Enjoying the Journey
Devotional
More To Come
Are you worn down? Nerves on edge? Wondering what is coming next? These have been challenging days for so many, but we should not be surprised. As we near the end of time things in this world will no doubt seem more and more “out of sync.” Ours is a world out of step with the Creator. God predicted it and we should expect it! “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13). Do not be in despair.…
Read MoreWhen We Are Blessed…
Blessed people often become the most rebellious. If you don’t believe me, look at God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel. When we are full of good things it is easy to get full of ourselves. How quickly we forget! When we are seeing answers to prayer, opportunities to serve, favor with people, and gifts of His goodness it should drive us beyond the blessings to the Blesser. Every thing we receive from His hand should cause us to seek His face. When we are blessed… We must remember that it is all mercy. We don’t deserve any of it! In fact, the only thing we deserve is hell and anything better than hell is better than we deserve. “…that…
Read MoreThe Next Leg of the Race
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Each phase of the race is both distinct and essential to the whole. We have begun, in many respects, the next leg of our race. What will we do with this part of our race? In this race you must know how to push yourself. There is no good time to quit this race. God put you in it and it is not over until you cross the threshold of His throne room. That is where the crowns will be handed out. An aged Paul wrote, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). So must we. In this race you must…
Read MoreLessons Learned On A Walk Through the Woods
Henry Drummond who wrote the classic work on 1 Corinthians 13, The Greatest Thing In The World, was a naturalist. He believed that every spiritual reality has some natural parallel in this physical world that reflects it. In this way the Creator gives evidence of the greater reality. This would seem to make sense when we listen to the way the Lord Jesus Christ used earthly object lessons to teach the higher truth. Regardless, it is my conviction that you can learn a lot about God, about yourself, and about life by simply taking a walk through the woods. I have a favorite trail on our farm that takes me high up on a ridge line. Many days as I…
Read MoreThe King Is Coming!
What are you expecting to happen next in our world? Every day brings new challenges and changing circumstances. I cannot tell you what the government will do, how the economy will respond, or when the pandemic will end. But what I do know is what the Bible tells us – The King Is Coming! God’s people should not be looking down, they should be looking up. Our future is not disaster but deliverance, and we are watching for the coming of our Christ, not the antichrist! Any moment the Lord Jesus is coming for His own. The last book of the Bible tells us the story of both the end of this world and the beginning of eternity with our…
Read MoreA Way To Escape
One of Satan’s lies is that the besetting sin in your life (you know the one) will always defeat you. “That’s just the way you are and it will never change.” Remember that the devil is a liar and the father of all lies (John 8:44). The God of truth says something quite different: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). A way to escape. There it is – God makes a way to live…
Read More“Just Use My Name.”
In times of need it is wonderful to know someone who has abundant resources. A friend may send you to another with the instructions: “Just use my name.” They mean of course that you have access to supply on their good credit. I am convinced that most believers do not sufficiently appreciate nor appropriate our Lord’s name. His name is greater than every need! Recently as I read through the High-Priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17 I was struck by the emphasis He placed on God’s name… “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word” (vs. 6).…
Read MoreNEW STUDY: “A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ”
There is a great deal of discussion now about peace around the world. At the same time, there is increased strife and fighting in our own country. But the biggest war in the world is being waged and few are talking about it. You will not find it in the news or trending on social media, but it is very real. It is a battle between light and darkness and it is intensifying at this moment. It is not a political, military, social, economic, philosophical, racial, or social conflict. It is spiritual. The enemy is angry and the conflict is as fierce as it has ever been. Satan knows his time is short and our Captain has promised us the…
Read MoreHow To Make The Most Of This Season In Life
Seasons are marked by change. The autumn leaves turning colors and falling to the ground are a reminder to us all that time is passing. And while we love some seasons more than others, God uses every season in life to bring us closer to Himself. He is the One who transcends it all – eternal, immutable God. I do not know what season you are living through at this time. While it may be bright and sunny outside it can be dark and gloomy within. When some are rejoicing, others are walking through their most difficult days. One thing I do know is that “He hath made everything beautiful in his time…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). How can you make the…
Read MoreWash Your Hands!
How many times have you heard about the importance of hand washing over the last few months? The entire world is being reeducated in basic hygiene that our mothers tried to teach us! What is true for physical wellness is a picture of a higher truth – it is a principle of spiritual health. In the Old Testament there were daily, ritual washings that were required of the priests who were to enter into the presence of God. When the Lord Jesus Christ came He said to His disciples, “Now ye are clean through the Word that I have spoken unto you” In fact, one of the lasting pictures of Christ and His disciples is the image of the Master…
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