“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!” (Revelation 12:11-12a in the New King James Version of the Holy Bible). There…
How often have you said, “I just wish someone understood me?” This verse reminds us once again that God really does understand what we are going through. Jesus is no stranger to pain and suffering. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:…
“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way;” (Exodus 13:21 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible). Walking around with your head in the clouds is not always negative! Oh, how I want to spend my day…
Do you need wisdom to resolve a conflict in a relationship? Perhaps you did not contribute to the disagreement or offense, but you find yourself trying to find a way to diffuse the situation. I recommend reading the account of Abigail in I Samuel 25:1-39 for a biblical perspective on…
“Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you” (II Corinthians 13:11 in the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible). There is no feeling quite like giving or receiving encouragement. One of the positive aspects of social networking is…
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 Holman Christian Standard Bible) Are you living a life of worry and frustration or are you celebrating God’s blessings in spite of your circumstances? Christians have every reason to rejoice. Our eyes are focused on Jesus -…
“Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will recieve all that he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:36 NLT) When you encounter the inevitable challenges of life, you must never lose hope. If bitter disappointment comes your way – endure! While you…
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” Psalm 5:3
The morning glory lifts its face as a new day has begun.
The petals slowly open to catch the morning sun.
Dewdrops glisten on each bloom, perfume fills the air.
The vines stretch upward to the sun, their beauty with us to share.
How wonderful to start each day with arms outstretched in praise.
The gentle presence of the Lord reflecting on our face.
Awakened from a night of rest we seek His grace and love,
And peace descends upon our hearts like showers from above.
To share His beauty to the world is the task that He has given.
May His glory shine through us to lead someone to Heaven.
Prayer: Thank you Lord, for another new day, guide my steps and make me a blessing to someone today.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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