05 Thursday Jul 2012
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I have heard or read verse Psalm 84:10 on several occasions and it always makes me stop and think, Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. God give us the privilege of being in His presence as much as we want. And it truly is better to be in His presence just a single day that a thousand anywhere else. This was a very good reminder this morning.
04 Wednesday Jul 2012
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For those of you who know me, it will come as no surprise that I am a bit stubborn. Psalm 82:11-12 hit me between the eyes, “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. I will get something in my head and I don’t listen to much else until I absolutely have to. God is great at letting me learn my own lessons. He is even better at being near me when I finally come to my senses and I need Him. God is so faithful and so good to love us no matter what we do. I need Him more than I can fathom and He wants to be with me more than I am able to comprehend.
03 Tuesday Jul 2012
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We are back to Psalms for a few days and in today’s reading the verse that stood out to me was Psalm 37:4, Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. The only way to really delight in someone is to experience great pleasure in their presence. This can only happen when we get to know that person very well. So, in order to delight in the Lord we must get to know Him very well. As we’ve said a few times this past year, it is all about the quality of the relationship we have with God that really matters.
02 Monday Jul 2012
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There is not a lot to learn share from this chapter other than the fact that Paul truly loved the people he talks about. You can tell by the way he describes each of them that he truly cares for them. I hope I am the same way with the people I know and care about. There are times when I know I could be a better person and love others more. I am an imperfect being who realizes I need God more and more each day. There is not a single day that goes by where I do not need the strength He provides. It is the days I turn my eyes from Him where I fall flat on my face. Lord help me to remember how much I need You each day. Protect me and those around me from everything this world can do to harm us. Help us to be renewed each day so that we may serve You better. It is only through God’s strength and power we can be all He wants us to be.
01 Sunday Jul 2012
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55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Living an imperfect life is misery to me. The impact sin has on me and the people around me is never pleasant to think about. But ultimately Jesus has victory over our sin. This doesn’t mean that sin in my life just goes away, though I wish it would, but it does mean sin does not have victory over us in eternity. The pain and suffering we experience is temporary and in this life only. It is nothing but a blink until we are in God’s presence.
30 Saturday Jun 2012
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This chapter spends a lot of time talking about worship, including tongues and prophecy. Ultimately, it is talking about the importance of having worship with a purpose. Everything has meaning and should be for the edification of the body. Here in Nashville, because of the amazing musical talent this city provides, most worship experiences are really good from a talent perspective. The problem is when it becomes a performance by the musical artists. Please don’t hear me condemn the artists because the truth is it goes both ways. Those listening must take responsibility for what they hear or experience and turn it to the strengthening of your relationship with God.
29 Friday Jun 2012
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The “Love” chapter! This is probably the most read chapter in all of the Bible. I’d say at least 40%-50% of all weddings I’ve attended in my lifetime have read this chapter during the ceremony (my own wedding included). However, the verse that stood out to me doesn’t even talk about love; it talks about fully understanding who God is and what He is really capable of. In verse 12 it says, Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. While I feel God’s presence in my life, the reality is I don’t have the full picture of who He really is. I’m sure when Paul wrote this, mirrors were probably less clear than they are now. Paul is referring to the image we currently see of God as something less than perfect, but when we are in His presence we will see the His full image and truly know who He is.
28 Thursday Jun 2012
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It’s hard to understand how the Holy Spirit is the enables all things. It is through Him that we are able to accomplish God’s perfect plan. While we may be limited in what we can accomplish as imperfect humans, God enables us to do all things through the by Holy Spirit. In verses 4-6 it explains that we are all different and provide different gifts, but the Lord is the provider of all for us. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
27 Wednesday Jun 2012
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It wasn’t until recently that communion became more than a ritual to me. Growing up in a conservative church we were very careful to keep communion very sterile and plain and to keep it as a remembrance of Christ only. The problem was that it was barely a remembrance to me. It was just something we did every three months. When I read verses 23-26 I see that communion is not something to help us remember Christ, it is meant to recognize that He died for our sins, that His death brings us life, and that He is coming once again. As I read this passage I want be reminded that the eating of the bread and drinking of the wine means more than a simple ritual, I want it to remind me of where my purpose comes from. 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
26 Tuesday Jun 2012
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Today’s reading is an interesting addition to yesterday’s commentary when I mentioned the importance of not forcing the world to take on my personal view of Christianity. Today the chapter ultimately talks about the purpose of all we do, which is to bring glory to God. Verses 31-33 sum up this thought nicely. 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God– 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. If we focus our attention on bringing glory to God, His glory will draw people to Him. The important thing to remember is that I am a reflection of Christ. I can be a mirror or I can skew what is real. It is my choice and my job as a believer to allow God’s power to show the world what He wants them to see.
Daily Devotion 