Daily Devotional

October 6th – Philippians 2:15

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Philippians 2:15

In a poem Shakespeare once wrote, “All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” On the world’s stage, the spotlight on Christians is particularly harsh and bright, checking to see if our actions line up with our preaching. And God tells that as His sons and daughters, the lights we project should be above reproach. That means living lives that are completely opposite from the fallen world in which we live. We are to be in the world, not of it, becoming distinctly different examples of Christ. Just as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:16. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). And after all isn’t that the goal as a Christian? To live for the Lord in all that we do so that when He returns, we will have “reason to glory!” (Phil 5:16)

October 5th – Revelation 21:7

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Revelation 21:7

We all recognize these lyrics. “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, they are weak, but He is strong.” As sons and daughters of the world we are weak, sinful, and conquered. But as sons and daughters of God we are strong, righteous, and overcomers. Overcomers who don’t just have faith, they put that faith into action by dying to self and fleshly living. The ones who, through the power of Jesus, live victoriously over the power of the Enemy. For as 1 John 4:4 tells us, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” And to those who overcome and endure to the end, God promises wonderful rewards. Rewards greater than we could ever imagine, and ones that will make all we go through in this lifetime worthwhile.

October 4th – 2 Corinthians 6:18

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2 Corinthians 6:18

Trying to live with one foot in the flesh and the other in the Spirit is a balancing act doomed to fail. For as Matthew 6:24 tells us, “No one can serve two masters.” God wants both of our feet firmly planted with Him. And to do that means separating ourselves from the evils of the world. God called His children of Israel to live a life separate and distinct. To be holy among the other nations. And for us to be sons and daughters of God, means doing the same. We too are to lead lives separate and distinct. Holy among the wicked of the world. Which means loving the lost, sharing the Gospel with the lost, and being godly examples for the lost. But it doesn’t mean becoming influenced by the lost. Because it doesn’t take much for temptation to get a foothold in our lives. And Satan never passes up an opportunity to tempt us into compromising our faith.

October 3rd – John 1:12

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John 1:12

Just like we have a bill of rights listed in our constitution, we also have rights listed in the Bible. Rights given by our Creator to all believers.  And one of the greatest is the right to be called a child of God. In a literal sense we are all created by the same hand of the Lord. Yet only those who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior have the right to become adopted sons and daughters into the family of God. And once we become members of this glorious spiritual family, we are gifted certain privileges and power. A power, through the Holy Spirit of God, that gives us everything we need to lead a life of righteousness and become servants of the Gospel. For as 2 Peter 1:3 tells us, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence”

October 2nd – Romans 8:14

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Romans 8:14

When we receive Jesus as our Savior, many wonderful things begin to happen. First God sends us His Holy Spirit to help, guide, teach, and comfort us. Then the Spirit, because of God’s grace towards us, begins to get to work. He takes the crumbling, broken, bumpy roads of sin in our lives, and clears out a new, smooth, glorious path leading to God. A path that turns aside from the old, carnal, fleshly manner in which we formerly walked. A new path that sends us in a direction of righteousness, leaving our old sin nature behind. But this can only happen if we submit to the promptings and leading of the Spirit. For no change will come unless we allow the Spirit to begin the work of transforming us into the image and likeness of Christ. A work that will brings us into a greater, more intimate relationship with our Father in heaven above.

October 1st – Romans 8:16

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Roman’s 8:16

The genes in my family are strong, as is the family resemblance. And so we often hear from others, “We know who you belong to!” That’s how it is with the family of God. Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, there’s no mistaking who we belong to. Because at the moment we invite the Lord into our hearts and lives, immediately the Holy Spirit comes to take up residence inside of us. Before we were dead in our sins, eternally separated from our Creator. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, we become adopted heirs into God’s family. And now as we call out, “Abba, Father,” the Spirit cries out with us testifying before God that we are His. God’s beloved children reborn through the blood of Jesus. And as such, we are blessed with the indwelling of the Spirit of the Lord through whom we receive the very life of God. And who intercedes, empowers, and guides us to be the family members God created us to be.

September 30th – Proverbs 6:8

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Proverbs 6:8

As believers, we know not to be anxious about the future. But God also warns us against being foolish and lazy. Throughout the book of Proverbs, we are told the value of hard work. Because hard work can often be the difference between success and failure. Look at the ants. Without needing to be told what to do, or having to be supervised, they get busy at the work at hand. They are called wise because they plan ahead. The ants work diligently in the summer, gathering their winter supply in the harvest. This toil protects themselves and their families from starvation during hard times. Solomon tells us, a wise man understands the value of hard work, for “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.” (Prov. 14:23) There is no more rewarding work than the work we do for God. Because not only are ensuring blessings for today, but storing up wonderful riches in the bank of heaven!

September 29th – Psalm 85:11

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Psalm 85:11

Psalm 85 is a cry for peace and revival from the people of Israel to God. And despite their rebellion and sin, God answered their prayer. Why? Because God’s grace is greater than our sin. And out of that grace, God, from His lovingkindness and righteousness, restored peace to the land. A peace that our present land so desperately needs. Because of His never ending patience and love, God promises restoration to all who come before Him in true confession and repentance. And if we come to Him in such a manner, His truth will spring from the earth, and His righteousness look down from heaven. In His grace, He will remember our sins no more, and the Lord in His goodness, will provide a bountiful harvest. All to bring us into a right relationship with Him and each other, so that His glory may dwell in our land.

 

September 28th – Deuteronomy 16:13

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Deuteronomy 16:13

Because it was held after the harvest, the Feast of Tabernacles, or booths, (also know as Sukkot), was a time for great rejoicing for the Israelites. The people dwelled in temporary shelters, or “booths”, to remind them of God’s abundant provision and never ending faithfulness. And it’s a reminder for us as well. For forty years, during the Exodus, God faithfully cared for His people. He brought them safely out of Egypt and the hands of their enemies, delivering them to the promised land. And during the trip, the people dwelled with God and He with them. And like the Israelites, we can rejoice over God’s faithful provision in our own lives. Because as we wander through the wilderness of life, God preserves and protects us each step of the way. One day soon, Jesus will return to deliver us to our eternal promised land. And we will dwell with Him and He with us forever!

September 27th – James 5:7

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James 5:7

Endurance can be defined as the act of bearing or suffering; a continuing patience under pain or distress without being overcome. As Christians, our lives should be shining examples of patient endurance. One that waits expectantly and joyfully for the return of the Lord; no matter what. To illustrate patience, James uses the example of a farmer. From seeding until harvest, he must wait to see the result of his work in the precious produce of the soil. And the same goes for us. The work we do for the Lord, we do with the sweet anticipation of laying our precious produce before the Lord. For one day soon Christ will be returning. James tells us the “Judge is at the door”. So until then may we be over-comers of the world. Workers of God’s kingdom, who patiently endure the trials of life. And May we follow the advice of James who tells us to, “strengthen our hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (James 5:8)