Fretting Needlessly about the World as it Crumbles

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Crumbling World

Do we let the happenings of the world trouble us and destroy the faith, peace, and tranquility we have in Jesus Christ? Are we so worried about what is occurring in our day to day lives that we can no longer see or feel the eternal truth, which is that Jesus suffered so we should be redeemed; that we should have peace and rest? If so it is time we started stripping the meaningless outer layers away from our life in the world and get down to the one thing that truly matters... our faith in the Cross.

Our Calling, and God’s Fingers in the Soil of our Faith

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Being Called

When the Lord gives us a specific calling or mission that He wants us to accomplish, how do we know when it, or our part in it, is complete? Have you ever left spiritual business unfinished because you took your eyes off the Lord? Whether it is praying for someone each day, being a loving spouse, serving in a far-off land, or simply mowing the yard for a sick neighbor; when does stopping what we were once called to do become a matter of God’s will, as opposed to our own reluctance, fear, or lack of desire to continue on?

Little Gifts, and Heavenly Treasures

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Tiny Gifts

As we look about ourselves today, what do we identify as being our distractions from achieving a fullness of faith, and what are those things that bless us most as we seek out the Lord? When we begin our prayers this morning what will we thank God for, and what will we ask Him to help us to overcome? Sometimes we find that we are blessed most with the little things in our lives... and that it is a myriad of small, seemingly insignificant, sins that rob us of the peace and joy of believing that we seek.

Defeating Religious Arrogance, and Finding God in the Commonplace

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Living Life Fully

Do people we associate with consider us to be arrogant or conceited men and women of faith? By this I mean, do we present ourselves in faith as being stuffy, academically aloof, or “better than you” Christians? If we are like this or are more interested in appearing righteous than actually being righteous, then it is time that we wake up. Jesus was born a humble carpenter’s son and lived a common life despite being anything but common.

Defeating Sin, Tying Shoes, and the Life of Jesus

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Why Jesus Came

Jesus didn’t come to earth to redeem us because He felt sympathetic love for us, He came at the Father’s request to do a job, and that job was to defeat sin, and glorify God Himself. His task was to mend the rift between God, and man whom He had created. To accomplish this, He had to do so by the only way possible... by yielding His life as He suffered and sacrificed Himself in death for us.

The Forgiveness of Baby Brothers, and Sin by God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Forgiving Sin

Do you see God the Father as a gentle old grey-haired man who forgives you regardless of what you do and without regard to, or memory of, who and what you are? Well, that isn’t so. Without the horrific and yet wonderful sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ we would be lost, because God’s very nature would prohibit Him from overlooking our sins. Our forgiveness is a supernatural spiritual  event that is without precedent, and which cleanses the once permanent stain of sin.

The Blessings in Our Giving and Service

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Giving To and For God

Have you ever received manna from heaven? Maybe you haven’t been the recipient of this heavenly food specifically, but perhaps some form of spiritual or supernatural rescue or provision has been provided for you? How about a call from God telling you to be the answer to someone else’s need or prayer? When God uses us in this way we suddenly realize the immensity of the blessing that comes from giving, and our being in His service.

Sexual Predation and the Seed of Sin within Us

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Sexual Seeds of Sin

What sins do we have in our lives that have enslaved us? Do we have an overriding desire for something that drives us to commit sin, or a need in our life that makes us complicit or vulnerable to sinful things? Either way, we have been enslaved, and our sin will rule us until we can find emancipation from it. Sexual predators are in the news again right now... let’s take a look.

Are we the Vessels that Contain the Honey of God?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Together Seeking Salvation

When we look into the mirror do we consider ourselves to be great men or women of God? Do we have stripes on our sleeves for all to see, as we live the years of our faith for everyone to marvel at? Is our goal for each day to show those around us how mightily we serve God, or the pious nature of our calling? If so, then we had better stop the pompous religiosity and seek out the humility of Christ... we need to be humble like Jesus and give the honor and glory to God. We need to stop boasting about the notoriety of our own righteousness and works and start boasting in God alone.

Are We Standing in the Way of a Miracle?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Our Will or God’s

When God is working in another’s life do we get in His way? Are we one of those people that is referred to as a “fixer”, but who lets Himself get out of control on a regular basis? Do we find that in our attempt to repair a situation we come between God and the miracle He is about to perform? Do we let our own will and intellect overreach its bounds? Well, if so, then get ready to be corrected... and to quite possibly hurt the very soul we are intending to help.

Seeing God, and a Baby’s Cheek to Kiss

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Seeing God in All Things

If you were to look around right now would you see God in everything around you? Could you look at the items in the room, or the trees in your backyard and say “God, how magnificent you are!”, or would you struggle to find Him? Seeing God in every aspect of our life, and in every scene, thing, or occurrence that makes up our lives, requires spiritual training, and a circumcised heart. How sensitive is our spiritual radar?

Of Kittens, Entitlement, and Life within Us

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Loving God

If we live according to the commandments, are we owed righteousness and everlasting life? How can we be so bold as to feel this way after Jesus walked into the vile pit of worldly sin and human debasement, suffered for us there, took on our sin, died, and was raised again... all for us in our undeserving and fallen state. He loved us first; he chose us in love before the creation of the world and knew us while we were yet in our mother’s womb. So, how is it then that by simply being moral or working at following God’s commandments that we feel entitled to redemption and eternity?

Spiritual Politicians? Renovations? Who are we really?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Hidden Lives

Has Jesus changed our lives? Has He altered the very core of who we once were, or do we put Him on like a change of clothes each day to cover up the nakedness of the sin that still exists as we strive for righteousness? We often portray ourselves as being one way publicly, and then retreat into a private world that is quite different... which of these is who we actually are? Are there things we hide beneath a shiny veneer of paper thin faith as we live out both our spiritual and physical lives?

Procrastination, Perfection, and the Will of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Obey God’s Will

When God speaks do we answer Him straightway? When He says “Come” do we immediately go to Him? When Jesus says “Go do this...” are we willing to drop whatever we are presently doing and go? By our very nature we are procrastinators, some of us more than others, but all of us have some degree of this trait within us. When God reaches out to us He expects action and not excuses and asks for us to obey His will exactly as He has instructed us without delay. Are we able to do this?

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