, our weaknesses, and our unworthiness. Or they might be thoughts of pride, that we are better than others and they produce the fruits of arrogance, stubbornness, and self-glory. But the Word of God, working through the power of the Holy Spirit, begins to change our thoughts so that Jesus becomes our focus, our daily bread, our water of life, our pattern for living, and our hope. As our minds transform away from the world’s thinking to the way Jesus thinks, we start to walk, talk, and act differently. The mind of faith produces the actions of faith. We begin to believe that nothing is impossible with God. That He is working all things for our good. We see hope when our old way of thinking would have said there is no hope. We know that the Lord is still a God of miracles. Instead of talking ourselves out of victories and a life of joy, we start expecting God to do great things all the time. Instead of seeing ourselves as unworthy failures, we see ourselves as children of the King of Kings. God’s will for us is a mind that is transformed to live by faith.
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May 28, 2024
1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”
This verse is a statement of hope; Hope given for the present that is based on what God has promised us for our future. Whenever I think about people who do not have this hope because they do not know what wonderful, indescribable things the Lord has promised us for our future, my heart breaks for them. The pride of the unregenerated heart pushes the inevitable future out of mind as if it’s something that will not happen. And, if the unsaved person dares to consider their future when they die, they quickly dismiss it with phrases like, “Well, we just die and that’s it” or they reduce it to some unknown perspective as if it’s unknowable and dismiss it. For them, an eternal future that’s far better than anything this life can offer is unthinkable. But when we come to Christ and His Holy Spirit lives within us, the mystery of our eternal destiny is made clear. Concerning the things of our future, the Bible says in verse 10, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God”. Today’s verse tells us that no matter what beautiful, wonderful things we have seen, experienced, and enjoyed in this life, nothing on this earth can compare to what the Lord has waiting for us. If you made that statement to some people, they would scoff, laugh, and consider you an uneducated simpleton. In their minds, it’s a religious statement that has no value in their worldview. After all, they believe we are just animals, the universe is a product of random events, we do not possess eternal souls, and the entire universe and all it contains is doomed to entropy. They have no hope except the hope that somehow things are going to get better in the here and now, that we will stop fighting and killing each other, and maybe we can get off this planet, move to another solar system, and perhaps postpone the inevitable destruction of humanity for a while. Thank God for the truth that we are created in the image of God, that we have a secure and permanent future filled with all God has prepared for us, and God’s gift to us is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
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May 27, 2024
Hebrews 4:7 “Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts”
The word “limited” here means appointed, determined, or to set out the boundaries. It points us back to the words of Psalms 95:7-8 “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness”. In the days of the law of Moses, God was calling His people back to Himself from their many cycles of disobedience. In our day, He is calling us to the cross of Jesus Christ and reminding us this is the day of salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of our Lord Jesus. Three times in the Book of Hebrews God warns us to, “Harden not your hearts”. Our sinful nature is such that even when we are presented with the gospel and the Holy Spirit urges us to receive God’s free gift of mercy and forgiveness, we are inclined to put it off, walk away, and think we will perhaps get saved another day. With each rejection of the truth, our hearts become harder. But God tells us there is an urgency in coming to Him “Today”. There are no guarantees we will have tomorrow or any more time to be saved and when we hear the message of truth, we are hearing God’s call to us. This is the time of salvation as the scriptures tell us in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”. The call is real, the need is urgent because our souls are at stake, and the door of salvation stands open to us. If the house is on fire, it’s time to get out and run to safety. If we hesitate and procrastinate, if we argue that we have plenty of time or that the fire isn’t as bad as it seems, we run the risk of losing our lives. If we put off the decision to receive Christ as our Savior, we risk losing our souls for eternity. Many people argue that salvation isn’t real, that God didn’t mean what He said, and some argue there is no God of the Bible, that it’s all mythology and superstition. But heaven is real, God’s promises are true, and He is calling to us to choose Him today. If you have not been saved, you can pray a prayer like this one and God will hear you: “Lord, I confess I’m a sinner and I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, was buried, and 3 days later arose from the dead. I receive your forgiveness and I receive Jesus as my Savior”. If we can answer any questions or help you, contact us at: thecommonsalvation@yahoo.com
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May 26, 2024
Luke 13:11 “And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself”
Jesus went into the synagogue and encountered a woman who was completely stooped over, unable to stand up straight, and had been in that condition for eighteen years. The scriptures tell us in verses 12-13, “And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God”. What is striking about this healing is that the Lord said the reason the woman had been afflicted in such a way was because she had been bound that way by the devil. When the Lord was defamed by the ruler of the synagogue and publicly rebuked because He had healed the woman on the Sabbath day, He replied in verse 16, “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”. We have somehow lost sight of the truth that although not all afflictions are the work of the enemy, many are. Jesus said the devil had bound this precious woman in such a way that for eighteen years she had suffered from his devices. The Bible does not say she was possessed by a demon and Jesus did not cast any out of her. But the enemy had physically afflicted her and it took the power of God to release her from the trap. The Word of the Lord not only saves us but also has the power to break any afflictions and illnesses brought on by the devil. These are situations that have a spiritual root and Jesus can set us free. Not only can He say, “Peace be still” to natural storms, but He can also release people from whatever has them bound. It might be an addiction that has them chained and enslaved. It could be an infirmity caused by the work of Satan as was the case with Job or like this woman in this account. It could be any number of things that bind people and bring them suffering and sorrow. But the Bible says in Matthew 8:16 “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses”. By His stripes, we are healed.
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May 25, 2024
Job 42:10 “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before”
The book of Job, especially the first few chapters, is painful to read and even more difficult to understand as to why the Lord allowed such suffering to come to His servant. We don’t understand, when Satan came into the presence of the Lord, why God brought up Job’s name and pointed out his good qualities. And then, we don’t understand the purpose of Job’s trial that was set in motion and why Satan was allowed to have such a hand in Job’s ordeal. There have been many theories and even books written attempting to explain it all but nothing comes close to explaining why Job endured what he did at the hand of the enemy and why his suffering was so great. But it does speak to us about the trials of this life and how people, people who are not wicked and seemingly not deserving of such anguish, can be afflicted and tested. One thing is sure and this verse assures us that when the trials are over, God does not leave us whimpering in the aftermath. The words here in the KJV, “The Lord turned the captivity of Job”, means God made up for what the enemy took away, that He restored Job’s prosperity and blessings. In fact, God gave Job double of what He had before the enemy struck him. We can take heart that when we are going through trials the Lord has not forgotten us and when we come out on the other side, God will be the God of restoration to us and He will make up for what the enemy schemed to take away. Let’s just keep trusting God in our trials, keep doing the right thing, and keep honoring the Lord. Not only is there glory in heaven for us, but like Job, God will make up for what the evil enemy thought to bring against us. Trials have their purpose and we will all experience them. But God is faithful and will not allow us to be tested beyond our ability to bear it and when the battle is over, He will show Himself strong on our behalf. Don’t be afraid to proclaim the victory even while in the midst of the trials. We are more than conquerors in Jesus’ Name!
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May 24, 2024
Psalms 62:5-6 “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved”
The word “wait” here carries the meaning to calm down, to be quiet, and to stand still and rest. Too often life’s situations cause us to get distressed, filled with worry, and expect the worst of things. Some people seem to always view life through a negative filter and no matter what the occasion, they are always expecting something bad to come their way. In this election year, talk shows and political “experts” are already predicting gloom and doom and the general mood of the country seems to be worry and fear for the future. It’s easy to get caught up in all the talk and arguments and forget that God is in control; always has been and always will be. How can we be confident that our expectation in all things is from the Lord? No matter the circumstances, how do we know that God will always work things for our good, and even the things that the enemy meant for evil, God will turn for our benefit? We can be sure because the God who never fails, the One who spoke worlds into existence has given us His promise and the Bible says in Titus 1:2, that God cannot lie. So, what is our expectation in everything? We expect God to be with us, that He knows every detail of our circumstances, that He is always working on our behalf, that He will answer our prayers, and that when the dust settles, we will be more than conquerors and emerge as victors by the grace of God. When doubt arises and we are tempted to think and say that everything is going to go sideways, instead we declare God is our rock and our salvation. He will defend us and we will not be defeated. We keep declaring these truths because we’re in times where uncertainty seems to dominate and the enemy is trying to fill God’s people with doubt and fear. But the Word of God declares in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever”. No matter who is the President, God remains the same. No matter who or what comes against us, God remains unchanged and His promise to help us cannot be defeated. In the words of today’s verse, “He is my defense; I shall not be moved”.
May 23, 2024
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”
Everyone is afraid at times and that fear is often accompanied by the thoughts and feelings that we are helpless and vulnerable to whatever is coming against us, be it real or imagined. This verse speaks to us about those times of fear and discouragement. It is God’s promise that He will be there in times when we need His power. God promises that He is with us, He is our God, He will give us strength, He will help us, and He will hold us firmly with His righteous right hand. It is a verse worth meditating on, hiding in our hearts, and memorizing so we will have it ready to use in times of trouble. It’s not a promise that we can use once or twice in a lifetime, but one that we can trust every day of our lives. We can never wear it out. The phrase, “The right hand of my righteousness”, is pictured in the New Testament in verses like Matthew 14:31, “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him” when Jesus saved Peter from drowning. Many times, the Bible speaks of our Lord stretching out His hand and healing people and raising them from the dead. We need to get that down into our spirits that God is standing ready to reach to us when we need Him and that He will never turn away when we are weak and afraid. We need to see ourselves in the pages of the Holy Bible whenever the Lord reached out to lepers, suffering people, hurting people, and desperate people and see that it is us that He is reaching out to. It’s not just accounts of Jesus doing mighty things 2,000 years ago, but it’s Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever and He is ready to uphold us with His righteous right hand. The Bible uses the designation of His right hand to signify His power and ability and we have His promise that He is unlimited in His power and unlimited in His ability to help us. Like a stumbling child might reach for its parent’s hand for safety and security, let’s reach by faith in God’s promise for the hand that’s reaching out to us. He will help us, He will give us strength, and He will hold us securely.
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May 22, 2024
Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”
What is your life all about? For some, it’s a day-to-day struggle with little meaning and very little joy and happiness. They have resigned themselves to a view of life that’s a barely-get-by routine with no real hope for their future. Then there are the people who live controlled by what happened in their pasts. They’re always angry and hurting because someone did them wrong, they didn’t have a good childhood, or they see themselves as victims of unfair circumstances. They live on the edge, full of negative emotions and ready to boil over at a moment’s notice. Some people live for pleasure and they’re always looking for a party or an excuse to hang out with like-minded friends. They move from one quest for excitement to another and are never satisfied unless the booze, drugs, and mindless thrills are flowing freely. Some people live for money, power, prestige, and extravagance. They like to be in control and for them, having an abundance is never enough. And, the list goes on as to people’s reasons for living. But believers have found a reason to live that’s rich, powerful, satisfying, fulfilling, joyous, and one that gives meaning and purpose to life. They live for Jesus Christ. He is the center of their world, their healing for the past, their motivation and desire for the present, and their bright hope for the future. In Him, they are complete, filled with peace, and all their needs are supplied. Jesus protects them, blesses them, and directs their steps. That kind of living doesn’t look to the things of this world for satisfaction but it looks upward and lays up treasure in heaven, treasures that will never pass away. When we live for Christ, we are living the good life, a life that God has planned and purposed for us and a life that is for His glory and our benefit. The world may sneer and jeer as if we’re missing out on something but the world is foolish and deceived. Their pleasure will pass away and all they accumulate here will be burned up. In the end, the sin they think is bringing them excitement and pleasure will extract from them the price of death because the wages of sin is death. Let’s live our best life, a life where Jesus is Lord of all and we follow Him. A life that never ends because it is an eternal life.
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May 21, 2024
Psalms 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well”
When you look into a mirror or at a picture of yourself, do you like what you see? Many people do not like how they look and the enemy is there, whispering to them about their imperfections to keep them from being thankful for their looks, their life, and the way God made them. The Word of God tells us here that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and that we are an example of God’s marvelous power to create. Here’s an astounding fact: Every person who has ever been born or will be born has unique fingerprints. Even identical twins do not have the same fingerprints. McGill University’s Office for Science and Society reports that even, “The DNA of monozygotic (identical) twins tends not to be 100% identical”. Our emerging science of Biometrics is showing us how we are all unique and one-of-a-kind. When God made us, he only made one each of us and threw away the mold so to speak. If the devil has been beating you or a loved one down over your looks, your talents and gifts, or anything else about you it’s time to declare the truth that God made us with a plan and purpose in mind and that He has set us apart as a masterpiece of His creation. It’s time to hold our heads high and be thankful for the blessing of being born and for the opportunity to be born again by the blood of Jesus. There is no reason to believe that things will be any different in eternity. Those mentioned in the Bible who came back to visit after they had departed like Moses, Elijah, and Jesus were still unique and known as they were known. When we hold our children and grandchildren in our arms and feel the pride and joy they bring us it’s important to realize they too are God’s one-of-a-kind creation. He created them to enjoy their lives, achieve successes, and come to know Him as their Creator and Savior. No matter how long we live, God gives us His promise in Isaiah 46:4, “And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you”. Halleluiah! We are fearfully and wonderfully made!
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May 20, 2024
John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”
Jesus spoke these words first to His disciples and now that they are passed into the written Word of God, they are here for us to read, believe, and enjoy. Among believers, there are differing points of view about the details of the Lord’s return but no matter which side of the fence you’re on concerning the end times, His promise is clear: He is returning. When He ascended back to heaven, some people were watching Him go up. As they stood there looking up, two angels appeared as the scriptures tell us in Acts 1:10-11, “And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven”. The Bible calls the return of Jesus our “blessed hope” in Titus 2:13. “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”. It tells us to comfort each other with the promise of the Lord’s return in 1Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words”. We have every reason to mention the return of our Lord and every reason to talk about it repeatedly. It’s true, it’s on the horizon, it is the blessed hope of believers, it’s comforting to us, and it’s what salvation has prepared us for: To leave here and to be with Jesus forever. This world is not our home for the Bible tells us in Philippians 3:20-21, “For our conversation (citizenship, homeland) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body”.
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May 19, 2024
2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness”
The Apostle Paul had something, either a physical malady or an ongoing spiritual battle that he called a “Thorn in the flesh”. We know how it feels to get pricked by the thorn of a rose bush or a locust tree so we can understand that whatever Paul was referring to, was something that kept irritating him. The Bible says he asked the Lord three times to take it away but God replied with the above verse. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was a constant reminder that he needed the Lord and that whatever special anointing and power God had given him was to be used for the glory of God and not as a point of personal pride or gain. God knew Paul would be a more effective witness for Christ with the thorn than without it and the apostle gives us the reason for it in verse 7: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure”. It kept him humble and kept his message pure and powerful. But what’s amazing about his testimony is that he came to understand that he was most effective for the Lord when he was in trials and tribulations. He says in verses 9-10, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong”. These words seem so odd at first glance because we would think that we are better witnesses when things are smooth and comfortable. But it’s when we are in uncomfortable situations that we pray more, seek God’s presence, and rely on Him. During the times when others see us going through trials and yet we still honor the Lord and give Him praise, that witness speaks much louder than when we’re smiling and thanking God while knee-deep in blessings. Thank God for the valleys, the trials, and the storms of life because they work in our favor to bring us to a better relationship with God and they help us get stronger. Thank God for the thorns in our flesh because when they are surrendered to the Lord, they produce spiritual fruit that greatly honors God.
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May 18, 2024
Psalms 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance”
If you listen to the constant babble today they call the news and if you pay attention to the various waves of modern thought, you might get the idea that America was built on anything and everything except faith in God. And, if you’re one of those people who believes we have a heritage in this country of honoring God, the flag, freedom, and all they stand for, you might think we are a dwindling minority that’s seen as out of touch with reality. But all those who oppose our heritage and lie about this nation’s beginnings are a tool of the wicked one who plans and plots the destruction of the United States as one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all. If you believe the haters, they seem to think it would be a better life for America to become communist like China, ruled by thugs and mobs like Central and South America, suppressed and stripped of all personal freedoms like North Korea, or wallowing in the dust and confusion of misery like the Arab countries. Today’s verse gives us the truth from God on the matter: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD”. A companion verse is Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people”. When we surrender the truth about who we are and how we came to be great, blessed, and prosperous and believe the lies of the enemy, we lose sight of the fact that it’s an honor to live in this country that was built on Christian values and principles and all our blessings are given to us from the hand of God. Consider Psalms 144:11, “Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood”. The uprisings and rebellions we’ve seen from some of the youth in our country are a warning sign that the same God who has blessed us is able to take the crown off our head. The freedoms we have that were given to us by God and honored by the sacrifices and blood of our soldiers can quickly be taken away. 1 Peter 2:17, “Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. But all glory and praise belongs to God and all that is good comes to us from Him.
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May 17, 2024
Luke 22:41-42 “And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done”
When our Lord was agonizing in the garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested, condemned, and crucified, He was completely surrendering to His Father’s will. He was completely releasing control of what was happening to Him. For many of us, that’s a hard thing to do and even when we think we’re there, we’re not. Sometimes I find myself praying about something and telling the Lord how I think He should answer the prayer and making suggestions as to what I think are the best solutions. Jesus talked to His Father about an alternate path when He said, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me”. He revealed the openness and honesty of His heart with those words. God doesn’t want us to pretend we’re not wrestling with our situations and He doesn’t want us to lie about what’s tossing and turning within us. Our Savior showed us that it’s ok to pray truthfully about what we’re thinking and feeling. But Jesus resolved to completely release all control to the Father’s will when He said, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done”. When there are no good answers, when all the exits seem blocked, and when we know the answers are beyond us, it’s time to let go and let God have His way without any interference from us. The longer we try to fix things, plan detours, and complain about the circumstances the longer things will drag out until we finally let go of the steering wheel. God didn’t pull us from the fires of hell just to allow us to drown in the floods of confusion and uncertainty. He wants to show Himself strong on our behalf and then He gets all the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to us as the source, the provider, the healer, the restorer of brokenness, and the Way when there is no way. Red Seas, Egyptian armies, fiery furnaces, lions’ dens, and short supplies of food and water are no problem for our God. The Bible says in Ephesians 3:20, that the Lord is, “Able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”. It’s time to take the limits off of God and release our control to the One who has all power in heaven and earth.
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May 16, 2024
John 15:7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you”
When the Lord speaks of abiding in Him, He is not talking about salvation but rather, relationship. He is telling us to stay close to Him, dependent upon Him, and always aware of His presence. It is the words of a deep, intimate relationship with Jesus. It means we look to Him when we make life’s choices, we remove ourselves from situations and people that tempt us to compromise our faith, and we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal our motives and desires so that we choose to do those things that honor the Lord. In verses leading to this one, the Lord explains we are connected to Him like a branch of a grapevine is connected to the vine. He is the vine and we are the branches. The attributes, power, and strength of the vine flows to and through the branches to produce the fruit God desires. But, not only is the Lord teaching us to remain close and connected to Him, He tells us that it’s important that the Word of God is in us and that we are connected to what the Lord says. Knowing what the Bible says and keeping those Words as a part of what we think, what we say, and how we live our lives makes the word come alive in us. And, when we are connected intimately to Christ and thinking, living, and speaking from the fountain of His Word, we have the promise that: “Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you”. What a wonderful way to live and what a wonderful promise to trust! It’s no wonder the enemy wants us to take our eyes off Jesus, get wrapped up in the useless craziness of this world, and turn our attention everywhere except to the Lord’s precious Word! We have this teaching in Words of our Lord in John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” and in John 14:13-14, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it”.
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May 15, 2024
Nahum 1:7 “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him”
Some people have a view of life that’s pretty depressing. It has them thinking that they are victims of all life’s circumstances and helpless against the forces of adversity. They feel that things are out of control, that the future looks dark, and that things used to be good, but now everything is terrible. They always expect the worst and can’t enjoy the blessings because they focus on the negatives. It’s about time we stand up and shout the good news of today’s verse, that the Lord is good, that He’s a safe place in times of trouble, and that He knows every person who trusts in Him. Believers know the truth that God is for us, He is with us and we are blessed. All our needs are provided and we need to shut down the lies of the world and declare Psalms 136:3. “The LORD has done great things for me and I am glad”! Our blessings do not come from the government, but God is the source of our lives. He is our sustenance, our victory, our hope, our strength, and our security now and forever. God has been, is, and will be forever, GOOD. God can and does use people in our lives in various capacities but He is the one from which all blessings flow. There will always be trouble on this earth but God’s faithfulness will always triumph over trouble. Examine your life and remember how He has been good to you and in times of trouble, He has been your stronghold, your shelter in the worst of storms. Good luck and good fortune didn’t bring us our blessings. Our own intelligence and hard work didn’t bring favor. All that we have, are and ever hope to be, our loving Heavenly Father has provided and will provide. The enemy wants us to talk about our problems as if God is not taking care of us. He wants us to tell others that we’re having a hard time as if we’re not receiving blessings from the Lord. He wants us to magnify trouble and never declare that the Lord is a stronghold in times of trouble and that He will always cause us to triumph. It’s time to speak out about the goodness of God and His loving faithfulness to His people.
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May 14, 2024
Revelation 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth”
There is an amazing story in Acts 12 where Peter was arrested and put in prison, bound with two chains between two soldiers. The prison doors were locked and the main iron gate was locked securely. It seemed impossible for Peter to get free but that night the Lord sent an angel who roused Peter from sleep, his chains fell off, and the angel led him to the iron gate which the Bible said, opened by itself. Today’s verse tells us God can open and shut things and no one has the power to stop Him. There is great peace when we know the Lord is the One that opens and shuts doors in our lives. It may seem like we are in trouble when we lose a job or the job or position we want falls through. Sometimes things we’re hoping for don’t work out and we’re tempted to be frustrated and angry. But God is the One who is directing our steps and He is the One that opens doors where we need to go and closes the ones that are not His best for us. It’s tempting to try to use any influence we have or any means we can muster to force our circumstances to change the way we think is best for us. But the scriptures tell us to wait on the Lord. His timing and plan for our lives are perfect and while we can’t see what lies ahead, He can. If you’re locked into a situation like Peter’s, keep doing your best and trust that the Lord has you there for a reason. When the right time comes, He will open the doors and set you free. Or, when doors keep getting shut in your face, know that the Lord is going before You and He will open the ones that He has purposed for your future. The Bible says in Psalms 121:5, “The LORD is thy keeper” where the word “keeper” means a guard or watchman and we might say He is our “doorkeeper”. He opens them and no man can shut them and He shuts them and no man can open them. He always will faithfully do and allow only what is best for us.
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May 13, 2024
Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith”
Every day we have opportunities to be good to people. This is one way we show our love. Not just by saying, “I love you”, but by putting kindness into action. God put His love for us into action when He sent His Son. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth (proved, demonstrated, showed) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. We don’t wait for some huge opportunity to be good to others but we are on the lookout for ways. We study people, we learn to listen to them, and we become aware of their needs and likes. We still hold the doors for others and we show kindness to all who serve us. The cashier at the store, the waiter at the restaurant, and the school guard directing the traffic in the school zone. Sometimes we tip the person who cuts our hair a little above normal just to send a message that we appreciate them and want to show them kindness. Being good to people is the heartbeat of the Christian walk and while we can love our pets and shower our family with goodness and gifts, actions of kindness and goodness need to extend as today’s verse says, to all people especially those who follow Christ. There are a lot of smart-mouthed people in today’s world and many are ready to hurl insults and profanity. Some people would run over others to get a parking spot they have their eye on. But goodness and kindness will have us park in a spot further away rather than be demanding and mean. Besides, walking a few more steps is better for our health. Give your spouse flowers or something special even though it’s not their birthday or Christmas. It’s a way to say, “I love you and appreciate you. I’m thankful for you and always want to treat you good”. God is good to us every day and showers us with blessings. He attends to the tiniest details of our lives and is patient with our craziness. He blesses us in unexpected ways and is always encouraging us with words of hope and promise. Let’s make it a daily practice to be good to all people, even those who don’t like us or seem to be our enemy. It’s the way of Christ.
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May 12, 2024
Colossians 2:10 “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:”
This verse is a sort of life verse for me and is the foundation of my testimony. The word “complete” here, means covered over, leveled up, crammed full, finished, and satisfied. It refers to the truth of our position before God when we believe Jesus is the Son of God and accept Him as our Savior. It means God is then fully satisfied with us and we appear in His eyes, completely covered with the righteousness of Jesus. I wish someone had taught me this early in my Christian life. I believe it would have given me confidence in my sonship which took me years to see and believe. The churches I grew up in were not exactly Christ-centered. They taught Jesus is the Son of God but primarily, they were sin-centered in that they mostly preached loud and long against sin: continually. I remember even as a child, staying constantly worried, believing God was always angry with me because there must be some sin in my life even though I couldn’t always put my finger on exactly what it was. I knew I had asked Jesus into my heart but I never heard that I was complete, covered over, leveled up, and that God was fully satisfied. I had no relationship with the Lord because I was convinced, I was unacceptable and a sinner. Then, in my teenage years, when the frustrations of adolescence hit, I threw up my hands and gave up. By then, I was sure I had gone too far and God was so angry and disappointed in me there was no use trying to live as a Christian. I dropped out of church, turned away from the things of God, and looked elsewhere for satisfaction. It was later, in my adult life, that I heard the message of the truth of God’s grace and the plan by which God allowed Jesus not only to carry my sin but also how God covered me with the attributes of Jesus and that made me “accepted in the beloved”. God’s anger was turned away from me and instead, was upon Christ on the cross. For the first time in my life, even though I had grown up in church, I knew God truly loved me, called me His own, was fully satisfied with me, and I was eternally welcome in His presence. It also helped me to love Jesus because I knew that He had paid it all and I didn’t have to feel guilty about sin. It was eternally washed away by His blood. My relationship with the Lord became Christ-centered and not sin or performance-centered.
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May 11, 2024
1 Peter 2:9-10 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy”
In our battle against pride and concerned that we might appear vain, proud, and boastful, it’s possible to think we should go about with our heads down, acting as humble as we can, and muttering that we are nothing but unworthy, hell-deserving sinners. What if your children did you that way? You are proud of them, love them, would do anything you could to help them, and want them to be their best. But what if they slouch around telling people how they’re not fit to be your child and that they really deserve to be cast out and disowned? When God saved us, He washed away our sins and obliterated our past. Any memory of our past and former unworthy, sinful selves is from us not our Heavenly Father who will never remember our past against us anymore. Today’s verses tell us who we are and here is a Bible list of how we stand with God: We are saved to the uttermost (Heb 7:25), predestinated for glory (Rom 8:30), indwelt by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 1:14), guarded by angels (Ps 34:7), joint-heirs with Jesus (Rom 8:17), hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3), seated in heavenly places (Eph 2:6) and citizens of heaven (Eph 2:19). This world doesn’t own us, it can’t control us and we will not bow to its demands. We are free in Jesus, John 8:38 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” and we have eternal life and will never perish. We are children of the God who created heaven and earth and He is our Heavenly Father. Ephesians 2:6 tells us our Father has, “raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus“. We are the redeemed of the Lord (Psalm 107:2). More than ever, with the pressure mounting to concede our faith to the frivolous demands of a corrupt and decaying culture, let’s stand strong as victors and give God the glory: more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
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May 10, 2024
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me”
Jesus spoke these words first to His disciples as He was preparing to go to the cross. The disciples could not see at that point what the future held and they would be confused about the Lord’s departure. Jesus was explaining to them that His ultimate purpose was to give all believers a home in heaven. And, because these words are now in the Holy Bible and are a part of God’s revealed truth, they apply to the Jews and to all of us who search for the truth. Many people, like the Jews, consider themselves to be people of God and claim they are following Him. Many believe in a God but they do not believe Jesus is the Son of God. It makes no difference how many miracles He performed or how many times He is presented to them as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They cannot see past His humanity to the fact He was God in the flesh. Many people today see themselves as “people of faith” and they profess some kind of belief in a “higher power”. It goes along with the popular teaching that there are many paths to God and it doesn’t matter which one you take, you’ll eventually get there. But His words were spoken to give us the consolation that when we see Jesus, we see God and He came to us as the Truth and the only Way, the only Door to heaven. He said in John 10:10 that if we try to get into heaven some other way, we’re the same as a thief and a robber. In Christ, God gets all the glory and honor. He will not share that glory with any other (Isaiah 42:8). Jesus is the glory of God manifested and those who reject Jesus as God and the only Savior are declared in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4,6 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them”. (6) “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”.
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May 9, 2024
James 5:16 “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”
The Bible says in 1 Timothy 2:8, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting”. Everywhere means at home, in the car, and while mowing the grass. It means when you’re on vacation, when you’re at work, and in the church house. It means everywhere. And not just everywhere, but the scripture says in Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”. We pray everywhere and about everything. When we pray, we are communicating with the One who created everything and who knows everything and His promise is that our effectual fervent prayers are working. The words, “effectual fervent” are from a Greek word, “energeō” where we get the word, “energy” which means to remain active, to put forth power. It’s a picture of people who keep praying in the sense of Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”. The promise here is that such prayer will avail much with the word availeth meaning having the strength to overcome, power to do extraordinary things. When we pray everywhere about everything and we keep on praying, extraordinary things happen. We can talk to others about our problems, chat, and message our feelings until we wear our phones out but it’s only when we come before God and keep praying prayers of faith that things start to happen. God is moved by our faith and when we know what God’s Word says about our situation and we bring those promises to God’s ears, God answers us in His power and favor. When it seems like the answer is taking too long, keep praying because God’s promises will never fail. He wants to answer prayers, He will answer prayers, and He will never turn away from His people. The Bible says in Proverbs 15:8, “The prayer of the upright is his delight”. It’s not eloquent praying that gets His attention. He is our Father and He is listening to the cries of His children and the Holy Spirit is in us, helping us as we pray. Keep praying!
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May 8, 2024
Psalms 136:16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
If you use Google Maps, Apple Maps, or GPS to chart a trip and give you directions, they usually plot the shortest, fastest route. Then turn by turn they direct you until you get where you’re going and even provide ongoing real-time calculations of your arrival time. When God led His people out of Egypt, if they had walked in a straight path to their destination of Canaan, it would have taken them about 11 days or so. But God’s ways are not our ways and instead of a quick, straight path, He led them in a huge arc into the wilderness. A Biblical wilderness is not a forest with beautiful trees and cool, babbling streams. It is a harsh, desert environment with blazing hot sun during the day, cold nights, and little or no water or vegetation. It is barren and dry. There is no place to get food, or find shade, and no beautiful scenery. God had reasons for how He led them and one of those was that they had to learn to trust and rely on Him. In a place of no water, He provided a constant source. Where there was no food, He fed them with heavenly food and did so faithfully for 40 years. Even though we know the Lord is our source and that His ways are working all things for our good, a path through the wilderness is not what we want. It didn’t take long for the Israelites to start complaining and dishonoring the Lord and sometimes it doesn’t take long for us in our trials to do as they did. The wildernesses in our journey are seasons of confusion, discomfort, and pain. We might forget that they are temporary and that God is using them to help us. But if we can learn to praise the Lord in the wilderness, thank Him that He will always be faithful to provide for us, and trust Him that with every trial there is always a time when He brings us out better and blessed, then we will learn to thank Him for those seasons, believing that they are for our good. He is there in the wilderness, He is bringing us through it for a purpose and most importantly, it’s a temporary situation: God will work it for our good!
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May 7, 2024
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”
Before the world was created, before sin entered God’s universe, and before Adam and Eve disobeyed God and the sentence of death came upon us all, God had a plan to redeem us. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:4, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”. That truth is far beyond our ability to grasp its fullness, but it fits into today’s verse that God is a God of salvation and that He does not want anyone to perish. His plan of salvation is so simple that it seems to some too good to be true. The scripture says in 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ”. It is a warning that just as the devil led Eve to believe God didn’t mean what He said, the enemy is always at work to trick people into believing the plan of salvation can’t be as simple as the Bible teaches. Satan added one little word to God’s word and completely reversed its meaning. God said “Thou shalt surely die” and the devil changed it to “Thou shalt not surely die”. Since the beginning, he has been at work changing words here and there, adding people’s ideas and opinions, and casting doubt on God’s simple plan to save us. So much distortion has happened that we have entire denominations and religious systems claiming to have the path of salvation. But what they offer is not the simple truth of Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”. Instead, they present their own versions complete with additions from the law, interpretations of baptism, demands of works on our part, and volumes of denominational material. Some even have other books besides the Bible they claim are just as inspired and they lead people to accept those writings as God’s Word. The plan of God is simple: Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”.
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May 6, 2024
Matthew 15:33 “And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?”
“Where can we get enough bread to feed this huge crowd of people out here in a desolate, uninhabited place?’. When Jesus told His disciples they needed to feed the crowd, It was a good question from a human perspective because 4,000 men besides women and children had been there for three days listening to Jesus teach. The Lord was concerned for the people because He knew whatever food they might have had brought with them was long gone and they were hungry. The miracle of the feeding of all these people with just seven loaves (think pita-sized pieces of bread) and a few small fish is a lesson of how God can do the impossible. Because to us and the disciples, it’s hard enough to get a meal prepared and on the table for a large family let alone feed thousands. Remember that the Lord’s heart is driven by compassion for people and He knows our needs and our sufferings. Several times in the scriptures the Bible tells us Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw people in trouble and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That means when we are in trouble, when we are suffering, and when we have needs, our Lord has compassion for us. And when what we need seems out of reach or if the situation we’re in seems impossible, we might be tempted to ask like the disciples, “What is the answer to this dilemma and how am I going to get help?”. The God of the impossible has the answer and He is able to help us. Not only that, but He is willing to help us. Remember the story in Matthew 8:2-3 where the leper came to Jesus and said, “Lord, if thou wilt, (are willing) thou canst make me clean”. The Bible says in verse 3, “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed”. He can do the impossible for us and He is willing to do the impossible. The disciples were thinking and asking from a natural point of view but the Lord is supernatural and nothing is impossible with Him.
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May 5, 2024
Ephesians 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”
The Bible speaks here to dads, pointing out some of the most common areas of trouble in dealing with our children. Parents want their children to grow up to be good people. We want them to be honest, kind, and full of integrity. But the Holy Spirit is telling us dads that the way to teach them is not by using such force and harshness that we arouse anger in them or break their spirits. This is directly contrary to the ways some previous generations believed children should be disciplined. They believed a child’s spirit should be broken and they often quoted the verses of Proverbs 23:13-14, “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell”. God teaches discipline but He does not teach abuse and that is the meaning of today’s verse. It is warning dads to use the “nurture and admonition” of the Lord as a guide when raising their kids. The nurture of the Lord causes us to think about how the Lord deals with us as His children. He is full of compassion and mercy and He is longsuffering. Praise God that He never deals with us in anger but always as a loving Father to His children. We look to Him for His example when teaching our children and grandchildren the ways of truth. When we correct them in compassion and mercy, we do so with the prayer that their hearts will be turned to God and that they will know His love and give Him reverence. A loving dad’s heart towards his children that pictures the heart of God towards us is seen in Psalm 103:13-14, “Like as a father pitieth (has compassion towards) his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust”. It was not the wrath of God that drew us to Him, but the Bible says in Romans 2:4, “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”. It is not the heavy-handed and harsh dads who win their children’s love, it’s the ones who follow Christ and practice His ways.
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May 4, 2023
Psalms 119:49-50 “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me”
Job said in Job 3:26, “Yet trouble came”. Trouble is always around and comes in all types and ways. It could be sickness, pain, disappointments, tragedy, accidents, failures, and a host of other stuff. It can be from our own making, caused by others, or it can be just stuff that’s no one’s fault which we commonly refer to as, “That’s just the way it is”. The end result is the same: we need comfort. People who don’t know the Lord and His Word try to find comfort in their own way. They may look to alcohol or other substances or they may try any method they can to battle it out in their own minds. But today’s verses are the prayer of someone calling out to God, saying that it is the Word of God that brings us comfort because nothing can comfort like the Lord. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” The Bible calls God, “The God of all comfort” and says He comforts us in all our troubles. And then, we get to pass it on by using what He’s done for us to minister to others who are in trouble. The Bible speaks about people in trouble in Psalms 107:19-20, “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions”. The phrase “For thy word hath quickened me” means the Word of God recovers, repairs, restores, and revives. May the Lord lead us to those who are hurting, suffering, and in sorrow and give us the words to speak to comfort them. May He give us the wisdom to help them in their time of trouble just as He always helps us in ours. When we are afflicted, He brings comfort. When we are in despair He gives hope. When we are afraid, He gives us courage. He comforts us in all our trouble.
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May 3, 2024
1 Samuel 17:49 “And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth”
The day David killed Goliath with a slingshot and a rock still speaks to us hundreds of years later about faith, courage, and what God can do with simple things and young people. Most commentaries estimate David to have been around 13-16 years old when he faced off with the giant and his victory is recorded in the Bible as one of the stories of how God can do the impossible with people who appear less than adequate for the task. We all face giants like Goliath in our lives in everything from circumstances and situations that seem bound to destroy us to people and trials that paint a hopeless picture. Sometimes it’s family problems, illnesses, financial troubles, and the list goes on. For me recently, cancer was a menacing giant that kept taunting me like Goliath and saying I was doomed with no way out. But faith in God and His Word is the foundation of confidence that musters the courage to tell the giants that have come against us that the Name of the Lord is our salvation. As David ran to face Goliath, the Bible recorded his words in 1 Samuel 17:45-46, “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel”. David wasn’t talking trash to his enemy; he was talking truth. May the Holy Spirit empower us anytime we come up against a giant of adversity and give us the faith and courage of David to declare that no giant can prevail over the Name of the Lord. Like Goliath, our giants will come tumbling down because Jesus Christ has already defeated all our enemies.
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May 2, 2024
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”
The thing God honors and answers is faith. In salvation, He is ready to save us and has provided Himself as our Savior. He has given us His promise that if we will believe what the Bible says about Jesus, we will be saved. That’s the meaning of Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. But it’s not just in salvation that the Lord wants us to have faith: It’s in everything. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him”. God is not moved or impressed by how much religious work we do or how hard we try to keep all the rules. He does not cover us with favor and shower us with blessings because we are faithful to attend church, wear the right clothes, or say all the proper things. God is moved by our faith and not by faith in just anything, but by faith in His Word. He is not moved by faith in ourselves, faith in moral codes, faith in religion and religious slogans, or faith in anything else in the universe. But when we know what the Bible says, believe it is the Word of God, and act upon what God says, then we have the open door Jesus promised in Mark 9:23, “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”. How do we get such faith? Today’s verse tells us. When we listen to the Word of God, faith is produced. Not just preaching or religious discussions. Not religious traditions or church ceremonies. Faith is not conferred to us or on us by preachers, popes, or priests. Faith comes when we hear God’s Word and the Word produces the power to believe what God said. It’s time to dust off the Bible, open it, and read and study what it says. It’s time to get away from all the religious and denominational talk and man-centered sermons and listen to some Bible preaching and teaching that fills us with God’s Word. May the Holy Spirit open our understanding of God’s Word and may His power create a desire within us to saturate ourselves with the very thing that produces faith: The eternal, infallible, and inerrant Word of God.
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May 1, 2024
Psalms 138:3 “In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul”
One of the enemy’s favorite pack of lies is to tell us that God is not listening, that we’re not worthy of His help, and that He didn’t mean what He said in His Word or that He didn’t mean it for us. What the devil is trying to do is discourage us from praying and trusting God to answer us because he knows the Lord loves us and is ready to listen to our prayers and come to our aid. And for many people, the enemy’s ploys work because they simply do not pray. But we have God’s promise in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not”. I love Psalms 91:15, “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him”. Jesus taught us to ask, seek, and knock and He set an example by praying to His Father both in private and publicly. There is never a time when God is too busy to hear us and there is never an occasion when He is disinterested in what we have to say. If it seems like there are a lot of devotions concerning prayer it’s because of all the resources God has given us, the power of prayer is one of the greatest. The thought of being able to come before the Creator of all things and talk to Him, ask for His help, and know that He is listening and ready to act on our behalf might seem too wonderful to be true. But the Lord tells us in 1 Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers” and this is a direct reference to the same promise in Psalms 34:15. The scriptures are filled with accounts of people just like you and me that prayed and God answered them in mighty ways. He didn’t love them more than us and He didn’t answer them because they deserved it more than we. God wants to hear our prayers and He delights to answer them. Let’s keep praying, keep believing His promises, and keep encouraging each other to look to the Lord and call on His name.
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