Simple devotions to inspire individuals to examine their lives. To further encourage individuals to spread the word to all people.
God came to spread peace and love to the entire world. Jesus did not die for a few but for everyone.
I ask you Dear Savior to use me to be an instrument of peace. May individuals that visit this blog feel the love that you freely give. In your Holy Name Amen.
Song inspired by the chapter: Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.
My thoughts about the
verses:
God is there helping us
escape from the powers that would keep us down.
God is our rescuer and our strength.
We shall overcome all things in this world through the power of
God. God is strong and merciful.
It is amazing if we look
at how our life would be without God.
Think of all those moments when you felt alone. Think of those moments when you feared death
and pain. Then imagine if that was the
way everyday of your life felt. Imagine
not having any hope for things to be better.
This is how it feels
when we do not have God in our life. We
are alone in this world fighting through day to day issues. Things that seem small in others eyes are huge
obstacles for us to overcome. We have no
one to truly turn to for our saving grace.
God is there for all
that want to escape from their transgressions.
God is there carrying us and helping us get through our day to day
trials. God does not abandon those that
call upon the name of the Messiah. We
need to remember that no one or thing can take us away from the grace and mercy
of God. It is important to understand
that without God your are alone. Yet,
with God you have your helpmate with you in all things.
Prayer:
We praise you God for
your saving grace. We thank you God for
never abandoning us. We praise you for
helping us to escape from the transgressions in our life. Help us turn our lives over to you. Help us share our stories to others so that
they might find your salvation and grace.
Help us be the people that you have intended us to be. In the name of the Messiah we pray. Amen
Questions:
Do you feel alone?
Have you asked God to come into your life? Are you willing to turn everything over to
the one on High? Is today the day that
you accept the power of mercy that is God’s helping hand?
Song inspired by the chapter: Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.
My thoughts about the
verses:
We all have someone that
we look to in our times of struggle. We
ask for help and plea for mercy to come to us.
We know that the person will do their best to help us. We look up to them because of our past
experience.
There is only one that
we can truly trust in to help us through all of our times of struggle. God is the one that will be there no matter
what the situation is. God is our
strength and our comfort. God gives us
relief in our times of great struggle.
Our God is
merciful. We do not have to carry the
burden alone. When we look to God for
help we receive the very help that we need.
We have nothing to fear because God is there on our side.
Think of all the people
that do not know about God. They go
through life only with the ability to depend on others. They look to friends and family to get them
out of their problems. Yet, because they
only have humans to turn to they find that they are often let down. People can only help us so far. There will come a time that they let us down
and in that moment we feel abandoned and afraid.
The main thing that we
have to remember is that we need to concentrate on the One on High. We need to look up into the Heavens and ask
God to help us when we are struggling.
We need to ask God for mercy and grace.
God can save us not only from our struggles but also our transgressions. It is totally up to us to ask God to surround
us with mercy and grace.
Prayer:
WE praise you God for
always being with us. We thank you God
for never abandoning us. We thank you
God for your mercy and grace. Help us to
never go astray. Help us to always
remember to look up to you when we are in our times of need. In the name of our Merciful God we pray. Amen
Questions:
Are your willing to ask God in your life?Have you asked the one Most High to save you
from your transgressions?Have you
turned over your life to God?Are you
struggling today?Is it time to turn
away from asking people to save you and ask for God’s mercy?:
Song inspired by the chapter: Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.
My thoughts about the
verses:
Often times when we are
reading Psalms we get caught up in the fact that it mentions Jerusalem and the
chosen people. We wonder to ourselves
how can this apply to me. It is especially
hard if you are not part of the Jewish community. It is hard to understand what lessons we are
to take from them. What we need to
remember as the songs as well as the law were completed with the birth, life,
death and resurrection of Jesus. When
you read the Psalms if you keep this is mind you can understand what we are to
take from them.
We are the Church of
God. The church is not a building. The church is not a certain group of
people. The church is those from all
over the world that believe in God.
It is very true when two
or more are gathered the presence of the Lord is in their midst. Jesus wants us all to come to a time of worship
with others. It is in this communal
setting that we are able to renew our spirits.
We are able to say that we are happy to be in the presence of our God.
Imagine how much joy
this world would have if we would accept others into our church fold. If we would take away the stereotypes that we
have established for a true child of God.
Imagine the growth the church would have if we began affirming those that
are different from us. The joy giver
celebrates when we open our hearts and our church to those that others have
left out in the cold.
I really feel that as a
church whole we have missed the point of spreading the word to all people. We pick and choose who we think are good
enough to be in the presence of God. We
single out people that look different from us, act different from us and love
differently from us. We need to see that
God wants all people to be in the presence of God.
We as representatives of
the church of God need to put aside our difference. We need to go out into the community and say
all are welcome at our church. No one
needs to be singled out we affirm you just the way you are. There is nothing like setting in a service
and seeing people of different backgrounds, nationalities and sexes and
worshiping together.
We need to be proud of
our open and affirming churches. We need
to look into our heart and see if we are open to others. When you come to the decision that all are
welcome you will see things change in your life. You will not be the only one that comes
rejoicing in the presence of God.
Instead you will be rejoicing with new brothers and sisters that felt
alone yet through your love have found a place they can be free.
Prayer:
We thank you God for
your saving power. We thank you God for
accepting us just as we are. Help us to
never turn away someone that wants to be in your presence. Help us today break down the walls that have barricaded
individuals from your presence. In the
name of the Real Joy Giver we pray. Amen
Questions:
Have you accepted the
challenge to love all God’s children?
Have you decided to affirm people in their love of God? Are you willing today to toss aside your stereotypes
of who a true Christian is? Are you
ready to be Jesus for someone today?
Song inspired by the chapter: Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.
My thoughts about the
verses:
We are all experiencing
a time when our communities are struggling.
In some areas of the world protest are happening due to racial and
homophobic ideas. In other areas of the
world battles are occurring over religious beliefs. In other areas of the world people are
struggling with little or no food or medicine.
We are going through so much that we often forget the protection we have
in God.
We have a God that never
sleeps. A Good Shepherd that is guarding
the flock no matter where they are in the world. We have a God that loves us in our times of
struggle. God loves us in our times of
fear and despair.
Imagine how it must be
to struggle without God’s assistance. A
time when life seems impossible and you cannot find hope. You are struggling with just getting by and
that is not going well. You fear that
you might not make it to the end of the day.
God is our strength and
our shield. God protects us when we feel
that life is not going our way. We have
no reason to be afraid of our next moment.
We may struggle but we have hope because Jesus is in our life.
The first step to having
peace in your life is to understand the strength of God. God created all things and in all things we
see the strength of God. God is the only
thing we need in our lives to feel free and safe. We might have struggles yet when you have God
on your side peace is in your spirit.
God does not ever
abandon us. We have this fear that we will
be left alone. We fear will never have
companions if we do not accept anyone that likes us as a friend. Yet, what we miss is that a true fried will
be there without trying to lead us astray from our values that come from
God. When you feel alone and isolated
from the world look up to the mountains and see the God that is always there with
you.
It is important for us
to know that our God is our salvation.
When we are struggling we need to always remember that our keeper and
strength is there with us. When we let
go of the control that we feel we need the keeper of our life can take
charge.
You will soon find that
God is your salvation. You will see that
God is there carrying the weight of your burden. You will find that God will help you get to
where you need to be in your life. You
can get through the struggle your facing and come out renewed when you put your
trust in the keeper of the stars.
Prayer:
We praise you oh God for
you are mighty and strong. We praise you
for keeping us safe and secure in your arms.
Help us to always remember to give our struggles over to you. Help us to remember that you are our watch
tower in our life. Help us to give
ourselves over to you and allow you to work through us. In the name of the almighty we pray. Amen
Questions:
Have you trusted in God today? Are you feeling alone in the situation that
you are in? Have you asked God to help
you? Have you allowed God to work
through you so that others may see the power of God’s love in this world?
Song inspired by the chapter: Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.
My thoughts about the
verses:
Think about all the
times in your life that you thought something could be handled with peace and
mercy. Yet, how many times when we are
in that peace that we realize so many others want the complete opposite. You
talk about saving others while others want to harm. We desire our friends and family to be safe
yet people are striking out against us.
Let us look at the fact
that we must ask God to save those that desire to hate us. We must look past the lies that people speak
that would lead us to hate others. We
have to come to the point that we realize that God loves us all. That God wants us to become peacemakers in
our society.
I am sitting here
tonight thinking about the numerous protests that have occurred throughout the
United States in the last few weeks. I am thinking about those that truly want
a peaceful change to take place. Yet,
who is the new concentration on? The news
wants a story so there are concentrating on the violence that has
occurred. It is easier to make headlines
saying people acted in violence. Think about
the story that you would have if people just stood in silence praying to God
for peace. A peaceful prayerful protest
is much harder to make as a headline in today’s world of hate and fear.
Yet, we have to stand up
and say that we are willing to change the world through our prayers. We have to come to a consensus that there can
be peace in this world. We have to
understand that hate only brings us down.
Prayers can lift us out of our despair and make us anew.
The next time you are
struggling in life lift your voice to God.
As we see others struggling lift your voice up to God. Let us look at each other today and say let
us be peaceful. Let us show the world
that change can happen when Christens unite with one voice asking for injustice
to be taken away. Open our eyes to your
love so that we may share it with the world.
Prayer:
We thank you for your
love and sacrifice. We thank you for
being with us in all that we do each and every day. Help us be a witness of love and peace in
this world. Help us unite our voices
with others who want injustice to end in a peaceful manner. In the name of the Great Peacemaker we pray.
Amen
Questions:
Have you prayed for peace in today’s world? Are you
willing to ask God to forgive those that want to cause harm? Are you willing to work with others that are
willing to bring peace to the world?
Song inspired by the chapter: Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.
My thoughts about the
verses:
We
now come to the longest chapter in the Bible.
This chapter teaches us many things.
There are 28 stanzas to the psalm each begins with a letter of the
Hebrew Alphabet. To understand the Psalm
you have to break apart each stanza and learn what the psalmists was trying to
teach us. This is The
Children of God’s Alphabet for life.
First, we need to learn by following God that we
have no reason to be ashamed. What we need
to do with our life is lift up our voices in praise to God. God is there with us and guiding us through
our life. When we do what God ask of us
we are freed from our guilt and shame.
Secondly, we learn that we need to seek God. In those moments when we felt led to sin we
need to turn to God. God promises will
keep us safe. We are forgiven from our
transgressions when we ask God into our life.
In all things we need to seek the guidance and direction of the Messiah
that has freed us from our transgressions.
Thirdly, we learn to delight in the word of
God. We need to understand that when we
follow God we have no reason to be sad.
God will lift our spirits with rejoicing. The word is no longer a source of
condemnation when we accept Jesus into our life. Instead, the word becomes a source of
liberation and joy for us.
Next we learn that God is our source of
strength. When we feel lost and burdened
down with troubles we need to turn the situation over to God. God who saves us from our transgressions will
help us in our times of distress. God is
always there helping to carry the cross of those that have accepted Jesus in
their life.
Next we learn that we need to teach and trust in the
word of God. It is through our reading
of the scriptures that we learn of the saving power of God. We need to share that love with others. We need to realize that others need to hear
the same words that we have come to trust.
Be teaching others about God we are able to find the peace that comes
from the one above.
Next we need to learn the value of our
testimony. The words of God are enhanced
when we share the things that God has done for us. Think about the Bible and even this psalm and
we can value the testimony of others.
God will open the door so that you can share the things that God has
done in your life. Through your
testimony you can become Jesus to someone today.
We next learn that we will find comfort in God when
we commit to serving God. Our God does
not betray us. God’s love is steadfast
and forever. When we offer our lives
over to God we soon find a peace that passes all understanding. Even when we feel at our lowest God will move
in our lives to bring comfort.
Next we are to learn that when we keep the words of
God in our heart we find a common ground with other believers. There are so many things that separate us due
to the traditions that we have established.
Yet, the one thing that we all agree in is the word of God. No matter our differences we soon learn that
is through our love and commitment to the word of God that breaks down walls
between us and others that believe in Jesus as the savior.
We next learn that our hard times can lead us to a
stronger connection with our God. It is
in those hard times that we turn to God.
We feel as if there is no one that can help us but our Savior. When we turn away from God in our hard times
we soon learn that we need God in our life.
This thought alone will keep us from going astray.
Next we learn that
God is the essence of mercy.
Those that meditate on the word of God will find mercy. We have to understand that we need to take
time each day and spend it with God and God alone. Offering our life in daily meditation has the
ability to change our hearts.
Next we learn that God is there when we are surrounded
by those that desire to harm us. We move
closer to God when we realize that God does not abandon us. We come to the point that we realize that God
will revive our life as we concentration on the word of God.
God’s love last forever. There is no beginning or end to the love of
God. God’s word is the essence of
lasting love. When we read the word we
will see the everlasting and enduring nature of God. We have no fear of ever being alone because
God’s love will always be with us.
Next we learn that God’s love leads us to great
understanding. Walking with Jesus helps
us gain the wisdom that we lead in life.
See when you walk with God you are turning your life over to the
Creator. You then begin to understand
those things that God needs you to hear.
Therefor you are blessed with wisdom.
Next we learn that we will be surrounded by Gods
guiding hands. We will become a beacon
of light to all that we come into. When
they see us they will see that they can also find the peace and hope that they
need in the acceptance of the Messiah.
We will have a life here on Earth that will be guided by God and in the
end we will have an everlasting life with the one that we love most.
Next we learn that God will safely bring us through the
struggles of life. We have the arms of
protection surrounding us. We will find
that if we focus on the word instead of the things of the Earth that we will
have a different life. Our life will
turn into one in which we can actually feel the presence of God. As we struggle through life we will know that
the strength that receive to overcome the situation comes from the Most High.
We also learn that we are protected from those that
will oppress us. God will be our shield
and safety always guiding us to a life of hope and peace. No matter who comes against us if we
concentrate on the word of God we will have a sense of peace. Now when you understand the peace you will
learn how important the word of God is in your life. You will understand that following God is the
thing that is more fulfilling than anything else.
As you grow closer to God as you read and
concentrate on the word you begin to feel sadness for those that do not follow
God. Your heart feels the draw to help
those that have turned away from God.
You are not happy with their situation instead your heart aches for
those that are struggling alone. This
also leads you to reading the word more intently. We not only need to read the word but we need
to live the Word of God.
God is a good and righteous God. God brings us mercy when we ask God in our
life. As we live our life in the love of
God we will see the mercy that is there for us.
Our God deserves to be praised for the righteousness that God has given
to us. God is the righteous of the
world. We need to let others see the
forgiveness that God has given to us by sharing our testimony and living a life
that brings glory to God.
We learn that when we cry out to God we are
heard. God is as close as our
heart. No matter what happens God is
right there by our side. As the struggle
gets harder God will lift you up and carry you through the struggle. You will soon learn that those moments in
your life when you prayed God was there as soon as the words left your
thoughts. God is always closer to us
than any other helper that comes into our life.
We soon learn that we will go through times of revival
in our life. As you understand Gods
words you will come to that point that you feel a renewing of your spirit. What seemed impossible becomes possible. We have nothing to fear because God has given
us mercy and hope. Our life will shine bright
and will lead others to desire the light that shines within us. Our personal revival leads to others
understanding of the righteousness of God.
As we worship and read God’s word we will be
motivated by God. We will be motivated
not to do things that are against Gods guidance. We will pray for others that are going
against the will of God. We pray for
them just like we pray for others. We
need to ask God to guide them. Those
that hurt you’re with their ideas of God will come to understand that you
accept the almighty in your life. You will
come to see that you are individually guided by God and no one can take God
away from you.
At last you will come to God in those moments when
you went astray from God. You will call
out for God to come and rescue you. God
will come like a shepherd that has a lost sheep to bring you home. God hears our pleas and the longings of our
heart and will bring us peace and comfort.
God is good and righteous Shepherd. God is our safety and security. God is our savior and source of hope. God is our protector and strength. We in turn need to follow the word of
God. We need to allow God to guide us to
live a Christ like life.
Prayer:
We praise you for all
you have done in our life. We praise you
for you peace and grace. We thank you
for forgiving us and covering us with the saving power of the blood of
Jesus. Help us Dear God to live a Christ
like life. Help us to study your
word. Help us to trust in you fully. In the name of the Living God we pray. Amen
Questions:
Which one of the alphabet do you feel you need to
concentrate on today? Have you learned
anything about God that you want to share with others? Are you struggling in life? Have you asked for God’s strength, protection
and guidance? Have you accepted the
saving power of God?
Song inspired by the chapter: Song has been uploaded from YouTube.com and is not my original.
My thoughts about the
verses:
Jesus is the Risen
Messiah. The One promised to save the
souls of humankind. We have a God that
loves us forever and ever. Our Savior sacrificed
all so that we may be free.
Jesus is the strength
that helps us throughout our days. We
have the most powerful source of strength living within us. All that accept Jesus as their savior are
constantly surrounded by the arms of God.
We are never alone no matter what we face.
It is hard in today’s
society to somehow think that we have the strength that we need to get by. We are knocked about by the troubles of the
world. We see devastation and wars all
about us. We have this deep inner fear
that our time is coming to the end.
Yet, if we accept Jesus
in our life we have the strength to continue.
God’s presence in our life is the foundation of our inner peace. We only have to commit to being in
relationship with Jesus to have hoped that all will go well. We have nothing to fear when Jesus is on our
side.
When we look back at the
past we can see how God has helped so many.
We only have to look at our family to see that God carries us when we
are weak. Take a moment and think about
your family. When you really think about
it you can think about those moments when God carried the weight so that you
can be here today.
I often talk about my
grandfather because of his character and strength. I was taught at an early age that he was a
man that loved God with all of his heart.
My grandfather did not have an easy life growing up. His father died when he was thirteen years
old. Being the oldest of his siblings he
took on the responsibility of being the male role model in the family. He left school in eight grade and begin
working to make sure the family survived.
It was during the great
depression and he had to do things that would make us today amazed. He would go to the train tracks and pick of
the coal that had falling off the trains to keep his family warm. He would stand in soup lines to feed his
family. He was able to get a job through
the Civilian Conservation Corps. He helped
work on Mammoth Cave National park during his time with the CCC.
When War World II broke
out he joined the navy. He took a test
during basic training and scored the equivalent of someone with two years of
college. With this score he became a
Chief Petty Officer. He was the highest
ranking unlisted offer on his tanker during the war. The boat was attacked and only one man was
killed during the intense battle.
When I think about all
this I am amazed. He went through so
much at a young age. Yet, his faith only
grew stronger over time. He became a
music minister and was a leader of the church for years. He lived his life with the knowledge that God
would give him the strength to overcome anything. Even in his final stages of brain cancer he
never lost faith. He was there for us to
show us that God would give us the strength to continue on.
God is powerful and our
salvation. Jesus is the ultimate bearer
of the weight we carry each and every day.
We only have to call upon the name of Jesus to feel the inner peace that
we need. Jesus is our strength and
hope. Whenever we struggle we are not
alone. Jesus is there being the comfort
and the strength that we need to survive.
We all need to remember
that Jesus was strong enough to overcome the grave. We need to remember that Jesus was the
perfect sacrifice. We need to remember
that Jesus went to the cross willingly.
Knowing this we should understand that no matter what we go through that
Jesus is our salvation, peace, strength and hope.
Prayer:
We praise you God for
your love. We thank you Jesus for your
sacrifice so that we may be free. We
worship you for you never-ending love for us.
We ask dear Jesus that you save us from ourselves. Help us accept the strength that comes from
your sacrifice on the cross. Help us
accept your saving grace. In the name of
the Messiah we pray. Amen
Questions:
Have you accepted Jesus in your life? Have you felt the presence of God when you
are struggling? Are you living a life
that will make others see the salvation and strength of God? What do you need to do today to allow Jesus
to shine through you?
