Our Daily Devo

2 Samuel 22:2-3 "And he said: "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my delivered; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust" Jesus spoke the words "in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world". As believers we know that God loves us and that He will protect us. In times of hardship, He will comfort us; in times of sorrow, He will dry our tears. When we are troubled or weak or sorrowful, God is always with us. We build our lives o the rock that cannot be shaken; we trust in God. Then we get on with tackling the hard work of overcoming turbulent times.

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God" If we take time each day in silence to open our hearts to God we will be touched and we will be blessed. The world can be a noisy place, a place filled with distractions, interruptions, and frustrations. If you are not careful, the struggles and stresses of everyday life can rob you of the peace that is rightfully yours. Make time each day to commune with your Heavenly Father in silence. Open your heart to his presence. Allow His peace to wash over you.

Psalm 34:19 "People who do what is right may have many problems, but the Lord will solve them all." Life is an exercise in problem-solving. The question is not whether we will have problems in our lives, the question is how we will choose to address them. Often times we are slow in addressing the problems in our lives because what needs to be done is difficult or uncomfortable. So we put off till tomorrow what should be done today. But the words of Psalm 34 remind that the Lord solves problems for those "who do what is right". And usually "doing what is right" means doing the uncomfortable work of confronting our problems sooner rather than later.

Proverbs 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths" Sometimes in the "business" of life we can become distracted or separated from our Heavenly Father. It is easy to lose focus on Him and instead focus on "the moment". And it is often in these times when we become misguided, stressed, and overwhelmed. But it is in these very moments where it is most important to pause and recognize the presence of God. You see He is with you. He is as near as your next heartbeat, the next breath you take. Give thanks and pray for guidance no matter the circumstance. He is in control. He desires to lead you down a path of His choosing. All you have to do is to watch, to listen, to learn, and simply follow.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-21 "Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Don't suppress the Spirit. Don't brush off Spirit-inspired messages, but examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good" Sometimes we forget to see the true goodness in our lives, the blessings that we have. It is easy to do in our current environment. But in today's scripture we are reminded, that as Christians, we are called to "rejoice always", "pray continually" and "give thanks in every situation". When we take on these practices we put ourselves in a position to see the goodness that this life, and our Heavenly Father, have to offer. Whatever setting you find inspiration in, put yourself there often. Take in all the beauty our Creator has provided, give thanks, and hold on to what is good.

Psalm 119:17-19 "Be good to your servant so I can go on living and keeping your word. Open my eyes so I can examine the wonders of your instruction! I'm an immigrant in the land. Don't hide your commandment from me!" The psalmist in today's reading cries out a humble invitation to God as we all do as we grow in faith and build our relations with our Heavenly Father. It can become a beautiful addiction to this relationship with God. The more clarity and direction we receive the more we want. As we grow in connection and continue to seek His ways, we are rewarded with a rich life full of blessings. As we gain humility and realize that this life is not ours but rather His to live. As we recognize this and grow in this we are blessed and our eyes are opened to His wonders.

Ephesians 3:19 "Know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all th fullness of God." Our spiritual journey lasts a lifetime. As Christians we can continue to grow in the love and knowledge of our Savior as long as we live. When we cease to grow in spirit we do ourselves a profound disservice. But when we study God's word, obey His commandments, and follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we make decisions that bring us closer to God, and we flourish!

Jeremiah 29:11 "I say this because I know what I am planning for you says the Lord. I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future" This year of 2020 certainly has been a test of strength and a test of faith. In times of suffering it is easy to lose hope but we must not let that become a self-fulfilling prophecy. As Christians we must look beyond the temporary suffering and remember the words of Jeremiah "I have good plans for you". While we may not know what lies ahead, we can reflect on those words. We can reflect on the love of our Heavenly Father and that of our risen Lord. When we suffer we see a cross but we know that is not the end of the story. We remember God's promises and we remember an empty tomb.

1 John 4:21 "And He has given us His command; Whoever loves God must also love his brother." A man's spiritual health and what he projects to the world is proportional to his relationship and love for God. If we want to enjoy the spiritual health that God so wants us to enjoy, and if we want to spread that love to the world we live in, then we must first start with a healthy relationship with our Creator. When we worship Him faithfully, when we obey His commandments, we invite Him into our hearts. When we have this sort of healthy relationship, we can truly feel loved and begin to love one another the way our Father intends.

Psalm 18:6 "in my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help" Like David in Psalm 18, we long for God to hear our voice, to hear our pleas for help. In our most trying times of need, we want to call out to Him for comfort, support, and hope. Like David, we are not alone in our need to call out to our God. But like David we must know that He is always listening. Our prayers do not fall on deaf ears. Our God is a loving Father, He knows our needs. He sits on His throne in Heaven and will answer our calls. It may not be on our timeline or manifest in how we envision, but His goodness always prevails. He is always listening...