Monday Devotion Beyond

 

 

 

Beyond A Devotion

12-14-09

God Can Fix It

James 5:13

My dear sisters, “is anyone among you suffering?  Then (s)he must pray.  Is sick, and the Lord will raise him (her) up, and if (s)he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him (her).”

 

The message above does not come from my mind but from the mind and the very Word of God. So let me ask you to do something today, something that will transform your life.  I am going to ask you to radically change the way you read these devotions.  As you can see, I did not call it“devotion” today, but instead, I called it “beyond a devotion.” The reason I did this is because it is essential for us to take our time with the Lord more seriously.  This is something we can all do no matter what stage of commitment we are at in our personal quiet time with the Lord.  God is challenging each of us to go deeper with Him.  To spend more time with Him than just reading some daily devotion, therefore, I am providing to you this new format of devotion that will allow you to use it as a tool to go deeper into His word and search for yourself what He has to say.  Together we can grow and strengthen our faith and walk with the Lord. Together we will watch God answer prayers in our lives and see a transformation within our personal lives, our marriages, our children, our grandchildren, our church, our neighborhoods, our work places, etc. God bless you as you seek Him with me, as you listen, learn, grow and share the Truth of God’s word. Now let’s get to the lesson.

 

“Is anyone among you suffering?”  Good question.  In the space below write a short statement to the Lord about something you feel like you are suffering with.  There are no correct answers ladies, just truthful ones. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“Then she must pray”. The first part of the verse tells us that if anyone is suffering they must pray. So let’s do that now.  Below write out your prayer to God about your suffering, tell Him honestly what you would like to see Him do with your pain.  Ask Him to reveal His will through it. The Lord tells us in Romans 12: 10-12 (look it up) that we are to be devoted to prayer.  So take your requests to Him now.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Ok, now that you have identified your suffering and asked the Lord to take care of it, let me ask you a very important question.  How did you pray?  Did you pray with power? Did you pray with faith? Did you confess any known or hidden sin in your life before falling on your knees and asking for something from Him? If you did, don’t worry because that seems to be the norm in today’s Christian’s life.  Everyone is doing it this way.  Yet, marriages are falling apart, children are walking away from the faith, churches are splitting, jobs are being lost, health is being trampled upon by diseases, the list could go on and on and all this is happening within the body of God’s believers.  We have all either faced one or several of these situations in our lives, perhaps some of you are going through one of them right now, so that means we all need a deeper understanding of God’s desire and purpose for our lives through these storms.  Let’s look at the verse again and this time let’s do it right.

 

Is anyone suffering?  This is a fact in all our lives at one point or another.  We all suffer therefore this portion of the verse applies to all of us. Let’s move on.

 

Is anyone suffering? Then he(she) must pray. Ok we know we are to pray. Even unbelievers know this, which is why so many of them will cry out, Oh God help me, when they are suffering.  They may say it is only a phrase, but I believe they say it because they have the inter knowledge from God, placed inside all us, which enables us to receive Him. However, as believers we must not have only the busy life style kind of prayer with Him.  No quick, hurry and get it in, prayer time. We are to pray, but how?  Look up Second Corinthians 7:1. What does it say? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does it mean to you? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The only way we can ever be at a point of perfecting holiness is if we confess our sins before the Lord, asking Him to forgive us and then making a choice to change and refocus on Him.  If you are focusing on your suffering, dear sisters, than your suffering will quickly become your god. So this prayer, this quiet time with the Lord is to draw us into a focus on Him.  That focus will give us a fresh outlook upon our situations; it will deepen and build our hope and faith in Him.  

 

Beloved, take some time to write out a letter to the Father.  Begin by asking Him to reveal to you any sin that could hinder you from hearing him. Listen for a moment in quietness, waiting for Him to speak to your heart and reveal what you need to confess before Him. Then ask Him to forgive you. Do not ask for anything other than forgiveness and a deeper understanding, desire, and knowledge of Him.  Remember He already knows your needs and has promised to provide for you, so use this time to be focused on knowing Him better, taking His hand to guide you and not just taking what you want from His hand.  He loves you and promises that the prayers of a righteous man (woman) can produce much. (James 5:16)  Look up this verse now and use it as a guide for your prayer. God bless you and may His word, His light, His hope, His promise be an inspiration and a power to give you the faith to be steadfast no matter what you are facing. Together we will watch God transform our lives, our homes, and our churches.

Dear Father:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Devoiton.Wise Women

 

 

 

 

 

Devotion

12-10-09

 

Wise Women

Proverbs 14:1

“The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.”

 

When I read this verse I wonder what it really means for a woman to be wise.  Is she the one who really builds her house? How does a foolish woman tear her house down? You know, it is so easy to read a verse in the Bible and simply overlook the depth of the meaning it contains. As women, we all desire to have strong and loving families. We like pretty furniture and decorations for our homes. We enjoy the idea of having a dream family where the kids like being around and they grow up to call us blessed. We desire to be treasured by our husbands and shown respect by our children. We long to be appreciated for all the little details we do every day that go unnoticed so much of the time. For Mother’s Day we would like our husband and children to make the plans for doing something special for us, just a little thought in what they do means so much. Yet I wonder, do we as women really understand what it means to be a wise woman? Are all those other things so important that we loose the powerful teaching of wisdom the Lord really wants to bless us with?

 

I ask you, I ask myself, these questions to see if we really want to be the kind of women God has called us to be. Are we willing to do what it takes to build our homes the way the Lord wants them built? Well, I do believe within the depth of each of our hearts is a resounding yes! We do want to be wise women. We do want to build our homes and not tear them down.  So how do we do this? God’s word teaches us!  It doesn’t matter if you are married or not. You may be a single mom or a widow, you may be in a struggling marriage right now or you may have a fantastic marriage that seems to have no problems. No matter where you are, these devotions are written to help build your spirit, fill you with God’s wisdom, bring improvement to your life and strengthen your family. The Lord is our source of hope and He is right beside you, right now, to encourage your walk with Him.

 

My dear sister, remember, wisdom comes only from the Lord, so to be wise women we need to be in His word every single day of our lives. We need to seek His thoughts, His laws, His commands, His ways, and His heart. As we do we will increase in our knowledge of Him, grow in His wisdom that will equip us to build strong homes and to leave a lasting legacy of His hope and love.

Devotion Wednesday 12-2-09

Beloved may His word, His truth fill your heart and mind today; may it equip you for whatever you must face in the coming days.
May it empower you to do His will to your fullest and may it inspire, encourage, and envoke an awareness and desire to live His word
in your daily lives, every day of your lives. God bless you all. With His heartbeat, your sister in Christ, Bunny

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Devotion

12-2-09

Cry Out for the Lost

 

Luke 23: 27-28

 

“And there were following Him a great multitude of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him.  But Jesus turning to them said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”

 

The road to suffering that Jesus took is often thought of, in our minds, as a great walk of pain for our Savior, and to our ways of thinking and understanding it was. Yet Jesus spoke some very interesting words on that journey to the cross, words that cause me to think deeper into the depth of the suffering He really boar for each of us.

In Luke 23:27-28 Jesus says to the women who are aching and mourning for His pain, that they should not cry for Him but for themselves.  What could He have meant? Why would He tell them to cry for themselves and their children?

Reading this I was captivated by it. It is a part of the walk to Calvary that I have never heard spoken about and yet it is there in His word for a reason.  He wants us to understand something by His statement.  I have pondered this, asking the Lord to clarify what He wants to tell us today through this.

“Stop weeping for Me”. “Stop weeping for Me”. Oh my goodness.  He wants us to understand that the importance of His death is not to be focused on His pain but upon the pain of our own life and the lives of those we love who will not follow Him down that road.  Oh not that we must go through what He went through, but that without accepting His walk, His life, His death and resurrection we ourselves would face a suffering greater than what He endured.  Greater!!! Do we understand what that means? 

When we think of the painful beatings, the nails in His hands and feet, the sword in His side, and the suffocation on the cross; we ache that He suffered so terrible for us and yet He does not want us to cry for Him.  “Stop”, He said, “Stop crying for Me.”

He wants us to ache for the lost not for Him.  He wants us to mourn for the lost not for Him.  There is no reason to mourn for Him, He is alive!  But those who are lost are dying and going to hell, separated from the love of God forever into eternal suffering.  That is what He wants us to cry about.

We must stop focusing on the pain of the sacrifice and focus instead on the fact that He wants us to cry for the lost and tell them of the LIFE He has provided for them through His sacrifice. We must cry for those who need Jesus, cry out for them, and reach out to them to lead them to Him.

 

 

Devotion Tuesday 12.1.09

 

 

Devotion

12-1-09

To The End

Psalm 119:11

Your word I have treasured in my heart that I might not sin against You.”

 

The door quietly closed as the nurse left the room. Finally alone, Joyce held her new born daughter in her arms. She couldn’t take her eyes off this precious little angel.  Gently and slowly she lifted her baby girl up and placed her cheek next to hers. Oh the soft and pure feel of her baby’s skin next to hers. No words could express the deep feeling of awe and the unmistakable bound she so quickly felt. A simple tear fell from the side of Joyce’s eye. It was a tear of the deepest joy she had ever felt in her lifetime. She knew that the child she held in her arms was more precious than gold and she would now defend, protect, nurture, love and fight if need be, to the very end for her life.

 

Can you recall that moment in your life when you held your first born or any of your children in your arms for the first time? If you don’t have children, can you recall a moment when you have been held or when you held someone you loved? Oh there is nothing like it on the face of this earth. Those loved ones are special because they hold a very deep and dear place in our hearts. We cannot imagine our lives without them. We treasure their lives. They make our lives better, richer and fuller.

We would fight for their lives to the very end.

 

Can you recall that moment when you felt the love of the heavenly Father on the day you received Christ as your Savior? Do you recall the moment you read His words of promise and protection and knew they were for you?  There is nothing like it in all eternity. I can often feel His loving arms wrapped around me through His word.  It comforts me, guides me, and reveals His promises for me and my children. I cannot imagine my life without Him or His word. His word is more precious than gold. I desire to know and understand God’s word so that I will not sin against Him.  It holds a very dear place within my life, my soul, and my heart. I will defend it, share it, and love it to the end.

This is what it means to treasure God’s word in your heart.

Monday Devotion 11.30.09

 

Devotion

11-30-09

Come Now

Isaiah 1:18a

“Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord.”

 

As I am studying the book of Isaiah, I am taken back by the verse above; the Lord is asking us to come to Him so that we can reason together.  When I think of reasoning with someone I think that we are coming to an agreement about something.  Perhaps we saw an issue different from each other and we want to come together to talk it through until we can agree on a solution or answer to our situation.  This is why I find this verse very interesting.  God is telling us to come to Him so we can reason, or come to an agreement on an issue.  So does this mean that God’s decisions are not set?  Does it mean we can change His mind or that He will meet us in the middle?  I don’t think so.  I believe the Lord is telling us something through this verse much deeper than we think.  But what is that something He is trying to tell us?

 

First of all let me explain that I am not a trained Bible scholar; however, I do love the Word and know that the Lord will talk to any of us through it with the teaching insight of the Holy Spirit to guide us.  So with that understanding let’s dig a little deeper to understand what the Lord is saying.  Think with me on this.  The Lord is requesting of us to come to Him so we can reason with Him.  He is letting us know that He wants to talk to us about our situations in life.  He is telling us that He cares about our needs.  He wants us to share with Him what we think, how we see a situation, and when we are to meet with Him.

 

The Lord tells us to come NOW, not later, not when we want to, not when it is most convenient for us, not when someone else says we should, but NOW, right now where we are, where you are, no matter what we are doing.  We need to stop and place ourselves in position to talk to and hear what the Lord has to say to us.  Before you go any further in reading this devotion, stop! Stop right now, pause for a moment and go to the Father and ask Him to discuss this devotion with you.  Ask Him to give you understanding.  Let Him reason with you about what He has to share with you today through His word.  Are you ready? Ok, then stop! Listen to what He is saying to your heart. Ask Him how He wants to reason with you today.

 

I pray you stopped and talked with the Lord before going further.  I pray you understand by doing so that you are telling Him you are willing to listen to His reason for why you need to do something, where you should be going, or what the next step in your life should be, etc. Reasoning with the Lord is taking time to listen to Him, sharing your heart with Him, and allowing Him to share His heart with you.  When you stop, listen, talk, and reason with the Lord He will show you the many promises in His word, for once your sins were like scarlet, but now they will be white as snow, He says in Isaiah 1:18b.  Come to Him not only to accept Him as your Savior, but come to Him every moment of every day to allow Him to be Lord of your life. He is listening; He loves you, Stop and come now to Him.

 

 

Monday Devotion 11.30.09

 

 

 

Devotion

11-30-09

Come Now

Isaiah 1:18a

“Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord.”

 

As I am studying the book of Isaiah, I am taken back by the verse above; the Lord is asking us to come to Him so that we can reason together.  When I think of reasoning with someone I think that we are coming to an agreement about something.  Perhaps we saw an issue different from each other and we want to come together to talk it through until we can agree on a solution or answer to our situation.  This is why I find this verse very interesting.  God is telling us to come to Him so we can reason, or come to an agreement on an issue.  So does this mean that God’s decisions are not set?  Does it mean we can change His mind or that He will meet us in the middle?  I don’t think so.  I believe the Lord is telling us something through this verse much deeper than we think.  But what is that something He is trying to tell us?

 

First of all let me explain that I am not a trained Bible scholar; however, I do love the Word and know that the Lord will talk to any of us through it with the teaching insight of the Holy Spirit to guide us.  So with that understanding let’s dig a little deeper to understand what the Lord is saying.  Think with me on this.  The Lord is requesting of us to come to Him so we can reason with Him.  He is letting us know that He wants to talk to us about our situations in life.  He is telling us that He cares about our needs.  He wants us to share with Him what we think, how we see a situation, and when we are to meet with Him.

 

The Lord tells us to come NOW, not later, not when we want to, not when it is most convenient for us, not when someone else says we should, but NOW, right now where we are, where you are, no matter what we are doing.  We need to stop and place ourselves in position to talk to and hear what the Lord has to say to us.  Before you go any further in reading this devotion, stop! Stop right now, pause for a moment and go to the Father and ask Him to discuss this devotion with you.  Ask Him to give you understanding.  Let Him reason with you about what He has to share with you today through His word.  Are you ready? Ok, then stop! Listen to what He is saying to your heart. Ask Him how He wants to reason with you today.

 

I pray you stopped and talked with the Lord before going further.  I pray you understand by doing so that you are telling Him you are willing to listen to His reason for why you need to do something, where you should be going, or what the next step in your life should be, etc. Reasoning with the Lord is taking time to listen to Him, sharing your heart with Him, and allowing Him to share His heart with you.  When you stop, listen, talk, and reason with the Lord He will show you the many promises in His word, for once your sins were like scarlet, but now they will be white as snow, He says in Isaiah 1:18b.  Come to Him not only to accept Him as your Savior, but come to Him every moment of every day to allow Him to be Lord of your life. He is listening; He loves you, Stop and come now to Him.

 

 

Devotion Wed & Thursday. Thanksgiving 09

 

Devotion

11-25 &26-09

 

Thanksgiving to the Giver of All

Psalm 26:1-7; 95:1-3; 100; Philippians 4:4-7; Revelation 7:12

 

 

“Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity; and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.  Examine me, O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.  For Thy lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Thy truth.  I do not sit with deceitful men, nor will I go with pretenders.  I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. I shall wash my hands in innocence, and I will go about Thine alter, O Lord, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and declare all Thy works.” Psalm 26:1-7

 

“O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.  Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.  For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” Psalm 95:1-3

 

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.  Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.  Know that the Lord Himself is god; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise.  Give thanks to Him; bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalm 100

 

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!  Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men.  The Lord is near.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:4-7

 

“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”  Revelation 7:12

 

 

May God’s word, His faithfulness, His love, His grace, His mercy, His hope, His promises, His glory, His might, His power, His truth, His light, His healing, His provisions, His protection, His discipline, His church, His Son, His cross, His resurrection, His return to the Father, His return for us, and His gift of eternal life for you and me, be all the reasons and our focus of Thanksgiving this year.  For without Him we would have NOTHING to be thankful for.  He is the giver of all.

Devotion Monday

 

Devotion

11-23-09

Hebrews 10:23

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful”

Looking Up

 

Every day, every single one of us faces the hard reality of life in some way or another.  Some of us find ourselves in the middle of painful trials, there seems to be no change in sight and we can become overwhelmed, weary and tired to a point of giving up.  When I stand on the stage each Sunday morning singing in the Praise Team, I see the faces of my sisters and brothers and wonder what is happening in their lives.  I wonder why the looks on some of their faces are heavy with emotion, tears and a sadness that has seemed to grip their hearts.  I wonder how I can reach out to them, to help them and to pray for them.  There are days when my eyes fall upon one person that the Lord keeps drawing me to for some reason and as I sing my heart whispers a silent prayer for that person.

 

There are so many of you right now that feel hopeless.  You have prayed and feel that those prayers are not being heard.  You are scared of what may happen next in marriage, with your children, your job, or even your life. Fear traps you in the shadows of despair and the enemy uses that to keep you from looking up.  When my children were young and going through a difficult time, sometimes I would notice that the situation was causing them to hang their heads, to become angry at God, to feel hopeless.  So I reminded them that after the storms, when it has rained really hard outside, we will often go out with our heads down, watching to make sure we don’t step in the water puddles. Yet, by keeping our heads down to carefully not get our feet wet, we fail to see what is waiting for us in the sky.  If we don’t pick up our heads and look up we will miss the rainbow. We do the same thing in our lives. The struggles get so hard that all we seem to do is keep our heads down to watch our every step.  We see only the puddles of life and are missing out on the beautiful promises (as a rainbow represents) from God.  We must pick up our heads and look up.  Look up to the Father; believe He has a rainbow for you.  It is there but without looking up you will never see it. You will miss the blessing it brings you.  

 

So don’t give up. Hold on.  Look up. Nothing in this life is hopeless no matter what any one says.  With the Lord there is always hope. Do not become weary in doing good and praying is a good thing.  Keep talking to the Father, He really does hear you and wants to show you His mighty hand at work but you must look up.  Don’t miss what He is trying to show you. Don’t miss the answers that are right before your eyes if you will only lift up your head and stop looking only at the puddles of life.  Look up, look up now! Praise Him, trust Him, He loves you.  Pray believing and watching for His rainbow and pray that those around you will see that rainbow with you. Take a deep breath, look up and say to your Father right now, I need Your hope restored in my life. Help me keep my head up, help me rest in Your arms and fill me with Your joy once more.  I may be hurting, I may be in a storm, but I will not let the enemy win, I will not look down at only the puddles of my life any longer.  Today Father, I am looking up!

Devotion Tuesday

 

 

 

Devotion

10-27-09

 

Be Strong In The Lord

 

The Book of Ephesians

The book of Ephesians is a vast book of guidance for the believer. It begins with the blessing of redemption and talks of how we are made alive in Christ. It tells us that He is our peace and that we are fellow citizens of heaven. Paul shares about stewardship, prayer and praying for the church. He explains the importance of Christian unity and a Christian’s walk.  He says we are to be imitators of God and to walk in love. He shows what is pleasing to the Lord and how to walk wisely and not as fools. Family relationships are addressed and the blessings that come from living in His order. He wraps the book up with a powerful message of putting on the armor of God. But one statement in this book stands out in my mind and spirit.  It is the statement that begins with “finally”.(Eph 6:10)

After Paul shares all these powerful messages about the Christian’s life he says, “Finally”.  Finally what? “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.”  This is the statement the Lord gave me while praying for you. I kept asking Him, what do I share with the ladies today? Please give me a scripture to share.  As I splashed my face with warm water suddenly the word came to me,  Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Over and over again those words returned to me while getting dressed.  So before I could even put on my make up I went to my study and opened God’s word to read it for myself. Now it is clear.

The Lord, I believe, gave me this word to share with you as an encouragement for whatever you are facing today and for the answer to your prayers concerning your roll in the His ministry.  He wants each of us to understand that it doesn’t matter what we are facing in life, how we are feeling inside or what He has called us to do, He is the one who will do it through us.  It is His strength that will carry us through.  We are strong in Him. The decisions in our lives are not really ours to make they are His.  The battles in our lives are not ours to fight they are His. 

God WILL give you the answers you are seeking.  God WILL fight the battles that are wearing you out.  Put on His armor today.  Let Him be your strength.  Trust in who He is. He is God!!!  Nothing is impossible for Him.  All He needs from us is a “Yes Lord, I will be strong in You and allow Your strength to empower me for whatever I face in life, to enable me to walk a Christian walk and to equip me to answer Your call.

 

Wednesday Devotion 10.28.09

Devotion

10-28-09

A Celebration of Life / You’re Mine

John 5:24

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

 

Wow celebrations are so much fun, don’t you think so? A grand party to honor the birth of a child, to rejoice in the union of marriage, to recognize the accomplishments of a graduate, or to enjoy the holidays seasons are all special times when we go to great lengths to celebrate. But do we really celebrate LIFE?

 

I was thinking about the special day when a child is officially adopted into a family. The judge rules the child is now a part of that family, giving her the family name and a new birth certificate with her birthday now the day of her adoption. The father looks at her and says with tears, “you’re mine.” Every year when that day rolls around there is a great celebration to remember the day she became part of the family, a new birthday. Yet, even in that celebration are they truly celebrating Life? Perhaps we can see more clearly what it means to celebrate life by this story. Let me explain.

When I was 7 years old my life was filled with heartache, pain and fear from the physical, sexual and emotional abuse I was enduring by the father. It was a time that seemed dark and scary and yet it was during this time that was the most precious and important time of my life. It was at this time that I was given Life. For when I was seven, I was introduced to the Savior and received Him as my Lord and in so doing I received true LIFE, the life that lives forever. Because of this, all the other things that were happening in my earthly life were small to my eternal existence. Therefore, I can look at that time of life and rejoice because I was given a new birthday that day.

 

Just like the adopted child who is given a new birth certificate on the day she became a member of a new family, so we are given a new birth record on the day we are adopted into God’s family. Wow what a celebration we should be having on that day! Perhaps the new life we receive in Christ is the moment of birth that should stand out in our hearts and minds the most. Eternal life is something worth celebrating. In fact I hope that my birth as a child of God in April of 1966 becomes more important to me than the day of my earthly birth in June of 1959. I want to celebrate LIFE, the life that Christ died to give me.  The Life that even death cannot take from me. The Life that breathes inside me hope and peace for my future and carried me through some of the stormiest and darkest days of my earthly life, and the Life that can be celebrated even when I close my eyes for the last upon this earth.  I pray this Life is so real to me that those around me grasp the value of it and rejoice with me when God calls me home to live it with Him in heaven.  I pray that the power of this knowledge of eternal LIFE will instill within my own heart a peace so deep that when one of my loved ones is called home, I can celebrate their homecoming with joy more than sorrow. Oh that is a big request for sure, but somehow I do believe it is possible. You know there are a lot of children all around us who have yet to become adopted into God’s family. They don’t have Life to celebrate. They need a new birthday. Let’s celebrate Life by sharing that Life with others. Let’s honor God in our celebration of the Life He has given us.

Meditate upon your LIFE today, the day you received it, the day the Father said, “You’re Mine!”

Monday Devotion

Devotion

 

Dinner with God

Revelation 3:20

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door I will come in to him and will dine with, and he with Me.”

 

Reflecting on my life, I thought of all the times the Lord has come to my rescue. I sat in my chair remembering the countless times I felt His hand upon my heart calming it through the pain of abuse and the brokenness of rejection. I could envision me sitting at a table and there across from me was a man, that man was Jesus. He talked with me in a gentle yet firm voice of compassion as He told me of His promises for a better life. We sipped on tea and ate a wonderful meal as He explained the Father’s love so personal for me.  As I listened I was in awe of the command of each word He spoke that captured my attention. The sound of His voice soothed my anxious thoughts and brought a smile to my face. Somehow I knew that this Man, Jesus, was my hope and my freedom.

 

Suddenly I was back into reality and a tear formed in my eye. The thought of having dinner with Jesus and being able to talk with Him face to face overwhelmed me with emotions. Oh how wonderful it would be to have dinner with God, Himself, and listen to Him tell me the stories of the scriptures and hear His voice speak the words “I love you”. How awestruck I would be to know I was in the presence of the Almighty, my Creator, my King, and the One who gave His life for me. I would reach for His hands and take a deep breath as He showed His nail scared wrists and knowing those scares were for me, I would cry from the depth of my heart.

 

 I don’t know that I would really be able to say much, for once I might be speechless, because I would want to absorb every word that He spoke like a sponge soaking up the ocean. But if I did speak, I wonder what I would say. I wonder if I would have questions for Him.  I wonder if the questions would even matter at that point. I wonder if all I could do was admire, praise, and worship Him because of the love that shines in His eyes for me. Having dinner with Him, would mean to me that I was special because He only sups with those He has relationships with. Sharing His table, His bread, His water, would be like sharing in His very life of sacrifice. I wouldn’t want the dinner to end. I wouldn’t want our time to end. I would want the moments to last forever because the peace and security that I feel in His presence would be the most amazing feeling in my life.

 

The Lord does call us to dine with Him. He says He will dine with those who will open the door to let Him in.  We have the opportunity to sup with our Lord every single day.  He is in our presence “Now” and we can be in awe of who He is. He is with us; He does fill us with His peace. He has sent you an invitation to dine with Him written in blood. He loves you and wants a relationship with you. RSVP, yes, today and enjoy your meal. The Savior is waiting to tell you personally of His life He has died to give you, for your opportunity to live eternally with Him.

So dine with God today, enjoy the words He speaks to your heart and the comfort He brings to your life.

 

Devotion Monday

Devotion

10.12.09

By Andy Andrews

The Compassionate Decision

Ephesians 4:32

“And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

I Will Greet This Day With a Forgiving Spirit.

For too long, every ounce of forgiveness I owned was locked away, hidden from view, waiting for me to bestow its precious presence upon some worthy person. Alas, I found most people to be singularly unworthy of my valuable forgiveness and, since they never asked for any, I kept it all for myself. Now, the forgiveness that I hoarded has sprouted inside my heart like a crippled seed yielding bitter fruit. No more! At this moment, my life has taken on new hope and assurance. Of all the world’s population, I am one of the few possessors of the secret to dissipating anger and resentment. I now understand that forgiveness only has value when it is given away. By the simple act of granting forgiveness, I release the demons of the past about which I can do nothing and create in myself a new heart, a new beginning.

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. Many are the times when I have seethed in anger at a word or deed thrown into my life by an unthinking or uncaring person. Valuable hours have been wasted imagining revenge or confrontation. Now I see the truth revealed about this psychological rock inside my shoe. The rage I nurture is often one-sided, for my offender seldom gives thought to his offense! I will now and forevermore silently offer my forgiveness even to those who do not see that they need it. By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. My bitterness is given up. I am contented in my soul and effective again with my fellow man.

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly. Knowing that slavery, in any form, is wrong, I also know that the person who lives a life according to the opinion of others is a slave. I am not a slave. I have chosen my own counsel. I know the difference between right and wrong. I know what is best for the future of my family, and neither misguided opinion nor unjust criticism will alter my course. Those who are critical of my goals and dreams simply do not understand the higher purpose to which I have been called. Therefore, their scorn does not affect my attitude or action. I forgive their lack of vision and forge ahead. I now know that criticism is part of the price paid for leaping past mediocrity.

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

I will forgive myself. For many years, my greatest enemy has been myself. Every mistake, every miscalculation, every stumble I made has been replayed over and over in my mind. Every broken promise, every day wasted, every goal not reached has compounded the disgust

I feel for the lack of achievement in my life. My dismay has developed a paralyzing grip. When I disappoint myself, I respond with inaction and become more disappointed. I realize today that it is impossible to fight an enemy living in my head. By forgiving myself, I erase the doubts, fears, and frustration that have kept my past in the present. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun. I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly. I will forgive myself.                               I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

 

 

© 2006 Andy Andrews 6 AndyAndrews.com

Devotion Friday

Devotion 10-9-09

John 15:11

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

The Joyful Decision

By Andy Andrews

Today, I Will Choose to be Happy.

Beginning this very moment, I am a happy person, for I now truly understand the concept of happiness. Few others before me have been able to grasp the truth of the physical law that enables one to live happily every day. I know now that happiness is not an emotional phantom floating in and out of my life. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is the end result of certain thoughts and activities, which actually bring about a chemical reaction in my body. This reaction results in a euphoria, which, while elusive to some, is totally under my control.

Today I will choose to be happy.

I will greet each day with laughter. Within moments of awakening, I will laugh for seven seconds. After even such a small period of time, excitement has begun to flow through my bloodstream. I feel different. I am different! I am enthusiastic about the day. I am alert to its possibilities. I am happy! Laughter is an outward expression of enthusiasm, and

I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world. I laugh throughout the day. I laugh while

I am alone, and I laugh in conversation with others. People are drawn to me because I have laughter in my heart. The world belongs to the enthusiastic for people will follow them anywhere!

Today I will choose to be happy.

I will smile at every person I meet. My smile has become my calling card. It is, after all, the most potent weapon I possess. My smile has the strength to forge bonds, break ice, and calm storms. I will use my smile constantly. Because of my smile, the people with whom I come in contact on a daily basis will choose to further my causes and follow my leadership. I will always smile first. That particular display of a good attitude will tell others what I expect in return. My smile is the key to my emotional make up. A wise man once said, “I do not sing because I am happy; I am happy because I sing!” When I choose to smile, I become the master of my emotions. Discouragement, despair, frustration, and fear will always wither when confronted by my smile. The power of who I am is displayed when I smile.

Today I will choose to be happy.

I am the possessor of a grateful spirit. In the past, I have found discouragement in particular situations, until I compared the condition of my life to others less fortunate. Just as a fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so does a grateful spirit remove the cloud of despair. It is impossible for the seeds of depression not to take root in a thankful heart. My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. Too many times I have offered up the prayers of a beggar, always asking for more and forgetting my thanks. I do not wish to be seen as a greedy child, unappreciative, and disrespectful. I am grateful for sight and sound and breath. If ever in my life there is a pouring out of blessings beyond that, then I will be grateful for the miracle of abundance.

I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.

Today, I will choose to be happy.

 

© 2006 Andy Andrews 5 AndyAndrews.com

Devotion Thursday

 

 

Devotion

10-8-09

Job 34:4

Let us choose for ourselves that which is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.

Joshua 24:15

“… Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The Certain Decision

By Andy Andrews

I Have a Decided Heart

 

A wise man once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Knowing this to be true, I am taking my first step today. For too long my feet have been tentative, shuffling left and right, more backward than forward as my heart gauged the direction of the wind. Criticism, condemnation, and complaint are creatures of the wind. They come and go on the wasted breath of lesser beings and have no power over me. The power to control direction belongs to me. Today

I will begin to exercise that power. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured.

I have a decided heart.

I am passionate about my vision for the future. I will awaken every morning with an excitement about the new day and its opportunity for growth and change. My thoughts and actions will work in a forward motion, never sliding into the dark forest of doubt or the muddy quicksand of self-pity. I will freely give my vision for the future to others, and as they see the belief in my eyes, they will follow me.

I will lay my head on my pillow at night happily exhausted, knowing that I have done everything within my power to move the mountains in my path. As I sleep, the same dream that dominates my waking hours will be with me in the dark. Yes, I have a dream. It is a great dream, and I will never apologize for it. Neither will I ever let it go, for if I did, my life would be finished. My hopes, my passions, my vision for the future is my very existence. A person without a dream never had a dream come true.

I have a decided heart. I will not wait.

I know that the purpose of analysis is to come to a conclusion. I have tested the angles. I have measured the probabilities. And now I have made a decision with my heart. I am not timid. I will move now and not look back. What I put off until tomorrow, I will put off until the next day as well. I do not procrastinate. All my problems become smaller when I confront them. If I touch a thistle with caution, it will prick me, but if I grasp it boldly, its spines crumble into dust.

 

I will not wait. I am passionate about my vision for the future. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured.

I have a decided heart.

 

 

© 2006 Andy Andrews 4 AndyAndrews.com

Devotion Wednesday

 

 

Devotion

10-7-09

1 Peter 1:13

 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit; fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The Active Decision

By Andy Andrews

I Am a Person of Action

 

Beginning today, I will create a new future by creating a new me. No longer will I dwell in a pit of despair, moaning over squandered time and lost opportunity. I can do nothing about the past.

My future is immediate. I will grasp it in both hands and carry it with running feet. When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act! I seize this moment. I choose now.

I am a person of action.

I am energetic. I move quickly. Knowing that laziness is a sin, I will create a habit of lively behavior. I will walk with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. The lifeblood rushing through my veins is urging me upward and forward into activity and accomplishment.

Wealth and prosperity hide from the sluggard, but rich rewards come to the person who moves quickly.

I am a person of action.

I inspire others with my activity. I am a leader. Leading is doing. To lead, I must move forward. Many people move out of the way for a person on the run; others are caught up in his wake. My activity will create a wave of success for the people who follow. My activity will be consistent. This will instill confidence in my leadership. As a leader, I have the ability to encourage and inspire others to greatness. It is true: An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep!

I am a person of action.

I can make a decision. I can make it now. A person who moves neither left nor right is destined for mediocrity. When faced with a decision, many people say they are waiting for God. But I understand, in most cases, God is waiting for me! He has given me a healthy mind to gather and sort information and the courage to come to a conclusion. I am not a quivering dog, indecisive and fearful. My constitution is strong and my pathway clear. Successful people make their decisions quickly and change their mind slowly. Failures make their decisions slowly and change their mind quickly. My decisions come quickly, and they lead to victory.

I am a person of action.

I am daring. I am courageous. Fear no longer has a place in my life. For too long, fear has outweighed my desire to make things better for my family. Never again! I have exposed fear as a vapor, an impostor who never had any power over me in the first place! I do not fear opinion, gossip, or the idle chatter of monkeys for all are the same to me. I do not fear failure, for in my life, failure is a myth. Failure only exists for the person who quits. I do not quit.

I am courageous. I am a leader. I seize this moment. I choose now.

I am a person of action.

 

© 2006 Andy Andrews 3 AndyAndrews.com

Devotion Tuesday

Devotion

10-6-09

 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

James 1:5

The Guided Decision

By Andy Andrews

I Will Seek Wisdom.

 

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be changed, but I can change the future by changing my actions today. I will change my actions today! I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about positive changes in my personal relationships and a greater understanding of my fellow man. No longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and listen only to that which increases my belief in myself and my future.

I will seek wisdom.

 I will choose my friends with care. I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.

I will seek wisdom.

I will listen to the counsel of wise men. The words of a wise man are like raindrops on dry ground. They are precious and quickly used for immediate results. Only the blade of grass that catches a raindrop will prosper and grow. The person who ignores wise counsel is like the blade of grass untouched by the rain—soon to wither and die. When I counsel with myself, I can only make decisions according to what I already know. By counseling with a wise man, I add his knowledge and experience to my own and dramatically increase my success.

I will seek wisdom.

I will be a servant to others. A wise man will cultivate a servant’s spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant’s spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure. Many times, a servant has the ear of the king, and a humble servant becomes king for he is the popular choice of the people. He who serves the most grows the fastest.

 

I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door—I will look to open the door for someone. I will not be distressed when no one is available to help me—I will be excited when I am available to help.

 

I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. I will choose my friends with care.

I will seek wisdom.

 

 

© 2006 Andy Andrews 2 AndyAndrews.com

Monday Devotion

Devotion

10-5-09

Responsible Decisions Made By How We Think

 

Philippians 4:8

“…Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.”

 

The Buck Stops Here.

From this moment forward, I will accept responsibility for my past. I understand that the beginning of wisdom is to accept the responsibility for my own problems and that by accepting responsibility for my past, I free myself to move into a bigger, brighter future of my own choosing.

Never again will I blame my parents, my spouse, my boss, or employees for my present situation. Neither my education or lack of one, my genetics, or the circumstantial ebb and flow of everyday life will affect my future in a negative way. If I allow myself to blame these uncontrollable forces for my lack of success, I will be forever caught in a web of the past. I will look forward. I will not let my history control my destiny.

The buck stops here.

I accept responsibility for my past. I am responsible for my success. I am where I am today—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—because of decisions I have made. My decisions have always been governed by my thinking. Therefore, I am where I am today—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—because of how I think. Today I will begin the process of changing where I am—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—by changing the way I think.

My thoughts will be constructive, never destructive. My mind will live in the solutions of the future. It will not dwell in the problems of the past. I will seek the association of those who are working and striving to bring about positive changes in the world. I will never seek comfort by associating with those who have decided to be comfortable.

When faced with the opportunity to make a decision, I will make one. I understand that God did not put in me the ability to always make right decisions. He did, however, put in me the ability to make a decision and then make it right. The rise and fall of my emotional tide will not deter me from my course. When I make a decision, I will stand behind it. My energy will go into making the decision. I will waste none on second thoughts. My life will not be an apology. It will be a statement.

The buck stops here.

I control my thoughts. I control my emotions.

In the future, when I am tempted to ask the question “Why me?”, I will immediately counter with the answer: “Why not me?” Challenges are a gift, an opportunity to learn. Problems are the common thread running through the lives of great men and women. In times of adversity, I will not have a problem to deal with, I will have a choice to make. My thoughts will be clear. I will make the right choice. Adversity is preparation for greatness. I will accept the preparation. Why me? Why not me? I will be prepared for something great!

I accept responsibility for my past. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions. I am responsible

for my success. The buck stops here.

                

© 2006 Andy Andrews 1 AndyAndrews.com