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Anne Johnston

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Make It Count

2 Mins Read

MAKE IT COUNT
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. “Psalm 118:24

The other day I saw this little saying: “You will never have this day again, so make it count.”

Do you ever come to the end of your day, and realize that you did not accomplish everything you wanted? Maybe you had a to-do list, and there just weren’t enough hours in the day to do everything you had on it. Maybe you started something and were interrupted by a phone call or a visit from a friend. You look back and realize that you wasted some minutes doing things that were not necessary. I realize that taking time for rest, relaxing, and doing some things you enjoy are important items on our list, and are not wasting time.

Those days come to all of us, I am sure. No matter the tasks that we should perform, the most important thing is that we spend some part of our day with the Lord. Daily prayer and Bible reading is important if we are going to make our day count. The other things on our list will still be awaiting us tomorrow, but if we miss a day of communicating with the Lord, we cannot regain that time.

I live alone, so can mostly decide how I am going to spend my time. I have found that taking time for the Lord first thing in the morning before I do anything else, makes my whole day go better. All through the day, there is a sense of His presence and I can talk to Him about the things I am doing, and ask for His guidance in even the little things.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for this day that you have given us, help us to make it count for you.

Devotion by Anne Johnston

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This Thing is From Me

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“Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me.” I Kings 12:24
After Solomon’s death, Israel had made king Jeroboam their king, and thus divided the kingdom into two parts. Rehoboam who ruled over Judah was going to send an army against them and endeavour to bring the kingdom back together again.
God sent a message to Rehoboam that he should not fight against Israel because what had happened was all part of His plan.
When we see the way things are going in our world today, we sometimes wonder just why certain rulers, etc., are in the positions they are. But we need to remember that God rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whosoever He will. Everything that happens is in His hands and part of His plan for our world. Through it all, He is working all things together to fulfill His perfect plan. We just need to trust Him and trust in His Divine leading.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we know that you are in complete control. Help us to trust you in all things.
Devotion by Anne Johnston

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God’s Perfect Gifts

2 Mins Read

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11
My daily Bible reading lately has been in I Kings and it is interesting to see the comments about each king that reigned: “he did right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father” or “and he did evil in the sight of the Lord,
They each had a decision to make when they became king, would they do good and follow God’s law, or would they do evil and worship the idols of others. Depending on which they decided, God either blessed them or caused judgment to come upon them. How different the history of Israel would read if each king that succeeded David had followed in His footsteps and honoured God. The nation would have been blessed and they would have lived in peace.
God gives each person on earth a choice today, we can serve God or turn our backs on Him. When we serve Him with all our heart, we can trust Him to shower us with grace and glory. He doesn’t give us everything we think we need, but He chooses what is best for our lives. He promised us wisdom, peace, victory, healing, joy and so many other blessings. May it be said of each one of us, that we walk uprightly, and are blessed by God.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to walk uprightly before you and trust you to give us what is needed in our lives.
Devotion by Anne Johnston

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No Turning Back

2 Mins Read

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62
Jesus made this statement in response to some people who said they wanted to follow Him but had other things they wished to do first, like spend more time with their friends, or wait until their parents were dead. They claimed they wanted to follow Jesus and be His disciples, but they wanted to do it on their terms.
How often people today are moved in a service, convicted of their sins, and cry out to the Lord for forgiveness. But when faced with trials and discouragements, or when realizing they must give up some things to follow Jesus, they are not willing to pay the full price.
To fully follow Jesus, we must be willing to lay aside everything else, and give ourselves wholly to Him. It’s all or nothing with Him. But when we learn to love Him with all our hearts, it is no sacrifice to give all to Him.
There is no turning back, once we have decided to follow Him. There will be obstacles and discouragements, but we can rest assured, that He will always be there for us, giving us the strength that we need.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to never look back, but follow you fully.
Devotion by Anne Johnston

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Destination Known

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“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Hebrews 11:8

My husband loved to travel, and I am sure that planning the trip was just as enjoyable to him as the trip itself. After he had chosen a destination, he would spend hours, checking maps, figuring out mileage and checking for interesting things to see and do along the way. He would go over the route several times, setting deadlines to be at a certain point. In most cases, he would meet the schedule within a few minutes.
When God called Abraham to leave his country, he had no idea where he was going or how long it was going to take. In faith, he obeyed the voice of God, and set out just taking one day at a time.
Scott Howard, of Legacy Five sings a beautiful song: “Destination Known.” Our destination is heaven, eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ. None of us know how long our journey will be but we submit ourselves to the Lord, trusting Him to guide us and direct us. As we listen to His voice, read His word, and communicate with Him one day at a time, He will keep us in the right path until the day He calls us home.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus that we know our destination, and that you will be there with us every step of the journey.
Devotion by Anne Johnston

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Shelter From The Storm

2 Mins Read

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 61:2-3
Last night in church we were singing that old song, “Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm.”
My mind wandered a bit and I could picture a weary traveler plodding across a dusty plain. The sky grew dark, and a storm was fast approaching. He quickened his pace, searching all around for a place of shelter. Suddenly he saw a group of rocks, and hurried off the pathway towards them, and there he found a cleft in which to hide and wait out the storm, rejoicing for the shelter.
So many times, in our lives, we face dark clouds, and storms that threaten us. But when we lift our eyes toward heaven and cry out to the Lord, He leads us to a place of safety. He doesn’t always calm the storm but He gives us the strength to bear whatever it is, and soon the dark clouds lift, and the sun shines again. Even amid the storm we can praise the Lord and trust Him to bring us safely through. Truly, He is our rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you for the storms you allow us to face in our lives to strengthen us, and we thank you for the shelter you provide to keep us safe from harm.
Devotion by Anne Johnston

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2 Mins Read

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. “Psalm 118:24 The other day I saw this little saying: “You will never have this day again, so make it count.” Do you ever come to the end of your day, and realize…

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New Every Morning

1 Min Read

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
The failures and mistakes of yesterday are behind us. We face a new day with confidence and determination to follow the Lord every step we take.
There may be decisions we have to make today, but we can trust the Lord to give us the wisdom and direction we need. All we have to do is call out His Name, Jesus, and He is there to meet us.
We may face sorrow and discouragement, but He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. His mercies are new every morning, a fresh supply.
We may have times of joy and happiness and we will rejoice and praise God for that. The One we serve delights in giving us good things.
Whatever today holds, our life is in His hands, and He is in control. We can safely trust in Him because He is faithful and His Word is forever settled.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, whatever today holds, we know you are with us and work everything for our good.
Devotion by Anne Johnston

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Fear of God Brings Prosperity

2 Mins Read

“Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.” Psalm 112:1
The Psalmist declares that the man/woman who fears the Lord and obeys His Word will be blessed. In verses 4 to 9, he shows us how a person who does this will react.
He is gracious and full of compassion. He shows favour and lends to others. He uses discretion in everything he does. His heart is fixed on the Lord, so the evil that is present in the world does not affect him. He gives to the poor. His righteousness endures – he is the same no matter what circumstances he faces.
Verse 3 says that wealth and riches are in his house and his righteousness endures for ever. He may not be rich as far as the world is concerned, but true riches come from serving God faithfully.
It is far better to have the riches God bestows, rather than be rich according to the world’s standards. We are storing up riches in heaven, and one day will share in all that the Lord has prepared for His people.
Prayer: Thank you Lord, for all the blessings you bestow upon us and for the hope of one day spending eternity with you.
Devotion by Anne Johnston

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