17 Tuesday Dec 2013
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Today we begin the final book of the Bible, Revelation, which is written by the Apostle John. We have exactly 11 day of reading left for this year and I’m not gonna lie, this is a tough book to get through. However, it is important to remember this is not just a book about the end times and God’s ultimate judgement; it is a book of hope as well. It is a reminder that God is in control and in the end, He wins! Let us try to read this as a book of God’s perfect control.
19 Tuesday Nov 2013
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Sometimes we must hit bottom before God can show us the way back up. With King Nebuchadnezzar, God had to do just that. Even after Daniel prophesied what would happen, the king still praised himself for all he had accomplished. From that point Nebuchadnezzar went from being at the top of his game to the point of losing his mind. It wasn’t until he turned his eyes up to heaven and acknowledge the Most High God that God was able to restore Nebuchadnezzar’s mind and position. God wants us to have fellowship with Him. And while He ultimately does not want to see us harmed, God will allow us to hit bottom in order to come back into fellowship with Him.
17 Sunday Nov 2013
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Since we are finishing up the book of John, I thought this would be the subject of this post. But when I read the second part of today’s reading, I realized how much I need these verses in Psalm 142 this morning. I found myself repeatedly reading the last two verses of Psalm 142:6-7 6 Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. 7 Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me. I often give too much time to the things that can hurt me. I find myself giving poor choices in my life too much freedom. In turn, when it comes time to break away, I find it difficult to do. It was not until I read the first part of verse 7, “Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.” that I realized it is not in my power that I am set free from power of evil, sin, or hurt in my life, but through God’s power. I know this should be common knowledge, but for some reason it resonated with me this morning.
09 Saturday Nov 2013
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Love, Peace, Power, Protection
We have finally come to the end of the book of Ezekiel. The book started by describing the holiness of God that the people of Israel had grown to ignore. God’s presence left the temple as a result of their rebellion. In the end, the book details visions of the new temple in a new city and new people, all of which continues to describe God’s holiness. Our imperfect lives may cause us to lose focus on God and only see the here and now. But we must always return to God’s presence in our lives. If we let Him, God will never let us feel alone. When things are at their worst, always remember God is with us.
01 Friday Nov 2013
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In today’s reading, I really took hold of what David said in Psalm 124:8, Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. If we believe God is powerful enough to create both heaven and earth, why would we doubt His ability to help us when we need Him most? Trust in God and His power and desire to protect us in all we do.
28 Monday Oct 2013
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Again, not too much from today’s reading other than this thought… God does not find pleasure in punishment. God repeatedly allowed the Israelites the opportunity to turn from their wicked ways, but they continued to sin until God finally had enough. For us, this means that God wants to bless us. He wants to show nothing but loving kindness. But when we continue in sin there comes a time when God removes His hand of protection and allows the consequences of our sin to take over. It is up to us to make sure we listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and obey His calling for us because the consequences of sin is never pleasant.
25 Friday Oct 2013
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The people of Judah trusted in their abilities, prosperity and possessions instead of God. Because of this, God allowed them to be destroyed on the basis of their trust. Ezekiel 7:8 says, I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. When we trust in our careers, family, friends, the economy, government or military for our security, we put God as a backup. We are to put God first and foremost as our protector and guide in all we do.
26 Thursday Sep 2013
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What is our attitude when we come to God? Do we approach God with open ears, eyes, and hearts to be obedient to Him? Jeremiah 5:21-22 says, 21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: 22 Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord. “Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. We should approach God with awe and respect because He is the one who set the boundaries of the sea. God had to strip away all that Judah and Israel had in order to bring them back to Him. Let us not wait until God takes away His benefits in our lives in order to walk with Him.
22 Sunday Sep 2013
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Starting in Job 38, God finally speaks up. God starts by asking Job the following in Job 38:1 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: 2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. God proceeds to ask Job a series of questions that Job can not possibly answer. His point to Job is to show him that his questions are not at the heart of the matter. If we trust in God’s love and character, then we will understand there is no higher standard than God Himself. Our only option is to submit to His perfect authority and trust in His care for us.
16 Monday Sep 2013
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As we continue to read in Job we begin to see Job growing weary in his suffering. In chapter 24 Job seems to be arguing with his friends and begins to question if it is his lack of righteousness that is at fault for his suffering. We all have these thoughts at times, that it is our fault we suffer. Sometimes our suffering comes due to the consequences of our sin. However, sometimes suffering comes simply because we live in a fallen world. All we can do is look to God and ask Him for comfort, peace, and protection. It is easy to kid ourselves into thinking it is possible to get through this life without pain, but we are all destined to experience pain and suffering. Thankfully we have God at our side; loving us through it all. Lean on Him and He will guide you through.
Daily Devotion 