Make the Commitment

by Shelia Gaines

Verse for Thought:
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2.

Will you or won't you? The New Year's Resolution question is on the minds of many people at the beginning of the year. I'm sure this year was no different. The month of January is almost over and there are many people still mourning bad decisions made last year and even some who have already given up on this year, fearing they have already failed at any attempt to make changes. Television and print media are full of weight loss plans, healthy eating incentives, and exercise ads during January more than any other time of the year. Resolutions are made and broken without a second thought. However, some people do not make resulutions because they are afraid they won't be able to keep them. They believe making a commitment and not honoring it is worse than not making one at all. In one sense, that is an admiral position to take. On the other hand, if "non-response" and denial is the the way you handle difficult decisions as a rule, that is something less than admiral. God wants us to honor our committments, but he does not want us to live in fear. You do not have to be afraid of making a commitment if you are fully persuaded that God will keep that which you have commited unto him (2 Timothy 1:12). Trust in his word. Make sure you honor God in everything you do in your daily walk. You will honor your committment not just because you don't want to let other people or yourself down, but also because you don't want to let God down. You can have a good year every year. Not necessarily a year without struggle or hurt or pain, but a year of victory knowing that he will be there with you through it all. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28 KJV).

Let's Pray:
Lord, help me to to commit my life to you totally,not just at the beginning of a new year, but throughout the year. Thank you for your faithfulness and your grace. Thank you for forgiving me when I fall short of honoring a commitment. Help me to not be afraid to try again, trusting not in my own ability, but your ability to work through me.

Take the next step:
Read 2 Timothy 2:1-13. Instead of being afraid to make a commitment, prayerfully consider the direction you need to go, make the commitment we are lead of God to make and trust the Lord to help you to honor those committments.

Living in God’s Full Blessing

by Belinda Blevins

Verses for Thought:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

Sometimes it is hard for us to rise to the challenge of living our lives as sacrifices to God. If we are honest with ourselves, we will realize the reason for this. It is human nature to want to be in control of any situation. When we yield our lives totally to God, he is in charge of everything.

Everything we do or think must conform to the word of God. It has taken me many years of trial and tribulations to realize such a high calling is impossible without the Holy Spirit guiding and helping me. I know this to be true in my heart but I still find myself trying to make it on my own strength and will from time to time, only to come back to the realization that I can’t make spiritual progress alone. When our lives line up with the will of God, everybody else won’t always understand or agree with what we do, but God will be pleased. The more we seek and trust him, the closer we come to walking in God’s perfect will for our lives.

Is something in your life today keeping you from moving closer to God? Why not offer it to God, renew your mind, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance?

Let’s Pray:
Father God, thank you for blessing me as you have. I commit myself to you fresh and new this day. I ask you to help me to live holy, have a transformed life, follow you and be empowered by the Holy Spirit. If there is something in my life holding me back, reveal it to me and give me courage and faith to overcome it. I do not want to conform to the world’s standards. I want to follow your plan and live by the standard of your word. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Take the Next Step:
Make it a point today to offer a simple act of kindness to a stranger or even a friend. Treat someone to a cup of coffee. Send a card or a note of encouragement. Take a few minutes to call and say I was thinking about you. Be a living example to others, be an example of offering yourself in worship, and you will see growth in Christ.

All the Time

by Shelia Gaines

Verse for Thought:  
To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Many years ago, the daughter of one of my good friends came into my office as I was eating. She reminded me that it was “way past lunchtime”. I told her that I had been very busy that day and did not stop for lunch at noon. By the time I got around to eating, I did not realize how late it actually was. She responded by telling me about a poster she had seen with a message at the top that read, “I was put here on earth to accomplish a certain amount of things before I leave”. The bottom of the poster read, “At the rate I’m going, I don’t think I will ever die.” She was only in the third or fourth grade and I was a little surprised that she could make such an excellent analogy, but I just laughed at her and went on with my meal. However, what she said always stayed with me and I think of it often. It’s actually a very funny way of reminding us that our time is not our own. Whether we like to think about it or not, today’s verse for thought reminds us that we were indeed put here on earth to accomplish a certain amount of things before we leave. The bad news is whether we accomplish those things are not, our allotted time here does not change. So many people leave this earth never fulfilled in life because they squander it away waiting for a better time to do what they would like to do. Sadly, this is even true for those of us who feel led of God to accomplish things in and through ministry. We allow fear, hurt, disappointment and other challenges of life to rob us of many great accomplishments. Do you ever wonder how many missed opportunities you have had to touch the lives of others or even enhance your own life for the better? Think about that as you go through your day today and take inventory of your daily accomplishments. Are you satisfied with them? Is God?

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your precious gift of time. Show me how to make the most of it by yielding it to you, always mindful of the fact that everything I have belongs to you. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Take the next step:
Everyone has the same twenty four hours each day. Try making a list of things that take up your time. Estimate how much time you spend on those things. Ask God to help you manage your time in a way that is pleasing to him and helpful to you. You might be surprised at the results.

Water When you are Thirsty

by Shelia Gaines

Verse for thought:
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. John 7:38

There is a beautiful plant on the circulation desk of our library. It is actually two or three different plants with a lily in the center. At one time, I was responsible for watering that plant. Thankfully, it was only for a short period of time because unlike my mother, I am not very good with plants. We came close to losing that beautiful plant more than once while it was under my “care”. Even though I walk past it dozens of times every day, I did not think about watering it until the tall beautiful leaves were wilted so much that they would be lying down on the side of the planter. Fortunately, even after the soil dried and the leaves wilted without water, there was still time to revive it. I was always amazed by how fast it revived. Within a matter of hours, the leaves would start to stand up again and they would look alive. The dry soil would begin to stay moist again. In addition to water, plants will often need plant food. They will also need occasional pruning.
If we make time in our lives for everything except our relationship with Christ, we will find ourselves continually in a dry place. Without a healthy balance, even good things (jobs, spouses, children, church) can leave us feeling drained and empty. If this is where you are today, remember that just as a plant is revived after it is watered, we can be revived by the living water of the word (from a sermon, a word of encouragement, or a devotional) and be healthy again. Take care of yourself in a way that is pleasing to God, with a healthy diet of Matthew 4:4.

Let’s Pray:
Thank you, Lord for the living water you provide. Help me to drink of your word not only during the “dry” seasons in my life but also in my daily walk. Remind me of your presence when I fill my life with other things instead of you.

Take the next step:
Make a list of the areas in your life that are dry and/or dying. Pray about those things every day this week. Ask God to show you what you need to do replenish those areas of your life and see growth. Pray for strength to follow God’s leading if there are things that you do not need to revive and continue to trust him no matter what.

Darkness and Storms at night

by Belinda Blevins

Verse for thought:
Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Our Lord.  Romans 8:39 (NRSV)

Sometimes when it is storming and lighting and thunder is rumbling, it reminds me of my childhood.  I was really afraid during storms and my dad would always say,  “It is not going to hurt you.  It’s ok.  It’s just a storm.”   He would try to comfort me as the storm would continue.  Now, I think I know how the disciples felt when they were out on the  sea of Galilee and their boat was being tossed to and from by the waves. God is there to help us in our storms just like he was there to help them.   Only Jesus Christ can give us peace in the mist of all storms.

Calling on him and remembering the assurance in his is what gives us courage in the storms.  One thing to remember about storms is they always PASS.  Sometimes the leave destruction in their wake.  But, they do pass.  Are you going through a storm today?  Do you feel like it is so dark it will never pass, and you can’t see a way out?  Remember, This too shall Pass…The storm is almost over.

Let’s Pray:

Thank you for being a loving heavenly father who honors our commitment to walk according to your will even in the storm.  Let us remember that you are there for us as go through each day. Thank you for each step we take in the storm.  Thank you for holding our hand, for being our peace, and for giving us joy as we go. Father help us to carry everything to you in prayer believing you are the only peace in the storm.  When we are afraid, help us to trust you in the mist of the storm and not be distracted by in.  In Jesus name.  AMEN

Take the next step:
Why not stretch your faith today by offering a prayer for someone who is in a storm and needs to be encouraged.  Maybe it is someone who  just needs a sounding board, someone who has lost a loved one, or someone in the hospital.   Let the Holy Spirit use you today to help someone.  GOD BLESS YOU!!

But I Like Me

by Cynthia Edwards

Verse for thought:
I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful and I know that full well.  Psalms 139:14-15 (NIV)




The past couple of years have not been easy ones for me.  However, as I think about things that I will share in future devotions, I also think of the continued blessing of God.  Through it all, his grace has sustained me.  In times of loneliness and self-doubt, he gave strength and assurance.  I believe we live in a world where our greatest undercover pass time is  making ourselves into something other than what God created.  Instead of asking ourselves, “what is it that God wants me to do to show his love to the world,  we spend our time trying to figure out is what we can do differently in order to become to be part of someone else’s world.  We never consider whether or not that is where God wants us to be.

Thankfully, God has shown me that there is only one of me in this whole world.  I want to be the best me that I can be because I now realize that if I become anything other than myself, the world will be missing a major piece of it’s wonderful puzzle of life.

Let us Pray:

Dear God,

Help me to always remember that you made me and for that reason alone I am perfect in my own right.  Help me to realize that any changes that need to be made should be those to better glorify you and not solely to please someone else.  Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the beauty of this world.

Amen

Take the next Step:  When you look in the mirror each day, ask God to let you see yourself as He sees you.  Look past any physical flaws or imperfections (we all have them) and see the beauty of God.  As you “find the good” in yourself, begin to look for it in others and praise God for it.  Trust me.  You will begin to see beauty everywhere.

Directionally Challenged

 


by Shelia Gaines

Verses for Thought:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.  Psalms 32:8.
You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him, and keep his commandments and obey his voice; and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.  Deut. 13:4

Go .2 miles and turn right.  Recalculating.  Make a legal u-turn when possible.  Go .1 mile and turn right.  Destination is on your right.

All these phrases are easily recognizable as phrases from a GPS system.  GPS is supposed to work in any weather condition, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day.  However, there are times when you will occasionally hear the words “GPS signal unavailable”.  When I hear available anywhere, anytime without fail, I immediately think of is the omnipresence of God.   Unlike the GPS, He is always available because He will never leave us or forsake us.   God has assured us of that in his word.

As a directionally challenged person, I can appreciate the value of a GPS system.  Directionally challenged is a “kind” phrase for someone who does not have a good sense of direction or gets lost easily and often.  The hard thing to explain about being directionally challenged is the fact that you don’t have to be in an unfamiliar place to get lost and you often go in the same wrong direction each time.  It’s easy for someone who has a good sense of direction to become irritated with someone who is directionally challenged.

Because I have the vivid imagination of a writer, I imagine what we must look like to God as we travel this road often referred to as our spiritual journey.  I think what a sad state we would be in if he just became irritated and gave up on us when we get lost along the way.  On the other hand, I confess to being guilty of looking at someone who seems to make the same mistake repeatedly and wondering why it’s so hard for them to see they are on the wrong path.   Yet, in my own spiritual walk, there are still times when I take a path of my choosing, wandering aimlessly instead of turning to God and asking him which way to go.

Today’s verses for thought remind us that God has left us the ultimate GPS for Spiritual direction (his word).   We don’t need a subscription, it’s free.  We will never hear service unavailable and our destination has already been programmed in.   We don’t have to worry about life’s little traffic jams, side roads and u-turns.   All we have to do is read and study his directions and stay on the right path.  While he has not promised us an easy journey, he does assure us that if we do that we will arrive safely at our destination.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the ultimate GPS System of you word.  Help us to remember that we need only to follow your direction and guidance in this journey of life.  Let me not be afraid to make a u turn when necessary or take a different path altogether, if necessary.  I know that as long as you are leading me, I will not be lost.  I know the path you choose may not always be the easiest one, but it is the best one for me because you know what’s down the road.

Take The Next Step: 
Try beginning each day with a virtual GPS agenda.  Spend a few minutes in prayer and meditation and try to discern which direction God is leading you that day.  Ask God to show you a scripture that you can take with you throughout the day.  Paraphrase that verse or scripture in your own GPS language and write it down for future reference.

Proverbs 4:26-27  (NIV)

26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways. 

27 Do not turn to the right or the left; 

keep your foot from evil.

My GPS for today.
Pray first and seek God’s direction.
Stay focused.  Do not exit.
Go as many miles as God directs staying behind him all the way.