Do We Choose Fire or Water?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Burnt Offerings

Are there sins in our lives that the Lord must remove by fire? Do we hold on so tightly to them, or have they become so deeply rooted, that the only way to remove them is to burn them out? I think of a couple examples today of purification by fire. The first is Isaiah who spoke unclean Things among a people who commonly did the same. When he came into the presence of God he realized he was sinful and the smell of smoke caused him great fear... because he felt as though God might destroy him for his transgression... Do we have sins that cause us to feel this way too?

Our Callings and the Love of Tiny Hands

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Between Callings

We are all moved to work diligently for the kingdom when we are in the middle of an active calling, but how do we spend our time after God has called us out, after a calling is complete, and we are praying for God to reinsert us into his service? Is this simply a time of rest, do we give up and put our faith on the shelf, or maybe we find ourselves unsettled, despondent, or impatient as we cry and ask for a new assignment?

Questions of a Child

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Childlike Faith

Do we ask the right questions of Jesus, and if by chance we do, are we listening as we should to the answer... with the right heart? The apostles studied under Jesus day and night, and yet, even they struggled to ask the right questions of Him. We see this when Philip asked if Jesus could show them the Father. Was it the right question to ask? Some say no, but let's listen to scripture as Jesus replies...

Shake It Off

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Works , Grace

As I thought about the point of my morning devotional reading by E.M. Bounds, I looked back on my own life as a Christian and could easily see the point he was making regarding action. His point was that working, and moving about, doesn’t insure that a person is advancing and becoming more devoted to their faith in God and Jesus.

From Whence Does My Help Come

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Possible With God

How do we judge what we are contributing to the kingdom of God? Are we looking at our efforts, or the Lord’s? This is our topic for the day. When God calls us to perform His will, how do we go about determining if we will accept His calling? Do we look at our own skills and determine if it is possible for us, and then reject those things that we feel are beyond our ability? Or, perhaps we look at Jesus and say to ourselves "He could do all those things because He was the Son of God" and thus justify our silence when God calls out our weak and miserable name? Well, we should not look at our own strengths and weaknesses, but to the promises and power of God who calls us, and can do all things.

Answering the Call

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Answering our Calling

God calls us suddenly, and usually without announcement, are we ready at a moment's notice, or must we make preparations before answering His call? Will we instantly reply "Here I am!" When He calls? I find it interesting that most of the great prophets and leaders of the Bible answered instantly when God called them. There is no hesitation and no consideration as to why they were being called.

The Details of Our Faith

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Details of Obedience

This morning I am sifting through my life and identifying those things which God has asked of me that remain undone. For the most part I have done the big things, but what about those details that didn't seem too significant or relevant to the big picture... did I gloss over them and leave them undone? I was reading my morning devotional and Oswald Chambers struck me square between the eyes when he recalled the story of King Asa. This king brought Israel back to God in a powerful way, he even took the title of queen mother from his own mother because she was found to have an image of Asherah (that he also took and destroyed). But in all his obedience to God, he left one task undone...

Sharing the Burden with Jesus

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional ,

What does it mean to be yoked with Jesus? This is our concentration for the day. Will we find a life of leisure, hardship, joy, or will it be suffering? What will this life we are living mean to us spiritually and physically? When we read the scripture in which Jesus invites us to become yoked with Him, we hear descriptions that sound appealing... restful, gentle, easy, and light... let's read it again:

God, From Whom All Blessings Flow

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Eternity Of God

There are many gifts that are given us by God, but eternal life and power are not among them. You are probably asking how I can say such a thing. Aren't these part of the promise we have been given? In a way, I am dealing with semantics. God doesn't give us eternal life, but we do experience it when the life that is Jesus comes into us. I like the way Oswald Chambers put it when he said "Eternal life is not a gift from God, eternal life is the gift OF GOD." You see, when we accept Jesus, and He enters into us, we have no choice but to live forever because that is His nature.

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