Tag Archives: word from the bible

Devotions Your Heart- 7/26/21

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Saw the angel again Saturday. Someone challenged me recently saying what is the reason for it. I am thinking about that more now.

How important is it to seek what God wants in our lives versus selfish ambitions? I guess it’s like the kind of question that may be where you already know the answer.

It’s good to be passionate about living life but if one wants to live for God, what should be their goals, their desires, and what they should do about ministering to others if they want to seek God’s Will?

My church recently had a great thought about something along these lines. They said that a lot of churches now keep planning things because of how the environment has changed recently but seem to think less about praying. Praying is important! But even people at church sometimes will want to create “revival” yet don’t first seek what God wants in the church life. We need to be in prayer to be in tune to asking God, not building what we think is the course of action and figuring this is what we should do.

Also reading His word and thinking on those things is important too (meditating). In order to seek what God wants we must first look to what His word says (His speaking to us) and also talk to Him in prayer like an open communication.

We also must be careful about what is right or not in our lives.

The NIV (New International Version) says this from the book of Proverbs:

Above all else guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

It is important to seek His Will because we might be wrong in our own. Also we need to be careful of doctrines and other things in this world that may warp our thinking in our path in following God.

It is also a good thing to be a speak of Jesus but to in our life have His will conformed to pretty much everything we do.

While we have a heart that struggles to focus on God let us see what we can do in His name in as much as we actually do.

This must be with our very being if we shine God’s light in life:

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:6

We respect God if we revere Him in showing how much we are grateful in what He’s done for us.

A healthy life in prayer and sacrifice of time in our life may lead to supplication so that we can live a life God can honor.

If we go His way in as much as possible there is no wrong way as long as we are deep in His Will.

To ask as long as it is in His will and it will be given you (“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” -John 15:7).

Also we must remember what we are thankful of what He does day to say and think on His tremendous blessings.

If we reflect a servant’s heart to Jesus there is only blessing and hope in our lives and a journey we will never forget.

A Quick Devotion- 6/23/21

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Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV

Paul was very dedicated to what he believed in before and after He found out who Christ was. When he took some words out of context he was literally killing believers! How sad. So many were perishing while Paul (then actual name: “Saul”) was thinking doing so was in “God’s Will.”

Have any of us ever did something not in God’s Will but we thought it was right? I’m sure many have.

In fact I believe with all my heart there are people today with Saul’s “hopeful” purpose. Ones should hopefully realize though that there is love that might not be where they believe now.

There is hope. There is a love. And it must not be taken out of context.

Ones who are in love and hope of one who is greater than themselves should not be discouraged even though in these current times it may be tough. We must forget our past (though not repeat it), we must reach forward to our goals either for the Lord or for our hopes for wanting to live a better life. We must press on like a runner, though it might seem tough if all you think of are your current understandings and what you see right now in “front of” you.

Don’t lose heart, my friends. Press on toward the goal because His love and giving (or our “outgiving” God which is impossible) will help the cause but we must respond first to the call of Christ Jesus.

Devotions Psalm 3-5/30/21

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I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around. Psalm 3:5-6 NKJV

Ever had people get, for complicated reasons, mad at you? Ever realize that those people were because of the result of spiritual warfare?

Over the years it partially gave me a lot of emotions. And one time those emotions were getting way too much and were overwhelming.

When you have people coming after you and you just want to live for God, in a way it is a good thing to have spiritual warfare. It means you’re not sitting at home and doing nothing!

God loves when we have something like Satan rivaling what we are trying to do. He’d rather we be that way than to in our hearts and actions be seen as “lukewarm.” (Revel. 3:15-16)

Just because of that, it is secretly a good thing that God blesses.

I’ve had scary stuff happen as a result of spiritual warfare. About fifteen years ago after stopping taking my meds I took the full dose. I should have weaned myself onto them because after I took them again, hallucinations came back tenfold!

Though I may not have looked frightened I was because there were horrible things happening and I felt I couldn’t even speak to my own mother during them!

I just suffered. Yet though my mother was with me during one, I felt alone in my problem. I somehow, emotionally and as if she weren’t there, felt I was completely alone. And that was so disheartening….!

From then on things just quietly got exponentially worse, it seemed. But through it all I knew God was still there. He still loved me!

He knew what was on my heart. He also knew that I was still kind and caring even while my own church had doubts about my intentions about things.

Satan even wanted a wedge between me and people I loved and cared about too!

So what I am saying believer reader is that in any circumstance we may be facing, there might seem to be thousands that are fighting against us, but if we have the confidence in God through Christ, amazing and wonderful things could happen.

We must trust (Wow, that word hit me again last night talking to a believer!). Not trust in our own circumstances but trust in Christ.

Amen.

Devotions Psalms 2:7-9 5/27/21

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“I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” Psalms NKJV

Ever felt that it is right to rebel, against society, against what our parents or what people in this world say is “right” according to them? In everyone we have each done our own things to rebel while others said what we were doing was not good.

It’s too easy to feel that pull and break away from the crowd and follow your own path. Believe me I’ve done so as a teenager in my own life.

A source I found online seems to directly speak about Psalm 2 as an overview. I had trouble pinning down what this entire chapter was about personally so here is someone’s idea below:

“Psalm 2 is a celebration of the unquestionable supremacy of God and his Messiah over all the rebellious forces of humanity. To attempt rebellion against God is absurd, because God has already decided the matter and has invested his power and authority into a human king, his Messiah.” ~ bitesizedexegesis.com

So God is supreme over all of humanity. That is deep and it states a lot in just that one paragraph describing the 2nd Psalm. To hear He is supreme over even the rebellious sides of humanity sounds kind of like He has an umbrella of protection over in this case Israel. They all dwell under Him whether they want to live for Him or not.

God does have the final say over our lives. The question is: Do we have to respond to live faithfully?

Yes though I admit I have “run off” and done my own things as well. We must not conform to the world but to God’s ways: There is no greater path than the one that is straight and narrow!

This section of the chapter also talks of David (according to the book of Acts, this book is actually written by David) begetting the nations as inheritance.

“Beget” usually means someone that is birthed by reproduction, but it seems to be used here to mean spiritually given an inheritance. To be “begotten” so that there is now a relationship with the Lord and anything asked if by His will would be a blessing.

God wants us to live for Him. Through His son Jesus we can have that relationship to have access to His will and live in Him for the rest of our lives until the ends of the earth come. Let’s submit to the supreme One who only wants to guide us in life and loves us deeply.

That is my will in Him today and I hope it is yours or will be yours as well!

Psalm 23 *Part 2 5/26/21

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I hope you can see this as well as the first part. For some reason it seems this site only allows one post to be visible a day. Hope that’s not true but it seemed I had no views on the last one when I did this yesterday; there were views only on part 2 for some reason….

“(the) Rod and (the) Staff they comfort me.” For the Lord’s rod and staff comfort David.

What in the world are the “rod” and “staff”?

To truly understand that aspect you have to think in the mind again of a shepherd.

A “staff” is used to help guide the flock. There are many times the sheep will wander wherever they want. But the shepherd makes sure while they find fresh grass and nourishment that they are heading the right way.

A “rod” is used for an interesting purpose. It might to some be not good: many parents may think to not punish a child, yet that kid becomes so spoiled years down the road they think that whatever is coming to them they are won undeservedly.

The rod is used for sheep not doing what they are supposed to. Anyone ever got a whooping? As in, did anyone ever get spanked for doing wrong?

I have. It was humiliating.

Yet I needed it because I was not doing the right thing.

The rod is to give a member of a flock a smacking if needed. But it is probably like a tap on the “sheepy” behind, haha……..

Anyway I was digressing. Further more is just some more words that are great because it is from the Bible.

Could God be preparing a feast now? Could be. Might be.

“(He prepares) a table before me in the presence of my enemies;…”

What is this? Is there a big feast coming? A big celebration? I am not totally sure here, all I know is it might be describing a feast at the end of times.

The end of the world.

Then it continues. Here there is a semicolon being used. For that part of the verse and then with the part following. That means that the two sentences are closely related (sorry my “teacher” side is coming out now, lol!).

“ies; You anoint my head with oil: My cup runs over.”

There are many blessings from God that come just from following Him and staying as true to His word as humanly possible. Sure we may sin time to time (we even unintentionally sin too. And also never say “I am perfect” because that’s a sin too!) but as long as we wait on His promises, keep goals we might have for Him, we can see amazing things in our lives.

Wow that was a tangent! Sorry, haha.

And in that it is sure that “goodness and mercy shall” be in tune with us all the days we are here and alive.

We should also know that we are in a dwelling if we live for Christ. We will also feel that we will live in spirit and in truth in “the house of the LORD forever.”

Do you want to truly live for God? Or maybe do you think if you follow the Lord you could win a million dollars? Just know to ask for God’s help in all times of trouble ask for God’s mercy if you end up weak, but strive and abound in His peace. He the Lord just wants to help you.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Just ask God for what you wish and as long as it fits His will for you He will do great things. Amen!