My Mouth and Meditation
Seek His Promises
And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. (Matthew 11:6)
God’s Word is filled with promises He gave in the past which can be applied to my present circumstances. I can give a very simple way of how I get a promise from God. First, I start by praying to Him about a burden while asking for His will to be done in it. It is not God’s will for me to be stressed out and unsettled, so I start reading the Word, looking for a passage that addresses what I am praying about. If a verse pops out, I will start meditating over it, asking God about it and looking up the cross references for it. I know that it is a promise from God if it addresses the burden on my heart in future terms while giving me a present day peace. I also know that it is a promise and not a command if I can’t do anything to fulfill it by myself. God wants me to trust and have faith and He will accomplish the rest.
Today, try to read segments in the book of Isaiah. God has given me so many promises in that book. Keep seeking the Lord’s will until He gives you a verse. Then trust Him. He is more than able to address and accomplish all that concerns you today and every day!
After reading this devotion I was reminded of a scripture in Psalms 105:4, Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. No matter what your facing today, no matter what your going through, seek His strength and His face. Go to The Word and you will find the peace and direction you are looking for. Seek His promises and wait on Him. He is able!!
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is 2 Timothy 3:16
Weary People with no Holiday Cheer
Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. (Psalm 68:9)
I was shopping in Costco during the summer months and ran into an old acquaintance from a Bible study class we attended together. I asked her how she was doing and her response was, “Well, I have the most difficult time keeping the faith in the summer and during the holidays.” Her words were absolutely honest and sadly enough very true. We grow weary in doing good at different seasons of life. The holidays tend to be one of those seasons.
After talking with so many women at retreats, Bible studies, live radio programs, women’s events and even through emails, we have found that many Christians are basically weary(or at least the people who talk to us). Circumstances, people, finances, negative words and thoughts have all contributed to not having a desire to persevere. We know that the right thing is to persevere, run the race with endurance, and not lose heart, but sometimes it seems too difficult to just keep going, day in and day out.
If we were really honest, most of us would admit to having thoughts like, “How can I do it all? How is this going to work out? Why does life have to be this hard?” The added pressure of the holiday season demands more of our time and attention. Suddenly we find ourselves having no time to pray or seek the Lord. Instead, we try to spiritualize and justify our position by saying we are doing all these things for others as if we are living a sacrificial life. However, we can’t give others something we do not have. We can become unspiritual in the process. My father frequently said, “When your output exceeds your intake, your upkeep is your downfall.” It is too easy to fall down in the holiday seasons.
Why? Because God does not ask us to sacrifice but to obey. Jesus defined obedience in John 15 as abiding in Him. We need to take the time to be with the Lord. Lift your eyes toward Him, open your heart in prayer and seek the Lord. He will help you and He is able to provide rest for the weary soul.
This blessed me so much, what truth and honesty. I pray this touches you in such a way as it did I, it honestly brought tears to my eyes. Three words came to mind, He is able!
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is John 15
What Is Your Choice?
The prophet Jeremiah foretold the coming destruction of Jerusalem. The people hated him for what he predicted, but the Lord’s words were true. The day came when the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem and Jeremiah was taken captive along with many others. But Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard in the Babylonian army, said to Jeremiah: “The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place. Now the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you” (Jeremiah 40:2-3). Even the enemy invaders saw the judgment of God upon His people. Jeremiah; however, was given a choice. He could go to Babylon or stay with the people left in their land. Jeremiah chose to stay.
Today, we have a choice as well. We can go with the Babylonians and pursue the things of the world, or we can remain in the place where the Lord has placed us. Sometimes the land we are living in is filled with hardships and afflictions. Sometimes we are tempted to choose the things that promise relief, even when they may not be God’s will for us. Choosing the harder path does not come naturally for us, but it is usually what is best in the end. We must remember that our time here on earth is but a vapor, a brief moment. But eternity lasts forever and ever.
One of God’s greatest leaders boldly proclaimed in Joshua 24:15, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Make your choice today to serve the Lord. Do not stop serving Him during the hard times. Hold fast and firm to the choice you make today. Our Lord is faithful and just to get us through to the end.
When I read this I couldn’t help but think, what a mighty, mighty God we serve. One of my most favorite scriptures in the Bible is Joshua 24:15, what a profound statement, as for me and my house, we will serve The Lord!! It’s important that we don’t just quote that scripture then continue our daily lives but truly mean it and live by it, He is truly faithful and He will get you through to the end, it’s up to you to trust Him to do so. No matter what your facing, He is greater and He is able!
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!!
Today’s Reading is Joshua 24:15
Grow A Vibrant Spiritual Life
I’ve always thought about today’s passage in an external sense, rather than about the spiritual life. After all, that’s how it presents itself.
The lazy person reaps ruin while the diligent can expect a healthy harvest.
Simple. Makes sense. It’s a good challenge to keep me working hard and ensure I don’t let myself slack off.
But what if we consider this sowing-and-reaping principle in terms of our spiritual life? Specifically in our relationship with God.
Read today’s devotional verse:
I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man. (Proverbs 24:30-34)
We might not all live in castles or own vineyards, but we do all have the most valuable possession in the world: a human heart, soul, and spiritual life that needs tending.
Which scene resembles your inner quality of life in the following facets:
1. Your spiritual life and relationship with the Lord,
If you’re like me, it’s probably a mix of the two.
Tending To Your Spiritual Life:
For me, being in the Bible and in prayer are two places I’ve experienced incredible life. I have also put myself on the line in order to be obedient to his direction—even though it’s been scary and uncomfortable.
It’s a mainstay of my personal relationship with Jesus.
I may not have a heart populated by colonnades and cascading fountains, but there is life there for both myself and for others.
But if I dig deeper:
* What about envy?
* What about my greed?
* What about mean-spiritedness and incessant judgment of other people based on appearances?
* What about how I deal with anger?
You see, the further I look past the well-tended fixtures of my inner life, I notice neglected places and crumbling walls.
I see nettles intruding on flower beds, choking the life out of what is good.
Tending To Your Personal Inner Life:
* Do I deal with anger before it blossoms into resentment?
* Am I the same person in private as I am in public?
* Am I cultivating habits that, while not comfortable, will produce life?
I encourage you to survey your spiritual life in the same way. Find both areas that are flourishing and those that are crumbling.
How can you be diligent to tend to both? How will you increase fruitful areas while tilling up the weed-infested ones and starting over?
For me, it all starts with a willingness to see reality. So, are you willing to see the real problems that exist in your heart? Are you willing to admit that there are cycles of trouble in your life that don’t stem from everyone else’s actions, but are caused by your own attitudes and dispositions?
Here’s the deal. Until you own the entirety your inner life—the fruit trees and the weeds—you’ll never have the power or clarity to nurture it to its full potential.
So, if you find yourself in a spiritual draught, be diligent in cultivating the places where life can be found.
We can nurture wonderful landscapes within our hearts and minds—but we must do so on purpose. The question today is, are you?
Wow, after reading this I don’t even know what to add. What a challenge for each and every one of us. We are quick to recognize and remind ourselves of the areas that are flourishing but let’s be honest with ourselves today and each day and survey the areas that are crumbling. We have nobody to blame but ourselves. Create in me a clean heart, o God; and renew a right spirit within me. Amen!!
Have a wonderful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Proverbs 24:30-34
Praise Him and Find Victory
Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 150:2,6)
As we meet and talk with women, we often hear of their struggles, especially in their own thoughts. They feel unworthy to be serving the Lord. Thoughts like, “Who are you to be doing this?” or “Why are you working on this–someone else could do it better?” are common components of mental attacks. These thoughts then trigger certain emotions and the next thing for women is a pit of depression and hopelessness, just what the enemy had planned. The enemy wants you to feel so condemned and depressed that you quit or are too demoralized to minister effectively and powerfully.
Some Christians recognize that these types of thoughts are not of the Lord but they do not know how to stop them. Some of us quote verses, rebuke the devil, and attempt to reason our way out of it with logical comebacks, but still have no real victory. Instead of fighting back, we begin to justify the bad thoughts, thinking that maybe these self-condemning behaviors are from the Lord to keep us humble. Wrong!
Jesus came to give us life to the fullest. He wants us to share in His joy, not wallow in our flesh. We are sinners. We are unworthy to do anything to please God. We are to love Him and to worship Him. Our faith is the only way to please God. It is not for us to dwell on our unworthiness but to praise Him for His willingness to save us.
How can we change this process? Start praising the Lord! Put on praise music, read the psalms aloud (as if you wrote them to the Lord) and worship the Lord. The key is to get our eyes off ourselves and focus on Him. He is worthy and by His blood that cleanses us, we can do all things through Christ, even change those negative thoughts.
When I read this I couldn’t help but think of how mighty God is, I’ve had a few people call or txt me this week with these exact struggles, asking for prayer or just a listening ear. It amazes me what happens when we pray, God provides the answer, an uplift for our spirit man. Wow!! What a mighty mighty God we serve. We are so beyond blessed being loved by Him. Praise Him and Find Victory!! Amen!
Have a wonderful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalms 148, 1 Cor. 15:29-58