What the Lord Directs

Devotion:  2 Samuel 16:1-13

Did you notice how the Lord answered Samuel, immediately.  Do you ever sit still enough to hear your Lord answer your question?  What’s the last question you actually asked the Lord?  We tend to think the Lord doesn’t answer like He did in Bible times.  I would disagree with that allegation.

Just like it takes practice listening for an audible voice of a family member or friend; it takes practice listening for the voice of the Lord.  Although not audible; it’s a gentle, quiet, still voice that you hear in your spirit.  He promises if you seek Him, you will find Him when you search for Him with all of your heart.

Samuel did what the Lord directed him to do.  With his earthly eyes, Samuel would have chosen one larger and stronger.  However; God knew which one was to be the next king, the one out shepherding the sheep.  Behold, that was the one God wanted to be anointed, David who would become a man after God’s own heart.

When Samuel anointed David, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.  Why?  Because David was chosen by God.  Samuel obeyed what God told him to do.  God, our
Father is pleased when His children obey Him.

I want to obey Him immediately whenever He gives me a mandate.  I know you do as well, dear one.  Let’s begin to practice listening more carefully for our Father’s voice.  Tell Him you will obey all He tells you to do.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, help me listen for your voice and obey You quickly always.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

Christ Revealed

Devotion:  Galatians 1:13-17

The enemy allowed Saul to persecute Christians; and then God Himself set this man apart unto Himself.  God revealed Jesus His only begotten Son to Saul, changing his name to Paul.   Can I say Paul wrote most of the New Testament?

Dear one, does that give you hope for your lost loved one(s)?  I pray that it does.  The one that murdered God’s children, became the one who is a foremost witness and writer of God’s Word.  He was radically saved!   There is great hope right there for your lost loved one(s).

In 1 Corinthians 15: 1-9 Paul speaks of the gospel that he preached, by which his brothers in Christ were saved.  Paul talks of the message he received for himself and delivered to all that would listen.  The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, is the main focus of the gospel.

Jesus was seen by over five hundred people after his crucifixion.  One cannot say Jesus is not real or did not exist.  That is just plain ignorance.  From 1 Corinthians 15:20 we understand that through man came death and by the One Man came the resurrection of the dead.  He died for the sins of the whole world.

We see Christ foretold all throughout the Old Testament and revealed over and over throughout the New Testament.  The Word of God which is “the Word made flesh”; is yes and amen.

I believe every word is truth.

1 Corinthians 15:42-45  tells us; “Our bodies are sown in corruption and raised in incorruption.  It is sown in dishonor and raised in glory.  It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body and raised a spiritual body. And so it is written: The first man Adam became a living being.  The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

The very Word of God reveals the truth of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  Read it.  Ponder it in your heart.  Concentrate on the love of God.  Ask Him to reveal anything to you that you need to know.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing Yourself to me.  I’m forever grateful.  Please reveal Yourself to my family members, friends and neighbors that do not yet have You in their heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is No God?

Devotion:  Palm 14

There are those who are atheist meaning they absolutely do not believe in God, period.  Then there are those who are agnostic and are not certain if there is a God.  There’s one other group of non-believers, those who once believed and now do not believe.  All three people groups are destined to a place where they are eternally separated from God; who meant for us to have a relationship with Him, and made a way for us to have eternal life with Him after we die.

You read in Psalm 14 that only the fool says “There is no God.”  Any evil doer consumes those who are saved like a man consumes bread.  In other words, people can eat you alive with  their words of condemnation.  You’ve heard the scripture that says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus.

Those who do not believe in God do not ever call on His Name.  They must confess that they are sinners and need a Savior in order to inherit the kingdom of God.

For someone to say they do not believe in Jesus, is ridiculous.  Hundreds of people saw Him come out of that grave.  Even more saw Christ as He ascended to heaven.  There is no denying the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

The Lord Jesus is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.  He now sits at the right hand of the Father, ever interceding for you and for me.  My dear readers, we know that God sent Jesus for you and for me, so that we could have eternal life and abundant life.  Go tell someone today about the Savior of the world.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, thank You for sending Jesus on my behalf and for the whole world.  I get to spend eternity with you and all those who know You.  Amen and Amen.

Stoney Hearts

Devotion:  Ezekiel 36:25-36

Do you know anyone with a stoney heart, set in his or her own way?  Isaiah tells us, “All we like sheep have gone astray.  He has turn everyone into his own way.  The Lord has laid upon Him, the iniquity of us all.”  Hearts of stone can be turned into a heart of flesh according to today’s passage.

I guess we have all felt our own hearts become stone cold from time to time.   It’s a terrible feeling because you feel cut off from those you used to hold nearest and dearest.  It’s a rejection like no other.

God promises to give us a new heart and to place a new spirit within us.  The Lord also promises to give us a heart of flesh to replace our heart of stone.  If you know you are walking with a hardened, complacent heart; please ask the Lord to turn it from hard to soft.  Hardness of heart can unknowingly creep in a little bit at a time, until one’s whole heart is no longer soft and pliable.

It’s hard for our Lord to work with a stoney, hard hearted person.  We must pray for one another to keep hearts of flesh; pliable in the Lord’s hands, so that He can mold us and make us after His will.  Are we waiting, yielded and still?

Quite a few years ago, I began to have a hard time breathing.  I knew it was different from my asthma issue.  At that time, I was cleaning houses.  I had a beautiful home in Concord that I cleaned every two weeks.  It was a four story house.  I always began in the basement and then worked my way up to the top.  There were four levels all together.

I got to the third level and began to notice I was having trouble breathing.   The nurse said you need to come to the doctor’s office or hospital right away.  I drove myself to the urgent care and the nurse there said, “well, your blood work seems to be fine.  I stated, “Well, I guess I can go back home.”

She replied, Oh no, you are going to the Big House tonight.  Sure enough, I had a 75% blocked artery.  The doctor put in a stent and as far a I know, all is well now.

Dear reader, I pray that you and I will always have a heart of flesh versus a heart of stone.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, continually give me a heart of flesh.  Forgive me for all times I’ve had a heart of stone.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

To Bring Peace

Devotion:  Matthew 10:34

Isaiah 9:6 tells us “For unto us a child is born.  Unto us a son is  given and the government shall be upon His shoulders.  He shall be called; Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, The Prince of Peace, The Everlasting Father

One of the Names of Jesus is Prince of Peace.  He actually said, “The peace He gives us is not like the peace of the world.  His peace surpasses all understanding to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Why does Jesus seem to contradict Himself when He says, I did not come to bring peace but a sword?

“When Jesus said: I came not to bring peace, but a sword; Jesus meant: He came to break down the barriers between people, to show people the Truth as best He could, but very few people were ready for it; very few understood.”

Literally, Jesus never contradicts Himself.  It just seems that He does sometimes.  Always look for the true meaning when you are in doubt or He seems to contradict Himself.  Read the whole context, not just a verse or two.

Jesus also said, “In this world you will have tribulation; but don’t be afraid, for I have overcome the world.”  Tribulation and peace seem polar opposite of one another.  Peace is actually third in the list of the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit.

Just remember peace is available to us however, we must know there is a cost to obtain it and to exhibit it.

Jesus also said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall see the kingdom of God.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, thank You for the peace that You died to give me.  May I exhibit this peace to that the world does not possess.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Falls Happen

Devotion:  Psalm 38:17

I guess you’ve noticed I haven’t written a devotional the past couple of days.  I had a fall on my sidewalk with a glass bowl.  I was moving at a fast pace so when I fell, the glass broke and some went in the palm of my left hand.  Blood went every where.  I was not ready to fall.

I was trying to get the bleeding under control myself; but then realized I couldn’t, so I walked over to my neighbors and she poured peroxide on it and got out gauze and a band-aide.  She and her husband agreed I needed to get it checked, so off to the Urgent Care Ginny and I went.

It didn’t seem to be too busy.  Only a couple of people were waiting.  I thought; oh good, I may only be here for a short time.  Well, one doctor finished his shift after about three hours.  My husband drove from staying with his father and dear Ginny was able to leave.

Another doctor came in and said, the ex-ray department was behind so it was going to be a bit longer.  She came in at 12:30 a.m. and stitched me up after three different times of trying to get the bleeding stopped.  Both doctors agreed, I probably nicked an artery.  She tried flushing it with water to get the shard of glass to come out; however, she said, she did not know if it came out or not.  She stated that she did not want to dig around in there to start up the bleeding again so it would be ok to leave it in there.  What?  She also said it would work its way out eventually.  We shall see.

My hand is quite swollen but hopefully swelling will go down shortly.  They gave me a tetanus shot and a prescription for an antibiotic so hopefully it will take care of any possible infection.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, thank You for sparing me from all the horrible injuries I could have sustained..  Nothing was broken or torn, so thank You.  I pray protection over all the people reading this devotion.  Keep them safe from harm.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

Do My Prayers Make a Difference?

Devotion:  1 Thessalonians 5:17

There are times we’ve all felt as if our Savior is not hearing our prayers.  If that is true, then why would He ask us to pray without ceasing?

Lord, please hear my cry!  Have you ever wondered if the One you are praying to is listening?  Is He moving on your behalf or the behalf of the one for whom you are praying?

Satan puts it in your head that God is not listening.

In Isaiah God said; “If I regard iniquity in my heart; the Lord will not hear my prayer.”

Like David; ask the Lord to search your heart and see if there be any wicked way in you so that no sin hinders God hearing your prayer.

Be still and know that He is God.  Listen for the voice of God.

2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us, “If my people who are called by my Name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face; then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land.

Pray what is on the very heart of God.  Believe me, He longs to have conversation with. you, yes you my friend.  He created you for this very reason, fellowship with Him.  He also says, “My sheep know my voice.  Do you know His voice my friend?

The God who created you for His own glory waits for you to come talk to Him.  Seek Him every single day of your life.  Seek to talk to Him more than others.  Wise men and women still seek Him.  The shepherds and the magi were intentionally looking for Jesus.

My friend Kim Kinny reminded me today that if we share in Christ’s suffering, we will share in His glory.  We glorify Him even in the middle of our suffering.  You know what, when we glorify Him in the midst of our suffering; He is glorified.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, I thank You that I know You hear my prayers,  Such knowledge is too wonderful for my mind to comprehend; however, by faith, I believe it to be so, in the powerful Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Remember His Holy Covenant

Devotion: Luke 1: 67-79

What does the word covenant mean to you?  I found the following information giving a Biblical explanation.

“The generally accepted idea of binding or establishing a bond between two parties is supported by the use of the term berit [tyir.B]. When Abimelech and Isaac decided to settle their land dispute, they made a binding agreement, league, or covenant to live in peace. An oath confirmed it ( Gen 26:26-31 ). Joshua and the Gibeonites bound themselves, by oath, to live in peace together ( Joshua 9:15 ), although Yahweh commanded that Israel was not to bind themselves to the people living in the land of Canaan ( Deut 7:2 ; Judges 2:2 ). Solomon and Hiram made a binding agreement to live and work in peace together ( 1 Kings 5:12 ). A friendship bond was sealed by oath between David and Jonathan ( 1 Samuel 20:3 1 Samuel 20:16-17 ). Marriage is a bond (covenant) for life.”

From that, I would say, covenant is about a bond between two people or between groups of people.  There is the covenant of marriage that our society doesn’t take too seriously these days.  One man, one woman till death do they part.  There are viable reasons people get divorced but there are marriages that split up for no valid reason

A Holy covenant sounds like a really serious covenant.    The Israelites had just been rescued from their enemies.  God brought them out of forty years of captivity.  That is a long time to serve an enemy country.

The Lord longs for us to serve Him in holiness and righteousness, in HIs presence all of our days.  It is true that You can serve the Lord all the days of your life in peace and unity.   We alone can control our responses with the help and power of God’s Holy Spirit.

Never forget and always choose to remember God’s Holy Covenant with His people.  It is the most powerful covenant ever made between God and His people.

These words were spoken about John, the beloved disciple of Jesus.  He would prepare the way for the Lord in the wilderness.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, I pray I will serve You all the days of my life and honor the blood bought covenant You made with me and all those who long for Your appearing.   May I always remember Your Holy Covenant.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Faithful and True

Devotion:  Revelation 19:11-16

How many young girls have dreamed of a Prince riding in on a white horse to swoop them up and deliver them to the land of perfection?  We can only S imagine what it will be like to see our Prince of Peace for the very first time.  He will swoop us up to be forever with Him.

He is and always has been faithful and true!  That’s only two of the attributes of our Savior and Lord.  He does not change.  Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever and never wavers or changes one bit.

When Christ came into the world; this Faithful and True One brought with Him; comfort and joy into a place mostly void of comfort and joy.  He still manifests these two most needed attributes to those who long for it.

Can you picture our Faithful and True Lord sitting on a white horse, eyes like fiery flame, and many crowns on His head?  He had on a robe dipped in blood and His Name is called The Word of God.  That is such an all encompassing coverage of our Savior’s attributes belonging only to the Word of God.

As we emulate our Savior, the goal is to be a strong witness for the sake of the gospel.   We want others to come to know our Savior and have a personal relationship with Jesus.  I believe there is a God hole created in every person that only He can fill.  He longs to have a personal relationship with every person that He creates.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, You are always faithful and true.  Thank You for being that for every person You’ve ever created  Lord.  In Jesus Name I pray.  Amen.

Sender Unknown

Devotion:   Psalm 56:8

On a Monday, I walked outside to speak to my husband and there were two boxes sitting beside my garage door, one I was familiar with; my She Reads Truth Bible reading for January, a blessing by my friend Elle Mosely.   The other was very light weight and felt like only air was inside.  When I opened it; there were lots of those little worm like styrofoam pieces and underneath was another tightly wrapped little vase looking thing.

It was an absolutely precious, green speckled piece of pottery with a heart shaped separate piece of pottery glued on the front with pray inscribed upon it.  Attached to that was a 3X2 little piece of paper that reads, “He stores your tears in His bottle and records them in His book.  Psalm 56:8 (Then, next verse). “But there is coming a day when He will wipe away every tear from your eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things will have passed away.  Revelation 21:4 

I probably have cried more tears over my prodigal son in the last year and a half than I’ve cried in my whole life.  I used to joke about having a river full of tears in heaven.  However; I know God has them stored in His bottle.  You, my dear reader have your own bottle too.  Not one tear falls from your eyes that He does not see.  If He sees every hair that falls out of your head, you must know He sees every tear you cry.  Your God cares about every one that falls from your eyes.

I am not sure who my precious sender is, however, this touched my heart deeply and I am forever grateful.  I have this precious bottle sitting in my kitchen window because I want to be reminded every day about the fact that there has not been one tear wasted.  If God treasures them enough to keep them in His bottle, then I know not one went unnoticed by Him.

The lady who makes this pottery is Carole Wolaver.  The gifter sent me a brochure with her phone number and e-mail.  Apparently she speaks as well.  If you are interested in contacting her please reach out to me at 704-965-6875.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, thank You for unexpected packages that are such a blessing to those who receive them.  Thank You for sending this one just at the right time.  I pray You will help me in turn to pass along a blessing to someone else who needs one. Bless the unknown sender with an unexpected blessing as well.   In Jesus Name.  Amen.