Safely Kept

And that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day. 2 Timothy 1:12, HCSB

We know the importance of placing our valuables and money in safe places. We put our important documents in the banks’ safety deposit boxes. The government insures our bank savings through the FDIC.

In today’s passage Paul wrote about entrusting something far more important than material things for safekeeping. He instructed Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel or of his mentor Paul who was in prison. Paul described the gospel, its power to save, and its origin in the grace of God.

Paul was suffering for the gospel, yet he was full of confidence and hope for the future based on the person of Jesus Christ, in whom he had believed. He had not placed his faith in some philosophy or creed. Because Paul knew Jesus intimately and personally, he was certain he could trust Jesus with the salvation of his soul. He knew it would be kept safely until that last day of accounting.

Father, thank You for Jesus, who is able to keep me until that last day.

This devotional is courtesy of Open Windows.

God's Perspective

Scripture
After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
"Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield;
your reward will be very great." Genesis 15:1, HCSB
Thought
To understand your bad or difficult circumstances, God's perspective is vital. Deep trouble and crisis is often the easiest time to hear God speak. One word He always gives in such situations, "Do not be afraid." Fear is the human reaction toproblems. Hope is God's reaction.
Prayer
You who takes away all fear, look in love on me today. You know the circumstances that bring fear, frustration, and failure to my life. Only Your word can dispel my fears and deepen my hope. Amen.

This devotional is courtesy of Experiencing God Day By Day Devotional.

An Island Within

I rise before dawn and cry out for help; I put my hope in Your word. Psalm 119:147, HCSB

Some Bible teachers say: "If you are filled with the Spirit, then you can draw from God's resources, not just at the beginning of the day, but every hour of the day. Better a fountain in the heart than a fountain by the way."This confuses two quite separate issues. It is perfectly true that by reason of the Spirit's indwelling, we can draw upon His resources moment by moment, but that does not do away with the need for a daily quiet time.
One writer puts it like this: "Those who say they can live in a state of prayer without stated times for prayer will probably find themselves without both. It is as futile as thinking that you can live in a state of physical nourishment without stated times for nourishment." I believe with all my heart that the divine Shepherd seeks daily to lead His sheep to the "still waters" of His Word, and how sad it is that so many Christians prefer to drink from the polluted pools of the world. The poet says:
What a frail soul He gave me, and a heart
Lame and unlikely for the large events.
I wonder if, more often, we haven't given ourselves "a heart lame and unlikely for the large events." God has given us infinite resources through prayer and the reading of the Scriptures. They are ours for the asking and the taking. The quiet time creates an island of quiet within us, and that becomes the atmosphere of the day.

Daily Prayer
O Father, help me come to the quiet time with quiet expectancy - expectancy that here my weakness shall become strength, my doubt become faith, my fears become courage, and my sin become redemption. I ask this for Your own dear name's sake. Amen.

This devotional is courtesy of Every Day with Jesus.

Sin Can Be Overcome

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 13:14, HCSB

Every sin can be overcome. Don't allow yourself to admit to any exception, for if you do, this exception will be the loose bolt that causes the bridge to fall down. One of the sad things about certain sections of the modern-day church is the moral fatalism that says in regard to one's sin: "But what could I do? I am just a frail human being."
The implication is that sin is an integral part of human nature, and as long as we remain human, we shall never be able to overcome sin. The clear message of the gospel is spelled out in this verse: "Sin will not rule over you" (Rm 6:14).
Today's text in The Amplified Biblereads: "But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and make no provision for indulging the flesh - put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature - to gratify its desires and lusts." Notice the phrase: "make no provision for indulging the flesh." In other words, do not provide for failure; provide for victory. There must be an absoluteness about the whole thing.
There are dangers in pretending we are winning the battle against sin when we are not, or in approaching the whole issue from self-effort. But these dangers, in my opinion, are not as great as mentally providing for sin in our lives. The tyranny of this fatalism - that as long as we are in the flesh, we must expect to sin - must be broken. The Christian life must be lived from the standpoint that we expect not to sin. I repeat: every sin can be overcome.
Daily Prayer
My Father and my God, help me to lay hold on the fact that Your offer is not simply to help me realize what sin is, but to release me from it. May I enter more and more into that glorious deliverance day by day. Amen.

This devotional is courtesy of Every Day with Jesus.

Thoughts for the New Year

I am just beginning a journey into a book entitled  “The Grand Weaver; How God shapes Us Through the events of our Lives” by Revi Zacharias.  It is giving me pause to think.  What really is God’s plan in my life?  Am I on the right path?  Is there a wrong path?  Can I make a wrong choice and end up in a place not of His choosing?  Can I make a wrong turn and still end up in His perfect will?  Lots of questions arose as I began to review this book.  I have only read the introduction, but I believe it is going to be a great source of information. 

So, think about your path.!!!!   Do you believe that each step has been ordained by God himself?  Do you believe that He created you with an end product in mind?  That He genuinely cares about you, your needs and wants and desires.  I KNOW that He is involved in my life.  He selects and uses each path that I trod for His glory and for His purpose.  The big decisions and the small ones.  The Word of God tells us that our steps are planned by our Mighty God.  To me, that includes, all the baby steps I take when I step out in fear or uncertainty or concern over the future, the problems of this world and the pleasures as well.  He is directing each step.  Each footprint; He knew where it would land.   Each arm that reached out to give and to receive a hug.  He was there.  Each time a tear was shed, a heart was broken.  That is my take on it.  My God is sovereign.  He is just.  He is omnipotent.  He is omnipresent.  He is omniscient. 

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”  1 Corinthians 2:9 

I pray that this New Year will be one of growth for each of us.  That we will be known by the fruits that we bear.  That we will be alive and well and doing His will within each of our communities.  Don't forget those that are hurting, needing, feeling unloved or unlovely.  Those that feel as though they do not have a friend.  Reach out to those. Let your footsteps include the unfamiliar areas of your world. May God expand all of our territories in this New Year.

Battle Rested

Read Ahead: Psalm 23:1-6

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5, HCSB

Soldiers don't usually sit down for a picnic in the middle of a raging battlefield. They either fight to the death, or they turn and run!
But David painted a very different kind of battlefield scene--a picture of total security. In the midst of the worst onslaughts his enemies could dish out, David found peace in God and a reason to celebrate. Others were trying to keep the crown from him, but they couldn't stop God from making him king.
Going through life's hardest battles can sometimes teach us the most about God. When our enemies are attacking us and we want to panic, God gives us peace. He lays out a banquet to celebrate the victory that's already ours. He reminds us who we are in Christ: a royal treasure claimed by the King as his own.
When everything is going well, we might take God's presence for granted, but when life is hard, we can often see his presence more clearly. That's because he gives us peace and cause for celebration in places where we'd expect only despair.
If you're experiencing some of the difficulties that life throws at you, look to see what God is doing. He hasn't gone anywhere. He's preparing a table for your victory party, pouring out his blessings on you. You don't have to leave the battlefield to have your picnic, because God is with you... and your enemies don't intimidate him.
What's wrong with the idea that a loving God would never allow hardship into our lives?
Read Up: Habakkuk 3:17-19, 1 Peter 4:12-19
This devotional is courtesy of TQ.

Shadows

Read Ahead: Psalm 23:1-6

Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff--they comfort me. Psalm 23:4, HCSB

David's beautiful psalm about the Good Shepherd is one of the Bible's most well-known passages. In fact, it's probably read or recited as much outside of church as in it. Truly, this inspiring message of hope speaks in a way that all of us can understand.
David did what every good writer does: he wrote about what he knew. He knew lots about life's shadows, plus he was intimately acquainted with shepherding. So he masterfully joined the two together to pen some of the most comforting words of hope ever written.
David faced many dangers in his life--times when he didn't know if he'd live out the day; times when he was misunderstood, threatened, and attacked; times when the shame of his own sin sent him into the depths of despair. Yet through it all, he experienced the unwavering presence of God.
Just as he once led his sheep through the valleys, David's Shepherd guided him through the dark times in his life. Just as David's sheep used to recognize his voice through the darkness and follow the sound, God's voice brought comfort and direction to David when he didn't know where to go.
Life is full of shadows. There's evil out there--dangers and frightening valleys where the mountains block out the light. But Jesus, your Good Shepherd, will walk with you through the valleys and dispel the shadows of fear.
What good things have you been kept from enjoying because of fear?
Read Up: Isaiah 43:1-2, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
This devotional is courtesy of TQ.