Avoiding or Embracing Pain

Devotion:  Jeremiah 15:16-18

People will try to avoid pain at all costs. If you knew ahead of time you were going to be involved in a car accident, you would not go near your car on that day.

No one enjoys suffering but what if Jesus calls you to suffering?  He chose suffering because of His great love for us and in obedience to the Father.  Christ’s suffering was required as the ultimate sacrifice for you and for me.

Pain and suffering is part of the human condition.  The opportunity to have a trusting response to pain and suffering is our choice.  Is it possible to look at our pain as an opportunity to be drawn into a deeper relationship with our Lord?

Sometimes we become disoriented by painful events that are difficult to understand.  Jesus endured the cross despising the shame. He knew the pain, the shame and the punishment for sin not his own.  He still walked right into it.  Oh, that we could display that kind of response.

I want to manifest the love of Christ to a hurting world.  The only way we can learn this kind of love is that we endure the pain and suffering that He allows into our lives.  It’s hard for our finite minds to comprehend that God can accomplish anything good from pain.

Jesus is our forever example.  He gave Himself for his own and most of them rejected Him.  We give ourselves for others, but we are not promised we will be received.

If we live in this world, we cannot avoid pain.  God designed the grieving process for our own wellness.  We can’t avoid pain so we must learn to deal with it properly before God and man.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord of heaven and earth, help me deal with the pain and grief You have allowed in my life properly.  May I embrace it and grow closer to You through it all.  I will trust You to accomplish what concerns me.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Easy “Believe-ism”

Devotion:  Luke 9:23

“Believe-ism” is not even a real word; however, those who believe deeply in Jesus will stand in the face of the enemy with courage and strength when the difficult things come into our lives.  We will not lose heart or give in to the enemy of our soul. Are you willing to give up your rights, your position, even if necessary, your life for the cause of Christ?

It’s easy to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ when things are going great; but what if, you are called to suffer for the cause of Christ?   Things may get truly hard for believers in Christ.  Will you risk your life and limb to share Christ?  Would you go to a place of hiding to worship your Lord?

To this point, American’s have had freedom of worship, freedom to gather, freedom to pray out loud, to march against abortion or stand up for any rights. The enemy wants to instill fear inside you.  What is your price?  What will you give in or give over to?

Where is your joy found?  Is it in things?  Is it in people?  As long as things go your way; you will believe in God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  What would you do if you were asked to sacrifice your life or the life of your loved one?  The Christians in Afghanistan face this daily.  At any given moment; they could be killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Even in our weaknesses; Jesus is strong.  He always has been and will always be.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus,  i pray I will have the courage to live for you and to die for you as well.  I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

Stuck in a Rut

Devotion:  Exodus 8:1-14

Have you ever found yourself in a rut?

One summer, my husband and I took a drive up to the mountains.  We made a wrong turn and found ourselves on a deserted unpaved road.  The scenery was beautiful; so we decided to pull over to enjoy our surroundings for a minute.  When we tried to pull out, we discovered we were stuck in a very deep rut.  On no, we thought, the walk could be long to get back to the highway.

Believe it or not, a highway patrolman found himself on this dirt road.  Honestly, it’s the truth.  God sent a highway patrolman on a Saturday, to turn onto this road.  You see God sent the best person possible to help us in our time of need, to deliver us out of the rut.  As beautiful as it was, we would not choose to go that way again.

It’s the same with the LORD.  God delivered the Israelites from Egypt with His mighty outstretched arm.  He sent all kinds of hardships and plagues to cause the Pharaoh to let His people go.  When God  determines to rescue someone; there is no rut big enough to stop Him.

God is able to get anyone out of any rut.  The Lord Jesus is so amazing and wonderful to come after us.  God’s Word should be buried deeply in the marrow of our bones.  His Word can truly get us out of the ruts we find ourselves in.  It is reliable and able to turn hearts of stone into a heart of flesh.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, I love You and ask that You would help me get out of the rut I am in.  I pray the plague will lift and restoration will occur quickly.  I trust You Lord to get me out of this rut.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

Have Everlasting Life

Devotion;  John 3:16

John 3:16 began with “For God,” and ends with the promise to “have everlasting life.” Written with you and me in mind; there is no greater promise penned in God’s Word,.

We’ve all seen movies about people coming back from the dead.  It would seem these people have everlasting life based upon the number of times  they die and come back.  There is an innate desire placed by God within the human heart to live forever.  From the Garden of Eden; our Creator intended for us to live forever and have fellowship with Him.  Then sin crept in.  The Bible says; “We all sin and fall short of the glory of God.”

Can we truly grasp the height and depth of the meaning of “everlasting life”?  Not one of us have been to heaven and back.  There are many accounts of people who’ve died for a few minutes and been brought back to life.  Some have been to heaven and others have experienced hell.  Both places are for real.  All will have everlasting life; however, the destination is up to the person before he or she draws their last breath.

I would encourage you to read the Bible reflecting upon this promise.  It will make every verse come alive in your soul.  It is the very reason God created you.  It is the reason for your existence.  Meditate upon this verse daily.  This very Word of God is the way, the truth and the life.

Prayer in Motion:

God, may I reflect upon this precious promise straight from Your heart, written for me.  Although I cannot grasp the height nor the depth of these words,  I believe each one because I believe You, the Living Word.  In Jesus powerful Name I offer up this prayer.  Amen.

 

 

 

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Will Not Perish

Devotion:  John 3:16

We all have an expiration date.  You say, well Libby, I’m glad I read today’s encouraging word.   I had a friend whose husband has now gone to heaven.  Once, they had gone to the mall, he had to go to the bathroom.  He was in there so long that his wife said, she thought he had expired.  My first thought was, “Like a library book?”  However; seriously, we all have a time to be born and a time to die.  We indeed have an earthly expiration date.

God is speaking to our soul when He declares we will not perish.  Our souls will live through out eternity.  We get to choose our destination, heaven or hell.  This is the main verse that the whole Bible is founded upon.

What a promise indeed for those who trust in Jesus as their Savior.  It’s a wonderful promise to know that we will not perish.  Our spirit dwells inside of our earthly body.  The Bible calls our earthly body a tent.  Although we take care of our tents; aka our flesh, they will be discarded when we go to our eternal destiny.  They will no longer be of any use.  Dead things are expired.

We have an appointed time to be born and an appointed time to die.  I do not believe we will perish one minute before our designated time unless we take matters into our own hands.  For all who repent of their sins and ask Jesus to be their Savior, they will not perish but have life everlasting.

Prayer in Motion:

Oh God thank You for this wonderful promise.  I love You and believe that I will not perish but have eternal life.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

Whosoever Believes on Him

Devotion:  John 3:16

The definition of whosoever is as follows: “any person that; whatever person, example: whosoever wins gets a prize.”

Whosoever?  Really? That’s HUGE!  You and I are part of that word!  I’ll never get over it.  Never!  Me, the chiefest of sinners?  I know you are thinking; Well, I haven’t killed anybody; however, have you gossiped about somebody behind their back?  We’ve all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

Whosoever is an archaic word used in the KJV Bible over one hundred and sixty times.  The definition of whosoever and whoever are the same.  Whosoever, includes every person in the whole world.  God is always seeking for those whose hearts long to be completely His.  It is not His will that any man should perish without Him.

God says;  “Whosoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”  Saved from what?  From eternal damnation in hell.  Saved to eternal life in heaven. Does it make you want to shout?  Glory to His Name!

In the King James Version whosoever is found over 160 times.  With every single whosoever, there is a consequence.  Some are good and some are not so good. Every “whosoever” has a choice.  You my friend, have a choice to believe or to reject the Lord Jesus as your Savior.

Jesus says He is the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by Him.  There’s an old hymn called; “Whosoever, surely meaneth me,”  It”s the King James Version in song.  I have fond memories of singing that song standing in between my mom and dad in church.  Whosoever truly does mean you and me.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, thank You for making me one of Your whosoevers.  I pray You will have many more whosoevers before You return to this earth.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

His Only Begotten Son

Devotion: John 3:16

The following are words written by Making Life Count Ministries. It is the best explanation of “only begotten Son” that I could find.  I had never considered some the statements made in this writing but it makes perfect sense.  I had never dwelt on

“Most Christians will tell you that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God, but if you ask them what that means they cannot tell you. Today’s verse says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

” The Greek word for “only begotten” is monogenes and means “uniquely born” or “one-of-a-kind birth.” The conception and birth of Jesus was unique—nothing like it had ever happened before and will never happen again in the future. He was conceived in the womb of a virgin by the Holy Spirit and is the only one who has two natures—divine and human; all God and all man.

“Only begotten” does not mean that Jesus did not exist until the Father begat Him, which is what cults believe.  Jesus existed in eternity past as “the Word.” Jesus always existed as God in eternity past. Micah 5:2 says His days are from eternity.

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word (this was His name before (Jesus) and the Word was with God (the Father), and the Word was God.”  This shows Jesus pre-existed as God before He came to earth and became man.  When Jesus left heaven to put on human flesh “the Word” became “the Son.”

Cults teach that a father is older than a son, so Jesus must have come into existence at a point in time. The Bible does not teach this. Jesus has always existed as God in eternity past, and the term “Son” refers to His humanity which began at His Incarnation. John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This happened 2,000 years ago when He entered a human body and was named Jesus. The Word became the Son when He came to earth.

Dr. Walter Martin, author of The Kingdom of the Cults, writes: There is no such thing as “the eternal Son of God.” Before Jesus took upon Himself a human form, He already existed with the Father. Hebrews 1:5-6 says that when He brings the first-begotten into the world, He says, “I will be a Father to Him, and He will be a Son to Me.” This is a reference to the Incarnation. It is a change of relationship when the Word takes on flesh—the Word becomes the Son. The terms “Father” and “Son” describe the first two Persons of the Trinity, God and Jesus, after Christ came to earth. This proves that the terms “begotten” and “sonship” refer to His humanity and not His divinity. As God, He had no beginning, was not begotten, and was not a Son. As man, He was begotten in the flesh and became the Son.”

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, worship You, the only begotten Son of God.  You are my Savior, my Redeemer, and my friend!  Today, I listen for Your Voice, the One who saved a wretch like me.  I need You Lord, more than yesterday.  You alone are the perfecter of my faith.  I draw night to You and know that You will draw nigh to me.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

The World

Devotion:  John 3:16

I got so excited breaking down and sharing the powerful words in this verse from God’s Word; that I jumped ahead to the phrase “that He gave” and left out the word – world.  Please forgive me.   Every word of God’s Word is important.  The word world in this passage denotes the ones He “so loved.”

The world includes the worst of the worst, the lowest of the low, the prideful, those who rape and steal, the child molesters, the pornographers, the murderers.  You get the picture. The world includes the chiefest of sinners.  He died for the one you cannot stand to be around.  Jesus poured out every ounce of His life for the whole world.  The world includes you and me.

What picture comes into your mind when you think of “the world?”  Do you picture a globe?  Do you picture only the beautiful places to which you have traveled?  Do you picture the war torn places and the people the war is affecting?  Do you picture the poor and hurting?  Every single person matters.

The world will spin everyday no matter what!  God loves the whole world.  He is a God of love.  The Bible declares it to be so.  He’s got the whole world is in His hands.  His love for us is unconditional, everyday, not just when we are good.

I want you to meditate on God’s love for the whole world all day long.  Picture Him being with the persecuted, those in prison, the lonely, the hurting, the suffering and the dying.  Jesus loves them and longs for them to know it.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord of heaven and earth.  Thank You for first loving me.  I don’t even have words to express my gratitude.  I am overwhelmed by Your love for the whole world; however, I am thankful for it.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That He Gave

Devotion: John 3:16

What’s the best gift you ever received?  What is the first thing that pops into your mind? Is it a physical gift?   Maybe it is an inheritance.  Possibly it is an act of kindness.  Something that is larger than life?  You just can’t believe it.  You will never get over the fact that someone blessed you in such a great manner!

Gifts are a wonderful thing.  Most of the time they are given with no strings attached.  There’s no action one must take.  There’s no payment involved.  It’s wonderfully free and it’s yours to receive it.  Therein lies your only action.

There is an “art of receiving” the gift that’s been given.

Will you receive it?  You have the option to reject it.  Which will it be? Sometimes people don’t even know how to accept the gifts that are offered freely.  It’s so hard to understand. Do they feel unworthy of the gift? Are they rejecting the giver or the gift?

There is one gift that is not something we can’t behold with our eyes.  It’s the wonderful gift of salvation that comes through faith in the One who gave His only begotten Son.  Our precious Jesus offered freely His life for ours.  He exchanged His perfect life for our sinful one.  What a trade!  Free to all who will receive it.

It is Christ’s kindness that leads us to repentance.  God is love.  He gives us joy unspeakable and full of glory.  He created us for His own glory.  Christ is peace that surpasses all understanding. In Christ you can do all things.  You can choose to exhibit all nine traits of the fruit of the Spirit.  The first three you will find in this paragraph and the last six included in the package: “Patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”

Oh what a Savior!  If you have not, will you receive this free gift today?  Confess that you are a sinner and open your heart to let Him come in.  It is the One Gift that will never wear out or give out.  You can have abundant life as well as eternal life when you leave this world.  No person has ever been seen dragging their earthly possessions behind them after they die.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord in heaven, thank You for giving me the gift of Jesus.  I will never get over it. Greatest Gift ever!  Thank You seems trite but thank You LORD!  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

So Loved

Devotion:  John 3:16

When I say I love you to some of my friends; some of them will text me back that they love me more.  I always text back to say, ‘I love you most.”

God loves us with an everlasting love.  The Bible says; “He first loved us.”  We are also told that, “We cannot comprehend the height, nor the depth or breadth of God’s great love for us.

When we begin to contemplate what God did by sending His perfect, sinless Son on our behalf, we become overwhelmed with the “so loved.”  No one in heaven or earth has loved us with the kind of love where they would give up their only child on our behalf.

God gave up His only Son; to be tortured more than any other man on earth, for you and for me.  Our Western minds cannot begin to comprehend so great a love, that required the laying down of a life.  That would be the life of Jesus.

Fully God and fully man, born of the virgin Mary, Jesus willingly came to this world knowing how and when He would die.  How could Jesus love those who tortured Him, despised Him and could not wait for Him to die?  Those would be the religious people of Jesus’ day.  He died for us and for them, not wishing that any should perish without Him.

In the past two days we’ve only talked about the first four words of this world renown verse.  For God so loved…”  Tomorrow we will talk about “the world”.  God knows our world could use some love that only God can supply right now.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, I pray I will receive and give out the same love You first gave me.  You called me to Yourself and I am so blessed to know You personally.  I need You Lord, more than yesterday.  I need You Lord more than words can say.  I need You Lord more than ever before.  I need You Lord.  I need You Lord.  In Jesus Name I pray.  Amen.