DAILY DEVO...are you devoted to Christ?

TODAY'S DAILY...

Getting off of our regular Scripture reading today, I wanted to take a moment to talk to you about the importance of being devoted to God in your daily life.

"Set your mind on things above,  not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:2)

Have you ever wondered what it would take to accomplish this?

Paul realized that the secret to a life full of contentment first starts with a life devoted to God. He learned to keep his eye on the prize. 

Much like an athlete, who never takes their eye off of the ball or off of their opponent, 

Paul learned to run fast and play hard. And he learned that it is easy to lose focus. 

Life isn't always easy. Sometimes we stumble, get tired, retreat and wonder if it's worth it all. We must keep our eye on the ball and stay focused.

No successful athlete becomes great overnight. No, it takes years of training and practicing. I doubt that Paul became an Apostle overnight with no discipleship or mentoring. In order to get good at what we do, it takes time and it takes practice. 

That's exactly what it is like with our faith. No one can know everything they need to know about Christ overnight. It's a daily walk with Him and each day He reveals something new. 

Reading God's Word daily, pursuing His presence and sharing what He teaches me thru writing devotions is just a small way that I stay focused on Him. 

What keeps you in the game? Are you focused on the prize or have you fumbled the ball?

BLESSINGS. Laurie

TODAY'S DAILY READING: 

2 Kings 21:1-22:20, Acts 10:34-11:18, Psalm 104:24-30

SATURDAY'S DAILY READING: 2 Kings 23, Acts 11:19-12:17, Psalms 104:31-35

SUNDAY'S DAILY READING: 2 Kings 24-25, Acts 12:18-13:13, Psalm 105:1-7  

DAILY DEVO...intimidation doesn't scare God

There use to be a day that intimidation bothered me. But now that I'm older (and not just in age), but wiser in the Lord, there isn't much that I bow to due to intimidation. 

Don't get me wrong, it still bothers me when I see people, (especially Christians), using intimidation to manipulate things. 

Instead of worrying about it though, I just turn it over to God and let Him handle things. 

Isn't that what Hezekiah did?

In today's Scripture reading we find Hezekiah responding to a letter he just received from Sennacherib; a letter that criticizes the Lord. 

Hezekiah found himself to be in a tight spot. City after city had fallen to Sennacherib and seemingly, it was all Hezekiah's fault. 

As the king, he was responsible for leading his people down the wrong path that led to rebellion. How would he make this right?

With letter in hand, Hezekiah went up to the temple of the Lord...

(2 Kings 19:14) "Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord."

I would say that this was Hezekiah's finest moment in leadership, after making a mess of things, he sought the counsel of the Lord. Hezekiah did not let the intimidation of what others thought to override what God thought. 

There's so much we can learn from this story. Maybe you have received a letter that has left you in a panic or you are being intimidated by someone to do something you shouldn't; I encourage you to do what Hezekiah did and go to Lord and spread it all out before Him. 

What He thinks of the situation is far more important than anyone else. 

BLESSINGS. Laurie 

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Kings 19:8-20:21, Acts 10:17-33, Psalm 104:10-23 

DAILY DEVO...are you a Dorcas?

In today's Scripture reading we read about Dorcas (Tabitha). Now here is a lady who was a Follower of Christ, a Disciple, the Bible says. 

Dorcas was the very example of what we, as Christ Followers, should be. 

She was full of acts of charity. 

(Acts 9:39) "Peter rose and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them."

Prior to Peter's arrival that day, Dorcas had become very ill and she actually died. When the other disciples learned of her death, they went to get Peter and after he prayed, he said to the limp body, "Tabitha, arise."

She came alive.

(Acts 9:40b) "And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up."

You and I may not see people physically raised from the dead these days, but spiritually speaking, Dorcas represents what you and I as Followers of Christ should be.

We should be found giving to others selflessly and we should die to self and rise up and be alive for the cause of Christ.

Are you a Dorcas in your world?

BLESSINGS. Laurie

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Kings 18:1-19:7, Acts 9:32-10:16, Psalm 104:1-9  

DAILY DEVO...I don't want to be blind, I want to see

TODAY'S DAILY...

On the road to Damascus, the Scripture reveals that Saul (Paul) was struck blind. However, when Ananias prayed for Saul, scales fell from his eyes. Literally...

(Acts 8:17,18) "Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again".

There is more to this story that we need to know about. Saul was very religious and thought that he was doing the work of God by persecuting Christians. But on his way, on the Damascus Road, he met Jesus and his sight was taken away. 

When Ananias prayed for Saul, the physical scales were removed from his eyes and he saw things differently. Not only did Saul now see things physically but his spiritual eyes were open as well. It was during this eye opening experience that God changed Saul's name to Paul. And as we all know, Paul went on to do some pretty great things for the Kingdom. 

Many people are walking around with something blocking their vision. I don't mean something in their eye like a cataract. I mean spiritually. 

It makes no sense to me how someone will take eye drops from the eye doctor to improve their eyesight but yet when given the remedy to their spiritual blindness, they refuse the Great Physicians orders. 

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be blind. I want to see. I want the scales to fall off of my eyes and see Jesus. I want to see all that He has for me with wide, open eyes. 👀 Give me some spiritual eye drops!!

BLESSINGS. Laurie

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Kings 16-17, Acts 9:17-31, Psalm 193:15-22  

DAILY DEVO...we are born into sin but don't don't have to live in sin

TODAY'S DAILY...

God sees and knows all about our frail minds and hearts. We are ALL sinners, in fact, the Bible says that we have "all sinned and come short of the glory of God." (See Romans 3:23)

God knows exactly what sin and weakness we are prone to. So does the enemy. This is the battle that we must contend with; to what extent will our sin take us?

The way I see it, we have two choices when it comes to our sinful nature; 1. We bend and allow our sin to dictate who or what we become or 2. We surrender to God and we let Him mold us into who or what He wants us to become.

We surrender or we fall. We live for God or we live for the flesh. We accept God or we deny Him. The choice is really ours to make. 

God remembers that we have all been born in sin. I'm not saying that babies are bad, however, every child born (because of the sin of Adam and Eve ) is born into a world full of sin.

God has given each of us a choice as to what we will do with that. No parent has to teach a 2 year old to disobey. Actually, they have to teach them how to act right (to NOT disobey) because acting wrong is just common nature.

Likewise, Christ wants us (His children), to learn to act right and put away that old sinful nature that we all have.

(Psalm 103:14) "For He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust."

God doesn't want us to live in guilt over our shortcomings but He does want us to make wise choices...He wants us to choose Him over anything else that the world tries to offer.

God does accept us as we are, but thankfully, He doesn't leave us as we are. 

Let Him mold you and make you today as you choose Him and not what makes you weak. 

BLESSINGS. Laurie

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Kings 14-15, Acts 9:1-16, Psalm 103:10-14   

DAILY DEVO...life is but a vapor

In today's Scripture reading, the  Psalmist writes about his own human frailty...

(Psalm 102:11-12) "My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But You, Lord, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures through all generations."

The psalmist understands that his life is nothing more than a flickering shadow but while his time on earth is just a vapor, Gods presence will endure forever. 

I don't know if you ever think about your life and how quickly it is passing, but James puts it quite honestly, "You do not know what tomorrow brings". He then goes on and says, "For what is life? It is even a vapor that lasts for a short time and then vanishes away." (See James 4:14) 

God intends for us to live every single moment significantly, He wants our time here on earth to count for something. We must grab hold of something that will withstand anything and everything. 

What will remain after our vapor is gone?

Anything materialistic will be sold, anything physical will decay but those things spiritually that we hold onto and invest in, will last for all eternity. 

Life is short; eternity is long. Invest well and make every moment count!

BLESSINGS. Laurie

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Kings 8:16-9:37, Acts 7:37-53, Psalm 102:8-17

SATURDAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Kings 10-11, Acts 7:54-8:8, Psalm 102:18-28

SUNDAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Kings 12-13, Acts 8:9-40, Psalm 103:1-9

DAILY DEVO...so, you think God can't use you?

Every week I hear the reasons why it's difficult for people to serve the Lord...

"Life is hard", "I'm going thru something", "I don't know the Bible very well", "I'm too busy",etc

We need to understand that when God asks us to do something, He isn't asking for an updated resume or a list of references. He's just asking for a willing heart.

God doesn't save those who are already perfect, that's why He gives us grace. But He does apply Grace to all of us imperfect people so that we can be equipped. Some of the greatest Pillars of the Scripture were far from perfect:

Isaac was a day dreamer, Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk. Elisha was suicidal, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, Martha worried, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, Rehab was a prostitute, Samson liked a prostitute. Moses stuttered, Zacchaeus was short, Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead.

In today's Scripture reading we see where Moses killed a man...

(Acts 7:24) "Seeing one of them wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down (killing) the Egyptian."

But yet, Moses became a great man for God.

God uses those who are willing to be used and He equips those Whom He calls. It's never about us in the first place; so do you still think God can't use you?

BLESSINGS. Laurie

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Kings 6:24-8:15, Acts 7:17-36, Psalm 102:1-7

DAILY DEVO...look and see

In today's Scripture reading we find the servant of Elisha looking but not seeing...

(2 Kings 6:17) "And Elisha prayed, 'Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.' Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

His servant saw the army surrounding their town, but he failed to see the angels that God had placed all around. He was walking in spiritual blindness.

We do the same thing. 

We are looking, but we only see things thru our own eyes; in our own strength. Instead of seeing God's power, we see our weakness. Instead of seeing deliverance, we only see defeat. 

Elisha's prayer is a prayer for each of us today, that we too,  could have our eyes open. Instead of complacency, God's children need to walk in confidence...confidence that God is with us thru every battle and every storm. 

How much more courageous could you be in your battle if you could see the victory instead of seeing yourself as the victim? When you look around; don't just look, open your eyes so that you can see!

BLESSINGS. Laurie

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Kings 5:1-6:23, Acts 7:1-16, Psalm 101