“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him”(Matthew 4:19-20). This has always been a fascinating portion of scripture to me. I am often drawn back to it, and my imagination runs wild with possibilities.…
“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” Psalm 48:14
I love to travel and I am very thankful for Cruise Control when I am on the highway. I don’t like driving in the rain because I must turn the Cruise Control off. It is too dangerous to use it when the road is wet. Cruise Control can be dangerous also if we are driving when we are tired. If we are not careful we get too relaxed and before we know it, we are hitting the rumble strip.
How often in our spiritual walk, do we get in trouble because we are just drifting along, not really paying attention to what is happening. Maybe we neglect our Bible reading and prayer for a day or so, maybe we have missed a church service or so because we were tired or busy at something else. We are depending on our past experience with the Lord to keep us going.
Thank God, He places some rumble strips along the way, and gives a nudge to wake us up and make us pay attention to what is happening. Maybe it is the lyrics of a song we are listening to, or a message from our Pastor, or just a word from a good friend. What a relief it is, to call out to the Lord for help, spend some time with Him in prayer and get back on track.
He is our guide, and is always there to hear us when we call out to Him, but He wants us to stay alert all the time, and take time for Him every day.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us not just to cruise along, but to let you guide us every step of the way.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
“And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.” II Kings 5:2
Can you imagine what life was like for this little servant girl. She had been taken away from her family and friends, and the life she had known. Captive of an enemy, servant to his wife, forced to obey every order, even though she was grieving for her family. The Bible does not give her a name nor tell us how old she was.
I would like to think that Naaman’s wife used this little girl well, that she had the food she needed, clothing to wear, and a comfortable bed to sleep in at night. Nothing could really make up for not being with her family.
Whatever her situation, she had not forgotten what she had learned as a child. She remembered the stories of miracles that had taken place at the hand of the prophet, Elisha. So, when her master became sick with leprosy, she went to her mistress and told her about the man of God back in her homeland. She had faith that if he would just go there, he would be healed.
This story shows us that children who are taught to love the Lord when they are small, will remember what they have learned. It gives me faith to believe that my son, who is not serving God at this time, will one day return to the faith of his childhood.
Prayer: Lord we thank you that we can teach our children to know you and to love you, and that you will always be there for them when they call on you.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
“Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3
Am I the only one who often finds myself wishing I had never opened my mouth and said things that would have been better left unsaid? I am sure it happens to all of us at one time or another.
Perhaps, it is something that a friend has told us in confidence, and in a conversation with others, we mention it, and too late, realize we were not supposed to tell. We can ask those who heard us to keep it quiet, but we know that they are going to do the same thing we did and tell someone else.
Perhaps, in a moment of frustration with someone, we lash out with unkind words. Even though we apologize, and they have said they forgive us, the situation will come back to haunt us when we are trying to get to sleep at night
Sometimes, it may be thoughts that we have let build up in your mind, and without intentionally wanting to, we blurt them out, knowing that we should not have done so.
This verse in Psalms is one I pray in the mornings, asking the Lord to guide my thoughts and my words for the day. For out of the abundance of our heart, our words come and they have power to hurt and to humiliate others. We will always make mistakes, but as we pray and seek God, He is able to give us victory over this problem.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, guard my every word and help me to only speak what gives honour and glory to you.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
“And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” II Timothy 2:5
Last week at our District Camp, the morning speaker was commenting on this chapter in II Timothy, speaking about the battle between flesh and spirit. This verse stood out to me.
I thought about so many stories we hear of athletes who are stripped of their medals or titles because they have taken drugs that they should not have to enhance their ability. Instead of depending on the strength and ability that came naturally, they wanted an easier way. What a sad thing it must be to have come first in an event, only to have the honour taken away from them because they had not obeyed the rules.
If we want to be the winner in the game of life, there are certain rules we must follow. The Scriptures lay down the path we must take in order to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Sometimes our flesh will tempt us to take an easier way, to neglect Bible study and prayer, but we will soon find ourselves weak in our spiritual life if we do so.
I have known some young people who lived for God with all their heart, when they were facing opposition from family, and yet when they got out on their own, they neglected to seek God with all their heart and soon drifted away from their walk with the Lord. They started the race well, but lost out in the end.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we rely on you for our strength and help every day, help us to follow your guidance, and finish the race you have set before us.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” I Chronicles 29:14, KJV
David desired to build a house for God, but the Lord showed him that he was not to be the one, but that his son Solomon would build the house. But David did everything he could to prepare the materials that would be needed. Even though it would be built after his death, he wanted to be part of it
Not only, did he gather materials, the Scriptures tell us he gave much from his own resources, and he also presented the need to the people, giving them an opportunity to donate as well. They offered willingly in response. In this verse, he expresses that everything he owns has been given to him by God, and he is only offering back what is God’s own.
God has given us so much, everything we have belongs to Him, so when we present our offerings and gifts to Him, we are just giving back what is His already. It is a privilege to be able to give to God. We may not be able to go to another country, but we can give to support those who are doing so. The Bible tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. Giving to the work of God is part of our worship, and the Lord blesses us abundantly in return.
Prayer: Jesus, we thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us and we cheerfully and willingly present our offerings to you.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28, KJV
Recently, I was reminiscing with some friends about our experiences at Harvey, NB, Camp Meeting when we were younger. There are so many memories: Bro. Dudley ringing the cowbell in the mornings to get us up for Prayer; gathering straw to make our beds in the dormitory over the dining hall; cleaning our teeth and washing our faces in the lake; meeting with friends that we only saw once a year; laughter and fun with other young people.
But the best memories are of the services, and the great men and women of God, who shared God’s Word with us. The missionary services were greatly appreciated, as those who had dedicated their lives to take the Gospel to other lands. They inspired us and helped us to make a decision to follow God’s call in our lives.
I especially remember Bro. Bill Drost, leading the singing and always singing “He Abides.” He would tell us that we belonged to the “We Know Club.” We know that we belong to Jesus, and that He abides in our hearts. We know that we have a hope of one day spending eternity in Heaven. I remember the year he was so sick, and it didn’t look like he and his family would be able to return to the Mission field. But God healed him and once again proved that all things work together for good, for those who put their trust in God.
I am so thankful that I know Jesus and I know that He is with me every step of the way, guiding my footsteps and meeting my needs.
Prayer: Jesus thank you that “we know” You and that You are always working all things together for our good.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” Romans 4:20-21 KJV
God chose Abraham to be the beginning of the Israelite nation, from which would eventually come the Messiah, who would not only redeem the Israelites but also those from all nations of the world. He was told to leave his country and journey to a place he had never seen before.
Abraham did not have the Scriptures to read about all the miracles God had performed for His people. He did not have other believers to tell him of the great things that God had done in their lives and what could be accomplished by faith.
But He knew God had spoken to him and given him a promise, so he stepped out boldly in faith, fully persuaded that God would lead and direct him and fulfill the promises he had been given.
Today, we have the Bible, many stories of God’s wondrous works and also the testimonies of fellow believers. How much more should we step out in faith, trusting God to answer our prayers, meet our every need and perform miracles on our behalf.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, our faith is often weak when we compare it to Abraham’s. Help us to trust you and be obedient to Your voice.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
Psalm 46:10 gives us the secret to learning. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (King James Version of the Holy Bible) In simple language, the Psalmist tells us how to get better acquainted with…