Toni Writing for The Master
TAS
  • Daily Devotional
  • Weddings by David & Toni
  • Salvation
  • Toni's Blog
  • KNOWING GODS WILL
  • Contact Me
  • Blog 2
  • Childlike View
  • JESUS
  • Poem
  • Peter Pan Christian
  • A Mother's Prayer
  • A Bit of This & That
    • YOUTH
  • HARD TIMES MARRIAGE AND GOD
  • Christian Writer
  • What I believe
  • 365 Devotions
  • 30 day devotional
  • HEY GOOD LOOKING

Daily devotion

3/15/2019

0 Comments

 
​Humility
 
Scripture Reading: Ruth 1:1-16 
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: "The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.” Ruth 3:10-11 (NIV)
 
When Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, lost their husbands, Naomi tried to send Ruth back to her Moabite people, but Ruth would not leave Naomi. Ruth was a humble woman who always trusted God, which is portrayed throughout the book of Ruth. She had a relative on her husband's side named Boaz. Ruth went out into Boaz's cornfields, following after the reapers. In humility and gratitude, Ruth collected the leftover ears and pieces of corn that the reapers had left behind. And later, her humble spirit shows up again when Ruth spoke to Boaz in total subservience to him - So they were married and became part of the royal lineage of Jesus.
 
Christians are so blessed, yet completely unworthy, and that should be humbling. Knowing our true nature, the way we tend to leave God back in our prayer rooms during our busy day, is good reason to consider humility towards others. If we all came to this conclusion, then we would all think better of others than ourselves which might mean that we would all become humble servants to each other.  
 
Today’s meditation: Daily serve yourself some humble-pie.
 
Memory Verse: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves," Philippians 2:3 
0 Comments

Daily devotion

3/14/2019

0 Comments

 
​Humility Leads to Love
 
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:3-8
click to read the scripture

Scripture Quote: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.” Isa 53:5 NIV
 
It’s hard and extremely humbling when we accept the truth that the only good in us are those spiritual traits and innate talents that God has given us. On our own, we are cruel and self-serving at best. But when we face the truth about ourselves, we gradually realize our wickedness and we can also admit that we know little more than a small child knows about God.
It takes growing in His Word to grasp God’s generosity and patience with us. As a result, we acknowledge and revere His Great Name. It is in that state of humility and reverence for God that we will begin to understand the enormity of what Jesus did when He chose to die in order to redeem us. The Holy Spirit that Jesus sent to comfort and guide us is absolutely transforming. The expression of God's Spirit living within us comes out as love, which gives us an intense desire to please God and to be kind to others. In 1 Corinthians 13:3-8 in the Bible it tells us just what our new love, our spirit-filled love, acts like.
Today’s meditation: Flee from all sin and pursue love.
Memory verse: “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” 1Cor 13:6 NIV
 
 
0 Comments

Daily devotion

3/13/2019

0 Comments

 
​How Much is Enough?
 
Scripture Reading: Titus 6:6-12
 click here to read the scriptures
Scripture Quote: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
 
We believe that we need to have food, clothing and a place to live as bare minimums for our survival, but that's more than Jesus had - His home was where he was staying at the time. Our world is very different than it was during Jesus' life, yet not really all that different.  Back then, like today, people usually tend to feel increasingly secure as they progress in their incomes and lifestyles. The bigger their home and the newer their car, the more they feel accomplished. But Christians sometimes need to pause and begin to realize that our faith may be in the wrong place.
 
If a Believer has God's Word in his mind and soul, even if he has a lack of food or shelter, he still has Christ in his heart, which is great gain by an eternal perspective. We require a lot less of the world when we cling firmly to the sufficiency of our Lord and Savior. Money is not the root of all evil as some who misquote the Bible say. It is only one of the temptations of the world that would attempt to lead us away from the truth. Do not love money and believe in an ever-increasing need for it. But rather let us pursue our highest calling to walk intimately with our Lord, anticipating His return in glory.
 
Today’s meditation: Love the Lord and always trust in His provision.
 
Memory Verse: Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; Psalms 37:16 (NIV)
0 Comments

Daily devotion

3/12/2019

0 Comments

 
​                                                          Hospitality & Harmony
  
 
Scripture Reading: Romans 15:4-13
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” Jude 1:21-23 (NIV)
 
Christians are the church and the body of our Lord, Jesus. We need the church to keep us fully in the love of God. We stray when we devalue the importance of continued fellowship in worship with each other. The world is very hospitable to the floundering Christian. We need to be all the more hospitable with each other and with that stranger or struggling Christian. Support, earnestness and encouragement all create a peaceful, harmonious group. We need to be conscientious about building each other up with prayer and with hospitable, welcoming attitudes. We need to also be completely rooted in God's Word.
 
We are judged by the world around us who are hopeful that they can find some condemnation of us that supports their distrust and disbelief. We are known by the fruit of our lives. Harmony stems from our relationship to Jesus acted out. The discord of sin can destroy harmony and must be avoided. When the church displays hospitality and harmony she is a powerful witness to the world.
 
Today’s meditation: Be welcoming and generous to everyone.
 
Memory Verse: “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” Romans 15:14 (NIV)
0 Comments

Daily devotion

3/8/2019

0 Comments

 
His Excellency
Scripture Reading for the day: Psalm 95
click here to read the scrioture
Scripture Quote:“for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture,the flock under his care.” Psalm 95:6(NIV)
 
     In Psalm 95:6, we read that the LORD is the greatest God and King over everything. His excellency as Creator is unmatched throughout the universe. Yet He would call us His own. In the Old Testament times, when idol worship and blatant disobedience prevailed, He still loved us. He wanted His people to come to Him with joy and gratitude. And even today, we also may approach our Heavenly Father with an indescribable gladness - Even though we fail Him repeatably, He has chosen us to follow Him and through Christ, we are redeemed.
     We are His sheep and He supplies our green pasture. God goes before us to set up the best possibilities despite Satan's efforts to the contrary. We stubbornly refuse His guidance so we can ignorantly, “do it our way,” only to find that we end up in more trouble than we can eradicate ourselves. Jesus has already experienced everything that we have. He is always close and willing to answer our call for help. We need only remember that our hope lies in His hands, not ours - And, that's pretty excellent!
 
Meditation for the day: “Hope springs eternal...” Alexander Pope . Where does your hope come from?
 
Memory Verse: ”Come, let us bow down in worship,let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Psalm 95:6(NIV)
0 Comments

Daily devotion

3/7/2019

0 Comments

 
​                                                                                Highway to Heaven
 
 
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 35:1-10
click here to read the scripture 
Scripture Quote: "The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing." Psalms 145:14-16 (NIV)
 
Isaiah's poem in today’s scripture reading pictures the desert blossoming into glorious life. He could easily be describing the effect on God's people who receive a total change through His touch. Where the favor of God rests, hearts are blessed beyond expectations - Our dreariest dry spell will become like spring-fed lakes.  God will never disappoint. Hearts that have been touched by God's Spirit will lose all fear. If we find ourselves going through some dessert experience like sickness, loneliness, poverty or a wavering faith, etc., we must trust that our God will provide a way out.
 
There’s nothing that can ultimately hurt us once we are walking with God. Our Father frees us from all deceit and oppression of this world. He takes the darkness from our lives and gives us redemption and a great hope for the future - Believers are redeemed and all the rest just doesn’t matter. Whether we suffer through a thing for a short or even a long time, our destiny is set. We will be with Jesus and there will be no more trials, only joy. Christ is the "Highway to Heaven."
 
Today’s meditation:
 
Memory Verse: "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does." Psalms 145:13 (NIV)
0 Comments

Daily devotion

3/6/2019

0 Comments

 
​Helping Others
 
 
Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:35-40 
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” Deuteronomy 15:11 (ESV)

Scripture tells us that whatever kindness we do is accepted by the Lord as a jesture of kindness toward Him. The person we help is the person He loves. And it really is individual – Jesus loves each of us as if we were the only one. It gives our Savior joy to watch us love each other, encourage each other and share our blessings and gifts with each other. The is the family of God in a nutshell.
 
Can you imagine what our churches would be like if we dispensed tender affection at the entrance and a willingness to connect with and endure trails with our Christian siblings? Now imagine that love flowing out our doors into our communities. If we could offer loving commitment to the unsaved in place of judgement, would Christianity look very different to them? It's really true to realize that there is not one of us in a position to throw stones at any other. We are all inept and impure without the cleansing work of Jesus. So, give that love away. Give it to the lovely and give it to the unlovely. Jesus accepts and helps everyone who realizes that they need Him. So should we.
 
Today’s meditation: To give, to help, to care ... is to love.
 
Memory Verse: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you…” John 15:12 (ESV)

0 Comments

Daily devotion

3/5/2019

0 Comments

 
​                                                                                  Help Each Other
 
 
Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19-31 (All Scripture quotes are NIV)
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”(Luke 12:20)
 
It matters little if the rich man was born into a wealthy family and received an inheritance, or if he obtained his wealth through immoral methods. We don't know if the rich man was obnoxious to others, flaunting his wealth. He could have been a quiet man who simply spent all of his time in the pursuit of greater wealth. He was clothed in magnificence in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury. The attribute that stands out most about the rich man is his inattention and lack of compassion for another man's dire need.
 
The rich man sought and had everything he wanted in this life and he was not at all worried about an after life. He did not receive the wonderful salvation God wanted to provide for him. He didn't belong to the family of God on earth, so he couldn't be part of us in eternity with Jesus. Rich or poor, followers of Jesus are required to conform in our hearts to the Spirit and Mind of Christ. The Lord always helped those who sought Him – In fact, Jesus said that when we do something to help someone in need, it is as if we are doing that thing for Jesus. What have you done for Jesus lately?
 
Today’s meditation: Share your blessings with your neighbor.
 
Memory Verse: For what hope have the godless when they are cut off, when God takes away their life? (Job 27:8)
 
0 Comments

Daily devotion

3/4/2019

0 Comments

 
​                                                          Help Each Other
 
 
Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19-31 (All Scripture quotes are NIV)
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”(Luke 12:20)
 
It matters little if the rich man was born into a wealthy family and received an inheritance, or if he obtained his wealth through immoral methods. We don't know if the rich man was obnoxious to others, flaunting his wealth. He could have been a quiet man who simply spent all of his time in the pursuit of greater wealth. He was clothed in magnificence in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury. The attribute that stands out most about the rich man is his inattention and lack of compassion for another man's dire need.
 
The rich man sought and had everything he wanted in this life and he was not at all worried about an after life. He did not receive the wonderful salvation God wanted to provide for him. He didn't belong to the family of God on earth, so he couldn't be part of us in eternity with Jesus. Rich or poor, followers of Jesus are required to conform in our hearts to the Spirit and Mind of Christ. The Lord always helped those who sought Him – In fact, Jesus said that when we do something to help someone in need, it is as if we are doing that thing for Jesus. What have you done for Jesus lately?
 
Today’s meditation: Share your blessings with your neighbor.
 
Memory Verse: For what hope have the godless when they are cut off, when God takes away their life? (Job 27:8)
 
0 Comments

Daily devotion

3/1/2019

0 Comments

 
​                                                           Heaven-Bound?
 
 
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:1-7
 click to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.” 2 Chronicles 6:21 (NIV)
 
Can believers love their lives and ever reach the kingdom of heaven? Every person has a day to day life that includes work, fun, relaxation and hardship. Some days are fuller of work than, say, fun. Vacation time is usually fun and relaxing, with the workload left behind. The success of our children bring us peace, while the death of a family member intense grief. Christians, like most other people, spend the bulk of our time just trying to get it all done. Our carnal mind is constantly competing for the upper hand and diligently drawing us away from our attachment to the Gospel, then filling us with fear of God’s condemnation for not spending more time in it.
 
None of this brings us closer to heaven, but it does pose a fairly accurate depiction of humanity. We try, but we are never able to live solely for Jesus. Can we still be confident of our place with Him in heaven? It is only hope in Jesus, who has done all the work for us, that will make us fit for heaven. Yes, as a child trusts, so can we and say that the LORD is our strength and our defense. Childlike faith in Him is all that holds the way to heaven open for us.
 
Today’s meditation: Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
 
Memory Verse: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” Psalms 13:5 (NIV)
0 Comments
    Picture
    2 Timothy 3:16-17New International Version (NIV) 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work
    BIBLE STUDY TOOLS
    Share your Faith
    Plant based food restaurant



    Author

    Bio: Toni Smothers has written articles for “Total Health”, “Let’s Live”, “People In Action” and “The North American Mentor” magazines.  She is a member of the Faithwriters.com writing community and was previously the editor for the teen section of their on-line magazine. She has written many programs, sermons, and skits and has edited several websites. Additionally, she has answered hundreds of questions for GotQuestions.org, a biblical resource site. Here is just one of their many testimonials: "Thank you for this insightful website! I was able to look up many questions I have asked over the years since becoming saved. The site is easy to navigate and gave me so much biblical background for answers that I feel my armor has been strengthened. You and your staff be encouraged to continue to speak the truth for God's glory." When Toni is not writing, she can usually be found cuddling with her 10 pound, furry, Morky muse, 'Sweet Pea.' Toni Smothers studied homeopathy extensively and became a proficient layman. She wrote about homeopathy for “Total Health” and “Let’s Live” magazines. Smothers describes her experience befriending a refugee family from Laos in her article published in the travel magazine, “People in Action.” Additionally, “American Mentor” magazine has published some of her poetry. Smothers drew upon her fun experiences as a youth pastor to provide the needed insight to function as the editor of the teen section of “Faithwriters” magazine and she is a member of the Faithwriters.com writer’s community. 

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

View My Stats
Proudly powered by Weebly