Devotional Thoughts

Psalm 119:76    "Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant." Kindness seems to be dwindling in some areas of life. That's a hard statement, but there are too many instances where the feelings of others are not taken into consideration when dealing with issues of life. I'm not talking about compromise; for that is not kindness. Our Heavenly Father shows His merciful kindness to us every single day, but He never compromises His truth. There are so many instances of God's kindness in His Holy Word. That is why the writer of this Psalm was asking for kindness "according to thy word." God showed kindness to Adam and Eve when He clothed them with animal skins; yet, He still cast them out of the Garden. God showed kindness to Moses when He allowed Moses to look over into the promised land; yet, He would not allow Moses to cross the Jordan River. No, kindness does not mean compromise, but every single day...

1 Corinthians 11:20-22    “When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.” Historically, it is believed that the early church met together and had an actual meal before the taking of the bread and wine in what we today refer to as Communion or the Lord’s Supper. Paul’s admonishment to the church at Corinth would seem to indicate this was the practice there. The brethren came together for a meal and the fellowship that goes with it prior to taking the wine and unleavened bread in token of the Lord’s blood and body. However, Paul rebuked them for the manner in which they had come to conduct themselves. His injunction was not so much against the act of me...

Psalm 119:65-68    "Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word.  (66)  Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.  (67)  Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.  (68)  Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes." I love how God's dealings with me are secured by those words in verse 65, "... according unto thy word." As I read those words, I am made certain that the Word of God is effectual. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians concerning the Word of God, "... ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." The Word of God works effectively in our lives. God spoke to us through the Prophet Isaiah, "... it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." In other words, God's Word works...

1 Corinthians 11:17-19    “Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” In the second verse of this chapter, Paul told the brethren there were some efforts of theirs that he approved of (praised). However, he did not approve of them in everything. He was just as diligent to point out those things that were not worthy of approval as he was to give credit for those that were. Paul was not being meek or beating around the bush. He did not simply say “I tell you,” but rather “I declare unto you.” The use of the word “declare” moved this from a simple giving of his opinion to laying a charge against them. He told them that many of them were not gathering to worship with the proper atti...

Psalm 119:57    "Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words." Let's be reminded of the verse that completes today's passage. We are told in Deuteronomy 32:9, "... the LORD'S portion is his people ... " I'm trying to piece all of this together in my mind this morning. When I compare the Lord's portion (His people) to my portion (the Lord, Himself), I begin to realize that I have been given the greater portion. There is nothing that I can add to my Heavenly Father that will increase His value. But my worth is vastly increased by the portion (inheritance) that has been given to me. As I think upon these things, I'm reminded of the Prodigal Son. He said, "Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me." I know the father gave him the monetary value of his inheritance, but what truly was given to that son - and also to the older son? What was his true inheritance? It came to me as I was typing this morn...