JANUARY 19
Where do / where did your thoughts take you today?
Did you wake early and ponder all you had to do?
Did you take a moment to consider God and what He might have planned for you?
Did you think about the headache and/or other ailments that take your focus off Jesus and onto yourself?
Who / what is more important?
Is it I?
Is it all about me, about what I feel like doing or not doing?
God created the clouds. Do I ever look up and think about them?
Do I see God there?
Do I see God wherever I am?
I know He is with me. It says so in the Bible, but do I see Him?
Do I feel His loving embrace?
Am I aware of His discipline?
Do I hear Him speak to me? -- through His word,through His Spirit?
Do I see Jesus in the rain that falls?
"The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts, and minds through Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:7
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." ~ Jeremiah 29:13
JANUARY 20
Who is boss today?
Are you or is there a higher authority in your life?
Are you aware of who the boss is?
When are you aware of God -- only when circumstances are tough going?
The Lord says to us in Isaiah 55:8-9, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you -- thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." ~Jeremiah 29:11
JANUARY 21
"I want you to be all mine" is the beginning line in today's devotional. Reminds me of phrases in Valentine's Day cards passed out to others -- "Will you be mine?"
Jesus asks the same things of me.
Have I accepted His gift of salvation?
Have I given my all to Him or do I give Him myself, my life bit by bit?
I’m more in the latter category. When I accepted Jesus as my Savior, at that time I said I was giving my all, but I was wrong. I didn’t do it all at once. I wasn’t willing. I thought I could do things myself. I thought I could take care of the little things and let God handle the big ones. It took me years before I realized I needed God to handle everything. He deserves my praise and thanksgiving. He deserves my attention. Without Him I was defeated. Defeated by anything and anyone. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross. Jesus is my Savior. Therefore, I did not need to be defeated. I too could defeat the pull of the darkness, of evil, through the Power of Christ living in me.
It is a miracle to have Jesus walking with you.
I began traveling the relationship road with Jesus when I accepted the free gift of salvation offered me. The gift had been offered for years, but it was not until a summer August day in 1982 that I received the gift and became His child. And it wasn’t until the early 2000s, when Jim and I embarked upon the “Forty Days of Purpose” at Immanuel, that I saw more of His Light and more of His Purpose for my life.
In 2006, I began writing devotional poetry. In 2008, I began a stone study. In 2012, I published a book of poetry. In 2014, the Lord instructed me to write a book, based on the stone study.
Up and down, in health and not, having money and not, the Lord Jesus stayed nearby.
I am glad for that day in 1982. I am gladder still He has not and does not forsake me. He continues to show me The Way, The Truth, The Life – that is His, and mine to follow.
Who do I depend on?
Where is my security – is it in my job?
Where is my strength?
Do I believe my strength comes from myself – my muscles, my brain power, do I ask the Lord for His strength to accomplish things I otherwise could not?
Do I trust in His power – do I believe He will do all He says and then personally take that step of faith, or do I trust only in myself, believe only what I think?
Deuteronomy 33:27 says,
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, Destroy!”
Romans 8:35, 37-39 says,
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
JANUARY 22
Do I trust Jesus more each day?
When I am anxious about anything do I look to the Lord to help me through it?
Do I run from challenges or do I see them as an opportunity to grow closer to God?
Do I find excuses not to do something because I prefer to do things my way in my time?
Do I give up on relationships because it's too much work to keep going?
Do I stop praying because I see no answers?
Do I stop believing in love?
Do I stop loving another because I'm tired of always giving to the relationship and receiving nothing?
Do I think I am better than you?
Have I forgotten my life was not created to please me?
Do I trust Jesus step by step?
Do I look forward to the challenge of the day or am I fearful of what may lie ahead?
Do I regret choices made and remind myself of them all the time?
Do I think I can have better, I can do better, with someone else, in another place?
Do I lean on Jesus for every trial and circumstance that comes my way?
Do I search for Him all the time?
Am I thankful for His blessings, many of which I have yet to see?
"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil." ~ Proverbs 3:5-7
Where do / where did your thoughts take you today?
Did you wake early and ponder all you had to do?
Did you take a moment to consider God and what He might have planned for you?
Did you think about the headache and/or other ailments that take your focus off Jesus and onto yourself?
Who / what is more important?
Is it I?
Is it all about me, about what I feel like doing or not doing?
God created the clouds. Do I ever look up and think about them?
Do I see God there?
Do I see God wherever I am?
I know He is with me. It says so in the Bible, but do I see Him?
Do I feel His loving embrace?
Am I aware of His discipline?
Do I hear Him speak to me? -- through His word,through His Spirit?
Do I see Jesus in the rain that falls?
"The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts, and minds through Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:7
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." ~ Jeremiah 29:13
JANUARY 20
Who is boss today?
Are you or is there a higher authority in your life?
Are you aware of who the boss is?
When are you aware of God -- only when circumstances are tough going?
The Lord says to us in Isaiah 55:8-9, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you -- thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." ~Jeremiah 29:11
JANUARY 21
"I want you to be all mine" is the beginning line in today's devotional. Reminds me of phrases in Valentine's Day cards passed out to others -- "Will you be mine?"
Jesus asks the same things of me.
Have I accepted His gift of salvation?
Have I given my all to Him or do I give Him myself, my life bit by bit?
I’m more in the latter category. When I accepted Jesus as my Savior, at that time I said I was giving my all, but I was wrong. I didn’t do it all at once. I wasn’t willing. I thought I could do things myself. I thought I could take care of the little things and let God handle the big ones. It took me years before I realized I needed God to handle everything. He deserves my praise and thanksgiving. He deserves my attention. Without Him I was defeated. Defeated by anything and anyone. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross. Jesus is my Savior. Therefore, I did not need to be defeated. I too could defeat the pull of the darkness, of evil, through the Power of Christ living in me.
It is a miracle to have Jesus walking with you.
I began traveling the relationship road with Jesus when I accepted the free gift of salvation offered me. The gift had been offered for years, but it was not until a summer August day in 1982 that I received the gift and became His child. And it wasn’t until the early 2000s, when Jim and I embarked upon the “Forty Days of Purpose” at Immanuel, that I saw more of His Light and more of His Purpose for my life.
In 2006, I began writing devotional poetry. In 2008, I began a stone study. In 2012, I published a book of poetry. In 2014, the Lord instructed me to write a book, based on the stone study.
Up and down, in health and not, having money and not, the Lord Jesus stayed nearby.
I am glad for that day in 1982. I am gladder still He has not and does not forsake me. He continues to show me The Way, The Truth, The Life – that is His, and mine to follow.
Who do I depend on?
Where is my security – is it in my job?
Where is my strength?
Do I believe my strength comes from myself – my muscles, my brain power, do I ask the Lord for His strength to accomplish things I otherwise could not?
Do I trust in His power – do I believe He will do all He says and then personally take that step of faith, or do I trust only in myself, believe only what I think?
Deuteronomy 33:27 says,
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, Destroy!”
Romans 8:35, 37-39 says,
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
JANUARY 22
Do I trust Jesus more each day?
When I am anxious about anything do I look to the Lord to help me through it?
Do I run from challenges or do I see them as an opportunity to grow closer to God?
Do I find excuses not to do something because I prefer to do things my way in my time?
Do I give up on relationships because it's too much work to keep going?
Do I stop praying because I see no answers?
Do I stop believing in love?
Do I stop loving another because I'm tired of always giving to the relationship and receiving nothing?
Do I think I am better than you?
Have I forgotten my life was not created to please me?
Do I trust Jesus step by step?
Do I look forward to the challenge of the day or am I fearful of what may lie ahead?
Do I regret choices made and remind myself of them all the time?
Do I think I can have better, I can do better, with someone else, in another place?
Do I lean on Jesus for every trial and circumstance that comes my way?
Do I search for Him all the time?
Am I thankful for His blessings, many of which I have yet to see?
"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil." ~ Proverbs 3:5-7
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