Daily Devotional 9-20-2021
Psa 42:11 Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God. But faith always has the last word. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be unsettled. Hope in God; you will be delivered from your enemies and from your depression as well. And you’ll praise Him once again as your Savior and your God. As someone has said: The remedy—challenge depression, look up, hope. The Christian life is alertness, upward striving, activity, the running of a race. It is never downcast eyes, folded hands and the acceptance of defeat.
Daily Devotional 9-19-2021
Pro 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. In the OT and even up to the time of Pentecost, the casting of the lot was a legitimate way of determining the will of God. The whole process seemed very much a matter of chance, but the LORD overruled to reveal His guidance. Today the complete Word of God gives us a general outline of God’s will. When we need specific guidance in matters not covered in the Word, we learn His will through waiting on Him in prayer. Then we find that every decision is from the LORD.
Daily Devotional 9-18-2021
Rom 9:8 That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring. It is not physical descent that counts. The true Israel consists of those Jews who were selected by God and to whom He made some specific promise, marking them out as His children. We see this principle of sovereign election in the cases of Isaac and Jacob.
Daily Devotional 9-17-2021
Joh 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. The communion and fellowship which disciples have with Jesus in this life will increase in eternity. The goal of a believer’s salvation is future glorification which includes being with Jesus. Jesus’ last testament and will is that His disciples can see His glory. This glory was what Jesus had from the Father and would again have. His testament was sealed by His death and resurrection. Since His will is identical to the Father’s, it will certainly come to pass.
Daily Devotional 9-16-2021
Psa 25:11 LORD, for the sake of your name, forgive my iniquity, for it is immense. David now returns briefly to prayer for forgiveness. Thoroughly convicted of the vastness of his guilt, he bases his appeal on “Your name’s sake, O LORD.” Since a person’s name often stands for the person himself, the psalmist is here pleading God’s own character—and especially His mercy and grace—as his only claim to pardon. There is not a word about David’s own merit!
Daily Devotional 9-15-2021
Php 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now Paul adds what is perhaps the best-known and best-loved verse in this entire chapter. We should notice that this promise follows the description of their faithful stewardship. In other words, because they had given of their material resources to God, even to the point where their own livelihood was endangered, God would supply their every need. How easy it is to take this verse out of context and use it as a soft pillow for Christians who are squandering their money on themselves with seldom a thought for the work of God! “That’s all right. God will supply all your need.”
Daily Devotional 9-14-2021
Psa 115:3-8 Our God is in heaven and does whatever he pleases. (4) Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. (5) They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. (6) They have ears but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. (7) They have hands but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats. (8) Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them. The psalmist declared his theme: God is sovereign. He alone is in heaven, and He does whatever He desires. The significance of this is seen in contrast with the pagans’ idols. Made of metal, they are only the works of men’s hands so they are totally impotent. Though idols have mouths… eyes… ears… noses… hands… feet, and throats, they cannot speak… see… hear… smell… feel… walk, or talk. People who…
Daily Devotional 9-13-2021
Deu 7:6 For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be his own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. The basis for the command to destroy the Canaanites lay in God’s election of Israel. The word translated chosen means “to be chosen for a task or a vocation.” God had selected Israel as His means of sanctifying the earth. Thus, they were holy (set apart for God’s special use) and were His treasured possession. Since the Canaanites were polluting the earth, and since they might endanger Israel’s complete subordination to the will of the Lord, they either had to repent or be eliminated. And as stated, for 400 years they had refused to repent.
Daily Devotional 9-12-2021
Joh 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. The communion and fellowship which disciples have with Jesus in this life will increase in eternity. The goal of a believer’s salvation is future glorification which includes being with Jesus. Jesus’ last testament and will is that His disciples enter into (see) His glory. This glory was what Jesus had from the Father and would again have. His testament was sealed by His death and resurrection. Since His will is identical to the Father’s, it will certainly come to pass.
Daily Devotional 9-11-2021
Isa 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the LORD’s declaration. (9) “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. God’s compassion on those who turn to Him comes because His thoughts and ways are far superior to human thoughts and ways, which in fact are evil. God’s plan is something people would have never dreamed of.