11/7/12- Truth that Lasts

For,

“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:24, 25) 

Thoughts: Day 39 of the devotionals . We like to pick the things we want to believe in. But the problem is sometimes we pick unhealthy beliefs. Things like: "I can't ever be forgiven." Or, "My life is of no value." But God's Word calls us to a higher truth, an everlasting truth that outlasts all the falseness and distortions of this world, that keep us from living the abudnant life.

Prayer: Help me to rely on your Word, whose truth lasts forever.

10/23/12- Spiritual Security System

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17)

Thoughts: The most common commercial I see (usually on the news or ESPN) are security commercials.  Usually the man is away and the woman or child are in bed or the shower and someone breaks down the door, and the security person speaks to the burglar and they run away.  Wouldn't it be nice to have a tool that keeps you and the ones you love safe from all physical danger?  What about spiritual danger?  Ironically, all of us are much more vulnerable spiritually than we are physically- and the spiritual part of us is what lives forever.  God has not left us without any tools.  When we are tempted- God's voice is able to speak addressing that temptation and make it go away.  The problem is that we often have turned the voice of God off or the volume down so much- that it is useless, and we are damaged or wounded in our souls.  Reading and thinking about God's Word daily turns that volume up.  Jesus, when he was tempted with physical, spiritual and social temptations responded to the temptation by saying, "It is written" and then quoted scripture (Mt. 4:4).
We too, have at our hand our security weapon- in old times it is called "the sword of the Spirit."  Maybe we could call it "Our spiritual security system."

Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to turn my spiritual security on by listening to you this day.  Protect me, guard my soul, strengthen me this day.

(Going along with 40 days in the Word)

10/19/12- Strength in Weariness

My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word. (Psalm 119:28)

(Old metal melted and forming something new)

Thoughts:  Perhaps today you feel weary. The word "weary" in the Hebrew from this verse means "to melt away." What once was solid because of heat and friction begins to melt. Maybe God is molding us into something new and the heat makes us more pliable.  If you are weary, tired, worn down, melted down- remember where your real strength lies.  Maybe God reminds you of someone in scripture like Daniel's friends who went through the fire. Maybe you look at Paul (who was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, left for dead, imprisoned) said he considered the suffering of this life not worth comparing to the glory of the next. Maybe its a simple reminder like Philippians 4:13- "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." Maybe it is the verse, "When you walk through the fire you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze; neither shall the floods overwhelm you" (Is. 43:2).  God is able to gather us together, to unmelt and solidify us.

Prayer: I come to you, Lord, weary and heavy laden. I seek from you this day rest, peace, encouragement and strength- so that I might be a blessing to you today.

Thoughts above mainly taken from 40 Days in the Word video devotion of the day (from Shawn Lovejoy of Mountain Lake Church in Atlanta).