Devotional Thoughts

Ephesians 5:1-2     "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;  (2)  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." These verses present two thoughts to me this morning. The first one is the matter of the way we look, talk, and act as children of God.  We are to be followers of Jesus Christ. We are to "walk in love as Christ also hath loved." This may sound a bit judgmental, but as I go about town into various shops and stores, I see a group of people that look much alike. Their hair, tattoos, and piercings soon begin to fade together into one lump sum. It makes me wonder who set the stage for this "fashion" statement. If they want to look as individuals, why do they all look alike? We are to be imitators as we go from day to day, but there is One who is much higher than any earthly fashionista that we are to follow. His name is Jesus. We are to attempt...

Matthew 6:19-21     " Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  There are many things that we have come to appreciate in this life. We value a nice home, a dependable car, the latest technology, and a stable job. We have certainly come to value our “down time.” We own boats and campers for weekends on the lake, or we hold season tickets so we can go and cheer on our favorite college or professional sports team. There is certainly nothing wrong with any of these things until they become the things that we treasure (hold precious and valuable). All these things can disappear from our lives in the blink of an eye. Our economy can fail to the point where we can no longer afford...

Ephesians 4:29-32    "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.  (30)  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  (31)  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  (32)  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." I will go straight to the point on this one. I wish all of us could pay closer attention to these four verses. There were two words that jumped out at me when I read these passages: corrupt and clamour. Although I use this Facebook media for my devotions, I find myself having to scroll past more and more of the posts because people hide behind their screens to express their corrupt clamouring communication. I know this is my opinion, but it's ho...

Matthew 6:16-18     " Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." There are many ways to look at fasting today. Some abstain from food on certain days of the week or at certain seasons of the year. Others fast intermittently, choosing a limited number of hours each day when they can eat. Still others consider it fasting when they give up only certain foods for a period of time. One thing is clear; fasting requires that we make sacrifice. The Apostle Paul instructed us that we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Jesus said to follow Him, we had to deny ourselves daily (Luke 9:23). F...

Ephesians 4:20-24     "But ye have not so learned Christ;  (21)  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:  (22)  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  (23)  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  (24)  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." "If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man..." As I read these words just now, it hit me as hard as ever before that when we read the Bible, we are reading God's Word. I know I say that often, but it hit me in a different way this morning. As we are reading God's Word, we should be asking to "hear God's voice." Yes, if it is God's Word (and it is), then we should know that we are listening to the voice of ...

Trusting God Goes Beyond Believing God  Psalm 91:2   I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."  Life is not predictable. There are ups and downs along the way. Many of us want to trust God. When times are good, it can feel easier. But when times feel difficult, it is even more important to trust God. God’s unchanging character can give us a firm foundation when things feel unsteady and uncertain.  Life can be going along smoothly for a season. Your job is satisfying. Your friends and family are enjoyable. Your goals, finances, health and outlook seem bright. Then, all of a sudden, life throws a curveball. Someone you know gets sick. You lose your job. A friend or family member betrays you. The things you felt secure in all of a sudden feel shaky and uncertain.  How do you trust that God is good in these circumstances? How do you trust Him when you do not understand what is happening? When you cannot see a reso...