Jesus the way and the truth

S-John 1:50-51 Niv
50 Jesus said, “You believe[h] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[i] you[j] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[k]the Son of Man.”

O- This is Jesus's testimony to Nathanel as to Him being the messiah.  Nathanel would indeed experience greater things during his 3 years traveling with Jesus.  Jesus testimony was so we can see and believe in God with us.  

A - The application for me is to recognize through His testimony and witness that Jesus Christ is the messiah,  the one who came to save us from our sins.  He offered up the ultimate sacrifice on the cross when he died for my sins and sits now on the right hand of the Father.  

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that your testimony would be such that my heart and mind would be transformed.  I pray for your will in my life to be known so that I will walk upon the straight path.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

As Far as East is to the West

​s-Isaiah 59:1-2 niv

59 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
    nor his ear too dull to hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated
    you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
    so that he will not hear.

Psalm103:11-12

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

O - The Lord can and does save the lost.  Despite a person's iniquities God see's and hears us because Jesus has reconcilled us with the Father.  God's love for us is so great He gave His only Son as a living sacrifice.   For those who fear Him, the Lord has compassion and mercy for them. 

A -   I have stumbled and lost my ways and this has led to a season which has felt like I have walked alone. But today I am reminded that God is not far away.  He is present and aware of my circumstances.  He listens and hears my prayers when I come with a humble and repentant heart.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I come to you with a humble posture seeking your face and your wisdom and guidance for my life.  Lord I repent of my sinful ways and look to you for my sanctification. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

​S-Isaiah 54:9 Niv

9 “To me this is like the days of Noah,
    when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.
So now I have sworn not to be angrywith you,
    never to rebuke you again.

O-

Habits of effective Christians

​S-2 Peter 1:5-8 Niv

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control;and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ

O- These are the seven progressive habits of highly effective christians.  With them one becomes increasing effective as a servant of Jesus Christ.  You start with faith in Christ and add to it goodness in deeds and attitude. To goodness we add knowledge of the Lord and His ways.  To knowledge we learn and practice self control of our actions and thoughts wanting them to be pure and Christ like.  To self control and perseverance of trials we face in this world.  To perseverance you add godliness as we learn to live christ like existences. To godliness we learn mutual affections with our fellow man and to this we add genuine godly love of those around us.

A - The Lord has laid this verse before me many a times to contemplate in hopes of living it out.   I know I fall short often of God's best for my life and need to look to this scripture to work on the attributes of and effective christian.   I am struggling today to live a life of perseverance and my faith is at a low period.  But I still come before the Lord dedicating my life to live in a manner that is good and pleasing to Him.

P- Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart. I pray Lord that you would give me with the wisdom and fortitude to live out this scripture of progressively coming to live a Christ like life.  I pray this in Jesus name, Amen

humble myself

​s- Isaiah 48:10-11

See, I have refined you, though not as silver;
    I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.

1 Peter 5:6-11

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

O-Peter gives us a list of things to follow. Be humble, cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. Resist the devil and he will flee. Have peace knowing others are facing similar trials.

A- I am to follow the example of year Peter and humble myself testing all my anxieties on the Lord.

Love covers sin

​S-1Petet 4:7-10 Niv

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms

O-Peter's exhortation here is to the believers on how they are to behave , despite circumstances that are troubling.   He says above all love each other deeply because this covers a multitude of sins.  This love is a love that comes from living a saved life and therefore wants to see others saved and the saved redeemed.  God's love is from where our love comes and now that we are not separated from God we are free to love as He loves.  

A - The application for me is to love those in my life and around me so that I might live a life full of the love of God.  I am to love my wife and daughters everyday with this love.   I am to achieve this by being of sober mind and praying for God's guidance and strength.  

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  Help me to cover my sins with your love and to love others as you do.  I pray for the strength to walk each day in your love and through that know how to love my family and others well.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Riding myself of deceit

​S-1 Peter 2:1-3 Niv

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

O- The process of changing as a Christian from ways of the flesh to ways of the Lord is outlined here by Peter.  We are to rid ourselves of malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander in order to live as Christ had freed us to do. Born again like new born babies we are to crave spiritual milk to grow and develop ourselves as Christ' embassodors in this world. 

A -  The application for me is to take the time to contemplate my own behaviors that have malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy or slander and get rid of them in my head and heart.   I especially resonate with the need to get rid of all deceipt in my life and living a life of Truth.  I must rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal in me my deceipt and guide me a way to walk in the truth.  

P -  Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you help me rid myself of all these negative character traits, especially that of deceit.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen

Praise him in the trials

​S-1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV

6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 

O-In Peters letter to a few churches throughout the region we see him addressing trials that they will face or have faced already.  The trials proved their faith to themselves and those around them.  Peter's exhortation to them is that they should greatly rejoice in these trials as it allows them to praise God and honor Jesus and His sacrifice.

A - The application to me is to remember to rejoice in the Lord always,  but especially in my trials.  For when I persevere and come out praising Him my faith is revealed and bares witness to those around me.  

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your word and inspiration today, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord for you to lead my thoughts and actions through this trial I am facing today.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen. 

The Lord's compassion and mercy

​S-James5:10-11 NIV

10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

O-It takes patience in suffering to trust in the Lord ad his ways.  Job is set as an example of patience in suffering for us.  For the Lord has not promised us a life free of suffering but does have compassion and mercy over us and all the circumstances we face.

A -  So I am to take on Job's example and despite my suffering and loss I am to hold on tightly to God and his mercy.  I am today also inspired by my wife Abby who has endured many periods of suffering , including ones due to my sin.   She always reaches for God's hand and waits patiently for God's deliverance.  I too want to be that person before God and my family.

P - Dear heavenly father thank you for today's lesson may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray that you would give me patient endurance in my trials and would speak wisdom and truth into my life as I try to undue the wrongs I have done in my sin.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Come as you are

​S-2 Chron 30:18-20 NIV

18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” 20 And the Lordheard Hezekiah and healed the people.

O-  What a great way to display God's grace this is.   King Hezekiah had order the temple restored and consecrated and the Levites and Priests did so with great sacrifices.  Now all of the people were called to come to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem.  Though they did not purity themselves , their hearts were drawn to come.  Hezekiah seeing all the people coming without purification prays for them to be pardoned if they have their hearts set on seeking God.  He knew their hearts were good though they had not followed the law of purification.  God showed His grace because he knew their hearts and the heart of the King who he had leading them.

A -  The application for me is try and be a leader like Hezekiah whose heart was to restore his people to their God.  It is also to learn from the people who simply sought after God with no religiosity of the past but out of desire to be reconciled with the Lord.  We have that ability now through Christ who has reconciled our sinful nature with the God of everything.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's word may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray that you help me posture myself to seek you ought in all things in my life.  I seek you in my marrige, I seek you in my finances,  I seek you in my career.   I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Faith and deeds

​S-James 2:14-16 NIV

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

O-James' letter stands as an exhortation to the church to be doers of good deeds by taking their faith and turning it to action.  I believe it is not so much about having faith that saves us but rather the gratefullness that comes from being saved should prompt or prod us into action.   James example is clear if our words sound good and positive but make no real change then perhaps we haven't considered the correct set of actions or deeds.  This is a common affliction that we learn the correct vocabulary as we grow as Christians but if that growth only resides in the word's we speak and not also the actions we take then we need to take a deeper look into why our actions are not following our words.

A - The application for me is to look to my words and see if my actions are aligning.  This is true in all my relationships but especially with my wife whom I am trying to rebuild trust.   My words are fine but my actions fall short of what I am saying.  I need to ask the Holy Spirit for promptings and strength to step out in action toward those around me.  

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord for help with making my actions match my faith and my words.  First help my faith to grow deeper in trust of You,  then help my actions match the words that come from me.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

The Lord is my helper

​S-Hebrews 13: 4-6. Niv

4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 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.”[a]

6 So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”[b]

O - This passage is straight forward truth from God to me.   I need to keep my marriage bed pure and know God has already judged my sin in this aspect of my life but by His grace is healing me and my marriage from my past sins. Next to sex,  money is my other troubled area as I need to remember to keep myself from the love of money. 

A - Through God, as my helper all things are possible.   I can't be afraid to live the life that is pleasing to God, one of fidelity in my marriage and free from the love of money.  All this is possible if I will lean on God and trust His ways and His guidance.  I have to seek him daily to ensure I don't wander away from Him and His ways. 

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's scripture may it be sealed to my heart.  I come to you now seeking your guidance in how I can increase my fidelity in my marriage through living life honestly, no seeking to hide or withhold things from Abby.  I pray for continued forgiveness for the sins I committed in my marriage.  I pray also for guidance in my finances,  I confess I am stuck on what to do with the cars I purchased and am over my head in debt.

The Lord's discipline

​s-Heb 12:5-6 niv

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a]

O - Paul here exhorts the people to take the Lord's discipline seriously but to not be down during a season of discipline.   The Lord disciplines us because He loves us to much to allow us to wander far from Him.  Just like us as parents we desire our children to behave for their own good.  It brings sadness to our hearts when they don't and we love them too much to let them stay in their disobedient ways.  God loves us too, beyond our sinful selves he looks and loves us.

A - The application for me is to take my season of discipline and correction with a positive outlook that God still loves me and pursues me even in my disobedience.  My job is to have a teachable and correctable spirit and follow the promptings of His Holy Spirt in me.  

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for your discipline and correction.  I am so sorry that I have wandered away from your ways and have sinned in my life.  I pray you will help me correct my ways and be your son once again.  I pray for those I have sinned against that you would give them comfort, peace and healing.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

​S-Heb 10:15-17 niv

15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
    after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds.”[b]

17 Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts
    I will remember no more.”[c]

​s-Hebrews 8:10

10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
    after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,

O-

Trust in the Lord

​S-Psalm 116:11

11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.

O - This is a warning to those who know and are following God.  We must have a sense of reverence or fear of Him as He is all powerful and all knowing.   He loves us unconditionally but in order to receive His love we must trust in Him.   He is our help in times we are not sure which way to go and he is our shield in times we feel we are under attack.

A-  The application for me is to put my full trust in God and to reverently fear Him.  What that looks like is me going to Him for all things in my life and trust His word and His guidance to me through the Holy Spirit.  

P - Dear heavenly father thank you for today's lesson may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord for your protection and provision for my life.  Help me Lord to make good decisions with regard to my financial circumstance and help me to act with your love in my marriage.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.