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

Last work week was undoubtedly one of the busiest and most stressful weeks I have had all year.  By Friday afternoon, my mind had just checked out as I was exhausted and worn out from multiple meetings and the stress of traveling.   Being honest, I really struggled to find inspiration to even write this Daily DEVO.  The weekend was a great time to catch my breath and the sermon yesterday was timely.  I was reminded of 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 father.

Jesus’ example is one that we too should emulate in our daily lives.  It’s easy to be so pre-occupied 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!

Shake Your Foundations

"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock." -Jesus  Matthew 7:24-25


In the age of information, there are many different opinions and viewpoints expressed over the Internet, radio, and television. It's hard to discern the truth at times and distinguish between what is fact from fiction. During a recent discussion over lunch, a client I work with shared that her teenage son feared that the end times are coming because of all of the bad news he continuously sees on the news.


Regardless of the endless resources of information available to us, God's Word remains the one source of truth. We can easily grow weary, fearful, or discouraged by listening to public opinion rather than staying grounded in God's promises and truths.


If you have enough time each day to watch television or surf the net, try to save a few moments to read your Bible as well. It doesn't have to be an entire passage or book, just start out slowly and read a verse or two each day.


The news is daunting enough for a believer that understands that we live in a fallen world, but I cannot imagine how terrifying it must be for someone who doesn't know that this world is not our final destination. God promises all who believe in him something truly greater than we can possibly comprehend, eternal life in heaven. Build your house on a solid rock!

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!

Joy

I will be filled with joy because of you.  I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2

On my flight back from FL earlier this week, I picked up a copy of the USA Today and every headline I read was either serious or depressing.  It made me think about the aspects of Christian life-there are certain elements we view with appropriate seriousness, but far too often, we overlook the great delights and joy of being followers of Christ.   

Life moves at such a fast pace these days, we easily forget some of the simple things such as: the God of all of the universe loves us, has a plan for each of us, and created this wonderful world for you and I to live in.  God wants us to have a relationship with him and wants us to serve him enthusiastically and joyfully. 

God promises to fill us with the joy he delights to see in each one of his followers.  Praise be to God!

Change

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

For any parent, surely there are some behaviors in your children you would change if you could.  For instance, our oldest son still whines when he asks for something and he doesn’t get it immediately.  I am sure that he will outgrow this, after all, he is only four years old, but it would be nice to have a morning of peace while getting the kids ready for school.  If I could change it, I would, but quite honestly, I can’t. 

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 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!

What Does It Take To Win Your Love?

Long ago the Lord said, “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” Jeremiah 31:3

It baffles me why I resisted turning my life over to God for so long.  Forget all of the standard “church talk” and some of the people who may have damaged or changed your opinion of God.  To put it in the most simplest of terms-God created us, God loves us, and God longs to have a relationship with each of us.  He pursues us with persistence and an unfailing, never-ending, love. 

Has he caught your attention yet?  How does it make you feel to know that God, the creator of all of the universe, is pursuing you with his love?  Thanks be to God!

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

I was looking at the vastness of the starry sky this morning while jogging and couldn’t help but feel pretty small in all of God’s wonderful creation.  Quite honestly, after a series of recent events, 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 grandeur and expanse of God’s plan.

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.