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A devotional for the ladies, but fellers welcome as well

O

OregonCountry

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*Note: I believe in men being the leaders in the church and our families so I send this out to 25 women Mon-Fri. I hope no one minds me sharing it here. If so, just say so and I will not, no hard feelings on my part. I know this is not a religious forum but I see lots of christians and just want to be part of ranch.net. I think it is a wonderful site. I don't want to change a thing about this site, just add something that some may enjoy. denise in Oregon :-)

Morning ladies:) It's hard to believe how "right" on time God is with whatever I choose to read from His Word. It's like it's just waiting for "me", just for me, LOL:) Well this a.m. I felt just bewildered, knew I needed to get on my knees and pray, but I didn't have a clue what to pray so I told Him so. When I got up from my knees, my whole attitude had changed, just from being honest with God. He knows the longings of my heart to serve Him, to be productive, to be loving to all I meet. Praise His Holy Name and God bless each of you this day! Love in Christ, denise in Oregon

"And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26

How - Not quite right. This translation in the NASB isn't quite what Paul is saying. Your English Bible may have the same translation, or you might be using a version that says, "we do not know what to pray." That is the real sense here. The tiny Greek particle tis means what, who or which, not how. You remember that how is pos (see September 27). Paul is saying that we don't know the mind of God as we should and for that reason we are unable to pray according to God's purposes. We just don't know what we should pray for. Our horizon is far too limited to see the real picture of God's intentions. We are too focused on our needs that we believe must be met. But if there is anything to learn from Scripture, it is this: God's ways are not our ways.

Now the first part of this verse is clear. We need the help of the Spirit because the Spirit certainly knows the Father's will. If we are going to participate in "Your will be done on earth", we will need to have a perspective that comes from above. The Spirit rushes to our aid, standing face to face, lifting our weak attempts to express our desires for the Father's purposes. God knows we need this help because we have a finite perspective.

How many times have you come to God in prayer, your heart burdened by some pressing issue, and discovered that you really do not know what to pray? Should you pray for God to move in this way or that? Should you pray for what seems the right way from your perspective or have you missed something God has been trying to show you? Peter tells us that the prayers of the righteous are highly effective. There is no doubt that God hears His children and answers them. But what is the right thing to pray for when there are many different possibilities? This is the realm of the Spirit. We need God's point of view and just as we fail in our limited abilities, in He comes, interceding for us. How incredible is the care of God! Not only does He rescue us from the living death of our sinful past, He actually prays with and for us. God never waits for us to placate Him before He acts. He is there before we even know it, speaking heavenly thoughts that we cannot utter.

(this verse is continued tomorrow)


Copyright Statement:

"Today's Word" devotional, from Skip Moen . © 2003 is used by permission. All rights reserved. "Today's Word" may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author, along with a link to http://www.studylight.org/col/tw/ 2) "Today's Word" may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
 
Good morning all, I wanted to tell anyone who might read this how I feel about finding ranchers net forum. I live alone about 25 miles out and don't get around all that much. I am so blessed to have internet though and it's sort of "the next best thing to being there" for me:) I don't own a ranch, just work for some older folks and live on their property. I so love country people though. We lived in the country much of my childhood but had little, just rented, no stock etc. But you could find me at the neighbors helping them out and getting to participate in the "ranch-life" atleast part of the time:) I do know a bull from a cow, well, ok, I admit I just found out in the last few months cows can have horns. There's one across the road :oops: Anyway, I came here because I wanted to ask a question about the neighbors dog I take care of. But when I saw you all visiting and cutting up, I wanted to stay. I hope to meet many of you. Yes, I believe in the Lord and want to share that belief but I respect others right not to hear about "my spiritual beliefs". I love people and look forward to talking about anything I "might" have a clue about;) So with that, I will just put in the devotional for those that care to read it and wish you all a wonderful day!!

denise in Sams Valley Oregon

"And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26

Intercedes - A "one of a kind" word. Paul's word for intercedes is found only in this one verse. It is a very special word that he made up just to paint a very special picture. The word is huperentugchano, another tongue twister. Once again we will see the meaning as we break the word into its parts. Huper is a prefix that means, "on behalf of or for the protection of". The next part is en, meaning, "to rest in or rest on". Finally we come to tugchano, a verb that means, "to fall in with people, to meet them". Do you see this beautiful picture? The Spirit falls in with us for the purpose of providing rest and protection. That's what intercession means! Someone comes to you and lifts your burden. You are given rest. And at the same time, that helper surrounds you with protection so that the weight you were carrying does not fall back on you. Rest and protection. Exactly what we need!

When we come to God with prayers so heavy on our souls we can barely carry them, the Spirit falls in with us. God is right there on His knees with us. He leans toward us, face to face, and gently lifts the burden. "Rest in me," He whispers. "Let me pray for you." And while we kneel next to the Spirit, we feel His mighty arm of protection, giving us a firm squeeze. "I know what you need to say, my child."

Intercession is a wonderful word. It is the word that let's me rest in the arms of the Father, knowing that the Spirit is pleading my concerns before the throne of grace. The most amazing fact of Paul's proclamation of prayer is this: Prayer is God's work too. Paul tells us that God is the active agent in intercession. We are carried along by His effort. This is not a demand for me to reach heavenly realms with soul-wrenching pleadings. This is a statement that God Himself brings my deepest cares to the Light. I do not serve a God Who waits for me to find the secret formula of effective prayer before He answers. I serve a God Who rushes to my side, lifts my burdens and gives expression to my unutterable concerns. I serve a God Who knows exactly what I need to pray and then does it for me.

The next time you are on your knees, struggling with the deepest longings of your heart, listen! You will hear the Spirit right beside you; speaking the words you could not find about the thoughts you could not comprehend. Our God is the God of the most intimate places.


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Copyright Statement:

"Today's Word" devotional, from Skip Moen . © 2003 is used by permission. All rights reserved. "Today's Word" may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author, along with a link to http://www.studylight.org/col/tw/ 2) "Today's Word" may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
 
Felt led to post the reason christians celebrate christmas:) Im sure you all know the story but it did me good to read it again:) May God bless your day. A sister in Christ, denise

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The Birth of Jesus Christmas Story - Paraphrased from the Bible:
This Christmas story gives a biblical account of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas story is paraphrased from the New Testament Books of Matthew and Luke in the Bible.

References:
Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20.
The Conception of Jesus Foretold
Mary, a virgin, was living in Galilee of Nazareth and was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her and explained to her that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and she would name him Jesus.
At first Mary was afraid and troubled by the angel's words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, "How will this be?" The angel explained that the child would be God's own Son and, therefore, "nothing is impossible with God." Humbled and in awe, Mary believed the angel of the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior.

Surely Mary reflected with wonder on the words found in Isaiah 7:14 foretelling this event, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)

The Birth of Jesus:
While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel disgraced. He knew the child was not his own, and Mary's apparent unfaithfulness carried a grave social stigma. Joseph not only had the right to divorce Mary, under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning.
Although Joseph's initial reaction was to break the engagement, the appropriate thing for a righteous man to do, he treated Mary with extreme kindness. He did not want to cause her further shame, so he decided to act quietly. But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to verify Mary's story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. The angel explained that the child within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that his name would be Jesus and that he was the Messiah, God with us.

When Joseph woke from his dream, he willingly obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. Perhaps this noble quality is one of the reasons God chose him to be the Messiah's earthly father.

Joseph too must have wondered in awe as he remembered the words found in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)

At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Probably due to the census, the inn was too crowded, and Mary gave birth in a crude stable. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.

The Shepherd's Worship the Savior:
Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child.
There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable. After their visit, they began to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.

The Magi Bring Gifts:
After Jesus' birth, Herod was king of Judea. At this time wise men (Magi) from the east saw a star, they came in search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. The wise men came to the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem and asked where the Christ was to be born. The rulers explained, "In Bethlehem in Judea," referring to Micah 5:2. Herod secretly met with the Magi and asked them to report back after they had found the child. Herod told the Magi that he too wanted to go and worship the babe. But secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child.
So the wise men continued to follow the star in search of the new born king and found Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. (Most likely Jesus was already two years of age by this time.) They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of gold, incense and myrrh. When they left, they did not return to Herod. They had been warned in a dream of his plot to destroy the child.

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Morning all, it was a cold night as my main heat went out in the travel trailer I live in. But I did have the backup heater I plugged in and all was ok. I just had to block off half the trailer and heat whichever half I was needing to be in :lol: When I was a child we lived in rentals too, sometimes with really poor, heating systems so I learned well from my mom, what to do :-) Hang up blankets to block the heat into wherever we needed to be:) We never froze to death because mom knew all the tricks to feeding us and keeping us warm and in clothing. I know now the Lord provided my mother and her smarts :wink: Miss you mom :roll: Christmas brings back so many memories, mostly good ones thank the Lord:) This devotional is about the "trouble" in Paul's life when he asked God to remove it from him. The bible calls it a "thorn in the flesh". No one knows for certain what "it" was for sure. It as also called a "messenger from satan". Lots of people/theologians have their opinions and for me, I am ok with just knowing it was uncomfortable to say the least. I have things in my life I have asked God to remove, and I know He is telling me the same as He did Paul. "My grace is sufficient for you". I freely admit humility wasn't ever one of my strong points. But God has changed me. I think friends would tell you I am a humble person(most of the time :lol: ) I do believe that some of the things God has chosen not to heal in me, have indeed kept me humble. Maybe that is why God did not remove Pauls thorn. If you know much about Paul, you know in his life "before Christ" Im doubtin there was much humility.

God bless you all this day, love from Sams Valley Oregon, denise








A THORN IN THE FLESH
by Charles R. Swindoll

Read 2 Corinthians 12:2--10

Sailors on the high seas understand the importance of securing themselves to something sturdy in a fierce gale. You learn to cling to what's secure in a storm. Paul learned to cling to what he knew to be true about himself and the Lord who held him in His grip.

I see an interesting tension here. While Satan punched and pounded the apostle's resolve, the Lord's purpose was to humble him, to keep him from exalting himself. Pride doesn't reside in the hearts of the broken, the split-apart, the wounded, or the anguished of soul.

Many years ago I read these words: "Pain plants the flag of reality in the fortress of a rebel heart." Mothers and fathers keeping vigil in the leukemia ward of a children's hospital do not wrestle with issues of pride. They are humbled to the point of despair.

I'm not qualified to give you the intimate details of how Paul's thorn affected him. However, he does confess that he begged the Lord on three separate occasions to remove it from him (v. 8). And you know what? We would have done the same. You and I would have prayed and prayed and begged for relief. "Father, please take away the thorn. Lord, I beg of You, remove it. Take this pain away from me." That was Paul's response.

I see amazing transparency written in those lines. The world needs more followers of Christ who embrace pain and hardship rather than deny them. How helpful for us to see all this as God's plan to keep us humble. That can't be taught in Bible colleges or seminaries. Those lessons are learned in the trenches of life. What people of prayer we would become! How often we would turn to Him. How fully we would lean on Him. And what insights we would glean.

That is precisely what happened as Paul turned again and again to his Lord. And God gave an answer he never expected.

Reprinted by permission. Day by Day, Charles Swindoll, July 2005, Thomas Nelson, inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Purchase "Day by Day" here.
 
I am away from home and my own computer so haven't been able to post these lately. Got a break this a.m. though so thought I would put up yesterdays and todays:) I hope that everyone is enjoying this time of year. I understand all the hard work that has to go on, no matter what day it is. I find myself stressing and worrying instead of remembering the many blessings in my life. First of all, just knowing that this "world" is a temporary "stop" for us. Because of Jesus I am secure in that knowledge. I conveniently forget when I take my focus off Him and put it on a derranged world. People are lost without God. That is my belief, and when someone is lost, they simply wander and wonder. There is no hope. That is the way I still feel, if, I forget why Im here and Who made me. When I pray, read the Word and fellowship with other believers, my hope returns(He never leaves me but I turn my back on Him). And I have that peace and joy even in the midst of a storm.

denise in Sams Valley OR

For 23rd of December:

"Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1

Imitators - Sometimes the perfect copy is as good as the original. This Greek word, mimetes, means, "to mimic", but not in a bad way. It has the sense of being an exact copy of the original, the kind of copy that reflects all the craftsmanship and beauty of the source. When you put the two side by side, you can't tell the difference.

Have you ever considered what an incredible claim Paul is making in this verse? He is really saying, "Since you can't see Jesus any more, look at me. My life is a copy of His life. So, copy me and you will be like Him." How many of us can truthfully say to others, "If you want to see who Jesus is, look at me"?

This is not a fluke. If you look at the other times this word is used in the New Testament, you will find that imitating is an important Christian instruction tool. Believers are told to imitate apostles, God and other faithful followers. Imitation moves us toward godly behavior. Elders are supposed to be so Christ like that their lives are worthy of imitation.

But there is an opposite form of imitation, and Paul takes pains to warn us about it. "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world." Did you notice that we are to imitate godly actions but we are not to conform to ungodly ones? Conforming implies changing a pre-existing pattern into some other pattern. Imitate means only to repeat what is presented. In order to conform to the world, I will have to reshape the image God gave me at birth into an image that is separated from Him. But when I am born from above, all I have to do it copy what I see of Christ. Which one do you think takes more effort?

Years ago I saw an advertisement on television about a father and a son. Everything the father did, the little boy imitated. After a few pictures of work and play, the father sat down under a tree and lit a cigarette. The ad campaign was clear. Like father, like son. We who are believers are also to be like our Father in order that others may imitate us. That puts a whole new view on how you live. Many are watching. Be a perfect copy!


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For 24th of December

"For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." John 18:37


This - An ordinary pronoun with an extraordinary meaning. Touto is the Greek pronoun for this. There is nothing spectacular about it. Except here. Here Jesus says that his entire reason for being is this to give testimony to the truth. This evening we celebrate the birth of the Savior. But we should never forget that he was born to die. His purpose for living was dying. Christmas is not a celebration of the glory of a new life. It is the celebration of the beginning of the death of the Son, of sin and of death itself.

Most of us have no idea why we are born. We spent our lives in search of purpose. And life does not give up its answers easily. We often discover that what we thought was our purpose in life is suddenly replaced by something else. We are unfocused creatures.

But not Jesus. He knew absolutely what his life was all about. And nothing deterred him for completing his purpose. He came to die. The next time you read the story of the last week of his life, take notice about who is in charge of the events. Too often we think that the forces of evil pushed these circumstances onto the pages of history. But that is not so. Jesus himself was the active agent. He chose the timing. He chose the situation. He initiated, pushed and propelled the actions that led to the cross. Jesus knew why he was born.

I wrote an article called, Dying Now. That article confronts us with this fact: no one of us can choose when we are born, but every one of us can choose when we will die. We can choose to die now by identifying ourselves with the death of Christ and giving up our old lives, or we can try to postpone death by avoiding the call of God. That means we will die later at a time of His choosing.

Only the Christ could choose when to be born. But we are like him in this: we can choose when to die. We can take part in the purpose of life by choosing to echo his words, "For this I have been born." We can die to ourselves in order to be born from above in Him.


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Copyright Statement:

"Today's Word" devotional, from Skip Moen . © 2003 is used by permission. All rights reserved. "Today's Word" may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author, along with a link to http://www.studylight.org/col/tw/ 2) "Today's Word" may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
 
I am staying in Myrtle Point Oregon at my sisters for Christmas. We have ventured out a few times, over to Coos Bay and just around the area I used to live. I lived and worked in this part of Oregon most of my "20's" I am 56 the 28th of this month. It's been a long time since I ripped and ran in this "neck of the woods". All the bars I frequented are torn down and replaced with other types of businesses. I told my sis that they probably did that after I left, to insure I didn't return :roll: That "life" is so far from me now. I was "saved" when I was 33. It still can give me the creeps when I drive through this area, if I think back on the "bad" times I gave myself. I am so grateful for coming out of all that alive. Some of the folks I partied with are dead now. Another close friend is close to dying. She no longer "parties" she just drinks straight vodka alone in her shack. My heart breaks for her because she choses to stay in that nightmare still. I look back and see how I was "lifted" safely away, just as a Coast Guard helicopter rescues someone from a nightmare of a storm at sea, Jesus rescued me. How grateful I am He came on this day 2000 some years ago. I understand that no one knows the exact date Jesus was born but this is when we celebrate His birth.

Thank you Father, for saving a wretch like me




"and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:22


Save - "Are you saved?" Unless you understand what that word saved means, this question doesn't make much sense, does it? Saved from what? The Greek verb sozo is used 54 times in the gospels. About half of those times it means to be rescued from some impending danger to physical life. We could all answer the question if it was, "Did someone rescue you from death?" That is a "yes" or "no" question. If you were drowning and someone pulled you out of the water, you would know right away that you had been saved. But the other half of the 54 times is not so clear. How can anyone be saved from sins?

Once we see that the first meaning of the word sozo is to be rescued, we understand that sozo means to protect, to keep alive and to deliver. The Bible tells us that we need to be rescued from more than physical perils. If we are going to stay alive, we need to be rescued from the consequences of sin. Those consequences are spiritual death, punishment and eternal misery. Salvation is a lot more than an admission ticket to heaven. If Jesus is going to save His people from their sins, He will have to rescue them from their spiritual death, from the punishment they deserved and from the misery that is bound to follow. Salvation has almost nothing to do with heaven. It is all about staying alive. If you thought you were saved in order to get a heavenly gate pass, you missed the point. Jesus rescues people who are in deep, deep trouble. They are not just drowning. They are already dead. Unless he shows up with life, they will remain dead. Salvation is what they need because they need to live again.

Twenty centuries ago a man was born whom God chose to rescue us from death. Jesus did not come to sell tickets to heaven. He came to give us artificial respiration. He came because we were in a life and death struggle and we were losing. It is his work, not ours, that produces life. And for two thousand years He has been doing just that rescuing people who were dead.

If you have been rescued, you can weep for joy today. This is the celebration of the day when the lifeguard arrived.


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Copyright Statement:

"Today's Word" devotional, from Skip Moen . © 2003 is used by permission. All rights reserved. "Today's Word" may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author, along with a link to http://www.studylight.org/col/tw/ 2) "Today's Word" may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
 
I am seeing clear Passes through the mountains today so will be returning to my home in Sams Valley. That is how I felt when I asked Jesus into my heart. I felt the "road of life" was finally "cleared of the clutter" of my past. For years I blocked out the things I was ashamed of doing, or, I blamed others in order not to have to look at myself. I blamed family, circumstances, the world and mostly God. I must have believed He was there to be blaming Him for all my life. I looked around and decided everybody else got all the breaks and I got zero. What lies I believed. Yes, there were things that happened growing up that were not my fault but when I reached the age I could change my life for the good, I continued to live exactly as those that had hurt me. Im thick-headed and stubborn and it caused me years of more pain that was self-inflicted, no one else was responsible for that. I still have to deal with some of that "old self" and imagine I always will. But more and more I am learning to except the Gift that God gave me. A total pardon, total forgiveness and life everlasting through Jesus.

God bless each of you today, denise, "soon" to be back in Sams Valley

AtthefeetofJesus.jpg


"and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins." Matthew 3:6


Confessed - Spit it out! That's the modern equivalent of this Greek verb, exomologeo. It is a compound word that means, "to speak out in assent." Confession is admitting outwardly that God is right about you and me. His verdict about our lives is correct. We have had it and there is no escape or excuse.

In this verse, the verb is present tense, middle voice. That is important. It means that I am confessing right now about something that has personal significance to me. There are no more denials, no more delays and no more deflections. "This is me, God! Yes, I am the one who did all these things. I am at fault". Confession is not saying, "I'm sorry". Confession is saying, "I'm guilty". There is a big difference.

My life has been a long history of sin. When I really add it all up, I know that I have failed miserably to live the life God called me to live. So many times I went my own way. And so many times my own way ended in hurt, pain, remorse and trauma. I'm sorry about all that. But I am more than sorry. Being sorry only says that I wish things had been different. Being sorry is saying that how things turned out is not what I wanted. After all these years, I recognize that being sorry is not nearly enough. I can't change any of those consequences now. It's too late. But what I can do is this: I can stand before my God and agree with Him that I am guilty. I did it. No excuses. No minimization. No justification. The history of my life is the story of my guilt.

Until I come to the place of confession, God can't do much for me. Until I recognize my guilt, there is nothing I really need from God. If I am sorry for the way things turned out, I can show regret, but that will not change me. I will still be the same person inside. Perhaps a bit more careful. Perhaps a bit wiser. But that darkened interior won't go away. Confession is telling God that I need Him to rescue me from myself and to rescue me from the punishment I deserve for acting as though I could live life on my own terms. Confession is good for the soul because confession opens my soul to God. Confession is the first step toward the light of forgiveness.


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Copyright Statement:

"Today's Word" devotional, from Skip Moen . © 2003 is used by permission. All rights reserved. "Today's Word" may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author, along with a link to http://www.studylight.org/col/tw/ 2) "Today's Word" may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.[/img]
 
I suppose this devotional explains, to me atleast, the reason one of Jesus' names is The Rock. He, God, is never-changing, reliable, infinite, for sure. For me anyway, this is how I see God. And it brings so much comfort to a life that is otherwise, often, dealing with some sort of "issue". That is life as I have always heard. Ups and downs are just the way it is. Someone once showed me a yardstick and pointed out that about an inch of that is my life on Earth, the rest represents eternity in heaven:) Not that what I do here is unimportant, but that it is short-lived compared to my "whole" life. So I need to make the best of it hey :wink: . I also understand more and more that all I have is the moment I am in. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't here. I know we have to plan but for me, I need to also "not" be in expectation of things always turning out as planned. Accepting things to come with as much grace as possible, is a goal of mine. I tend to cry and blubber when things don't go "my way"
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. I have to remember that it is His Plan that counts. When something isn't the way I would have it?? Well, praise God because I can remember the mess I had when I was trying to do everything my way. God let me do that. He doesn't force me to turn let Him take the wheel :oops: Yep, Jesus take the wheel!

Love to all today, denise in Sams Valley OR




"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow." James 4:14


Tomorrow - The Greek word aurion really means the time that comes right after. So, of course, it gets translated as tomorrow, the time right after today. But what James says in this verse is not true just about tomorrow. It is true about every "next" moment of human life. We don't know what the next moment will bring. Human life is always lived on the moving edge of that smallest of separations between what can never be done again and what is not yet done.

As I reflect back on this year, I see that I never had to wait for tomorrow for life to send me into an upheaval. One minute things seem so normal. The next minute, life was chaos. We can plan for the future, but the future rarely cares about our plans. This is the sense of James' warning. You really have no idea what is going to happen next and more importantly, you have no control over it either.

Take a moment to recall those times in the last year when life took a sudden turn. My guess is that most of those moments were unexpected. I believe that God engineers the universe to be intentionally unpredictable. In spite of the incredible order to things, and the persistent relationship of cause and effect in the inanimate world, human life resists predictability at the only level that counts the individual level. Sure, we can say that statistics show that 1 in every 20 American will contract heart disease this year, or that there will be approximately 40 deaths on the highway, or that 3 million children will be born. But none of that says a thing about what will happen to you, and what happens to you is the only statistic that counts. God inserts a little chaos into every life on purpose. He wants us to face our lack of control and turn in dependence to Him. He is God of the Universe. He is sovereign. And He does not want us to forget it.

There are a few things that I know for certain about tomorrow. They are the few very important things. I know that I am God's child and that no matter what happens; He will be with me tomorrow. I know that tomorrow is in His hands even if it is not in mine. And I know that life for me extends to every tomorrow, forever.

James warns us. When we begin to think we have all of our horizons planned, we are being foolish. None of us knows the future. But there is one horizon that we can plan on with confidence. It is the one guaranteed by God for all His children to live forever with Him.


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I like this story below. I forget to rest. Not just from physical labor, but to rest my mind and just leave things to God. Worrying over something I have absolutely no control over, is a waste of time. Time I could be spending doing much more productive things. But still, I worry and fret some of the time. The roofs leaking and I don't have the new "jerry", "jury", "jimmy" rigged rain gutter to put up yet on this travel trailer I live in. The heater isn't working and I don't have the parts to fix it yet. But all is on the way and I can rest in that knowledge :) Today is my birthday and I am going to church at 10 and just enjoy being around other folks, listen to the pastor talk about Jesus. I pray each and every one today will remember to take a break from the many jobs, problems and heartaches we have to face in this life. God bless each of you from Sams Valley Oregon, denise

PS I've actually lived to be 56. Never would have thought I would make it when I look back at my younger days and how I lived them :wink:





Come to Me

Two men were involved in a day long wood chopping contest. One man worked furiously at the task, stopping only for a short lunch. The second man took a more leisurely attitude toward the work. He appeared to be resting quite often and took a longer lunchtime. When the contest was over, the first man was very surprised to see that the second man had chopped more wood. "How did you chop more wood than I? Every time I looked over at you, you seemed to be taking a rest." The second man replied, "What you didn't notice was that as I rested, I was sharpening my axe as well"
We too need to take time to rest and to sharpen ourselves if we are to be as effective as we can. We cannot continue to go day after day without sleep. When we find ourselves in a difficult situation, we need to be able to step back from this and take a break.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Jesus has come into the world that we might find rest in Him. So often in life we try to do things our own way and we try to do them under our own power. Sometimes our pride gets in the way of asking for help. Other times we don't realize that we even need help because we believe that we are doing fine as we are. Jesus came into the world to help all of us, because we all need help. Some of us need food, some of us need shelter, some of us need medical help, others need someone to love them.

We have a God who is capable of providing all of these things for us. We all have one need in common however. We are all in need of forgiveness. Romans 3:23 tells us that, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We have all done things we know that we shouldn't have. It is in our nature. We've been disobeying since we were little children. God cannot tolerate our sin and it keeps us away from him.

Humans all have another thing in common aside from our need for forgiveness, we are all mortal. No matter how rich or poor, how good or bad we are, we will all one day die. When that day comes we will stand before God and we will be judged according to our relationship with him. It will not be a matter of how many good or bad things we have done. It will be a question of do I have sins that God has not forgiven because I have not asked him to? If we do, we will not be allowed to remain in the presence of God.

Fortunately, there is an easy solution to this problem. God has given all of us the solution to our problem of sin. God sent his son Jesus into the world as a sacrifice for us. In Jesus, God offered each of us rest from our sins, rest from the punishment of our sins. Romans 6:23 tells us that "The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

So what must be done to accept this gift and to enter into God's rest? Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." To declare that Jesus is Lord means that we live our lives in reflection of this truth. We try to stop doing wrong. We desire to help others out whenever possible. It doesn't mean that we will stop sinning. It doesn't mean that all of the temptations of the world will go away. What it means is that you love God and you will follow his laws and do what he asks of you to the best of your ability.

When Jesus says, come to me all you who are weak and heavy laden it is an invitation for us to cast away the burdens of sin and the troubles of our conscience. Becoming a Christian does not mean that life will suddenly become great. Becoming a Christian does not mean that you will have all of desires fulfilled. Becoming a Christian does not mean that life will get easier. Becoming a Christian means that we have made peace with God and that our sins our forgiven. It means that when we die, we will not pay the penalty of our sins and instead may be with God in heaven forever. It also means that we have a God in heaven who will listen to our prayers and will answer our requests according to His perfect will.

Pastor Mike Stine

Philippians 1:20-21 - I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain!
 
LOL!! This devotional hit me right where I live this a.m. I did my 4.2 mile walk this a.m. with my best friend edie. We go 6 days a week on the most beautiful 4.2 mile loop out here in Sams Valley. We never get bored with it because there's something new to see every day, or see the same thing differently :wink: . Whether it's the change of the weather, the many types of animals we see(horses, cows, turkeys, Canada Geese, mini burros, on and on! But we talk about a lot of things in that 4 miles or so and today it was about how we have both, in the past, leaned on alcohol, cigarettes, sex and generally anything that would take the focus off the "sometimes" dismal reality of the world we live in. My pastor even talked about the true reality being God's, not the "world" and how man(we all)have "fixed" things, you know, jerry, jury, jimmy-rigged them :) . For me there are two ways, man's way(including woman's)and God's Way. And they are pretty much opposite from what I have learned. So like I always say, if I hear something over and over, usually 3 times by the way, I feel God is showing me where I need "work". He's given me the only "Tool" I need and that is His Word. He doesn't give us a "quick" fix, or a "fix" that doesn't last, it's the right Way every time. In fact, He doesn't give us "second hand" He gives us brand new. That's how I see it.

Love to all this a.m. and God bless your day, denise in Sams Valley OR

Today's Word - December 29

" Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for - "I just can't sleep!" That's what happens when this state of mind takes over. We looked at this Greek word once before (September 8) when Jesus talked about worrying over tomorrow. It is worth looking at once more. In the Greek text, all of these English words are a single Greek word merimnate. This word describes that condition when the concerns about this life press us so hard we are unable to rest or sleep. In the Greek world, the temporary escape from this worry was drink and sex. But everyone knew that the only permanent solution was death. My observation tells me that the world has not changed in this regard. The cares of this life still drive people to drink and sex, but only death removes this kind of worry. Unless Christ literally changes your mind.

Did you notice that the word is an imperative? This is a commandment. It is not optional. Do this! Does that mean that God will fix everything? No. This commandment is not about "fixing" things. It is about freeing your mind. The difference between a Christian and a world-bound person is this: a Christian releases the cares of life to God and is free from anxiety while a world-bound person has no one to give those cares to and is a prisoner of the limits of this life. This commandment is about the freedom that comes when we realize that life is not within our control but it is in God's control. And if God is in control, then what is there to worry about? He cares for us.

As I approach the end of this year, the most unsettling year of my life (so far), I find that I need a daily reminder of the sovereignty of God. It's not that I forget He is in control. It is rather that the cares of this life are insidious. They are more than able to rob me of my freedom (and my sleep) if I let them. Those cares, even if they are not real, push us toward reality escape because reality without Christ is a dismal road to death. I am amazed that people reject Jesus but embrace the temporary fixes. Life shows me that there are only two permanent solutions: death or God.

"Don't worry. Be happy" is not what Paul is saying. That Caribbean "good news" is nothing more than trite avoidance. Paul is saying, "Stop worrying. Be submissive." Let your Father have control of your life and rely on Him.



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Copyright Statement
"Today's Word" devotional, from Skip Moen . © 2003 is used by permission. All rights reserved.

Bibliography Information
Moen, Skip. "Devotional for December 29". "Today's Word". <http://www.studylight.org/devos/tw/index.cgi?FirstSelectMonth=&FirstSelectDay=>. 2003.
 
This devotional covers one of the most difficult of all teachings from God in His Word. For me anyway. "Do not worry"! It doesn't say that in the verse they used for this devo but here is just one verse in the bible where it does say that:

"Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing"

But, but if I don't worry, nothing will get done, if I don't, there won't be a solution?? If I don't worry, people will think I don't care, if I don't worry, people will think Im not compassionate towards another's dire circumstances. They'll think I am cold and unfeeling. They'll think I belong in the looney bin!
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Or, they might think that I just see the waste of time it is when I could be doing productive things like praying, reading some of His Word "about NOT worrying" and just resting in the knowledge that He is God and He is in control of the situation. I can look back and see worry never accomplished one single thing in my life, well, yes it did. How can I forget so easily. I drank too much, smoked too much, stressed causing I don't know how many problems with my health. Worry kept me "hunting" for a mate for fear I would grow old alone. And worry caused me to comprimise my beliefs and go with men that weren't right for me, and I wasn't any more right for them. Yep, worry even kept me from even stepping out of my home, in the form of depression. But I've grown in the Lord and this year is going to be one of the best yet!! Oh I'll still worry, but never as I used to :wink:
More of Him and less of me, praise His holy name!!! Love to ALL, denise in Sams Valley OR


"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6


Nothing - Now here is a word of some importance. "Nothing" is a big topic is Christian thinking. Jesus work leaves nothing to be done. God created out of nothing. God's purposes lack nothing. But there is more than one kind of "nothing" and the difference is important. We first looked at "nothing" on July 20. There the word was oudeis. Here the word is medeis. What is the difference? Both words are made up of the negative prefix plus the word heis. Heis means "one", so both words mean "not one thing" or "nothing". But these two words begin with two different prefixes for "not". The first begins with ouk and the second with me. Ouk is the word for the strong "not", like "never". But me is the word for the conditional "not", like "depending on the conditions." Now read this little phrase with the conditional "not" and you will see that it says, "Be anxious for not a single condition or circumstance." Paul stresses this thought by putting the word medeis first in the sentence. It literally says, "Not one condition be worrying over."

There are things worth caring about as a Christian. They just aren't the circumstances of our lives. It is worth caring about seeking the kingdom. It is worth caring about proclaiming the Christ. It is worth caring about loving the brothers. But life's situations, no, they are not worth worrying about. They are no more important than nothing at all.

Wait! How can you say that? I have to live. I have to have money. I have to have food and shelter. Yes, of course you do, and God knows all about that. But where you are placed in life is His desire and for his purposes. If your trust is in Him, there is literally not one condition to worry about.

Life often presents itself as a big pile of things to worry about. God rarely presents Himself in this "in your face" way. His ways are hidden. So, if we look at the big pile in front of us, we are inclined to think of that big pile as something. But the reality is that all of that stuff is just a pile of conditions just lots of "what if's" and "maybe's" and circumstances. Paul tells us that these conditional situations of life are not one thing to be concerned about. God is hidden in each of them. Let His hands work out the conditions of life. He is more than capable. Stop worrying about the medeis and concentrate on the oudeis. There are some things that are really important. Life's circumstances just don't happen to be one of those things.


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I consider this man a very good writer. I've been reading his devotionals only as long as I've been here at RN though. I am realizing the more I read of his stuff, how human he is and like todays, he speaks a lot about the trials he has gone through, or still going through this year. No one escapes the trials of a fallen, sinful world. But when a person knows God and has accepted Him into their hearts, He can and will bring a peace into the worst of situations in our lives. I am struggling with a few things in my life. I worry and I start looking at my life as meaningless and "why am I even taken up space". I see everyone else, sometimes, as having it all together but no one does, even if it appears so. But it could be that they have this peace that is unexplainable. I want more of that in my life this New Year and I pray that for each of you as well. No matter what storms come our way, Jesus is our Refuge. God bless and a Happy New Year to all, denise in Sams Valley OR

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"and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7


Surpasses - Huperecho is the Greek word that means, "to have over and above." But this is a relational word. You can't just have "over and above". You have to have "over and above something." Paul tells us that huperecho relates two things God's peace and our lives. God's peace is over and above us. It is not quite enough to say that God's peace is over and above our comprehension or our understanding. The word Paul uses is a word that describes the entire intellect, emotion and will of a man. It is the comprehensive word that means who and what we are. God's peace is not just for our thoughts. It affects all of who we are.

During this last year there have been times when someone said to me, "I just don't understand how you can be so calm? Doesn't all of this bother you?" Well, let me tell you. There are times when I don't understand it either. From any perspective except God's, life like this doesn't make any sense. Everything seems to be out of order and headed for destruction. Bad things seem to be piling up in record proportion. But in the middle of all of this, and maybe because of all of this, something just unexplainable is happening. God is at work manifesting His peace. He is guarding our hearts and minds. We may not have a clue how this is done, but we have His word that it is being done. In fact, if you are feeling calm within the storm, that is probably a good indicator that you have let go of the pile of conditions on your life. You might not be able to give any rational, emotional or volitional explanation, but that's OK. God's peace does not depend on my mind.

If there is one thing that I could wish for each of you reading this devotional on the last day of the year, it is peace. And, thank God, this is a wish that can come true right now because it does not depend on me. God's peace can be yours for the asking. Only one thing stands between His peace and your experience of it turning life completely over to His care for you. There are no guarantees about fixing things. But what is guaranteed is far better peace in any circumstance. A peace that surpasses all conditions.

May God bless you with His peace.


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I am learning to wait on the Lord's timing for things in my life. Not with much grace or patience though. I pray that gets better. I feel just like that frustrated, little kid that actually thinks throwing themselves on the ground and having a fit will change "mom or dad's" no to a yes :roll: I consider God my Father, the father I didn't have growing up. I had a few "uncles" come through my life but never a real dad. One that wanted to truly love me and give me some guidance to go out and face this world. Now I have the Dad I always wanted. The Lord guides me and directs me through all things, if I care to listen up. He has a plan for my life that is better than anything I could have come up with. But waiting on His plan is not a strong point of mine. I want to get in there and "fix" things. I want what I want when I want it. I want it yesterday. He allows me to go out ahead and of Him and when I fall on my face, He is always there to pick me up. I was leading a trailride a few years ago and there was a fella that had some ideas about riding a horse, although he didn't have a clue. So I got tired of listening to him complain and told him to go on ahead if he wanted. We rounded a couple bends and there he was, separated from the horse. Once he was back on, he seemed more willing to follow my lead. That's how I am, I am getting more and more willing to follow God's lead :wink:

Love to all and a Very Happy New Year to each of you :D Denise in Sams Valley, Oregon

"Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength" Isaiah 40:31


Wait - The Hebrew root is qawa. It means "I wait, look for or hope with eager expectation". Faith is often expressed in patient endurance confidently knowing that God will act. Waiting involves the very essence of a person's soul. There will come a time when all that God has promised will be realized and fulfilled. In the meanwhile the believer lives by means of his integrity and uprightness as he trusts God's grace and power. Hope has an eternal home in man's heart. Hope does not depend on one's circumstances, history or attitude. Hope is eschatological. As long as there is a future, there is hope. That means that no matter what the current situation, hope exists. And even death is not the end. Hebrews declares that we may hope in spite of death because death is no longer our prison.

God has planted a vineyard in our hearts for the purpose of producing fruit. For everyone, hope is our lifeblood. But the manifestation of hope takes time. Progress not perfection is the hallmark of those who have learned to wait. God's promise is real. If we wait on Him, we will see change. We will gain new strength.

Waiting is one of the most difficult things to do in this world. Our culture is completely opposed to waiting. Everything is done as quickly as possible. Even sending out this daily word. We often complain that we can no longer find true craftsmanship and quality. We know that we live with less than perfect results from construction to education. Most of these unpleasant consequences are a direct result of not being willing to wait. But God is not in a hurry. He wants perfect, not just better or best. Learning to wait takes real effort in a world that wants it now. But God tells us that there are great rewards for waiting. Be patient, and prosper.


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Im headed for a women's biblestudy this a.m. at my church. I was going to opt out and do something else this a.m. I woke at about 4 this a.m. and the thoughts came flooding in on me. I remembered that for me, putting God first in my life is the only way. Nothing else in my life can come before Him. If I don't start my day with a devotional or picking up the Word and just reading a bit, praying a little prayer to ask Him to guide me through the day, things just turn out sour. Plain as that. Things aren't going to be perfect, ever, in my life but when I allow Him to "take the wheel" I find peace even in the worst of situations. I see how this is all tied together with the past posts. The truth is, I need His help, I proved that all through my life by failing at pretty much everything. And even when I did accomplish anything, it was so empty. It meant nothing at all. It was only something I "thought" I wanted or needed. I am rushing this a.m. but it means a lot to me to share with you all. This is part of putting God first. If posting these helps one other person that feels the way I do, then it is all worth it:) Love to all and may God bless your day, denise in Sams Valley OR




For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says "Do not fear, I will help you". Isaiah 41:13


Help - This word comes from a root word (azar) meaning to rescue or save or to excuse. The general sense is military assistance, but in the Psalms God's help arrives in personal intervention during illness (Ps. 28:7), oppression (Ps. 54:4), and great personal distress (Ps. 86:17).

It takes a long time to get to the place where we can ask for help. We often know we need help but there is something in us that continues to shout, "I'm not going to give up. I want it my way. I don't care!" This is a symptom of normal insanity. It is normal, all right, but it is insane. It is the belief that doing the same thing we did before will magically result in a different consequence. We always end up in the same place. We are fighting the way God designed the world and all of our shouting won't change it.

When we finally become willing to surrender, we need help. We have reached the end of ourselves at last. Our surrender is the declaration of our inner bankruptcy. We just can't do it. Calling on God at this point could be a fearful experience. We have been so used to failure and disappointment. We might fear the God will also find us unworthy. But God is not like that at all. God promises to rescue, to save us. If God can say, "Do not fear", what is there to really be afraid of? Only the voice of our old self could be bold enough to call God a liar. The truth is in God's word. He will help. That inner old voice has been lying to us all along. It is God's word that we need to believe. Remember today the admonition, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" The question of help is this: Will I believe God's promise or will I believe my old emotions? Who am I going to listen to?


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"Today's Word" devotional, from Skip Moen . © 2003 is used by permission. All rights reserved. "Today's Word" may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author, along with a link to http://www.studylight.org/col/tw/ 2) "Today's Word" may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
 
This devotional truly challenged me this a.m. Near the end of it, it says pick something in my life I just can't change but want to. Something like that. I am going to do it. I can't change the fact I am still single after 11 years. I don't like being single but the Lord has kept me so for His good purpose. I believe that with all my heart. I've had much to learn and have a long way to go. Whether or not He ever has marriage in my future, I don't know. But I do know that I want to "get over" the "wanting" what I don't have and be content with what I do have :D Hmmm, I can think of some other things I would like to turn over to Him also!! Ok, God bless each of you today, a sister in Christ, denise in Sams Valley


"How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust" Psalm 40:4


Trust - Hebrew batah. The word means the sense of well-being and security that results from having something or someone in whom to place confidence. It is translated in the Greek Old Testament as "hope", not "belief". It stresses the feeling of being safe and secure rather than the intellectual and volitional act in response to revelation. It means to live at ease because of confidence in God.

Those who trust in God alone will be delivered from their enemies (Ps. 22:4), their prayers will be answered (I Chr. 5:20), they will walk in straight paths (Prov. 3:5), will be given joy and gladness (Ps. 16:9 and 33:21), will know inner peace and absence of fear (Ps. 4:8 and Isa. 26:3). The cause for our trust in God's promises is not based on what we have done or can do. Trusting in God's promises does not depend on how worthy I am to receive anything from Him. It is based solely on the unswerving loyalty of God's gracious kindness.

The hope in God is not a wish fulfillment but a confident expectation. God's chief characteristic is His faithfulness and trustworthiness (Deut. 33:28, Ps. 27:3). These characteristics show themselves most clearly to a believer who recognizes that he is utterly without personal resources. The believer must trust completely on a gracious and dependable God. Putting one's confidence in anything but the sovereign God is complete foolishness. In the Bible, there is a long list of false grounds for security. In particular, the Bible heaps scorn upon those who live in complacency, never having evaluated the flimsy basis for such complacency (Isa. 32:9-11, Ezk. 30:9, Amos 6:1).

This is a very serious word for a Christian. We often say that we trust God, but our actions deny these claims. Changing begins when we honestly examine our lives and commit ourselves to do something about what we find. An honest look at our behavior usually reveals that we are still trying to take care of things by ourselves. We really don't think God is reliable in every area of life. That is not trust. Trust says, "God, you are able. I put all my eggs in your basket. I'll do whatever you want me to do, but unless you come through for me, I'm finished". Start today. Pick the one thing that you have tried over and over to fix in your life but nothing happens. Decide to trust.

Do your actions show that you trust God, or is "trust" just another word in your religious vocabulary?


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Please forgive me for not writing more(ok, quit with the cheers, lol)but I am slow this beautiful, Sunday morning:) I will just send this on from Skip and pray that your day is blessed by it. Love to all, your sister in Christ, denise

PS I will say that I so loved the devo. He is so good at his research and has a wonderful way of explaining "words" and what they truly mean, in my opinion;)

"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4


Delight - This word (anag) is used for a garment that is delicate or luxurious. Here it means to feel great favor toward something. This verse makes it clear that we do not delight in something God has done for us. We are not thrilled simply because God has forgiven us or cared for us. We are delighted in His person in who He is. Just like a fine piece of silk, the delight is not because of what can be done with the cloth, but because the cloth itself is so marvelous. The subject is desirable because it is attractive in and of itself. This verse expresses great emotional joy about the subject. There are uses of this word where God finds delight in the righteousness of men. Discovering delight in God is what Jesus called the discovery of a priceless treasure in a field. Once discovered, a man would do anything to obtain that field and make the treasure his own.

We often feel as though the lives we lead are somber, guilt ridden, even tedious. When we have turned away from the thrill seeking of our old habits, the world sometimes seems drab and lifeless. But life in Christ is a replacement process. In it we will find that God becomes a delight to us, that we can enjoy His company and His purposes, that our lives are lighter because we have trusted Him. A most amazing transformation occurs when we begin to seek a relationship with God. Our lives progress toward fulfillment. Those secret spaces are no longer empty. We experience the desires of our reborn hearts as real experiences of joy. The time will come when we find ourselves happy just to belong to Him. We will know contentment.

Today we can be delighted to be alive because God has a purpose for us.


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Copyright Statement:

"Today's Word" devotional, from Skip Moen . © 2003 is used by permission. All rights reserved. "Today's Word" may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author, along with a link to http://www.studylight.org/col/tw/ 2) "Today's Word" may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
 
My devotional was comforting, again, this a.m. Seems every time I read God's Word I am comforted. You would think knowing that, I would always have my bible open. Nope, it seems I like being miserable, LOL!! Folks that know me, Im sure, wonder why Im not happier and more at peace, all the time. I can sure talk about God and His Word. It is harder to practice it myself. Im growing, and I am further along than I was, and not as far along as I'll be tomorrow. But again, I have to let Him do the "driving". As my darlin, friend katie tells it, the bible is "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth"(ancronym for bible) God bless each of you today, a sister in Christ, denise

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:6


Straight - The root word (yashar) means to be level, straight, just or lawful. In its derivations, it is often connected with the idea of law keeping and uprightness. It frequently means to make a straight path, free of obstacles and level. This was the kind of path made for a king. Some translations of this verse read "he shall direct your path" but that isn't quite the right sense. God doesn't push you out on your way without making the road ahead straight, level and clear. It is both the work of God for man, as in this verse, and also the work of man for God (Isaiah 40:3). Uprightness is a lifestyle characterized by being blameless. This is a person of discernment.

God grants us the ability to recognize His law and to walk in it. In one important derivative, the word is an attributive adjective of God Himself, emphasizing His righteousness and His reign over all people. The person who is judged to have straight paths from God's viewpoint is said to have that quality of heart that enables him to be obedient to God's will. This promise claims that our dependence (trust) on God will allow Him to straighten out our lives. We do not need to struggle with the mechanics of how this will be done. We are asked only to trust Him and not ourselves and He will do the rest. It is a blessing for us to know that God is willing and able to repair what we have damaged if we only surrender ourselves to Him in all our endeavors. After years of struggling, it is a wonderful promise of grace to realize that our lives can be characterized by blamelessness and discernment. God does work miracles. This verse makes it clear. All of the crooked paths, all of the bends and curves, all of the mess that we have made, He will straighten. It is going to be painful, but the result will be a life of blameless freedom.


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Copyright Statement:

"Today's Word" devotional, from Skip Moen . © 2003 is used by permission. All rights reserved. "Today's Word" may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author, along with a link to http://www.studylight.org/col/tw/ 2) "Today's Word" may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
 
I like this NLT version of 1 Cor. 10:23. I just understand it better, but Skip has used another version of the bible on this one(the KJV which I beleive is most accurate to the original writings. Jesus didn't come to do away with the law given to Moses. He came to fulfill it because God knew humans didn't stand a snow-balls chance on their own. Now, when we sin, God doesn't see that sin, He sees us through Jesus, Jesus already payed for every sin. Some of the world thinks that being saved would give them a ticket to do anything they want, any sin with no consequence because Jesus payed the price. In my opinion, and from experience, when we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, those thoughts don't come around often, if at all. Knowing Him is to love Him. Jesus went through hell, literally, for us. For me, going against God's Way is the most painful thing in the world. It isn't because He punishes me, it's because I have broken the heart of my Loving Father in Heaven. And........spit on the sacrifice He made for me. And again, all things are permissable, but as I've proven, they are not all beneficial. God gave us the Word to show us how to live in a fallen world, how to survive and have some peace and joy not matter the outside circumstances. For me, I will continue to follow Jesus. That is where true "peace on Earth" is found. An "inside" job. Love to all, denise in Sams Valley


"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient," I Cor. 10:23


Expedient - The Greek word (sunphero) is a combination word. It comes from sun (which means "together") and phero (which means "to bring"). We get the English word "sum" as in adding up things from this Greek prefix (sun). So, the idea is to bring things together in one place. The concept is to profit from some addition. Paul is saying that while everything is available for the Christian who is no longer a slave to the Law, not everything adds up to making life better. Some things that might seem acceptable or even unacceptable, we avoid just because they do not add to our lives.

Paul is making a great point about the freedom that comes under Christ. God no longer holds our sins against us. We have been forgiven. We are seen as though we have the holiness of Christ. The demands of the moral law have been met in Christ's atonement his death for us. Technically, this means that we no longer live under the law. But even though we have technical freedom, we realize that there are aspects of freedom that are not beneficial for us. As believers, we are called to grow into the character of Christ. Some things we don't do just because they don't take us on the growth path.

After we experience the release of guilt, after we know the joy of forgiveness, we sometimes discover that old patters and relationships interfere with our desire to become what God intends us to be. Some activities need to be set aside, not because they are technically "wrong" but because they don't add up for our new way of living. Paul tells us to keep careful track of the addition. Make sure you are getting the right totals. When you add up things in your life, bring the combination before God and let Him sort out the answers. He will tell you what to subtract. Let God do the math!


Visit At God's Table for more
inspirational devotions by Skip Moen.


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Copyright Statement:

"Today's Word" devotional, from Skip Moen . © 2003 is used by permission. All rights reserved. "Today's Word" may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author, along with a link to http://www.studylight.org/col/tw/ 2) "Today's Word" may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
 
I am going to try and do my own writing here instead of copying and pasting a devotional. I will ask God to give me a verse and then write on how I believe it applies in my life, or how I hear the Holy Spirit interpreting it to me. Prayers for me in this endeaveor are so welcome;) I pray that it blesses you. Your sister in Christ, denise

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(NKJV at Blueletterbible.org)

Sometimes non-christians will ask me "why" do I believe in God. It's so hard for me to answer someone that has already made up their mind there is no God. If they knew my life before I came to believe though, they might just not only see why I believe, but they may even want to consider reaching out for Him. And that has to be my answer to them. I believe because He has shown Himself to me through His Word and through the asking. I could give them tons of verses but none of that truly proves His existence. People have to chose to seek Him for themselves. Then He will reveal Himself to them, as He did to me. It would be nice if you could "hand God out" like christmas cards. And in a way you can, but what do a lot of people do with christmas cards? Tack them up because they are pretty, tack them up to show off how many friends they have, shove them away in a drawer to look back on when you're feeling down, or maybe just trash them. Just more clutter, they were nice to see but don't want them hangin around.

I'll just say this and be done here. My life is better for having Jesus "hangin" around. I am so glad He is Who He is. With all my "falling down" He has never left me. He says He won't in His Word, and He keeps His promises.

May you reach out for Him today
 
"The steps of a man are established by the Lord; and He delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the Lord is the One who holds his hand;" Psalm 37:23-24

Im struggling with a lot of things this past 2 years and it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I post these scriptures because I need to hear them myself. I need to talk about the Lord and be reminded of the hope I have in Him. Lots of people have different things they place their hope in and if that works for them, then far out. For me, nothing has ever saved me from complete dispair like believing in the God of the bible. This verse brings to mind all the different obstacles in life. All the things I have to learn, all the pitfalls, storms I'll encounter. I've come through the ones I've already met up with so there is not reason to think I won't make it through the next, and the next. Kind of like a baby learning to walk. Mom or dad is close by watching each step. And when the child falls, they are there to pick them up, brush them off and encourage them on their way again. That's how I feel about God. He is watching and with me every step. He knows the obstacle ahead, and like a loving parent, He may move something out of the way. But have you ever noticed how a baby might turn and walk right into it, just out of curiosity :lol: Smack, they hit the floor. God warns us of obstacles, and if you are like me, yes, sometimes I'll listen and go the other way, and sometimes, I just have to try it. I hope this blesses someone today. The sun is shining in Southern Oregon and it could be more beautiful out, melting off the frozen ground and warming the valley I live in.

denise in Sams Valley
 

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