Daily Devotion January 4

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.”

We spend much of our time being afraid.  Afraid of what might come along in the future, afraid of things we don’t know about.  But God tells us not to be afraid because He is with us all the time.  He will give us the strength we need to face whatever comes along.

Many times as we begin a new year, along with the excitement of what lies ahead, we also often feel at least a little tinge of fear.  However, if we are focused on God, He will alleviate that fear.  He will give us all the hope we need and will hold our hand as we make our way through the upcoming days.  He will give us all the strength we need to make it day to day.

Learning to let go and just follow’s God lead is sometimes frightening to us, but once we fully accept that He is in control, life gets easier to face.

Daily Devotion January 3

Daily Devotion for January 3

James 1:3

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

Have you ever thought about how faith and patience work together?  I will be the first one to use that old saying of “Never pray for patience!” because I did and God sent me an unwanted opportunity to learn it!  But we are told in Galatians 5:22 that longsuffering (patience) is one of the fruits of the spirit, so surely we want to have patience.  But here James tells us that it is the trying of our faith that brings about patience.  A dear preacher friend of mine would often tell me that a faith that can’t be tested is a faith that can’t be trusted.  I agree with him (although at the time I was tired of being tested!).  

When we go to God in faith then we must have patience in waiting for Him to work in His time.  So as we go through this day, let us have more faith and be more patient in knowing that God will provide exactly what we need at the perfect time.

Daily Devotion January 2

Psalm 130:5
“I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”

I hope everything turns out ok.  I hope you are feeling better.  I hope, I hope I hope.  How often do we say that word-hope-in a given day?  What is hope, anyway?  Webster defines it as:  “to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true; to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment; to expect with confidence.”

In Psalm 130 we read that it is in God’s word that we should hope.  Of all the people we come to know in our lifetime, there is only One who will never steer us in the wrong direction and that is the Lord.  When our hope is in Him and Him alone, we can wait knowing that everything will work accordi.ng to God’s plan.  Do bad things sometimes happen that we have no way of understanding?  Yes, every single day.  Is it easy to always patiently wait on the Lord?  Not for me and probably not always for you either.

Today, let us each focus more on putting our hope in the Lord and waiting for His direction through the day.

Daily Devotional January 1

Isaiah 43:18-19 

¹⁸ Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Happy New Year!  As we begin a new year, it is normal to look back at the old one.  But God reminds us in this verse that perhaps we should not get too caught up in the old things.  He further promises that He is going to do a new thing.  A new year and a new thing from God.  

What new thing are you asking God to provide in the new year?  More importantly, are you trusting Him to provide what you need more than just what you want?   A new year is a time to start anew in whatever area of our life we feel we might have failed.  We make goals in all other areas of our lives, it makes sense that we should make goals in our spiritual life.  

As we begin this new year, let us focus on what new things we need for God to do in our lives to make us be a better servant for him. 

Some Things I Don't Know and a Few Things I Do

Right off I already hear some of you saying--I thought she thought she knew everything!  LOL  But we all know that none of us really know everything nor will we ever while on this earth.  Some thoughts have just been drifting idly through my mind recently and I thought maybe I'd share a few.

Let's talk first about marriage.  I know that marriage is hard work.  I know that the only way to be successful at it is to have Christ in the center of it.  I know that if you work through the bad times that good times can still be had.  I don't know of anyone who has ever had a perfect marriage.  I don't know of even one example in the Bible of a perfect marriage.  I have worked diligently to find just one perfect marriage in there and if there is one, I missed it so please feel free to share if you know of one!!  (Maybe Mary and Joseph but I'd like to know how she felt about having to travel so far when she was so near birth!)  Of course the main reason for no perfect marriages is that there are no perfect spouses so there's that.

Children:  I know that children can bring delight and love into a family.  I know that if you don't kill them at some point then they will give you grandchildren that you can spoil and send back home.  But I don't know any mother (other than Mary) who reared a perfect child.  I do not know a single child who at some point between birth and 25 did not give their parents some kind of trouble. (I am apologizing now to those of you who just had your bubble to burst.)

Life:  I do not know one single person whose life has turned out exactly like they had hoped or planned.  But I know that life is precious.  I know that there will be good and bad times.  I know you will face disappoints along the way.  I know there will be days filled with joy and days filled with sorrow.  And I know that some days you feel so completely alone and unloved.  But God loves you and is right there with you all the way.

Sin:  I do not know a single person, other than Christ Jesus, who has not sinned in their life.  I sin daily and perhaps you do also.  I do know, however, that He is faithful and just to forgive us when we ask for forgiveness.

Most importantly though, I know that God knows what is going to take place in all of these areas.  I know that only He can make a marriage last.  I know that only He knows what lies ahead for our children.  I know that He has a plan for my life and your life and the lives of those you love.  And I also know that we have to learn to turn those things over to Him and allow Him to show us the way to go.

So, there you have some random thoughts.  Thanks for reading!!

Are We Like the Israelites?

Sometimes when I am reading in the Old Testament, I think--what is wrong with these people?  God had provided so much for the Israelites and they never seemed to appreciate it.  He took them out of bondage--but they wanted to go back.  He fed them daily--but they wanted something more and different.  He told them exactly what to do--yet, they wanted to do things their own way.

Oh wait.  Was I talking about the Israelites or was I talking about America?  Or, even worse, was I talking to myself--and maybe you, too?  Oh, now, wait a minute.  I am sure you do everything just the right way.  Not only what God said in the Old Testament but His words through His Son, Jesus, in the New Testament.  Or maybe, like me, you often fail.

God has a purpose and a plan for each of our lives.  Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." He also has a bigger picture plan.  God tells us what we need to know about family such as the relationships we have with our parents.  Exodus 20:12 tell us,  "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." And our spouse. In Colossians 3:18-19 the Bible says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them."  He tells us how to raise our children. Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." He tells us even how to deal with those people we don't like so much.  “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” Luke 6:27-28

But more than that--He gives us an order for things.  And herein lies what I think is one of our biggest problems.  We don't like His order.  We don't want to do things the way He tells us to do them.  We don't want to wait on His timing.  Then we get all in a mess and our first cry out to Him is "Lord, why did YOU let me get into this mess? " Can't you just see Him shaking His head?   Can't you just hear Him say, "Child, this mess is not of My making.  I gave you free will to make all of your own decisions.  You made these choices, not Me.  You chose not to follow the directions I gave you.  But I love you still because you are My child.  And I am still here to help you."

Any toes getting stepped on here besides mine?  Why are we so much like the Israelites that we think we know better than God does?  Why have we as an individual or a society or a nation decided that God's plans are no longer valid.  He tells us plainly the things He hates in  Proverbs 6:16-19  "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."  Yet we do these things--some of them daily.

He tells us exactly what He desires for us to do.  He gives us an entire Book on how to live, what choices to make, how to serve.  Yet, here we go again all free will and such and decide to just do our own thing.  Where we often should have shame, we have a celebration.  Where we should be falling on our faces in the presence of the almighty God and begging for forgiveness, we are posting pictures on social media.  But this is not a surprise to the Lord either--2 Timothy 3:1-5 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."  And you must admit that this is where we are in our nation. We have moved away from God's plan and inserted man's plan in its place.  We want to forget what He says and do what we want.

So, perhaps I need to take it a little easier on the Israelites.  Just like them, I (we) know exactly what God desires for and from each of us.  And just like them we want to do it on our way.  Think on that.

 

Husbands, Wives and Others

Not long ago I posted a blog titled Mr. and Mrs. and Me about the role of in-laws in a marriage.  Today I want to go a little further and talk about the importance of husbands and wives putting each other first--and that includes not only family members but also friends, coworkers, etc.

“Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”  Matthew 19:6  When a couple makes a covenant in front of God, family and friends, this verse is part of the ceremony.  It IS a covenant, not a contract, and God is the One who has joined the couple together.   In the first part of Hebrews 13:4 the Bible says "Marriage is honourable in all..."   Another way of saying this is that marriage is to be honored, first by the couple but also those around them.  The verse goes on to talk about defiling the marriage bed by having sexual relationships outside of the marriage--although sometimes emotional connections are even stronger and can be just as detrimental.  Marriage is to be revered, respected and treated as a great treasure.  That also means to me that since the covenant is between husband, wife and God that others are not to try to break that bond by influencing one to go against what God has to say about marriage.  God sees marriage as a precious jewel.  Those outside of the marriage who try to create trouble within the marriage of someone else are taking a great risk.  Whenever one goes against what God teaches, trouble looms ahead.

In Ephesians chapter 5 beginning with verse 21, we are given the instruction to submit to one another.  This is relational.  Husbands and wives are required to maintain the same type of interaction with one another as God has with His Church.  Nowhere in these scriptures are Christian instructed to be influenced by those outside of the marriage.  It just frightens me today to see so often that people choose to put their marriage on the back burner and to put everything and everyone else first.  A marriage like this is not what God designed.  It is not what He planned.  It is not what we should do.

So, what do you do if you realize you have fallen into this trap?  Stop now.  Return to your spouse and put the marriage first.   Friends and family, whether older or younger, cannot be allowed to interfere with your marriage--the covenant that you made.

“And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.” 1 Corinthians 7:10-11
Reconcile if you have strayed and ask God to help you to always put your marriage at the top of your relationship list under the relationship with Him.  Everybody hits rough spots.  But God commands us to maintain the relationship that you vowed to have and honor it above all else.

We often say only young people allow friends to get in the way, but that is not true.  I see many long time married couples who spend much more time with friends than with their spouse.  Be careful, regardless of how long you've been married, that you do not allow outsiders to influence you.  If we follow along with God's plan, our marriages will be blessed.

Proverbs 5:18  “Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife *{and husband} of thy youth.”  *brackets added by me