Athens First UMC Devotions

Early Christians faced dangerous situations because of their faith. Their lives were often on the line. It was a tense and uncertain way to live.

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He leadeth me: O blessed thought! 
O words with heavenly comfort fraught! 
Whate'er I do, where'er I be, 
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me. 

“He Leadeth Me”, arranged by Benjamin Wegner.  You heard this arrangement sung a few weeks in worship.  The choir has also sung it. I think it is a beautiful setting of the text. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YOHFwau6F4 

Thanks for listening to the Athens First UMC Daily Devotions. Today’s devotion “Jesus is the Best” comes from Josh Miles, Associate Minister and Lead Pastor for Common Heart Online Worship Service.

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What does “having faith” look like? Our faith begins with hope and a desire to become better. It is an awareness of someone who is greater than us and a promise that this someone will make things better.

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I was raised in a loving family. My parents and my siblings lived in loving and caring ways. We had our disagreements and squabbles, but we loved each other dearly and made sure that arguments were settled peacefully when all was said and done. We were taught that our standard was Christian conduct, and the biblical admonition to “love one another” was expected.

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“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

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“On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.” Psalm 138:3 

Growing up I learned what it meant to memorize phone numbers. I had several of them memorized. My home phone. Grandma’s house. Aunt Jane. Luke Mauldin’s house. And the offices where my parents worked. Thinking back on it, I enjoyed calling familiar numbers when I knew what to expect on the other line. The psalmist here tells us that when we call on the Lord, we can surely expect that God will answer us. This is a great gift, church. 

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“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart.” 2 Chronicles 6:14

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Do you ever pause to ponder the goodness of the Lord? These pauses in our days are so worthwhile. Most especially in this season, when things often seem so frantic, many pauses in our days are filled with bad news, worry, conflict, or lament. It’s apparent to me that there are many things on this earth that do not bring us confidence. Yet, the psalmist here in Psalm 27 is proclaiming something worthwhile for us to hear. In the midst of all going on around them in the world, the psalmist says they are certainly confident of something… that they will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Listen in, church. 

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Each of us is blessed with spiritual gifts God has given us. In turn, God wants us to be generous and graciously use these special gifts to serve one another within our church family and to reach out in the same loving manner in service to our neighbors outside the church. We are called to serve as a way to honor God by demonstrating Christ’s love for all people.

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