“This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”(Lamentations 3:21-23)
Lamentations is a difficult book because of the images of suffering that fill its pages. Yet, in the very middle of Jeremiah’s words of pain and suffering are words of hope. In fact, it is as if the prophet simply turns a corner in his mind and begins thinking of God’s character and nature rather than his circumstances. It’s at that moment where we read these words, “Therefore, I have hope.”
In a broken world, hope can be hard to come by. Each day, we are face to face with tragedy, sickness and death, but it is within this reality of pain that God brings hope. This hope is not founded on our situation or ability; our hope is founded on God. How can we have hope in God? Because He is all powerful, all knowing, never-changing, and He loves us. This means that no matter the pain, God is there. No matter the difficulty, God is guiding us and using that difficulty for our good. If you find yourself in the middle of hard times, do not fear, because the maker of heaven and earth is with you. Draw close to Him, and He will help you to live in hope, not fear.
“In life, we should think more about how great God is and less about how great our troubles are.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I love You and give You praises for still being here and loving us in such a time like this. The world is ungreatful and broken.. I know that I can often lose sight of Your love while I’m in the middle of hard times. Help me to be mindful of Your love, mercy, compassion and strength so that I can endure and even rejoice in my pain. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I may live in hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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“Let all that you do be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)
In 1 Corinthians 16:14, we find such a simple command. Simply put, we are to do everything with love. While this may appear simple in direction, it’s not simple in action. Because we are broken vessels in an evil world, it can be difficult to do everything with love. After all, our first reaction is to preserve ourselves. Our emotions, our lives, our stuff; these are the things we strive to maintain at all cost… and love demands we lose them for the sake of others.
(Galatians 2:20) “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
As Christians, we are no longer slaves to ourselves. We have been freed to love others just as Christ loved us. He is our great example as well as our strength. We cannot love rightly on our own. We must depend on Jesus. So next time someone in traffic causes you to see red, look to the cross of Christ and the blood that He shed for you. He died for us when we didn’t deserve it so now we can forgive others even when they don’t deserve it.
“You’re not living until you give your life away and start to love.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am so grateful for Your love and grace. Because You loved me, I am able to love others in every circumstance. Give me strength to walk in obedient love and to look for opportunities to care for others around me. As Your love increases in me, may my selfishness decrease. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.(Galatians 5:6)
Today in the process of life, you will communicate with many people and all will be going through something. Sometimes what they are going through can directly affect you and we can always come up with a reason not to love them. We are each unique. But our situations are not unique. In each of them, God calls us to love. In mariage, family, with friends and co-workers, there is never an excuse to not love. Jesus loved so much He died for us while we were sinners. Our faith in Him produces love for others. That love is what brings someone else to Jesus!
“Real faith produces real agape (supernatural, unconditional, long suffering) love.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me no matter what happens. Help me to trust you today and love others no matter what. Please use me to bring others to you for forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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“But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”(Acts 9:27)
“And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,” (Acts 4:36)
Barnabas was used by God to encourage Saul. He could have turned away from Saul in disbelief, but instead he encouraged him. Encouraging another person is one of the easiest and most effective ways to influence someone’s walk with the Lord. We pray for one another, but often the person may not know we are praying for them. It is only when we give them encouragement that they know. Do you like being encouraged? Of course you do. We all like to be encouraged. In fact, we all need encouragement. It only takes a few moments of time to inspire someone. A small amount of effort can make all the difference in the world. The next time you need encouragement, look for the opportunity to give encouragement to someone else.
“Inspire someone with encouragement”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Please use me to encourage someone today. Help me to look for someone that is down or hurting. Give me the strength to encourage them in the things of the Lord. For some people, this may be pointing to the fact their sins could be forgiven. For others it may point to the fact that their sins have been forgiven. Give me the strength to encourage others in the same way that I would want to be encouraged. Thank You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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“Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. (Luke 19:1-2)
According to the world’s standards for evaluating worth, Zacchaeus was a failure. He was extremely short; he was disliked by everyone because he was a tax collector; and he even hated himself.
He was not proud of what he had achieved in life because he knew he had cheated people to get where he was. He was powerful and had a lot of money, but he absolutely had no friends and was incredibly lonely.
But one day Zacchaeus’ life was completely changed because Jesus walked by and wanted to spend time with him, he realized how much he mattered to God.
When Zacchaeus learned that Jesus was coming to town, he wanted to see him, but he was too short to get a glimpse above the crowd.
“So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”” (Luke 19:3-5)
That very moment when Jesus looked up and noticed Zacchaeus. Can you imagine how Zacchaeus’ felt? Did his heart start pounding, did he experiance butterflies deep in his stomach? Jesus was looking right at him, a small, despised, insignificant man.
Why did Jesus stop at that tree and look at him? Because He knew that’s exactly where Zacchaeus was.
God knows exactly where you are too. He knew where you were a week ago and he knows where you now and even where you will be tomorrow. You may feel like you’re stuck in a tree right now in your life. God knows where you are. You may feel like you’re out on a limb, Jesus knows. You may feel all alone, but Jesus stops and notices. You are not forgotten, you are not alone.
No tear has ever been hidden from Him. No hurtful word said to you has ever passed that he missed. No abuse has ever occurred that he didn’t see and grieve with you. He sees it all.
“What is the price of five sparrows, two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7)
The greatest gift of love anyone can ever receive is attention. When you give people your time, you give them your life. When you pay attention to someone and look them in the eye, you are saying, “You matter to me. You are valuable.”
There is never a moment, never a second in your life that God is not paying attention to you. He notices you 24 hours a day because he loves you; you are valuable to him.
Don’t forget to call your loved ones this Thanksgiving holiday and spend some time and let them know they matter to you. Make amends to the ones you may need to, and brighten the day of someone that wouldn’t expect you to call. Let them know that they matter and you still care.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the always noticing me no matter how insignificant I may feel in the world, how lonely I may be because family doesnt call or how screwed up I may get. Today I come to You with nothing but empty hands and a heart that desires more of You. Please Lord, take my life and do with it as you please. I trust You and desire to glorify Your name in all that I do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Invitation:
If you are reading these devotions and are not a follower of Jesus Christ, please be aware that these seeds of scripture are being sown in your heart right now… I am praying that they start to take root in your heart and you come to know personally the greatest truth you will ever hear.. Jesus Christ died on a cross for you. He loves you and He cares for you. When you call His name and ask for His help, He will set you free.. Click Here if you would like to learn more about Gods salvation, or ask Him into your heart.
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“Then he said: ‘I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.’” (Acts 22:2-3)
In Acts 22, Paul shares his testimony. Why is he doing this? Is it so others will be amazed at his religious upbringing or at the depth of his biblical training? Is it to glorify his past? No, Paul is sharing his testimony to lead others to Christ by explaining who he was before Jesus, what Jesus did, and the joy that he now has because of Jesus. This is one of the most effective ways of sharing your faith.You see, people can argue about historical facts and they can disagree over cultural details, but people cannot argue with the fact that you found love, joy and forgiveness at the foot of the cross. Brother or sister, don’t be shy about telling your ‘God story’. Tell it to as many as will listen and you will be amazed at how God will use it to change the lives of those around you.
“Share your life story often with people.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me and saving me. Though I was a sinner, You sought me out and saved me from who I was so that I could live for You forever. Please give me courage and opportunity to share my testimony with others and forgive me for times when I had opportunities to share and did not. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen
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“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)
Just as something wonderful happens when God’s people get together and study His Word, something extraordinary happens when God’s people get together and sing His praises. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) Now this verse is not saying that God only shows up when people worship, because God is omnipresent. But He manifests His presence in a very special way when His people lift up His name in praise and worship.
Did you know that the early church was a worshipping church. As we read above in Acts 2:46–47 it tells us, “They ate their food with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people”
The phrase “great joy and generosity” literally means (with unaffected joy) There was joy in the early church. They were vibrant. But they also had reverence. A few verses earlier in (Acts 2:43) we read “A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.”
There should be joy and reverence. Those are elements that should be in our worship. The Spirit-filled church will be a worshipping church, and the Spirit filled Christian will be a worshipping Christian.
Someone might say, “Well, I just don’t always feel like worshipping.” Do you think the first-century believers always felt like praising God? They were harassed. They were beaten. They were mocked. These Christians faced persecution on a massive scale, but they were thankful to God.
The Bible doesn’t say, “Give thanks to the Lord when you feel good.” Rather, it says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!” (1 Chronicles 16:34). That is how Job was able to worship God after calamity came knocking at his door.
“Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.” (Job 1:20).
“Sometimes worship can be a sacrifice. But we should still worship with unaffected joy “
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am in awe of Your unending, unconditional love. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection on my behalf, I am able to be free from the bondage of sin and future condemnation. You are so good to me, and I desire to respond with a life of surrender to you. Fill me with Joy and reverence, fill me with Your Spirit and help me to live a life of love and service for You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Their arrogance testifies against them, yet they don’t return to the LORD their God or even try to find him.” (Hosea 7:30)
In the book of Hosea, the people of Israel find themselves in a frightening spot. God has given them over to their enemies, yet they continue to sin. They are weary, heartbroken and homesick, yet they refuse to look to God. Like a loving father who watches his child continue to hurt themselves, God desires to step into the scene and heal them. He desires to bring them hope, freedom, prosperity and peace.
While the situation may be different for each of us, the reality is the same. We all have moments in life where we feel beat up and knocked down. Our marriage is struggling, our job is on the line, we’re concerned about our health; all these things come at us and we have a choice to make. Will we look to God or will we look to ourselves or the world for answers. Of course, the even greater picture is in regards to our salvation. Each of us stands before God guilty because of the bad things we have done, we now have a choice. Do we admit guilt and ask for mercy, or do we deny guilt and run from the very One who desires to forgive us? All of us have a choice… choose wisely.
“God desires to forgive us, but we must come to Him first.”
Prayer;
Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner and in need of Your grace. I also know that without You my life would simply fall to pieces. Help me to trust in You during the hard times and celebrate that I have been saved by Your grace through Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I can share this Good News with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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“Then Peter said, Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them walking, leaping, and praising God. (Acts 3:6-8)
Many times we try to give what we think others might need, but as we see in this story, Peter didn’t have any money on him, he had something better. He had the power of the Name of Jesus, and with that Name he was able to see a miracle happen.
So don’t always look for what you don’t have, look for what you do have. What’s that in your hand? You might say, well I don’t have a hundred dollars to give to the work of my church, but God will always say “what do you have?” If you’ve got five and you’re willing to give that with a cheerful heart, God sees it just like it was a hundred.
You might say, well I don’t have the time to help in the children or teen ministry. Yet maybe you can help on special events or once and a while. “Give What You Have” and give it from your heart. God our Father doesn’t look at the outside, He looks at the heart.
Do you remember the poor widow who gave the two pennies? She had so little but Jesus said she gave so much. Many try to say, so all I have to do is give a little like that poor widow did? Well, no! The scripture said she gave all that she had. So what do you have today? Give that and watch God give you such an increase that it will just amaze you.
“The only things we can keep are the things we freely give to God.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Today, I give what I have and I give it from my heart. You were never looking for us to give what we don’t have, just to give what we do have. I have learned that as I give (not out of obligation, but wanting to give) more of my time, my talents, and my treasure, You God, always reward me with blessings much greater than what I freely gave to further Your Kingdom. You always amaze me Lord. Thank You for teaching me to give in this way.. In Jesus’ precious and glorious name, Amen.
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“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” (Isaiah 1:19-20)
Ancient Hebrew poetry often comes with parallel statements, “If and Then” and these two are pretty straightforward. Breaking down the verses in Isaiah 1:19-20, If you are willing and obedient toward God, then you will get the best. But if you resist Him and rebel, then you will be devoured by the sword. Being willing isn’t enough. Being obedient isn’t enough. We have to be both willing and obedient. Have you ever been obedient, but you haven’t been very willing? Or you may have been outwardly obedient, but inwardly your heels were dug in and you were grinding your teeth. The opposite of willingness and obedience is resistance and rebellion, and that is not a good place to be. We can be passive and rebellious or even compliant and rebellious, but being “devoured by the sword” is surely an outcome to be avoided.
“We have authority over our will, so let’s choose to be willing and obedient.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am sorry for the times I have been disinterested in Your plans and purposes for me. I ask forgiveness for the times I have turned my back on You and chosen my own way. I acknowledge today that You are Lord of all that I am and all that I have, the Sovereign God who will lead me on a path of Kingdom service and blessing if I will allow You. Give me a willing and obedient heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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