Daily Encountering Christ Devotions

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."”

So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’ — Hebrews 13:5,6 ESV

I find so much comfort in knowing the word of God is true and he will never leave me nor forsake me. When we trust God and what he says we can rest in his promises and truly rest. We don’t need to trust money. Many people in this day and age are so in love with money. If i only had more money you hear people say. You see commercials and see adds about money and other materialistic things. So many people have grown so close to their money they freak out when they are getting close to losing money. Money is a good thing but loving it and worshipping it is another thing. When we trust money more than God we have an issue. When we focus on money so much we lose our peace and joy, we have a problem. When we trust God completely we can confidently say God is our helper and we really won’t be afraid. What are you afraid of? Don’t try and be Superman right now. Even Superman had fears. Be honest with yourself. Be super honest and search deep and see what your fears are. You don’t have to tell anyone but God. God is right there wanting all your worries and fears. You can keep them or you can give them to him. God does not force us to give him all our baggage. God let’s us choose what we will do. God is standing there by you now even in the midst of all your problems and pain. God is saying lay your burdens down. Jesus died so you could go free and be free from your stress, anxiety, fear, depression, anger, hate, sinful habits, sin and everything that keeps you down and bound. Today is your day to be set free.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What are you thinking about? What thoughts are you allowing in your mind and in your life? We wonder why we are stressed out and have so much anxiety. We end up with stress headaches, migraines, sicknesses and even mental issues. Why so we do this to ourselves. When in the history of creation does God tell us to do his job for him? Never ever ever has God ever ever ever asked us to do His job. The Bible says over and over don’t worry. So why do we worry? My thought is. We don’t trust God enough. Think about it. If we really trusted God would we worry. We focus on the visible and forget the word of God and forget that God has told us time and time again that we shouldn’t worry. You can say you trust someone all you want to but your actions speak louder than your words. If you trust God it is going to show in your actions. If you trust God you are not going to worry and have anxiety. If someone says they have got something taken care of and you still worry about it… that is you not trusting That person.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:3-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Have you ever had a bad or negative thought? Well if so you are in good company. Most people have had a bad thought. The thought process is under attack constantly. The enemy/ Satan can’t make us do things BUT he can put thoughts in our head. Have you ever been overcome with fear about something that would more than likely never happen? Have you been filled with distrust for someone who hasn’t done anything wrong? Have you been fearful and maybe took an action you normally wouldn’t that may have or may not have caused more problems for you? Some may say oh that’s just an overactive imagination. I will tell you this. The Bible speaks on these things. Not specifically the things i just listed but it speaks on our thoughts and taking them captive.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? "I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:9-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Do you ever try to hide stuff that you do or have done from people? Do you ever think, oh no one will know? We tell people I’ve prayed about it and i believe this is God’s will. But we really didn’t pray about it. We just like the thing or the idea and we are just hoping it lines up with God’s plan for us. So many times through life i thought i could hide things from God. Maybe you don’t say it but you act like it too. We need to get to the point where we are honest with ourselves and God. Our heart is deceitful.

We are sinful. We need to get to the place where David was and say search me oh God and know me and my thoughts and try me and know my thoughts.

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:24-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Faith is a huge topic that really needs to be focused on more. Not just say, oh have faith in God. We need to really preach and teach the Gospel and how faith ties everything together. Where do we put our faith? Is your faith more in God, money, people, news stations, preachers, work, vehicles and the list goes on and on? Where do you put your faith? Where you put your faith will be the master you serve? If you have faith in God you won’t have so much worry and fear if any at all. The closer you are to God the less you worry. The Bible says no man can serve two masters. This is very true. So who are you serving? Where is your faith? Who do you put your faith in?

“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:19-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Could you imagine hanging out with Jesus and learning from him and then you get your chance to show what you’ve learned only to find you don’t know what to do or why your prayers aren’t working. I could throw in a few sports analogies but i am pretty sure you already have a few going through your mind. Does it make you feel any better knowing the disciples had little faith. They watched Jesus do mighty miracles and so much more. The disciples were learning hands on but their faith wasn’t where it needed to be. We all have been there and some are still there.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This is really a hard one to swallow. So many people say.. i do believe in God. People believe God but they don’t believe he can really take care of them or provide for them like the Bible says. Do we have faith? Do we have enough faith to see things happen in our lives , families, friends, work and world? What does it take to build our faith? Family broke and needing money, child in hospital, loved one dying, friend with cancer, friend dying, loved one in jail? Do you have faith until the ordeal is over or do you continue on with your faith.

“The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."]]”

‭‭John‬ ‭8:3-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Reading this scripture the other day i saw something as i read it. I saw people with lots of rocks in their pockets. I saw people with backpacks on with rocks in it. So many people watching and looking around just seeing who they can throw stones at. People walking around not caring about their own life but throwing stones to damage or kill others. Even sitting in church. That person is on their phone, that person is talking, look how that person is dressed, can you believe what that person did, that person is drunk, that person is high, that person is a whore, that person is dressed like a slut, that person is this or that…. Open mouth and gather others and all throw their rocks. Forget about whoever is without sin. They all just think about the other person or persons. Whatever happened to loving people? What happened to God taking care of the person? What happened to God changing the person? What happened to us going to the altar with them? What happened to getting your log out of your eye before getting the spec out of their eye? What happened to loving your neighbor? Don’t even try and justify any of it because biblically you cannot.

“But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭20:25-28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Now in this world we live in it is about what can you do for me or it’s all about me me me. So many people want everything their way. To give up the reins to someone else especially God is unthinkable. A lot of people are like, i know better than anyone else. We want everyone to do what we want and when we want it. We want life to go like we want and how we plan. To serve others is not even a thought in our mind.

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:11‬ ‭KJV‬‬.

Why would someone tell us to abstain from fleshy lust? Why? Don’t they know that fleshly lust are usually fun and satisfying.

Now I’ve heard preachers and people warn against sin because it’s horrible and bad but then ive heard preachers be completely real and say sin is fun and feels good.