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Today's devotion

6/9/2017

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                                                     tasmothers@gmail.com        www.writingforthemaster.com
Spiritual Warfare
By, Toni Smothers
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 6:11-20
 click to read the scripture
Scripture Quote:  Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:14 (NIV)
 
Every Christian is under attack from Satan's deceptions, so we must remain steadfast in our faith. We can choose to begin each day with the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit. With spiritual protection, we can wear our faith like a shield that circles around and enfolds us. Praying God's Word back to Him, can slice through any of Satan's schemes and temporarily expose him to the light, which he hates. Satan knows God's Word too, and he fears it's truth.
 
Our enemy is cunning - He waits for us to be caught off-guard. Remember though, God will not allow the enemy’s attack to overcome the strength he gives you. As the trial comes, he will provide you with His sufficient grace. If we are praying in the Spirit, we will be given wisdom to discern his deceptions.
 
Pray for strength for yourself and for other believers you may know. Be especially diligent in praying for your leaders, so that they may continue to teach truth as they guide all of the Lord's people. Above all, stand firm against the different plans, schemes and lies of the devil. Stand firm in your salvation, using the full armor of God, and the forces of evil will flee from you.
 
 
Today’s meditation: God’s protection is invincible.
 
Memory Verse: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.” Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)
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Today's devotion

6/8/2017

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                                         tasmothers@gmail.com                www.writingforthemaster.com
 
Life’s Trials
By, Toni Smothers
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:5-11
 
 
Scripture Quote: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfected of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”
Hebrews 12:2-4
 
It is only an ever growing trust in and love for God that can enable a person to endure the temptations of life and remain content without complaint. Every one of us experiences various types of trials, and because of that, we are all candidates to either stand or fall.
 
The prize for enduring and overcoming our temptations will be the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to us. Our holy God desires to build our character and strength against evil temptations. However, He will always deliver us from the punishment of hell. We are to trust God for all our provision and remain steadfast in our love for Him. Our heavenly Father has sent us trials so that we may grow. He has used seemingly harsh trials to teach us to abandon the easy path and cling to truth, wisdom and justice. He is constantly refining those traits in us.
 
Today’s meditation: Our trials are temporary and endurable.
 
Memory Verse: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NIV)
 
 
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Today's devotion

6/8/2017

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                                       tasmothers@gmail.com                www.writingforthemaster.com
 
Life’s Trials
By, Toni Smothers
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:5-11
 click here to read the scripture
 
Scripture Quote: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfected of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”
Hebrews 12:2-4
 
It is only an ever growing trust in and love for God that can enable a person to endure the temptations of life and remain content without complaint. Every one of us experiences various types of trials, and because of that, we are all candidates to either stand or fall.
 
The prize for enduring and overcoming our temptations will be the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to us. Our holy God desires to build our character and strength against evil temptations. However, He will always deliver us from the punishment of hell. We are to trust God for all our provision and remain steadfast in our love for Him. Our heavenly Father has sent us trials so that we may grow. He has used seemingly harsh trials to teach us to abandon the easy path and cling to truth, wisdom and justice. He is constantly refining those traits in us.
 
Today’s meditation: Our trials are temporary and endurable.
 
Memory Verse: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NIV)
 
 
 

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Today's devotion

6/7/2017

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                                  tasmothers@gmail.com                www.writingforthemaster.com
Learn the Word to discern His Voice
By, Toni Smothers
 
Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:25-31
 click there to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.” Acts 14:8-10 (NIV)
 
Have you ever been led by the Lord to do what you considered impossible? Peter stepped out onto the water immediately after Christ’s command. The lame man stood up and then walked the minute he was told by Paul that by faith he could.
 
Yet we struggle with issues that aren’t nearly as dramatic. Say you've been verbally mistreated behind your back, by a close friend, for example. You are deeply hurt by the lies told about you. Impossible as it may seem, you know the Lord is guiding you toward reconciliation. He’s telling you to overcome the temptation to retaliate. He wants you to make the first step, offering genuine forgiveness for this offense. You are full of righteous indignation, so Christ’s command to restore peace seems truly unfair, yet the Lord wants you to show His love in the face of the other's meaness. Even though a command from Jesus may seem impossible, it is certain that He will give us the power to accomplish it as we recieve His Word by faith and obey it.
 
Today’s meditation: Increase your faith through reading His Word.
 
Memory Verse: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17 (NIV)


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Today's devotion

6/6/2017

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                                tasmothers@gmail.com                www.writingforthemaster.com
Choose Love Over Anger
By, Toni Smothers
 
Scripture Reading: Luke 6:27-37
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:44-45 (NIV)
 
We can mull over and over an offense that provoked our anger, or we can suffer that offense quietly, leaving ourselves in the hand of God. Anger is totally opposite to the spirit and letter of the Gospel. When we indulge wrong tempers, we wound the spirit of love and mercy within us. When we stand steadfast in our good will, however, an enemy or hurtful situation is weakened. There is no strength in anger because it robs us of our power to choose loving hearts and minds. When a thief steals from us, he obtains our goods, which are here today and gone tomorrow anyway - But if we raise up in righteous indignation, we have then given the thief our peace and joy as well.
 
When we rise above our fury, or seething resentments, we move closer to God and His grace purifies and renews our hearts. We more closely resemble our Savior who has also given us the most profound grace in human history. He died under the ignorant, brutally cruel hand of man, yet he used His last dying words to pray forgiveness over all of us.
 
Today’s meditation: Love can overwhelm anger.
 
Memory Verse: "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” Luke 6:32 (NIV)


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Today's devotion

6/5/2017

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                                 tasmothers@gmail.com                www.writingforthemaster.com
 
Backslider
By, Toni Smothers
 
Scripture Reading: Luke 15:11-24
click here to read the scripture 
Scripture Quote:  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:7 (NIV)
 
During the prodigal son’s era, a person who worked at feeding pigs was considered to be employed in the vilest of all occupations - Jews were particularly contemptuous of swine-herdsman. In Egypt they were not permitted to mingle with civil society or have any matrimonial opportunity. Purely because of their occupation and association with pigs, they were considered to be shameful sinners.
 
Today, a desperate drug addict given up to all kinds of evil, who might steal, or even murder if it gained him his next fix, could be compared to the debased swine-herdsman. These kinds of people are shunned by a law abiding society.
 
Who among us would esteem a murderous drug addict, or choose him as an acceptable candidate to marry one of our kids? Yet, which of us would not be heartbroken to have one of our own children fall into such a despicable lifestyle? And just like the father of the prodigal son, it's a good guess that we would also be elated at our child's reversal and return to us. God, the author of the greatest parental love in existence, is also tremendously joyful over the child who turns away from their sin toward His merciful forgiveness.
 
Today’s meditation: Sin’s deception destroys, but God’s truth restores.
 
Memory Verse: “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." Isaiah 44:22 (NIV)

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Today's devotion

6/2/2017

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​                                 tasmothers@gmail.com                www.writingforthemaster.com
 
                                                    Anxiety
By, Toni Smothers
Scripture Reading: Mathew 6:25-34
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)
 
Christians who have unshaken confidence in God, rarely find themselves anxious - They are also in the minority. The rest of us do suffer from an occasional uneasiness of mind. Many things can distract us until we lose focus on the mercy and grace of God to help deliver us from whatever is messing us up. Once all a person can think about is their problem, they have diminished their own strength, which is found in continually relying on the Word of the Lord.
 
Being flawed Christians with imperfect faith, we will inevitably experience anxiety. But if we can discipline ourselves to recall all the great saves God has already accomplished on our behalf, we can slowly build on those memories until our confidence is renewed. Consider that God first gave you your body, the breath you breath and the life you live. Would He not sustain a reborn Christian who needs help through the traumas of life? Search your own heart and you will undoubtedly find the knowledge of His great love for you.
 
Today’s meditation: Be confident in God’s promises and provision.
 
Memory Verse: “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalms 55:22

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Today's devotion

6/1/2017

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                                 tasmothers@gmail.com        www.writingforthemaster.com
                                       
​                                      Unkind Judgements

By, Toni Smothers
Scripture Reading: Mathew 7:1-5
 click here to read the scripture
Scripture Quote: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sin.” Mathew 6:14-15 (NIV)
 
It’s hard to look honestly into our own darkness. We must admit our ugly judgments of others - It’s crazy because we often are ourselves guilty of the thing we criticize. We are foolish to think that our nasty judgmentalism goes undetected. God hears those mumbled snide remarks. Our heavenly Father knows who we are under the surface of who we project ourselves to be. If we will face our sinfulness, we can ask God's forgiveness. With His help, we can gradually choke out that mean, hypocritical disposition so that we can dispose of any harsh, uncharitable judgments against others.
 
We can shed the evil within our secret selves, just as a chubby, squirmy caterpillar is transformed into something so much more beautiful and free. To begin, we can refuse to endeavor to elevate ourselves above others. As believers, it's just awful to cling to a deluded perspective of ourselves and think that there should be no good quality found anywhere other than ourselves. Do you realize that the other guy is struggling with illusions of grandeur too? God sees it all, yet He will forgive us. He will always guide a yielded, repentant heart to embrace justice and mercy.
 
Today’s meditation: Be kind to one another.
 
Memory Verse: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”  Mathew 7:12 (NIV)

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    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
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    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. 

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