Are we at peace? Are we still?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Peace and Still

We read the account of Jesus calming the sea and marvel at His power, and command over it, but if we read this passage carefully we see that He gave two commands here. The first was a single word… “Peace!”, and the second was “Be still!” Although these are commands that scripture says He spoke to calm the sea, we should hear, and obey them in our own lives too… not to calm various situations we find ourselves in, although this would be appropriate, but to bring peace to our souls, and still our spirits. The first to bring us calm, and the second as we feel the presence of God. Do we hear Him in this way in the midst of the storms we encounter?

The Power of One Prayer to Save and Deliver Us

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Individual Prayer

When we are facing great danger or eminent threat, who do we turn to for our salvation? Do we think that an army can save us, or the money of the wealthy will purchase peace and safety from our attackers? Perhaps we believe that our deliverance will be in a bottle of pills, or by the skill of a surgeon, but whatever, or whoever we rush to, they are nothing without the hand of God guiding them, and we can expect nothing unless our trust, and faith are in anything other than the Lord. Where does our help really come from, and do we place our confidence in God, or in the actions of those who can guarantee nothing?

Forgetting the pain of trial, and remembering the reward of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Blessing

When Joseph had been through all his boyhood suffering, been sold into slavery, and had risen to power in Egypt, he was blessed with two sons. The first he named after God’s mercy for allowing him to forget those hardships, and the second he named for the blessings God poured out on him after his afflictions. We should take note that although we face trouble in our lives the Lord is merciful in them, and that blessings rise from their ashes. Do we look at our lives like a burning house, and forget this short lived suffering while seeing what our Father is preparing to build for us on that very spot?

Morning Prayers, and the Desperation of our Soul

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Morning Prayers

Do our prayers begin to rise up before our feet hit the floor each morning? Do we thank the Lord for this new day, and ask Him to lead us in it before we stand erect to face the world? It is one thing to seek God in prayer when we will confront something difficult in the coming day, or are being pursued by an enemy, and are desperate for help, but what about the desperation of our soul? That deep longing that yearns for the presence of the Lord? Do we long for Jesus to awaken in us, and God to lift us up as we breathe the first breaths of each new dawn? Is our faith rekindled and the fire of our soul’s desire for our relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, bursting into flame to light our way… even before we reach our prayer chair or closet? Ask yourself… at what point in my day does my soul desire to enter into the presence of God?

What is peace, and do we wish it on others?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Answering, Peace

Are we at rest today? Do we feel a sense of peace in our lives? I was reading on the subject of being at peace this morning, and contemplating the answer to these two questions as they pertained to my life. I realized that as we look about us and see a world that knows very little if any peace, that it is certainly precious when we encounter such moments in our lives. When we think back on the times when we felt at peace, and were able to rest without the slightest anxious thought to disturb us, we find that one of two things were at play; either we were blissfully ignorant of the world, and our lives, or we were experiencing the true peace of Christ.

Praying for the Masses, and the World

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Praying for the World

Do we thank God for our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we pray for them on a daily basis, and not just for help when they are experiencing problems in their lives, offering thanks when they have been blessed, or for instruction when they are irritating us in some way? The apostle Paul wrote the Corinthians and told them that he prayed for them always, and likewise, that should be how we pray for our fellow Christians too. There was only one reason he gave for this, and it was because they were covered by the grace given them in Christ. Now let me ask a deeper question… do we pray for those whose souls are lost, and don’t know, or haven’t yet come to believe?

Losing Souls through our own unkind, or Pious Actions

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , New Christians

If someone says or does some little thing wrong, uses an incorrect word in a sentence, or slips up in some other trivial way, do we feel obligated to immediately correct them? Do we look forward to arguing, or defending our point of view until we have won this point, or contest of wills, at all cost? Is our adherence to this obsessiveness in our nature so overwhelming that we come across as harsh, mean spirited, or bitter? Well this is not the nature of Christ, nor is it how we as Christians should behave. We are transformed in Jesus, not into some pious person who believes himself to be perfect, or who is intolerant, and intransigent, but into a gentle, and forgiving, person who is able to teach of Jesus Christ, and win souls to God without driving them away. So let’s honestly ask ourselves whether we win souls to the Lord through quarreling over minor points of theology, and biblical interpretation, or whether we gently win new believers by teaching of the kind and virtuous nature of Jesus.

Embracing our Ever Present God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , I Am

Do we live our faith in the moment, or is our relationship with God based on what He has already done, or what we want Him to do for us tomorrow? Do we spend so much time in the past and dreaming of the future that we allot little time to what He is doing in our lives right now? There is a verse that we often use to settle ourselves when we are facing troubles, and to strengthen our trust in the fact that although God has done wonderful things in our past, that He will handle our future troubles. We use this verse to overcome our worry about tomorrow, but if we pause here, and read carefully, we will see that, although it speaks about our troubles, it is actually telling us to live in relationship with God right now! Our relationship with Him has a history, but it is more than that, and if we place so much emphasis in what we want to do for Him, or we want Him to do for us, then we will neglect the most important part of any relationship… the embrace, the kiss… or in other words… living in our love, our joy, and our togetherness, right now!

Are we Minimalists in Faith and Prayer?

Richard Forbes
Minimalist Prayer

The Lord provides for His children. Do you believe this, I mean REALLY believe this? Saying such a thing is easy when we are surrounded by the things we need, but when we are facing a time of war or famine, when we can’t see where our next meal is coming from, or drought is upon us and our mouth is parched… do we trust the Lord in such times? Are we certain of His provision? Do we listen faithfully for the sound of raven wings as they bring us sustenance, or the gushing sound as the staff of Moses draws water from the rock?

Jesus the Son is Life

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Eternal Life

If we believe in Jesus we have life, but we can’t just believe that He was a man that once lived, or a mighty prophet; no, we must acknowledge Him as the Son of God. If we believe in this way then we have life, eternal life, but what kind of life is it that we are seeking to live forever? People in the world around us choose to live their lives in all kinds of ways; some being extremely happy, while others are sad. Some people are quiet while their neighbors are loud and outgoing, and there are those who are industrious while their brethren are sedentary. So if we are to live forever, what kind of life do we want to live; more than that, what kind of life does God want us to live? God wants us to live as His Son Jesus Christ lives. We are to abandon who we are at the moment we first believe, and become transformed; to become measure, by measure, like Christ Himself. We are to accept the gift of salvation that God has prepared for us.

Are We Afraid in the Night, or at Rest?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Rest , Restoration

We sweat and toil in the light of day, and pray for the Lord’s hand to be upon us. We are heartbroken as we look down on the graves of our loved ones, and pray for God’s gentle embrace. We suffer the pain of wounds, or the discomfort of illness, and pray for our Father’s healing touch. Every day brings some concern, suffering, or trial, that leads us to pray, but for every hard day there comes a gentle night of rest… a time of peace, and the revelation of God’s wonder. We can’t see the stars and moon until the sun has set, and we can’t hear the song of night until the raucous uproar of day has subsided. Do we lift up our daily prayers and remain confident in them to bring us rest? God separates our days of tribulations with nights of stillness, and peace.

Pray without Falling Asleep

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Prayer

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked His disciples to watch and pray with Him, but they failed Him, and fell asleep. Do we fall down in our prayers as well? The example we have in Christ is to pray in the morning before the sun rises, to do so all during the day, and to end our days by praying into the night. Do we follow his example? Do we even come close? Prayer has purpose, in the Garden that night Jesus told the disciples that their prayers would keep them from temptation, but it does much more than this as we pray for forgiveness, joy, goodness, thanksgiving, strength, protection, and every life and spiritual thing. Prayer is a lifeline cast from our needy soul into Heaven itself, and it is the song that fills the silence of our lives. Do we pray as we should, or are we found sleeping?

Asking for Signs and Prophesy

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Signs and Prophesy

We believe, and have faith, but so often we are afraid to know the unfolding will of God. We fear prophesy, and signs, because, although we might outwardly want the world to change, quite often we find that inwardly we are satisfied with our lives as they are. Thus we fear the revelation of events that prophesy speaks to, or the changes that signs tell us are coming. We see the signs of autumn as the days begin to grow shorter, and the leaves start falling from the trees, but we dread the cold winter that follows. Signs can show us the way, but they always point to change… a new place, a new experience, a transformed life, but always the passing of something old. Change means that we will experience, or know, something new, but it also means we will leave something behind… a love, something comfortable, or some other thing we have grown accustomed to. Are we ready to ask God for prophesy, and signs today? Are we ready for change in our lives?

The Unseen Hand of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , God’s Secret Hand

For some reason we tend to think that Jesus only intercedes for us when we can see evidence that He is doing so, or that God’s help only occurs when, and where we can see His hand moving. It is wrong to think that we will always see some hint of His coming, or that we must feel the ground shaking, or see the waters tremble, as He approaches. Thanks be to God that this is not the case, and that even when we sleep, or are unaware, our Heavenly Father watches over us, He protects us, and He prepares a way for us. In those moments when He is working in secret, and we believe that we are alone, or that God isn’t hearing our prayers, He is at work, and He has surrounded us with angels. Do we have faith in this, or must our eyes be opened before we are able to believe?

Lessons of Faith on a Stormy Sea with Jesus

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Faith and Adversity

We are often called to do certain things of faith, and quite often we believe that we understand why we are doing them only to find that the Lord has an entirely different plan, and purpose. It is for this reason I like the story of Jesus calming the sea. In this story the disciples think they are simply crossing the sea to continue Christ’s ministry, but soon find that this voyage is much more than that. Haven’t we all found that what we felt was a trip towards salvation and eternity when we first accepted Jesus as our Lord, has become much much more than that?

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