Tag Archives: General Devotions

October 30th 2019 – Why Would God Choose Us (Part 1 of 5)

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

When you look through the stories of the Bible, one thing stands out, and that is that God doesn’t do things like the world does.  He operates the way He wants to and nobody is going to tell Him differently.  We see this so clearly in the type of people that He uses.  He doesn’t go for the high and mighty, He goes for the low and humble, and makes them into who He wants them to be.  For the next few days I want us to look at different people in the Bible and see how God chose them and used them.

King David:  David was a young man that watched his father’s sheep.  One day when the prophet Samuel came to anoint one of his sons to be the next king of Israel, his father never even called him to come in to meet this great man of God.  Yet after Samuel went through all of David’s brothers he asked if there was another.  Look at what the Bible says:

Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.”  And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” (1 Samuel 16:10-12)

David’s father might have passed him up, but God didn’t.  At times you might feel like you were passed up, but stay faithful and close to God your Father, because He is the one that has great plans for you.  He never misses the one that He wants and what He is looking for is a person with a pure heart.  So today, be that person.  Yes, why not you?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, It is You Lord that promotes and makes us strong, so today my trust is in You.  Lord God, You will get me to the place that You want us to be. Thank You for all you do. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

As King David faced Giants in his life, so will we. Don’t face them alone.. if you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, please click here to learn more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

 

October 28th 2019 – Having Faith During The End Times

“Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)

Faith… at its root, is trusting in God. To have faith is to trust that God is going to do what He says He will do. This is the essence of the Christian walk, and it is part of our salvation and our continued journey with the Lord. The hardest part about faith often comes in the waiting. God has promised us many things, including His return, yet our waiting for that to happen can be difficult. This is why it’s important to trust what God says over what we see around us.

When we look at the world around us, we see corrupted governments, sinful behaviors and the devil wreaking havoc in people’s lives. This has caused us at times to cry out, “Lord Jesus, come,” but as we pray this, we also need to walk in faith. We need to trust that God’s plan is better than ours. He may be allowing the suffering to continue for a little longer so that others may come to salvation through Jesus. The good news is that one day He will return and when He does, all things will be made right and our world will never be the same. This is not a fairy tale, this is reality. Yes, we believe it by faith, but our faith is in the One God who has proven Himself faithful time and time again.

“When Christ returns, the world will be remade, our flesh will be made new and the devil will be destroyed.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the promises in Scripture. Give me the faith to trust in those promises regardless of what I am feeling or what I see in the world around me. I believe with my whole heart that You are God, that Jesus is my Savior and that He will one day return. Give me the power to share this message of hope with all those around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, Don’t wait! In a flash of a second it could be too late!” Click Here to read Four Simple Steps to Jesus.

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 21st 2019 – You Are Gods Masterpiece

“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.” (Jeremiah 18:4)

A mound of clay, by itself, is not a very beautiful thing. It may have some minimal value but in the end, it’s still a pile of dirt. That is, until the potter gets a hold of it. Once the potter gets involved, this pile of dirt begins to take shape. As the potter presses in, the clay becomes thinner. The potter then reaches into the center and is able to scoop out all the excess clay within. While the clay began as a formless pile of dirt, it ends up as a beautiful masterpiece.

(Ephesians 2:10) “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

When God found us, we were like the clay – dirty and formless. We may have tried to mold ourselves but only the potter is able to mold the clay. Once the Heavenly Potter came into our lives, He began molding and shaping us into the image of His Son, Jesus. With each firm press of His hand, we are changed. With every scrape of His tools, sin starts to fall from our life. This is our Heavenly Father at work and while it is painful, it is worth it. God knows what we need and He is the perfect potter who’s loving hands will sculpt our lives into something far greater than we could ever understand. All we have to do is let Him.

“God desires to make a masterpiece of your life.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I am sorry for my resistance to Your hands in my life. I know that I need to be molded more into Your image, and I ask that You would place my life onto Your potter’s wheel. Carve off the sin in my life and shape me into a vessel that can be used for Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 17th 2019 – When God Closes Doors

“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.” (Acts 16:6-7)

Have you ever had God close a door that you thought was previously open? What was your reaction? Did you get upset and complain, or did you thank God for the closed door while praying about what to do? Prayer is a good thing. Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), but this doesn’t mean to stop looking for other open doors. You can pray while taking action. What did Paul and his crew do when the Lord closed a door? Did they sit around and moan to one another about how difficult it was to be a Christian and how they wanted to minister in Bithynia but the Lord would not let them? No, they didn’t! They kept moving forward as God revealed to Paul the door that He had opened.

“Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:10)

Although God closed some doors for Paul and his group, God opened the doors to Macedonia in order that Lydia would be saved and the door to Europe would be opened to the Gospel. You see, sometimes the door that God closes opens the door to something awesome that He has in store. What should we do when God closes the door? Don’t try to kick down the door! Don’t try to sneak a peek. Instead, prayerfully try another door. Take a step of faith. The rest is up to God. Press forward.

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

“Considder the fact that maybe God closed that door, because He knew you were worth so much more.  God has so much more for you, Trust in Him”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for saving me. Thank You for allowing me to serve You in whatever way You have planned for me. Please forgive me for the times that I have tried to force open doors that You closed. Give me eyes to see the doors that You want me to go through and the courage to go through them. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click here to learn more.

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 16th 2019 – Cast Your Burden on the Lord

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Ever go through a day or a week when you’re discouraged and it seems like nothing’s going right? Well, be of good cheer, you’re not the only one.  When we look through the Bible we see many of the great people of faith having times of discouragement.

Moses had it right to the top of his head with the children of Israel, yet he got through it.  Elijah, after his great victory on Mount Carmel, had to fight a great bout of depression when Jezebel said that she wanted to take his life.  He said (1 Kings 19:4)”… And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my father’s!”

Here is this great man of God, who just had this great victory over the prophets of Baal, and one lady, Jezebel, so intimidates him that he wants to die.

And it can be the same with us, we forget what the Lord did yesterday and we look at today and see this problem or this situation and we get discouraged.  But this verse tells us to “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

God will sustain us as we make a decision to give it over to Him.  So today, try it.  Give it to God.  His shoulders are a lot bigger than yours and He is a loving and caring Father.  Trust Him and He will see you through.  Remember, He did it in the past and He will do it today and in the future.

Prayer:

Heavenly  Father, I put my trust in You Lord and I know that today, You will get me through what I’m going through.  Your living word has told me to cast my cares on You Lord and that’s what I’m going to do, trust and obey. Thank you for always being there for me. I love and Praise You. In Jesus’ holy and precious name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you have never asked Jesus into your heart or want to recommit. Click here to learn more.

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 6th 2019 – Life Isn’t Always A Walk In The Park

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30)

We must not forget, in our pursuit of Christ, that our days  will not always be a Walk in the Park. There will be difficult days, troubling times, and storms. Please don’t be fooled by thinking, just because you have been called by God, that life won’t include these times. In these times, we are set apart by one thing, “Hope”.

Maybe today, you are experiencing grief from a loved one passing, or difficulties with your spouse or children. We wake up sometimes to trouble at work, financial problems, and other trying times. One thing we need to remember is what Paul said, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

Today, make the decision when troubles come, To Praise God. When difficulties arise, To Praise God. When you are in the valley and the trees are too tall to even see the bottom of the mountain top, To Praise God. He is working out something for that eternal weight of glory.

“Don’t being fooled into thinking life is always going to a walk in the park, give God praise in the sunshine and the rain.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Today, I want to give You praise within my storm. I know my feelings get in the way of my faith, so I am asking for Your strength and wisdom to trust You during these times. Help me to learn from You, so I can help others when their storm is rising. I thank You for working out the good and difficult for Your eternal glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click here to learn more.

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

October 2nd 2019 – Trust In The Lord

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

In modern society, we put a lot of trust in strangers. We take public transportation, trusting that the driver or pilot or engineer is capable of taking us safely to our destination. We purchase food in stores and restaurants, believing that none of the food handlers have poisoned it. We go to doctors and dentists, trusting that these professionals will do their best to protect our health.

The list goes on and on: maintenance crews, security personnel, water treatment workers. We even put a certain amount of trust in the average people who walk and drive where we live.

We do that even though we know that there are bad people out there. We trust even though we know that good people sometimes make mistakes. We want to believe in other people.

We’ve seen those that don’t, the people who live in a state of constant paranoia. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live that way. I prefer to live my life with a certain amount of trust.

I trust in God above all, trusting in three basic facts:

  • God is good
  • God knows best
  • God is able

I don’t always understand what God is doing. Sometimes I don’t agree. There are even moments where I think that I know better than he does, that my way is the best way.

Sometimes I doubt. Times when it seems like chaos has won and evil will triumph. But then I fall back on trust. He is good. He knows best. He is able.

People will fail me. I’ve learned that. I know that because I’m well aware of my own shortcomings. I’m not perfect, and others aren’t either. I’m not always good, and others aren’t either.

But God is. He is good. He knows best. And he is able. I just need to trust.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I praise You today for the multiple commands in the Bible to trust you. For in the times of trouble; in the out of my control circumstances; on the crooked, dark, winding paths; and in these very troubled days, we will look to something or someone to trust. What relief, peace and assurance to know that you, alone, are trustworthy. You always command our good in your Word and in providence;, and you always empower our obedience with your grace and your Spirit. Father, as this day unfolds, I choose to lean on you, and not my understanding; I choose to step on the path of grace, and off the highway of my willfulness; I choose to acknowledge you, and bring your heart, hand and hope to bear. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click here to learn more.

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

 

September 29th 2019 – Shaken But Not Forsaken

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? (Psalm 13:1-2)

At the beginning of Psalm 13 David feels that God has forsaken him. Has that ever happened to you? Do you let your problems make you despondent, discouraged, and disillusioned? Honestly, that couldn’t be further from the truth for those of us that have received the salvation of the Lord. We see David acknowledging this as he continues…

“But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:5-6)

You see, when we accepted the sacrifice of Christ we received the forgiveness of sins and the promise that we’d never be forsaken by God. Jesus ultimately experienced separation from Father God for the first time on that cross on our behalf when He cried out “my God my God why have you forsaken me?” Now, once we realize in our heads and hearts this reality, our trust in His mercy causes us to rejoice in our salvation! Our eyes can now be enlightened by the Spirit of God to see how rich we truly are in Christ. Count those blessings friend and allow the Lord to encourage you with all He has done for you!

“Sometimes we forget what we should we remember, (the good done by someone, by others, sometimes by us) and remember what we should forget (the wrongs done by someone, by others, sometimes by us).”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for enduring all things for me on the cross. Thank You for never leaving or forsaking me. Please give me the power to remember the blessings that You have poured out into my life through Christ and help me to walk after You with joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

 

September 28th 2019 – God’s Family

“But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.” (Galatians 1:11)

The Gospel changes everything. Not only does it change us, but it also unites us with other believers. Many of the differences that may have divided us before, fall away because of the love of Christ. This is why it is so important to meet together locally at church, and personally with each other. When we grow in unity with one another, it blesses our life and is a great picture to our community.

Where does this unity come from exactly? Well, we believe similar things, we share close to the same value system in love God, love people. In addition, we believe God created the earth and sky. Many people may think we are different because we have different skin colors, ways of dressing or ways of making a living? Unity may even be dependent on whether or not we have ink or tattoos on our body? But no matter what you look like or how you may have been raised in Jesus, we are called “one body”. As the body of Christ, we are a family that seeks to love unconditionally no matter how different we may be.

“When we meet together, we encourage each other with acts of love and fellowship..”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the church. Thank You for bringing me together with brothers and sisters in Christ. While I know I am not perfect, help me to love others equally and to encourage others no matter the differences. In You, the church is united. Please help me to remember that no matter what. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

September 25th 2019 – Unlimited Resource

“He who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily.” (Nahum 2:1)

Tests and trials are a part of life and often push us to our limits in so many ways. During these times, what do you turn to? Do you first run to others seeking those who feel the same way you do? Do you find yourself to be anxious because you are constantly looking down the road of life waiting for the next attack? Maybe you run to your money or addiction to seek answers or comfort. Whatever the case may be, the truth is, when we do not run to God first, we will not last long.

As followers of Christ, we have the unlimited resource of wisdom and power available to anyone. He is our Father God and He desires to help us in times of need. We may be able to limp along on our own wisdom and strength for a time, but when we trust in the Lord’s strength and His infinite wisdom, we will never grow weary. Today you will encounter difficult situations. Don’t be surprised by them but simply use them as an excuse to draw closer to God. Need wisdom? Ask the Father. Desire strength? Find it in Jesus.

“When you aew faced with a problem, seek God first before relying on your own wisdom or strength.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your generous love for me. I am so grateful that I can run to You in times of need and You will hear my cry. Father, I ask for Your strength and wisdom today. No matter where I find myself I ask that You would guide my steps and use me for Your purposes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click here to learn more.

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Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org