Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

2014 Day 121 – 1 Timothy 1

01 Thursday May 2014

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This morning we begin reading the book of 1 Timothy, which is a letter written by Paul to the young early church leader Timothy. This letter is full of encouragement and instruction that can be applied by any believer today. Paul was a great encourager and teacher of young believers in the faith and he was also a great example of how we should act and feel about our relationship with Christ. One of the great things about Paul is how he was so easily moved by God’s love, mercy, and grace in his life. In 1 Timothy 1:17 Paul is so moved by God’s love that he is able to praise Him instantaneously, Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. We should all be moved by our only true eternal King and by His great mercy and love for us.

2013 Day 187 – Amos 1-3, Ecclesiastes 6

06 Saturday Jul 2013

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Today we begin the relatively short book of Amos. This book was written by the prophet Amos probably around the reigns of Jeroboam II of Israel and Uzziah of Judah (approximately 760-750 B.C.). Amos wrote this prophesy for Israel during a time of prosperity and peace which led the people into complacency where the rich oppressed the poor and even sold some of them into slavery. This book was a warning of what was to come because soon Israel would be conquered by Assyria and even the rich would become slaves. We, as Americans, must not grow complacent of the world around us. It is easy to feel as though the rest of the world is as blessed as we are, but the reality is the majority is not. Let us look to God for direction in how we can be used by Him in the lives of others. We can and should allow ourselves to help bless others and allow them to feel God’s presence and love.

Today’s reading in Ecclesiastes fits nicely with the theme of complacency in the book of Amos. Solomon describes how God gives some people blessings so they lack nothing their heart desires, yet they are not able to fully enjoy the blessing because they can not find meaning in their possessions. In the end, it all ends up in the same place. Ecclesiastes 6:5-6 Solomon compares a prosperous man who does not enjoy his blessings with a stillborn child, 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man — 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place? God blesses us for OUR enjoyment. Let us not grow complacent and lose sight of the blessings He has given us. We all end up the same way, but when God blesses us, let us be content and thankful for the blessings He has given us during our short time here on this earth.

2013 Day 186 – Luke 22-24, Ecclesiastes 5

05 Friday Jul 2013

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In today’s reading, I don’t want anyone to think I am ignoring the last few chapters of Luke. They are some of the most important passages of our faith. But since we started reading the book of Ecclesiastes, I have really enjoyed it. In chapter 5, verse 18 stood out to me, This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. In other words, we must be content in all God has blessed us with; whether it is great or small. We must always have the right perspective in knowing all our possessions belong to God and it is a privilege to be stewards of it while we are here on earth. The notes in my Bible say it best “We must focus more on the Giver than the gift.”

2013 Day 127 – Skit Guys: The Mom Song

07 Tuesday May 2013

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This is the 500th post for the Daily Devotion blog!

For this week’s reflection, I thought I would do something a little light-hearted. Don’t forget Mother’s Day is this Sunday.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there!

 

If you ever come across anything you’d like me to post on this blog, please feel free to contact me at dino.evangelista@gmail.com.

2013 Day 96 – Joshua 4-6, Psalm 53

06 Saturday Apr 2013

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In today’s reading, I love the scene in Joshua 5 where the Israelites are camped on the plains of Jericho and are getting ready to begin conquering the promised land. They begin by celebrating Passover, just as they did before leaving Egypt, and they enjoy the fruits of the promised land for the first time. The food God had been providing the past 40 years, the manna, also stopped. It is a good reminder to us that God will always provide for us when we are in need, but He also provides the means for us to provide for ourselves. Having a strong faith in God is important, but it is not excuse for assuming we don’t need to do our part. Just as prayer is not an alternative to preparation and execution with our God-given abilities and talents.

2013 Day 58 – Leviticus 22-24, Proverbs 17:1-14

27 Wednesday Feb 2013

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We went over quite a few feasts in today’s reading. One of the notes in my Bible said the following:

“Feasts played a major role in Israel’s culture. Israel’s feasts were different from those of any other nation because, being ordained by God, they were times of celebrating Him, not times of moral depravity. God wanted to set aside days for the people to come together for rest, refreshment, and remembering with thanksgiving all he had done for them.”

Never thought about the difference in the feasts of the Bible and those that happened in other cultures. This is a good example of something we don’t do enough, celebrate the blessing we have from God. Let us all take some time to celebrate all our many blessings today.

2012 Day 282 – 1 Timothy 4

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.

2012 Day 172 – 1 Corinthians 4

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

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All that I have has been given to me as a blessing from God. There is nothing I have received that I can truthfully boast about. In verse 7 it says, For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? We are to be thankful and must refrain from being boastful by all the things God has provided to us. It is tough to think along those terms because I want to brag about all I have and all I don’t, but Paul reminds us that it is all from God and we should always turn the glory back to Him.

2012 Day 66 – Luke 19

06 Tuesday Mar 2012

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Jesus deserves our praise and we often feel that we need to rebuke others into giving Him their praise as well. When Jesus is making His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the Pharisees begin to rebuke the people for praising Him, Jesus makes a beautiful statement in verse 40, “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Jesus wants our praise, but he certainly does not need it to make Him any more praiseworthy than He already is. Even “the stones will cry out” if people are quiet. It makes it so much more powerful in my mind to know that Jesus doesn’t need me to praise Him because in the end He will receive it whether I give it to Him or not, though I certainly want to be someone who praises Him!

2012 Day 6 – Psalm 107 & 137

06 Friday Jan 2012

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Psalm 107:1-2a,  “1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2a Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—” This is a proclamation that we should be making to God daily. The beginning of verse 2 is saying, if we are redeemed, we must give praise and thanksgiving to Him who has blessed us so richly. Let those who are redeemed remember the redeemer and all He has done for us.

Psalm 137 is a tough one to read. The author is basically asking God to pronounce judgment on their oppressor. As believers we think of ourselves as people who should be meek and simply turn the other cheek when something hurts us, and we should. However, I think it is ok to ask God to pronounce His judgment. It is God’s call and His method if He choses to take action. It is when we take action and pronounce judgment in “Jesus name” that we step outside God’s plan and purpose. I constantly need to remind myself that the creator of the universe is more than capable of turning bad situations in my life into some of the greatest blessings!