Tag: Encouraging Bible Devotions

Know Him!

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“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Be still…

Sit…

Don’t talk…

Meditate… on Him, on God, on His ways, on His goodness, on His love, on His mercy and grace, on His kindness, on His guidance, on His providence, on His gift, on His truth, on His creative power, on His deliverance, on His Word, on His victories, on His praise, on His adoption, on His redemption, on His salvation, on His power, on His Kingship, on His honor, on His glory, on His majesty, on His promises and provisions, on His holiness and His righteousness, on His protection, on His omniscience, on His forgiveness, on His beauty, on His wonder, on His might, on His peace, on His wholeness, on His healing, on His help, on His anointing, on His Incarnation, on His name, on His immutability, on His shepherding, on His strength, on His Sovereignty, on His faithfulness, on His exaltation, on His presence in your life and so much more.

Our God is beautiful beyond words, more than the heart or mind could even imagine.

“Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.” Psalm 86:8-10

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have preferred: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” Isaiah 43:10

Father God, I pray for many hearts and lives to come and know You for themselves. “Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee,” Jeremiah 10:6-7.

“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” 1 Corinthians 8:6

Draw near and awaken the sense of the fullness of who God is in your life, and know Him.

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The Gift of the 5 Senses

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The world may mix many sorrows in the pot, but God magnifies the beauty of life.  Even the small things we could almost dismiss and count them as mundane. But the regular, normal, everyday stuff is not to be overlooked.  For in them, we find a simplicity to be grateful for.

Take for instance something as simple as our five senses that fill our lives with wonder that we may miss otherwise.  Touch.  Sight.  Hearing.  Smelling, and taste.  Oh, how these simple things enrich our lives.  They allow us to feel the warmth of a hug, the soft texture of a comforting blanket, grass beneath our feet, or the petting of our favorite furry friend. 

They open our eyes to see beauty budding in the Spring, a smile on a loved one’s face, flecks of color in the eyes of one adored, a sunrise dancing off the shores.

They allow us to hear music and laughter, words read aloud, voices we love to hear that are near, and birds singing their morning song in the trees above.

Our nose welcomes the smell of a fresh breeze, the fragrance of roses from the heart of your love, scents that only a baby possesses, and aromas coming from homemade oven-baked delectables that make our tastebuds rejoice at the anticipation of partaking of their sumptuous fare.   

Little things.  Simple things.  Mundane things.  But, oh so wonderful things.  They are all around us.  They are all a part of life.  Let’s not ignore their benefits to our living, but recognize each gift they bring: “If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.  And if they were all one member, where were the body?” 1 Corinthians 12:17-19.

No matter how much or how little of these sweet and simple reminders we get to experience here, it is my belief that the expansion of all they add to our lives will be even more astounding when we enter that heavenly realm.  For we are told in Scripture, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

The simplicity and joy we find in our five senses here will only be magnified when, through them, we experience fully the wonders of heaven.

“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” – Isaiah 64:4

“Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” – Psalm 31:19

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” – Psalm 16:11

“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” – Isaiah 35:10

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“Jesus, My Healing Sanctuary!”

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Most often, when one thinks of healing, the mind automatically seems to focus on physical healing from an ailment or disease.  While that is true, there are other areas of life and of the person that need healing as well. Any area where we feel there is a deficit or lack, any area that experiences brokenness and needs restoration is a place that needs the healing touch of the Lord in it.

I am moved by the many times I see Jesus’ real concern and compassion for what people are going through and dealing with when He reaches into their lives with His healing touch.  From the time when sin and brokenness entered into this world, God has been in the restoration business.

In Ezekiel 47, we see a future prophecy of a river flowing from the sanctuary that healed the places where it flowed (vs. 6-12).  While that ultimate healing will come as a result of us stepping into eternal life to live with God forever, when I see those mental images of Jesus healing people throughout the stories represented in Scripture while still here on earth, that leads me to believe that what’s flowing from the sanctuary in our future is available to us now in our present circumstances or crisis.

Christ is the source of everything we need for our future and present healing, for both physical and all the not-so-physical ailments we deal with (emotional, spiritual, etc.).  “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).  

In Matthew 11, Jesus invites us to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (vs. 28-30).  

For every burden, Jesus has become our sanctuary from where all our healing flows.  He told the woman at the well, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:10, 14).

No matter what area of our lives needs healing and restoration, Jesus Christ is our sanctuary from which all the answers for our brokenness flow.

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Complaintus Interruptus Devotional + 7 Bible Verses that Deal with Complaining

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Now, if you grew up like me watching Saturday morning cartoons (which were the best) with a bowl of cereal in hand, you have probably spent your fair share of time being entertained by a certain coyote and a particular bird who were always trying to outwit one another.  One of the humorous things about the show was the fake scientific or Latin names given to these characters that expressed some funny trait about who they were or what they were doing.  Thus, in parodic form was the title of this article born of the humorous need to make it sound really scientific.

One day, I was walking with my husband and something was really bothering me I had dealt with during the day and I couldn’t wait for an opportunity to unload what occurred.  It was like I was trying to play double-dutch jump rope, looking for the right time when I could jump in and unleash my complaint.

Walking side by side with him to go into our church that evening, while right on the tip of my tongue, ready to come out, my complaint was interrupted.  We ran into another church member and what she said to my husband escaped me, but my husband’s response didn’t.  He said, “I won’t complain.”  And he wasn’t saying it in a lackadaisical church manner, for he put emphasis on his point by refusing to acknowledge the reason for the complaint.  Obviously, I was floored.  Here I am holding something that’s just itching to get out and I experienced a case of “complaintus interruptus.”

 And sometimes, that’s not a bad thing.

Often in life, we do deal with things and we look to unload the weight of it onto others.  Sometimes we feel that if we can just talk about it with someone, that act alone can help us to feel better.  And in most cases, that’s true as long as we are seeking to do it constructively, and not just to do it for the sake of wanting to complain.

There is a big difference.  Out and out complaining is negative and tells those around us that I am just not happy about a situation and I want to gripe about it.  It’s not seeking resolution, it’s just seeking to show discontent, tear down, and spew out unnecessary drama.  Whereas, constructively telling someone of your concerns and upsets, not to unleash or accuse, but to seek counsel that will help you deal with the situation, is a positive move in the right direction to wrangle in the feeling of upset and misunderstandings one may be facing.

We find cases of both in the Bible to teach us the do’s and do not’s of what goes on in these situations.  First, we have the gripers, or murmurers, as the Bible calls them.  Those, who for the mere sake of wanting to expose their displeasure, pop the cork off their mouth and let the unhappiness flow.  We can find these types of characters throughout the Bible, particularly in those whom God delivered from Egypt. Yet, they constantly found something to complain about and it seemed they were never quite happy with what God was doing (see Exodus 14:11 and 16:2-3; Numbers 14:27 for some examples).

For these types of people, God was greatly displeased (Numbers 11:1; 21:5-7).  After only three days of their journey (compare Exodus 15:22-23) they expressed to God their discontent about their wandering situation even though it was these same people who cried out to God for deliverance because of their taskmasters.  It was hard for these people to overcome testing because their complaining spirit always seemed to win out over their emotions, thwarting their focus and devotion from God and His deliverance.

Then, we have those like King David who, in Psalms prayed, “I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.  I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble,” (Psalm 142:1-2).  He comes before God humbly, with a prayerful spirit, seeking help and consolation, not to grumble or show his displeasure about his situation.  Simply put, he was going through trouble and he took that supplication and situation to the Lord in prayer.

The Bible invites us to give our worries, upsets, and problems to God by saying, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you,” (1 Peter 5:7; see also Psalm 55:22).  This is a constructive and positive way of dealing with the hurts and disappointments of life.  We take it to the Lord in prayer and we leave it there.  We express to Him, reverently, how we feel, how we are hurting and upset, and we let Him take the wheel, and we leave it alone.  It is a matter of trusting God with our problems, and not demanding something from Him through our murmuring.

God loves those who sincerely seek Him in prayer but He doesn’t like complaining.  Sometimes we need to check ourselves and put a hand up to stop the words flowing before what we think we need to say comes out of our mouths.  Perhaps we need a case of complaintus interruptus to corral wayward thoughts and words.

Some Verses to Ponder:

Philippians 2:14 – “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.”

Ephesians 4:29 – “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

Lamentations 3:39 – “Wherefore doth a living man complain . . .”

1 Corinthians 10:10 – “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”

Psalms 39:1 – “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.”

Philippians 4:11 – “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Hebrews 13:5 – “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

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Where Can I Go?

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“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” (Psalm 139:7-12)

There is no place, O God, that can keep me from Your sight.  Your eyes see me.  Your heart knows me.  Your love shelters me.  Your mercy follows me all the days of my life (Psalm 23:6).

Help me to walk through my days in this holy confidence: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” (Hebrews 13:5).

Your Word has assured me, for it cannot lie (Numbers 23:19).  Your Spirit comforts me (John 14:16; 16:7).  With Your hand holding us, You tell us not to fear (Isaiah 41:10).

Although some days seem dismal, You are the Light that shines in my life (Psalm 18:28).

Where can I go . . .?  You have the words to eternal life (John 6:68), therefore, I will most gladly plant myself in Your presence, at Your feet alongside Mary (Luke 10:39).

Thank You, for Your knowledge of me, O God.  Thank You, for Your precious thoughts toward me (Psalm 139:17).  Thank You, for anchoring me and not leaving me on the waters of this life to drift about aimlessly (Hebrews 6:19).  And thank You, for leading me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:24).

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God, Our Immutable Constant!

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“The joy of the LORD is your strength.”  Those words penned from Nehemiah 8:10 we generally claim or hear quoted when people are experiencing adversities or may have a monumental task ahead of them.   Sometimes they are even expressed in moments of celebration.  For days of sorrow or for days of peace, any day is a good day where a child of God can declare, “The joy of the LORD is your strength.”

One thing I have learned in life is that we do go through many different seasons and circumstances.  Some good.  And yet, some which can make one feel a little void or empty.  Happiness and joy can’t seem to be found in any activity or normal pleasure.

During these seasons, one must remember that life will always act as a variable. It may seem a simple thing to say or write, but in the midst of the challenges and sorrows, yes, it is sometimes hard for us to see these truths, therefore, we must be gently reminded of how things really are at times.  And that is life changes.  Things get added and taken away.  Some changes affect how we feel and when we base our feelings on these variables we experience many ups and downs.

What then?  It is the unchanging, the solid, the constant that we need to build everything else upon.  As long as we live in this world things will always change.  One hundred percent of our time will not stay in a state of sameness.  We will have times of exaltation, growth, and increase.  But, we will also experience those things that grieve us, break our hearts, and spend our energies with the multitude of tears flowing from us (see Ecclesiastes 3:1-11).

Therefore, since we are susceptible to these changes we must base our life, our joy, our foundation to everything else upon Him who never changes.

God is our constant!  “For I am the Lord, I change not,” He exclaimed in Malachi 3:6.  We also have this promise written through James: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,” (James 1:17; emphasis added).

Our Heavenly Father will always be the wonderful, Heavenly Father that He has always been.  No matter how your circumstances may feel to you right now, that truth will never change.

That being said, if the happiness and joy you once felt or usually feel have escaped you today, perhaps it is because we have become more dependent on too many changing factors rather than filling our heart, mind, soul, and life with the true joy of Him and from Him that never changes.

In dealing with many sorrows and afflictions himself, David penned his own beautiful words, declaring the assurance of his joy.  He stated, “And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation,” (Psalm 35:9).

When we bring our all to focus on God… When we tune our souls into the proper source, we will find that situations may still be adverse, but because I have Him, because I have a relationship with God, and because His salvation has raised me from far worse than where my soul would be without Him, I can still rejoice!

I think it’s safe to say that we all want it to feel good all the time.  But feeling good and have everything go our way or turn out just as we desire is not a prerequisite for true joy because those things and feelings will also and always change.  But my God won’t, and when it is He that I open my heart to and allow all that He is to shine on me and everything that I am feeling, then I can experience that true, unchanging joy!

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Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

The Power of Acting

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How any dreams have been put off, never to be revisited again? Today, we ACT against that.

Procrastination and complacency are a deadly plague in our society. Theirs are the ruin of many dreams. The dasher of many hopes. But what a feeling to step forward and act! Putting steps behind ones thoughts and movement behind ones ideas is a beautiful process filled with power because those steps and movements, in even the tiniest form, will help you to arrive at a place you may never have dreamed of before.

The Bible encourages our actions by telling us, “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute” (Proverbs 12:24). When one is diligent, they are going toward something. Yes, it may exert more energy then you are used to. And yes, all the answers may not be before you, but forward you must go. The dream inside demands nothing less. The hope that burns within says regardless of what you currently see, this is possible.

But, my friend, diligence is the key word. With the absensce of it, nothing will ever happen. Proper actions in wisdom will lie dormant, and dreams and purposes will remain unfulfilled.

More lies in your future, but fear, uncertainty, and inaction can stand as a wall before you. But diligence and action will look at that wall and know there is more on the other side. Persistent effort says I am not afraid of the hard work it may take to get there. 

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Share Your Flavor!

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“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Matthew 5:13

You, my friend, have an offering to the world inside of you. You have something intricately valuable within that can affect change in the lives of others.

The term “influence” has become a part of our everyday language. Many are looking to their peers and others for encouragement, guidance, and skill to inspire them and show them how to do life better.

Examples have been around since the beginning of time and who one chooses to pattern themselves or behaviors after will make a notable difference in that life. 

Why not be one who others can see as a beacon of hope, a mark of excellence, an example of which path to walk in the days allotted to us here on this earth. After all, it is what Christ has done in you that has made a difference in your life. Now, as the “salt of the earth,” you, as one in Him, can share your flavor with the world.

So many lives have been touched by wrong influences. And it’s not as if every step we take can we boast in some perfection of our own, because we cannot. But as ones who have been changed ourselves, we can help others by being a guiding light while navigating this path called life.

The current culture of our world is begging for models of good influence. Some truly don’t know which way to go or lack good examples to follow. Why not be that one? A little sprinkling of the salt that is in you can change the whole trajectory and flavor in the life of another.

Open the shaker, and pour.

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17

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Where Our Help Comes From

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“My heart trusted in him, and I am helped.” Psalm 28:7

Have you been helped? Where has the trust of your heart lain? Most forget that trust is not developed in times of peace and pleasure. Instead, true trust is developed during difficulties, disappointments, and pain. It is during these times when the faith of our hearts must be tied tighter still to that solid Rock upon which we are positioned through the blood stained banner. It is during adversity when we must purposely, and with great intention, place ourselves, our desires, and our troubles behind the Shield that never fails.

He is there, my friend, as our saving grace. He is the hope that will never be moved – even through eternity’s eternity. He is the place upon which we stand when all else fades away. He is the One who hears the voice of your cry and sees what you are carrying in your heart.

He is our strength and our refuge. ”In the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me,” Psalm 27:5. When enemies gnash their teeth or when tears overwhelm your heart – in Him, we are covered and safe. Nothing will have the final say over His authority, power, and might. If affliction has touched you, it is on a short leash and can only go so far as the Lord allows.

Be encouraged in He who is your help. You may not understand everything that is unfolding, or even what the end of the story may be, but let your heart rejoice with David because we know where our help comes from (Psalm 28:7).

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:1, 10

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1, 2

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

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“Even when…”

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I don’t know about you, but I find a certain beauty in “perfection” (and I use that word loosely). What I mean is that when things are where they belong or are functioning as they were designed to, it gives me a sense of satisfaction, a sense of fulfillment when all of the chips fall into their proper place.

But what about when they don’t? When plans don’t go off without a hitch or when a properly cleaned space, that once shone with order becomes an undone mess? How does that make us feel about that job, project, person, or place?

When things are “perfect,” altogether, and nice, without any mess, madness, or flaws, we tend to value those times, moments, and things a little more. But when it comes to people who are less than perfect (hint: that’s all of us), God showed us just how much He values us, and despite our imperfections, He chose to love us perfectly. When we were in our mess of worldly pursuits and fleshly desires, God saw the deepest need of our hearts and souls for a Savior who would heal, reconcile, and deliver people, and He provided the remedy for that need through our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are a lot of things we can do for ourselves, but one thing that is solidly taught in the Bible is that we CANNOT save ourselves. We not only do not have the power, but we don’t possess the capacity for the wisdom, love, understanding, eternity, and everything in between that it takes to not only come up with this plan of salvation but to fully execute it thoroughly, without flaw or failure, from the beginning of time to the very end.

Thankfully, it was God who took the initiative to not only come up with the plan but to implement it fully by His grace to save our souls. And the beauty of the story is, that He didn’t wait for us to get our act together to do it. His love wanted the plan because His love wanted the people. With that, Ephesians tells us, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (2:4,5; emphasis added). 

God had compassion for struggling humanity and refused to leave them tangled in the way of sin without a way out, without a plan for deliverance.  His love would not and could not settle with the very idea of it.  So, when we were at our worst, God was working out His best for us.  Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

He didn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up and get perfect to put His plan of love in motion.  That is a sheer impossibility regardless. Further proof of that truth comes from 1 John 4:19 which says, “We love him, because he first loved us.” 

With that, we are told, “Even when we were dead in sins…”  Even when we were torn up from the floor up…  Even when our lives contradicted everything He wanted for us…  Even when we were going nowhere fast…  Even when we were enjoying living lives ensconced by the dark…  God stepped in with His plan of salvation and “commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Ephesians continues to tell us, that God “hath quickened us together with Christ.”  As our Savior was raised from the dead, God in His saving love raised those who believe to a restored life, a brand new life made possible through Jesus Christ.  God’s rich mercy became our lifesaver tossed out in the sea of sin where we were drowning, to bring us to the shores of His redeeming love.  No, we didn’t deserve it, nor could we earn it on our own merit.  God simply put this plan to save mankind from himself and the enemy of our soul into action because He loved us.  Love was His only motivation.  Love steered Him to take the course of action that put His only begotten Son on the cross in our place.  Love and only love was His reason for everything!

Thus, as believers, we readily recognize this is nothing short of a God-sized miracle worked out in our lives.  For it is “by grace ye are saved.”  It doesn’t matter who you are or what your situation, position, circumstance, or status is in life, the only way one can enter into a renewed relationship with God is through the grace and forgiveness offered through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  You cannot earn your way into it.  You cannot work your way into it. You can’t bargain your way there, either.  Only by going through the doors of the plan of His grace can you be saved.

What would happen if today God sat down and took account of all the wrongs we have done?  What would it be like if we stood before Him unable to pay what we owe?  Guess What?  We were there!  We could never pay for it. Jesus knew the predicament that humanity was in.  He knew that man could never get himself out of the debt of sin, so through Him, we obtained freedom from the old life we lived through grace, mercy, and compassion as people who do not deserve it but He loved into it.

We could not fathom how many times our accounts would have gone unpaid had it not been for the blood of Christ. But thank God, He acted in love to save us!  Not just us – but everyone who comes to Him in faith regardless of their background.  It is all a work of grace.  It is all done as the ultimate act of love, even when we didn’t perfectly deserve any of it.

When Jesus encountered the young rich ruler who thought he checked off the list of do’s and don’ts perfectly, the Bible said, “Jesus beholding him loved him…” and then disclosed what the young man needed to do before he walked away sad (Mark 10:21). 

God loves us and as any parent who wants the best for their child, He gave us His best even when…

But His best will only work if you and I will do what we need to do and accept it, accept Jesus.

Today can be your biggest turnaround. Today can be your day of freedom. Today, you can turn your even when into a now, and be saved.

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