11 Thursday Oct 2012
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I don’t have a lot to say about today’s reading, but Psalm 27:14 reminded me of the importance of waiting on God’s perfect plan and His timing, Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Waiting on God is not always easy, but when we trust in His perfect timing, we will receive exactly what and when we need.
10 Wednesday Oct 2012
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When I was in college a few friends of mine and I who used to say, “It’ll burn”, meaning whatever it is that we thought was so important to us will in the end of time burn into ashes. It was our way of distinguishing between what is important in life and what will not stand the test of time. Verses 6-8 says, 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Our biggest concerns in life should not be the things we attain, but the things we can take out of this world when we die. We don’t always need to be happy with what we have, but we should always be content. I may not love the car I drive, but I should be content that I at least have a car. Verse 7 is the one which sticks out the most to me because the absolute truth is that I brought absolutely nothing into this world and when I leave I will take none of it with me other than my relationship with God and the legacy I leave behind for my family.
09 Tuesday Oct 2012
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Verses 24 and 25 in this chapter do a very good job of saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”, 24 The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. It is never our job to judge anyone, either good or bad, and we should always take the time to understand people before we make a call about who they are and what they are about.
08 Monday Oct 2012
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God is not in the business of forbidding everything in order to make us holy. Yes, we should be careful and abstain from the things that can hurt us, but we are not necessarily supposed to avoid everything for the sake of calling ourselves holier than everyone else. Verse 4 says, For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. We should be thankful for all that God has given us, including the freedom we have in salvation through Jesus. The gifts God has blessed us with should be used for our enjoyment and we should be thankful to Him for it.
07 Sunday Oct 2012
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In today’s reading, Paul is talking about church leadership and who should, and should not, be leaders within the church. The verse that stood out to me today is verse 5, (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) It is important to have my own house in order before I can begin to help someone else with theirs. My family is one of the most important things in my life. I strive to make things right with them, but I am not perfect. God doesn’t ask for perfection, He asks us to lead with Him by our side. This is a good reminder to have Him at the center of my relationship with my wife and kids and in everything I do.
06 Saturday Oct 2012
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The first two verses of this chapter are timely for us in this political season. Verses 1 and 2 says, 1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. No matter who is in power and controlling our government, God is still in control and allowing us to live according to His perfect plan. We should always pray for our leaders and ask God to work through them no matter who they are or what they stand for.
As for the second half of the chapter… I’m not going there!
05 Friday Oct 2012
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Gods grace is all I need to be righteous in His eyes. However, He did not show me grace for me to accept it selfishly. He gave it so that I could have His example and show it to others. Verses 15 and 16 says, Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. I often feel like Paul when he says he is the worst of sinners; not because of the magnitude of my sin, but because I know I am and always will be a sinner. God’s grace could never be applied to my life just once. I need it every day of my life, which He gives to me freely. In turn, I must show His mercy and grace to others as He has done it to me.
04 Thursday Oct 2012
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Do you ever read a verse that smacks you right between the eyes, or in this case, smacks you on the mouth? Psalm 141:3 did that to me today, Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. This is the strongest part of my body. It has the ability to lift people up or to tear them down. In one of the notes in my Bible it says on average a normal person opens up their mouth 700 times per day (for my 15 year old daughter this number could easily be double). When David wrote this Psalm he was very wise to ask God to help keep him from speaking evil. I would do well to ask God to guard my mouth as well.
03 Wednesday Oct 2012
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I don’t have a lot to say regarding today’s reading, but there were a few verses that stood out to me because according to the notes in my Bible, they are prophetic and pointing to the future messiah. Psalm 72:12-14 says, 12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. 13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. 14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. This Psalm was written by Solomon and it is amazing that even though he lived almost 1,000 years before Christ, he is still pointing to what they are looking for in a savior.
02 Tuesday Oct 2012
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I really needed verse 6 today in our reading, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. It is easy for me to get caught up in all the areas of my life that are stressful. But I need to get better about lifting everything up to God and trusting in His perfect plan for my life. When I lift my worries up to Him, I allow Him to help me carry the burden. Without God’s help, on most days, my level of worry would be unbearable.
Daily Devotion 