A Little Walk With God

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

One thing you’ll notice about this story is that prayer works. My disciples spent time on their knees asking for Peter’s release and it happened. Another thing you’ll notice from this story is that God didn’t answer their prayers until the last minute. Peter stayed in jail until the night before his execution.Third, you’ll notice that sometimes God works in extraordinary ways to accomplish His will in the world. Sometimes He does the impossible and works in ways that cannot be explained except by the hand of a living God. But at other times He works through the hands of others at the slow steady pace of nature.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Acts 12:6-19

Set - Job 7; Acts 12

Go! - Job 6-7; Acts 12

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

The story of Peter and Cornelius is important. First, it tells you that God's grace is for everyone. It doesn’t matter what color your skin or how much or how little money you have. God doesn’t care where you came from or where you live. What He cares about is you. He wants you to live as part of His kingdom. Second, the story tells you that because God cares for everyone, if you belong to Him, you have a responsibility to share His message with everyone. Don’t shy away because of a person’s race or nationality or their socioeconomic status. Jesus died for everyone. He brought Peter and Cornelius together to show you this important truth. Don’t let your prejudices keep you from Christ or keep His message from someone around you. He died for all humankind!

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Acts 10:9-33

Set - Job 4; Psalms 108; Acts 10

Go! - Job 4-5; Psalms 108; Acts 10-11

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

God gave Philip a mission. Go along the road from Jerusalem to Gaza and wait. Go meet up with the chariot you see in the distance. Listen to what the Ethiopian is reading. Now tell him what you know. Simple instructions at each point, but never knowing the next step and Philip may have not known in the end the importance of the man in the chariot. But Philip did what God asked him to do. The Ethiopian believed in Christ and was baptized. Ethiopia became one of the strongholds of early Christianity.

Maybe God ask you to tell someone His story. That man or woman may seem unimportant to you or it may feel like an inconvenient time or place. But you don’t know how His plans unfold. That person, like the Ethiopian in Candace’s court, might be the key to unleashing a great revival in the land because of your faithful testimony. Philip faithfully shared God's message when He asked. You should do the same.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Acts 8:26-40

Set - Job 3; Acts 8

Go! - Job 3; Acts 8-9

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

So what made Stephen so different from everyone else? The difference was his upper room experience. He was a man full of faith and filled with the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit. He prayed through on the morning of Pentecost and found what Jesus asked him to find. He found God that morning in all His glory as Stephen let the Holy Spirit live in him as his comforter and guide. With God living in him, Stephen could wear the countenance of an angel. He could be at peace in front of the Sanhedrin who accused him of blasphemy even when innocent of the charges. He could face death at the hands of false accusers and false witness and ask for their forgiveness because his spirit was given over to God's Spirit.

You can do the same. Stephen wasn’t special, except he gave himself to God. Then, Stephen became extraordinary!

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Acts 6

Set - Job 2; Acts 6

Go! - Job 1-2; Acts 6-7

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

The world can tell the difference between those who heed God's warnings and those who do not. There is a difference in your countenance. A difference in the way you approach life. There is a difference in the way you handle the adversity that comes to everyone. A difference in the praise you give and the way you give grace to those around you, even to those who do not deserve it.

So go ahead and discuss the charges you hear from God, but don’t discuss too long. When you hear from Him, just do something about it. He will extend His grace and forgive when you turn to Him. But do it soon, time is running out.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Malachi 3:6-18

Set - Malachi 3; Acts 5

Go! - Malachi 3-4; Psalms 148; Acts 5

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

Something special happens when you really connect with God. I’m not talking about regurgitating a rote prayer at mealtime or a sleepy prayer of “now I lay me down to sleep…”. I’m talking about doing what Jesus' disciples did when they spent time with God in the upper room. A hundred twenty of them gathered together to get everything out in the open. They prayed until they got through to God.

What does it take to do that? First, you have to get through to your brothers and sisters. Get the garbage out of the way between you. Forgive and offer grace between your fellow man. Make sure you extend grace to those around you to the extent you can and then come to God with your petitions. It’s called love. Give grace as you’ve been given grace. Then touch heaven with your prayers. Let go of everything that hinders your relationship. Open yourself to God.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Acts 4:23-37

Set - Malachi 2; Acts 4

Go! - Nehemiah 13; Malachi 1-2; Acts 4

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

When you love God with all your heart, soul, and strength; and you love your neighbor like you love yourself, you won’t kill, steal, lie, cheat, covet, have illicit sex, or do anything that would damage your neighbor. You won’t do anything that will harm your relationship with God if you love Him. That’s what love does. So just love. Rethink your religious activities. God’s not interested in religion. He’s interested in righteousness and that means loving each other with the kind of love He demonstrated from the time of creation, through His death on the cross, until now. Rethink what God really wants. Love.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Acts 3:12-26

Set - Nehemiah 12; Psalms 1; Acts 3

Go! - Nehemiah 11-12; Psalms 1; Acts 3

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

Such a beautiful sermon from an itinerant preacher that day. Peter and 119 others experienced what Christ promised them in the upper room that day. They couldn’t contain their jubilation. The locked door burst open and they filled the streets with their praise and the message of the coming of His Spirit into their lives. He still comes into the lives of those who earnestly seek Him and invite Him into their presence. It’s more than a few tears, though. It’s true repentance, turning from your worldly ways and turning to Chirst. Then He welcomes you and His Spirit will teach you all things. Start praying and searching. You will find Him.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Acts 2:14-42

Set - Nehemiah 10; Acts 2

Go! - Nehemiah 9-10; Acts 2

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

God does’t care what translation you use. Just pick it up His word and read it. Make it a part of your life. Learn the stories and the history of how He came to love not just the Israelites, but all people. Learn how He chose Abraham to father the nation of Israel and His chosen people to be a blessing to the world. Learn how He used the Isrealites to be a blessing to all nations and how He continually rescued them from the nations around them. Learn how the laws He gave them provide peace to a community and especially give peace to your heart in troubled times.

If you listen to God's word, you learn about Him. You learn His plan for the world and for your life. You learn how to find Him when you think He is far off. You’ll find that He is always close at hand looking out for your good and working to bring you closer to Him. You’ll find that more than anything, He wants you to find His saving grace and He wants you to live with Him forever.

Become a student of God's word. You’ll never grow tired of it when you fall in love with His story.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Nehemiah 8:1-12

Set - Nehemiah 8; Acts 1

Go! - Nehemiah 7-8; Acts 1

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

The rhetoric you will hear in the political campaigns over the next several months will encourage you, frustrate you, maybe even make you think you’re going insane because of the pointless arguments the candidates and their cronies shout across your radio and television networks. The elections are important to the operation of your earthly government. Governments remain in place at God's pleasure. But they will never solve the real problems of the world, your nation, your state, or city.

Only bowing to the ruler of God's kingdom, the triune Godhead, can the problems of the world be solved. He alone can rid the world of sin and evil and guilt if all people will give their lives to Him. Will it happen? Only each of you can determine that. Because each of you have the choice as to whether you will give Lordship of your life to Him. As you look across the world at the devastation created each day, the answer is probably no. With more mass murders this year than days this year, it seems the world will continue to follow its selfish paths. But the evil can stop. Just turn to God.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Psalms 146

Set - Psalms 146; Luke 24

Go! - Nehemiah 5-6; Psalms 146; Luke 24