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Daily devotion

1/18/2019

God’s Blessing

Scripture Reading for the day: Deuteronomy 28:1-9
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Scripture Quote: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

God wants to pour out blessings on his children, but he expects us to be obedient to His law. Those who run toward God, study His Word and live by His statutes, will have an abundance of blessings. As we journey along in this life we can receive the fulfillment of God's promises pertaining to all circumstances, trials and stages of life. That is what an intimate walk with Jesus looks like. That is not to say that by receiving God's best that we are excluded from the various troubles in this world. But even within trouble, there is a peace and help that God favors us with that stands firm against whatever hardship we must endure. We can let our faith increase every time we feel Him strengthening us. Trials are meant to try and build faith.

We could experience financial prosperity, great health, a large number of beloved family, notoriety, or none of these things. It’s not the end result but rather the ongoing journey with God's Holy Spirit continually blessing us with the assurance of His presence and peace as our constant companion. When we are walking within God's boundaries, following His straight forward direction found in His Word, we are blessed beyond measure. Everything that we have, both spiritual and material, is by Divine appointment.

Today’s meditation: Obedience + Faith = God’s Blessings.

Memory Verse: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

Daily devotion

1/17/2019

God’s Anointed

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 16:19-22
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Scripture Quote: One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him." 1 Samuel 16:18 (NIV)

Jesse's youngest son, David, was not a small lad who faced a humongous giant, as most of us remember from our Sunday School classes. He was seen as a brave man and a warrior in reality. He played the lyre, tended and protected his father's sheep against wild animals, and he was one of Saul's armor-bearers. Armor is heavy and it doesn't seem feasible that Saul would enlist a weak youngster to carry it. No, David was a man and the only reason he didn't wear Saul's armor when he battled the giant, Goliath, was that he hadn't tested it, or trained in it and thought it could be a hindrance rather than an aid.

There wasn't an Israelite man who thought themselves able to defeat Goliath, yet David didn't hesitate at all. What could have given him such confidence? God sent Samuel to anoint David because he knew and approved of David's heart. God had chosen David to be king. With God's blessing on David, how could he not be confident? He was sure to beat Goliath, and anyone else that might stand in opposition to the plans God had for David. It's good to know that God takes such a personal interest in the lives of those he has chosen to follow Him.

Today’s meditation: Thank God He has chosen us to follow Him.

Memory Verse: You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. Psalms 139:2 (NIV)

Daily devotion

1/16/2019

God’s Amazing Love

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:8-15
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Scripture Quote: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
John 3:1-2 (NIV)

When we love someone, it is because of some qualities they possess that give us pleasure in their company. Basically, we love whatever gives us pleasure or delight. We love God because He first loved us - But why did He? We each had neither claim nor goodness that we should be recipients of the greatest love ever known to man. We were sons of the wicked one, so the love which brought us from such a depth of misery is truly extraordinary. The love of God for man is a mystery.

If we are filled with the Spirit of God and walking in the fullness of His light, even then, we cannot attempt to describe God's redeeming love. Our finite minds and hearts can feel His love surround us, contemplate the length, breadth and depth of His love, and finally, just marvel at its unfathomable enormity. Those who cling to this world's worthless idols have so foolishly turned away from God's love for them. But the Christian’s hope will not put us to shame. God's love has been poured out into our hearts and we are the richest people on this earth.

Today’s meditation: There is no greater love than God’s love for us.

Daily devotion

1/15/2019

God Waits For You

Scripture Reading: James 4:1-6
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Scripture Quote: “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11:10 (NIV)

If you don’t spend time in prayer daily, should you expect God to bless your life? With your mind constantly engaged on things that concern the world, you might go along for a while before your independence comes up empty. Is it when all else fails, that you remember your need of God? We are so lucky that God forgives us for our arrogant pride and slight of Him. Instead of turning His back and ignoring our frantic pleas, which He would certainly be justified in doing, He pours out His mercy and grace because He loves us.

Or maybe you pray for things that are not consistent with God's will for your life. Let's face it, we can be wickedly self-centered in our requests of God. We ask for worldly prosperity, only to spend it on selfish indulgences. We pray for healing when we are sick, while we continue to put unhealthy food and drink into our bodies.

Knowing God's will is not mysterious as some protest. All you need to do to know God more intimately is to pray with sincere humility and read the bible so that His Holy Spirit can speak to your heart. He lays his requirements and expectations out very clearly in His Word.

Today’s meditation: Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Memory Verse: “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Proverbs 8:17

Daily devotion

1/14/2019

Daily devotion

1/11/2019

God Provides Everything

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22
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Scripture Quote: He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

There is a tender attention of the shepherd to his flock which enables them to survive – some of the young don’t have strength enough to follow. We are the Lord’s sheep who He guides and protects during our earthly existence. How safe, how eternally safe and secure our redeemed souls are, however poor or insignificant because we truly belong to Jesus. Every promise of God is as reliable as His Plan of Salvation – Within Christ are hidden all the treasures of God and we can choose to receive all He has for each of us.

God is true, so every promise of God is true – Each will be fulfilled according to His plans and purposes. He has chosen us to be His children and anointed us with His Holy Spirit. He has set His Holy seal on us and blessed our hearts with an indwelling of His Love and a desire to know Him more intimately. His Word explains His Gospel message of salvation and teaches us truth to live by. Our shepherd will always protect His Own until He ushers us home to be with Him forever.

Today’s meditation: Every promise in God’s Word will come to pass.

Memory Verse: Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Cor. 7:1)

Daily devotion

1/10/2019

  God Is Omnipotent


Scripture Reading: Job 34:10-15
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Scripture Quote: Job 1:10-11 (NIV) Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

No doubt the Christian faces the devil and his deceitful schemes against us on a pretty consistent basis. We can, nevertheless, choose to conduct ourselves as multitudes before us have - Like those that will neither sell their souls, their consciences, nor their country, for any price. Even if God should punish us, we will nevertheless trust in him. Like Job, and thousands of others like us have done, whose hearts belong to Christ, we must deliberately choose the path to everlasting life, even in the face of our destruction here on earth.

Who among us would stand as firm in faith after absolutely everything we loved or possessed was taken from us? In all that he lost, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Instead, Job fell to the ground in worship. Satan was utterly disappointed by his reaction. Job defeated Satan without a single thought of him, because he kept his heart and faith in his God - Pray that we could react with such dedicated faith when our trials overcome us.

Today’s meditation: Even in devastation, God’s right to rule stands.

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)

Daily devotion

1/9/2019

God Is Mighty to Save

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40:25-31
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Scripture Quote: He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
(Isaiah 40:22-23 NIV)

How can we ever imagine in what manner God created and holds all of the universe together? Isn't the creation proof of the wisdom and power of God? How can we even try to compare the majesty and glory of God to anything we have ever known? We cannot. God is sovereign over all the earth, yet He loves broken humanity. He is great and glorious and worthy of the confidence of His people.

Even the most powerful leaders in our culture today are as nothing compared with our incredible God. We are a busy, agitated, impatient multitude, spread out all over the earth as God sees and cares for each of us. It's almost impossible to believe, yet we do believe - His presence in the form of the Holy Spirit is always with us and confirms God's faithfulness to all who love Him. We bring nothing more to the table than our hearts and obedience, yet God has promised to be our provision and our strength. Like Psa 27:1a says, “The LORD is my light and my salvation-— whom shall I fear?

Today’s meditation: We can rest confidently in God’s might and love.

Memory Verse: Christ Jesus who died, more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:34b NIV)

Daily devotion

1/8/2019

God Has Broad Shoulders

Scripture Reading: Psalms 27:1-3 (All scripture is from MSG)
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Scripture Quote: I call to God; God will help me. At dusk, dawn, and noon I sigh deep sighs—he hears, he rescues. My life is well and whole, secure in the middle of danger. Even while thousands are lined up against me. (Psalms 55:16-18)

Christians are blessed and confident of being redeemed and saved. If when we pray, we already believe that what we pray for will certainly be accomplished, God honors that kind of faith. We can have peace within and a calm mind. God loves us and wants the best for us. He can turn any situation around because there is nothing too hard or impossible for our Great God.

God is eternal and unchanging - The same God who has heard the prayers of those Believers in the Old and New Testaments hears His people now. He has always answered prayer and He continues to answer and protect us today. God wants to hear about our struggles because it pleases Him to be involved with the lives of His children. We can enter prayer with praise and gratitude in our hearts. Our lives are secure by communion with God who gives us strength for whatever we must face each day. Pray to believe without a doubt that God will answer - He most certainly will.

Today’s meditation: God will always help and protect us - Intimate Communion with God is our blessed anchor.

Memory Verse: Pile your troubles on GOD's shoulders— he'll carry your load, he'll help you out. He'll never let good people topple into ruin. (Psalms 55:22)

Daily devotion

1/7/2019

God Determines Our Service

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:29-34
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Scripture Quote: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

In our busyness, our noble occupation for the Lord, we accomplish little more than an exhausted, ungodly attitude, which we dutifully attempt to stifle. Consider the sea or the galaxy - We can see a tiny portion of either, yet their grandeur exists without our input and even without our observation. God is in control of all things. If our acts of service are done in love for another's benefit, they are rarely exhausting or frustrating. Any negativity we experience comes from within us.

God doesn't want futile, frustrating effort from us. He wants to love us and be the center of our lives. Communion with our heavenly Father is where we find the peace and joy He’s meant us to have. When we are attentive to Him, our complete source, He knows everything that is happening in our lives. The challenge is to keep our eyes focused on God, no matter our circumstances. If you want to be of use to God, exhibit a steady life from which your peace and assurance flow naturally. You will then be providentially positioned for God inspired service for the Kingdom.

Today’s meditation: Focus on your source, which is God, and be led solely by Him.

Memory Verse: "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.” Matthew 6:28 (NIV)

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 5 pound, furry, Chihuahua muse, “Princess 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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