All in Daily Devotion
Do you feel hopelessly alone today? Are you feeling lost, abandoned, sick and without hope, dying and laying alone waiting for that final moment, or suffering without the care of a loved one? No matter how far we feel that we are from another soul, or devoid of love, we are never alone... no matter how lost, how abandoned, how hopeless, how near death, or intense our suffering... we are in the continuous presence , and hands of God. Take heart for He loves you now.
When was the last time you spoke to someone about your faith? I am not talking about standing on the street corner atop a soapbox or handing out tracts; I am referring to an earnest conversation about Jesus Christ with a friend at work who is suffering and lost, or a child you know that needs to hear one of the parables of Jesus to help them understand a life lesson? We often blame society for emasculating our faith, when the truth is that we gave up our swords of faith long ago. We stand in our armor of faith with no weapon and bemoan our circumstances.
Do you desire to please the Father and Son in all you do, or is your motive one of self gratification? Are your efforts designed to secure a beautiful eternity for yourself, or to make eternity a pleasurable paradise for God? Sometimes we seek the right things for the wrong reasons... how do you approach your faith?
So often we try to fix our own problems, or at very least help God as He endeavors to make things right. In this manner we are like a young child who gets in the way of his father after having just asked him for help. Most of the time we ask because we are unable to do these things, or at very least are unable to do them on our own, and yet when we ask for God to intercede, we then proceed to wrest control back from His hands as He responds. Is this you? Are you the impatient or presumptuous child?
When you are tired, or in need of shelter in a storm, where do you turn? When all is lost, and you can’t provide for yourself where do you find sustenance? At every turn you may be pursued by an enemy, but is there a strong tower where you can take refuge? The answer is yes, and no matter the circumstances it is forever true and dependable... we dwell in our Lord.
How often have you disobeyed God, and had calamity fall upon you? When this occurred, what did you do? How did you realign yourself with God, and experience His forgiveness and salvation? What did you promise the Lord in prayer to gain his deliverance from your time of suffering?
Why is it that we go to our knees at the altar before God? Why do we call out the name of Jesus and go down in the waters of baptism as He did? Do we truly believe, or do we come here out of a fear of what lies ahead? Maybe we think it is safe to purchase a ticket just in case this God stuff is all true? Ask yourself my friend; “Why do I come, or why did I come?” If it is for any reason other than true belief then you had better seek Him more diligently because He knows your heart.
Someone does you a good deed, and if you are a believer you might say “thank you”, but some might respond by wrongly saying “you have blessed me”, or “that was such a blessing!” In fact, no man can bless... only God. When Isaac gave his blessing to his son Jacob he couldn’t take it back because he had conceded to Jacob his own favored status with God. Who do you bestow your blessing on, or do you understand how important that is?
We are preparing ourselves for Lent, and during this Lenten season we will pray, deny ourselves, repent, and in quiver and contrition ask forgiveness for all our sins by God’s mercy and grace through Jesus Christ. As we ready ourselves, the story of Jesus plays out in our hearts, minds, and souls, and in remembrance of His promised return, we realize that He has never left, and will never leave us.
As we struggle through life, where do we look for our strength? Do we exercise our own bodies? Do we read self-help books to give strength to our minds and characters? If so, how is this working out for you? When we depend on our own devices, or books written by other men for our strength, we are never as strong as when God’s strength courses through us.
Do you like to try new foods, visit new places, meet new people? Well be careful, because such desires for newness and diversity can lead you astray when applied to your faith. Our love for Jesus shouldn’t require us to meet Him like a stranger every day, and we should resist the temptation to change Him in some way each time we visit Him, or redecorate His House every time we enter His door.
When you were a child, your mother and father comforted you in times of trouble, they would give you words of encouragement and quote bible verses to you, but now you are older, so who comforts you now? Where do you turn for relief from today’s trouble when you are filled with the worries of the world?
Are you in the midst of trouble and don’t know what to do? Perhaps you cry out to God in prayer for your provision or rescue, but when the answer doesn’t come in your own time you begin to doubt Him. Prayer... it is more than a revelation of our thoughts to God, it is a plea to be within His will. God answers prayer that isn’t at odds to His character, and that is conformed to who He is.
Is your life full of hardship and adversity right now? Are you going through the gates of sorrow, or crossing a desert in which you are feeling lost and parched? Perhaps it is illness, mourning, or some other wrenching moment! If so, then are you tempted to lash out at God and ask Him why, or to look for Jesus and cry out “Where Are You?” Sometimes we feel like we are being punished when nothing could be further from the truth.
Where do you make your home, and why? Is there a certain spiritual place that you simply visit from time to time, or have you found a place where God is, and made this your residence? Sometimes we live in a location because it suits our physical needs, or maybe because it is aesthetically pleasing and beautiful, but we should make our home where God is. We should never stray far from where our spirit converses with God.