Patient endurance

​S-Rev 13:9-11 NIV

Whoever has ears, let them hear

“If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”[d]

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.

O- In this revelation God is letting us know that our fates may seem negative and tough to accept but if we put our trust in the Lord and his plan for our future we will be able to endure many trials that we may face.  We will do this with patient endurance and faithfulness to our God.

A - The application for me is to see my journey as a challenge to my faith at times but I am to keep my faith in God's plan and patiently walk through the trials that may come , being steadfast to God and his word for my life. 

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's lesson may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord for the strength and confidence to patiently endure the trials I face.  Help my faith in you to endure forever.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Jesus the good shepherd

​S-Rev7:17 NIV

For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b]
    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c]”

O- Jesus is the Lamb at the center of the throne of God in heaven and will be the shepherd to all those who have found salvation in him.   He will lead his sheep to the springs of living water from which they will have eternal life with him in heaven.  God will welcome everyone who come through the lamb and wipe every tear from their eyes.

A - The application for me is to be sure I am following the good shepherd.  I am to get to know his voice by seeking and listening for him in my daily time with him and his word. I am to focus on hearing his voice and allowing him to know my anxious thoughts and worries and concerns of this world.  

P - Dear heavenly Father , thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you would continue to speak into my life which way I should go.  I pray you help me to know my feelings and exploring what they mean to me and what you say about them.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

​S-Rev 3:19-20 NIV

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come inand eat with that person, and they with me.

O-

God's word lights the way

​S-Psalm 119:105-106 NIV

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
    that I will follow your righteous laws.

O- God's word is the truth that lights the path for me to follow.  I read it daily for inspiration and revelation knowing that it contains truth for me to follow.   When I don't feed myself daily on his word the light on my path grows dim.   

A- This is a good reminder of the need to be in God's word daily for from it comes the holy spirits calling and direction.  There is a narrow path to follow which God's light makes readily perceivable.  When I read and meditate on God's word my soul gains insight and direction that I did not previously have. 

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's word may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you help me to find the strength and motivation to read your word daily and seek your path for me to follow.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Glorified in Him

 S - John 17 : 1-5 NIV

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

O - Jesus came to give eternal life to those who follow Him.  Eternal life is knowing the one true God, and his son Jesus Christ.  He did the complete work of atoning for our sins and then was glorified as he rose from the dead and was seen and known by his disciples, then elevated to his heavenly throne at the right hand of God the Father.

A - The application for me is to receive the blessing Christ has given, to know him and our heavenly Father.   May I do the work he has given to me,  raising my children, loving my wife, and serving those around me. 

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you help me glorify you name above all names, and am known for my love and faith in you.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

The way, the truth and the life

​S-John 14:6-7 NIV

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truthand the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

O-  Jesus shows us here that he is answer to our problem.   He is the way, the path we are to follow, the truth, God's true and straight way, and the life, the everlasting life that comes with being reconciled with the eternal father.  No one can come to the father except through him, which is why he is the way.   Jesus is one with the Father, therefore if we know Jesus we know God as well.  

A - The application for me is to to follow Jesus as my way to salvation and restoration.   I am to here the truth from Jesus and plant it deep in my heart and I am to begin living an eternal life in which things from heaven carry more weight than things of the world. 

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you show me your way, your truth and your life, so I might walk in the fullness of this life. I pray this in Jesus name, amen. 

The good shepherd

​S- John 10:14-18 NIV

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheepand my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

O - Jesus is our one and only good shephard.  He knows us and calls us by name to follow Him.  He lays down his life so that we can be reconcilled with God.  Jesus here reveals he is not just called to the sheep in Israel but to the others outside, in fact he calls them all together in one great flock,  His flock.  God is well pleased with Jesus' work here on earth, because he lays down his life for the lost sheep, only to take it up again after his death so that he may take his place at the right hand of the father in heaven.

A - The application for me is to reaffirm that Jesus is my good shepherd.  I have gone to him and committed myself to receiving His grace due to his great sacrifice on the cross.  I follow him in love and peace as he guides me in his everlasting ways.   I turn away from sin and towards him who loves me unconditionally.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion,  may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you shepherd me in your good way and save me from myself.  I pray this in Jesus name, Amen

Freedom from sin

S-John 8:34-36  NIV

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

O - Jesus is the son of God and has all authority to set us free from our sin.  Jesus is explaining to the pharisees and those present that He alone is from God and delivers God's message to the people.  His message of salvation from sin once and for all.  It is this hope that makes us different to those who are simply trying to conform to the law.

A - The application for me is to be glad and rejoice in the finished work of Jesus.  Although I have sinned,  I have repented and towards God.  I have access to God because of the work of Jesus on the Cross.   I have been given the Holy Spirit to guide me and therefore I can live free from sin.  

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's lesson may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you remind me of my relationship to you through your son.   I pray that you help me put my past sin behind me and move forward in your ways.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Progressive habits of effective Christians

​S-2Peter 1:5-9 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. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

O - Peter here describes the progressive habits that Christians should make every effort to work on in their lives.  I believe these to be a circular progression that you start off with faith and progress all the way through love.  We are never complete as we should go around adding to each a further measure of these areas.  But what caught my eye today was verse 9 which says whoever doesn't have these attributes are blind and nearsighted having forgot that their salvation has cleansed them from their past sins leaving know excuse as to why they aren't increasing in faith, goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. 

A - The application for me is to remember the gift of mercy my salvation is.  Jesus has paid for the forgiveness of my sins and as I repent and seek God I can start increasing my faith, goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love.   If I do this I will be more productive and effective in my knowledge of Christ. 

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you help me increase in these progressive habits, doing so knowing you have forgiven me for my past sins.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Suffering according to God's will

​S-1Peter 4:19NIV

19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

O - Peter is teaching the churches how to live through suffering.  We are to suffer according to God's will and committ ourselves to God and continue to do good.   That is the challenge in suffering we are to still have a good attitude and focus on the good things we can say and do.  When we suffer according to God's will we are under God's grace and should know the suffering is only temporary and helps us grow in perseverance.

A - The application for me is to recognize my suffering as part of God's will in my life.  It is likely a correction of my path from where I was heading to the path of God's will for my life.  I must learn to persevere and not give up on God's will for my life.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you help me to persevere through my current circumstances and help me to despite the suffering stick to you correction in my life. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Perseverance in trials

​S-James 1: 2-5 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a]whenever you face trials of many kinds,3 because you know that the testing of your faithproduces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

O- Maintaining joy through trials is a challenging prospect, but James exhorts us to test our faith which produces perserverance.   Perserverance does it work in us leaving us more mature and lacking for nothing.  He also knows some of us may lack wisdom on how to persevere,  we simpy need to ask God who is a generous giver and is full of mercy.  

A - The application for me is to face my trials with an eye on God's plan for me , a good plan for my redemption and not my fall.  I must persevere through the trials so my faith can be made whole and true.  I must seek God for wisdom in my circumstances and be expectant of His freely giving in great abundance.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord for your perseverance through the trials I face.  I pray as I recover from sexual sin that you would grant me wisdom on how to conduct my life and recover trust in my marriage.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

God's correction

​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.”

O- Paul here is speaking to the church in Jerusalem and gives them wise advice to not make light of the Lord's discipline and not to lose heart when it occurs because we have a God who loves us unconditionally and a savior who died for our sins to be reconcilled.   We don't have to get down when we are facing discipline because God means it for our good and not our punishment.  He corrects those he loves so they don't stay mired in their circumstances.

A - The application for me is to not get down or saddened by the corrections that the Lord is doing in me.  He does it because he loves me and wants me to live a better life.  I must remember I am accepted in God's eyes and his discipline is for my good.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for your discipline and correction so I may live a better life.  I pray Lord you help me to pay attention to your corrections and embrace them for what they are, a chance at a better life.  I pray all this in Jesus name, amen.

​S-Heb 312-15

12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 15 As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.”^[c]

Free from sin

​S- Coll 2:13-15 NIV

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d]alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross

O- Paul here helps us understand where we came from in our walk with Christ.  Before we dead in our sins and now God makes us alive in Christ.   He has forgiven each and everyone of our sins and cancelled any debt we may have to him through the price Jesus paid, death on a cross.  He did so in a very public display so that all might know and remember His sacrifice. 

A- The application for me is to remember the sacrifice of Christ and the grace of God over my sins.  I am to walk without the weight of those sins on me anymore,  to walk in a upright and right manner knowing that this pleases God.   While I may have been forgiven my sins I am not to forget them or the lessons from them,  there is no good that comes from sin other than repentance or to turn from it.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you would help me put the thoughts and effects of my sin behind me and help me to walk in your like and on the path you are laying before me .  I pray all of this in Jesus name, Amen.

No grumble, be humble

​a-Phil 2:14-16 NIV

Do everything without grumbling or arguing,15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 

O- Paul's exhortation to the Phillipians is a matter of heart.   We are do act and behave without grumbling and arguing amongst us as Christians because we have something big that has happened to us , namely our salvation and restoration that comes from Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.  As we receive this gift of grace we are to become blameless and pure as children of God amongst a world that can be warped around us.  But we are to maintain steadfast in our attitudes that we not grumble but praise God in all circumstances.

A - The application for me to be humble, not grumble.  I know this is easier said than done but it is a choice.   When I feel the circumstances around me start me grumbling in my spirit and actions I need to take my worries and concerns to the Lord, he is always available and willing to guide me in all circumstances.  From that place I can give my burdens to the Lord and look forward to walking in His ways.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you help me to have a humble heart one that does not grumble and argue when things aren't going my way.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Walk in Love

​S-Eph 5:1-2NIV

1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

O - Paul here encourages the church at Ephesia to follow God's example to us who is Christ Jesus.  We are to walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and sacrificed himself as an atonement for our sins that we might be reconciled once and for all with the Father in Heaven. 

A - The application for me is to whole heartedly follow Paul's command which is God's truth, that I walk the way of love.  I am to walk the way of love with my wife and children loving and serving them as Christ did for the church.   I am to be willing to lay down my life, or my wants and needs in order to serve those God has put into my life.  

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you help me to walk in the way of love, help me to be more and more like Christ each day.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Believe in Christ

​S-Romans 10:11-13 NIV

11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[e] 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

O- How comforting to know that whoever believes in Jesus will never be put to shame.  The Lord is the same for the Jew and the Gentile,  he is the Lord of all and richly blesses each person that call on him.  The fact that Jews and Gentiles where apart of the church in Rome, it probably meant there was tension between the two groups.  The Jews in Rome had been driven out by the emperor for a period and the letter to Rome from Paul came to them at a time when the Jews returned to Rome.   

A - The application for me is to recognize Jesus is available always to me and if I would believe in him, and call upon him he will be there for me.  I may have fallen short of God's best for my life but that doesn't mean he isn't still working things together for good.  I simply need to call on him and believe he can and will show me the way. 

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you would be the Lord of my life and lead me onto path's that I should be taking.  I pray this in Jesus Christ name, Amen

​S-Romans .6:11-15 NIV

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sinbut alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.