10 Saturday Nov 2012
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In today’s reading, there were no single verses that jumped out to me. However, I do feel there was a common theme regarding deliverance. My tendency is to react to a need without first going to God for my guidance. Sometimes God wants me to turn away and sometimes He wants me to turn and fight. No matter what I do, if God is not with me, I will ultimately fail. When there is anguish and you feel the need for help, God is always there by your side.
09 Friday Nov 2012
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My apologies for posting this so late today. In reading this evening, what jumped out to me is verse 2, Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction. Always be ready to serve God in any situation. I need to always be ready and never wait until it is convenient. “God moments” don’t always present themselves clearly. We must always be ready when they present themselves to us and we must act.
08 Thursday Nov 2012
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God’s word is our only real source of truth. Verses 16-17 says, 16 All Scripture is God‑breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Because the Bible is the inspired and trustworthy word of God himself, we must read it and apply it to our lives on a daily basis. The Bible is our test for everything that claims to be truth. If it does not line up with Biblical truths then it must be discarded because it is our safeguard against false teaching and half-truths. The more we are familiar with Biblical truths the safer we become.
07 Wednesday Nov 2012
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The main point that jumped out to me this morning is found in verses 20-21, 20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. In these verses Paul is urging Timothy to be of noble use for Christ. He is asking him to not settle for less than what God is offering him. The same goes for us, God wants only wants what is best for us and want to use us as instruments for His will.
06 Tuesday Nov 2012
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No matter what our circumstances, God does not want us to be fearful. He gives us strength and courage to face any obstacle. Verse 7 says, For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self‑discipline. What caught my attention this morning is the word love. God doesn’t want us to bully our opinions into the world, He wants us to be confident about what we believe and where we stand. Most importantly, He wants us to show love throughout everything that we do and say as His ambassadors to this world.
05 Monday Nov 2012
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I don’t have a lot to say about today’s reading, but I do have an observation. In Psalm 89:3-4 it says, 3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, 4 ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ” Selah This reminded me that Christ’s lineage was established through David. With all the terrible things God’s people went through from generation to generation, God’s plan was still perfectly aligned. Why do I ever worry? God has it all figured out. I need to trust and obey Him to put lead me exactly where He wants me to go.
04 Sunday Nov 2012
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Psalm 32:9 thumped me on the head this morning, Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. I should not be so stubborn about listening to God that He has to put a bit in my mouth and force me in the right direction. If I concentrate on building my relationship with Him, It will be much less painful and forced to go where God wants me to go. In the end, God’s plan is perfect; I just need to fight Him less on it.
03 Saturday Nov 2012
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I love the absolute consistency of Christ. In verse 8 it says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. no matter how much life changes around us and how much people around us change, Jesus never does. He has always been and always will be who He said He was; our Creator, Savior, Master, Mentor, and Friend.
02 Friday Nov 2012
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After reading the previous chapter about all of the people who were examples of faith, the “great cloud of witnesses”, Paul reminds us of the constant encouragement their faithfulness should be to us. Hebrews 12:1 says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. The Christian life involves hard work, but we are not alone. We have the ability to look back and see those who have run the race before us and know it can be done. We must also shed the things in our lives that hold us back. When was the last time you saw a competitive runner wearing a backpack?
01 Thursday Nov 2012
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Today we are in one of the most powerful chapters of the entire Bible. Hebrews 11, the “Faith” chapter, does an amazing job of outlining examples of faith throughout the Bible. This morning, I thought about being lazy and just talking about verse 1 because it is one of the most talked about verses in the Bible, Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. While this is a powerful and foundational verse that gives a clear definition of Faith, I read on as Paul gave several examples of faith and found verse 13 which says, All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. Sometimes faith is not about seeing the results of what we ask for. Faith is about trusting that God’s plan really is perfect and the results I desire and expect are not necessarily the outcomes I receive. It is about trusting God to deliver the results for His desires and not mine.
Daily Devotion 