“Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee. Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.” Job 13:20-21 Job had been suffering not only from physical pain, but from the pain of losing his children and his…
“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
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
“And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.” Joshua 9:14
Who hasn’t received an e-mail or a phone call with an offer that sounded too good to be true, but was really just a scam. Many people have been deceived and have ended up losing a lot of money as a result.
God had just given Joshua and the Israelites great victories over Jericho and Ai. The men of Gibeon were filled with fear that they would be defeated as well, so they put their heads together and came up with a great idea. They came to Joshua, pretending to be from a great distance and desiring peace.
Joshua took their story at face value, and agreed to make peace with them. His big mistake was that he did not consult with the Lord first. Just think how he must have felt when he learned the truth and realized he had just been taken in by a scam.
As I read this story, I realized that many times we find ourselves in trouble, because we make decisions without praying about it first. Sometimes when we have had a time of victory and blessing, we may just coast along on that, and neglect to seek God about everything in our life. It is always important that we pray first, before making even minor decisions.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to always seek you first in every decision we make, because you know what is best for us.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O LORD! (Psalm 70:1, Holy Bible, New King James Version)
My prayers often mimic the psalmist’s plea. I speak the modern words for “make haste,” and say, “Hurry, hurry, hurry.” I wait, but nothing happens. Then the situation gets worse. “Don’t You care, God?” are my next prayers. The Scriptures answer me.
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31, King James Version)
I will trust in God and wait. Waiting will make me strong.
Prayer: Eternal God, I will trust in You, and wait. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
“The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” Psalm 16:6
Many people work hard all their lives to leave their children with a large inheritance. My parents did not have a lot to leave us as far as material goods were concerned.
But I am thankful for the spiritual heritage I received. I am thankful that my parents surrendered their lives to the Lord when I was just a child, and that I was taken to church and encouraged to pray and seek God. I am thankful that there was prayer and Bible reading in our home. I am thankful for the many messages I was privileged to hear.
That spiritual heritage means more to me than any amount of money or possessions.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the heritage you have given me, and the desire to pass it on to my family.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.” (Psalms 119:10 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible) During this New Year, I need more time spent seeking God. Earnest prayer and supplication gives divine light and strength to walk uprightly. …
They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as Eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31, Holy Bible, King James Version)
Long lines form at airport security, in motor vehicle offices, at pharmacies, grocers, and retail stores. Waiting extends to restaurants and gas pumps. Chairs are filled in reception areas of health providers. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Wasted minutes, sometimes hours.
Waiting on God is different. It renews strength to the weary. Pray, trust, and be refreshed while you wait.
Prayer: Lord, waiting in my daily routine has made me impatient for Your response to my prayers. Refresh me while I wait for your promises. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Today a lot of people will be making resolutions, planning to accomplish so much with their life in this new year. Statistics show us that most of them will be abandoned before many days have passed.
As followers of the Lord, our only resolution should be to draw closer to the Lord. From all the things that are happening in our world, we know that His coming draws very near. Our aim and goal is to be ready for His coming and to help and encourage others to be ready also.
Daily prayer and Bible reading are very important if we are stay close to the Lord and live the way He wants us to live. My son encourages his congregation to have “a slot and a spot” every day. Meeting the Lord in the same place at the same time helps us to maintain our relationship with Him.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we know your coming is close and this could be the year you return. Help us to be ready and to help others to be ready also.
Devotion by Anne Johnston