“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.” I Samuel 18:14.
As we read the account of David’s life after he had slain Goliath, we see why he was called a man after God’s own heart. David, no doubt, was completely aware that he had been chosen to be the next king, yet he submitted himself to Saul and obeyed him.
Saul plotted to have him slain by the Philistines, and even by his own son Jonathan. But, in all instances, God provided a way of escape. Saul lied to David by promising to him his oldest daughter as wife, and when he later gave him the younger daughter it was meant to trap him. Through it all, David remained humble and obedient to Saul.
Eventually, David had to flee from Saul, but even in his time of exile, he still was submitted, even giving up a couple of chances to kill Saul. He was submitted to God and loyal to the one who God had anointed. He was willing to wait for God’s timing to fulfill His plan. In due time, God gave him the kingdom.
How often we get impatient and are not willing to wait for God to work out His plans for our life. Like David, we must be faithful, and trust God for His timing.
Prayer: Lord, may we live each day faithful to you, and trusting your guidance and direction.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” Psalm 16:6
As I meditate upon the Lord this morning, my heart is filled with gratitude. There is food in my cupboard, clothing in my closet, and money in the bank to meet my monthly obligations. I have children who love me and keep in close touch. I have a great church to attend and a pastor who preaches God’s Word. Most important of all, I have assurance of salvation, and hope of eternity in heaven, when He calls me home.
I realize that I do not deserve all the blessing the Lord has bestowed upon me, it is only because of His mercy and care for me. Truly, like the Psalmist, I can say “my lines have fallen in pleasant places; and I have a godly heritage.”
I lift my voice in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord who daily provides my every need.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for all you have provided, help me to be ever thankful for your love.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” Psalm 106:15
Despite their miraculous delivery from the slavery in Egypt, the children of Israel spent a lot of time complaining about their lot. At one point the began to complain about the lack of meat. There were tired of eating manna every day and wished for a change. So, God sent quail, in such abundance that they over indulged their appetites and suffered sickness and death.
What they wanted, wasn’t what they needed. God knew what was best for them during their journey and He was providing, but they were not satisfied. Now He had given them their desire, but it didn’t make them happy, it just resulted in more problems.
I was thinking about this the other day, and remembering years ago when my husband and I discussed how nice it would be to have a boat, or a cottage somewhere on a lake where we could go like some of our friends did. We concluded that it was not the best idea because the only time we could use it would be on the weekends and that would mean missing church, which we knew was not right. So, we put it out of our minds. It was not worth having this pleasure and endangering our spiritual lives and that of our children.
Sometimes the things we want so badly are not God’s best for us. The children of Israel learned this the hard way. We need to listen to the voice of God, and let our desires be led by His will for us.
Prayer: Jesus, may our only desire be to find your perfect will for our lives, and let you lead us every day.
Devotion by Anne Johnston