Drifting

 

So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door ; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy ; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:7-10

The past week was undoubtedly one of the busiest and most stressful weeks I have had at work in a long while. By Friday afternoon, my mind had just checked out as I was exhausted and worn out from a multiple series of meetings, deadlines, and other assorted events.  Being totally honest, I really struggled to find the inspiration to even write the Daily DEVO this week.  I am glad to say that the weekend provided a well-needed opportunity for me to catch my breath.  At some point, I either read another devotional or a passage of scripture that got me thinking about how Jesus resisted the Enemy during His 40 days in the wilderness.  He submitted to God’s lead and never took His eyes off of His loving Father.

Jesus’ example is one that we too should emulate in our daily lives.  It’s easy to be so preoccupied with our day-to-day lives that we adapt a worldly mindset.  When our thoughts turn away from God, we become dangerously self-dependent and let our guards down.  When we do, the Enemy always seems to strike.

We know that God will win the ultimate victory, but Satan will stop at nothing to lead us astray with his many lies and deception.  Don’t let the world fool you into trying to manage your life on your own.  Keep your eyes on Christ, stay alert and keep connected to His truth!

Think

 

As he thinks in his heart, so is he.  Proverbs 23:7

Whether we realize it or not, what we think makes a huge difference in what we say or do.  Our thoughts control our actions-what activities and interests we pursue.  Our thoughts control our feelings-how we react or respond to situations.  And finally, the way we think about other people becomes the way we treat other people.

Simply stated, we must choose what we focus our minds on.  There is a saying, ‘garbage in, garbage out.’  When we fix our mind on things that are good and righteous,  good things will come as a result.  When our mind is set upon the wrong things, it changes the way we treat others and navigates our actions in a negative way.

Fix your heart and mind on Jesus and allow Him to guide your thoughts, actions and pursuits!

Change

 

God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  Philippians 2:13

For any parent, there surely are some behaviors in your children you would change, if you could.  For instance our youngest son is a 'chip off the old block'...silly, mischievous, and stubborn to say the very least.  

Last Saturday, he found the fuse box on the side of our house and proceeded to shut off the power to the dryer and oven.  It took me a while to figure out what exactly was going on and when asked if he had anything to do with the power not working, Elijah told me a ‘white lie’ and then ran outside and then shut the rest of the power off in the house.  I am laughing about this now, but I was pretty frustrated on Saturday, to say the very least.  I am sure that he will outgrow this, after all, he is still young and curious, but it would be nice to let the boys play around the house for more than fifteen minutes at a time without wondering what they are doing to be disruptive.  Even if I could change some of the boys’ less desirable behavior, I have to continue to just love them and lead them in the ways of the Lord to the best of my ability.

Just like a parent, God will not force change on us, either.  When we invite him into our lives, we give him the permission to use his almighty power to change us.

If we try to change on our own, we are likely to fail because of our very limited strength and power.  Instead, we must move aside and let God himself begin the work of transformation in us that will last a lifetime.

Let God do his work in you and see the dramatic and healing power of the Holy Spirit!

Anything Is Possible

 

He (Jesus) replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matthew 17:20

In looking at the vastness of the starry sky this morning while on my morning jog, I couldn't help but feel pretty small in all of God’s wonderful creation.  There are times in my life when my faith seems a little smaller, but I know it’s still there.  Small mindedness is not such a bad thing, but being small minded in faith is bad because it prevents us from seeing the fullness and extent of God’s plan for our lives.

Most people are familiar with Jesus’ words from Matthew.  He was explaining to His disciples the reasons why they too could not cast out demons and cure diseases; it was because they had very little or were simply small-minded in their faith.   The disciples had lost their faith that Jesus would do what He said He would do.  When we doubt Jesus, we fail to see the big picture and only focus on our very limited capabilities.

Just like the disciples, so many of us as believers have also lost our faith.  Jesus reminds us that it doesn't take a lot, just a small amount of faith, the size of a mustard seed, for us to accomplish great and mighty things.

“Father, help grow our faith stronger and bolder.  I believe in you, God, but help me to believe even more!  I will seek to serve and trust in your never-ending supply of strength and power.  I ask these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

Running On Empty

 

All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.  Colossians 1:10-11

I am lucky that I haven’t run completely out of gas in my effort find the cheapest prices at gas stations around town.  My car displays a “Low Fuel” notice light when I only have 50 miles left in the tank.  

The other morning, I was preoccupied with work and got caught in some traffic on the way to take the kids to school, but thankfully made it to a gas station just before my car ran completely out of fuel.

Just like our automobiles, we require fuel to help us persevere through life-the power of God working in us.  As we become more obedient and more in tune with the Holy Spirit, God’s power will provide us what we need to strengthen us and ignite our abilities to persevere.

Let us not just endure, but persevere with peace and joy, in Christ Jesus!

Home At Last

 

You go before me and follow me.  You place your hand of blessing on my head…I can never escape from your Spirit!  I can never get away from your presence! Psalm 139:5-7

There is no greater feeling in the world than being welcomed home by your kiddos after a long day at work.  I have always heard the saying “being away makes the heart grow fonder.”  While this may be true in most relationships, the one relationship that this does not apply to is our relationship with God.

You see, when you have a relationship with God, His presence is always with you.  When you truly believe this wonderful promise, you will begin to see the events in your life as evidence of His presence with you.

Open your heart and allow God to be a part of your life.  He desires to open the flood gate of His blessings and express His love for you, every minute of every day.  You are never alone!

Give

 

Freely you have received, freely give.  Matthew 10:8

We all make mistakes from time to time which hurt people inadvertently.  Sometimes nothing is more painstakingly difficult than extending and seeking forgiveness from a loved one, more specifically, a family member.   Forgiveness is the only way to bring genuine healing to a damaged relationship so that both people can move forward together in the relationship.  No wonder the divorce rate is astounding in our country; it’s almost easier to divorce than it is to work through the healing process of forgiveness.

It’s human nature to place the blame on someone else and not seek to repair the relationship, but Jesus gave us all the best example of forgiveness.  As He hung from the cross on the day He was crucified, He spoke the words “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” to the soldiers who had just beaten and flogged Him and were casting lots to divide His garments.  

Forgiveness is the only way to bring restoration and reconciliation back to a broken relationship and we should all extend and ask for forgiveness regardless of who is at fault.

Forgiveness has been given freely to us, so we must be quick to offer it freely to others.