Living Rightly (and other devotionals)

Living Rightly

Today's reading: Psalm 26:1-12

David begins and concludes Psalm 26 with comments about his integrity. In verse 1 he states, "I have walked in my integrity" and then follows this statement up saying he has trusted in God and acted rightly. Then as he closes this psalm, David, now looking forward, proclaims "I will walk in my integrity" and publically bless the Lord. (vs. 11-12).

What does walking in integrity mean for you personally? Will you join David in declaring "I will walk in my integrity" going forward? 

~Tami~

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The Dew of Heaven 

"His heavens shall drop down dew"   (Deuteronomy 33:28).

What the dew in the East is to the world of nature, that is the influence of the Spirit in the realm of grace. How greatly do I need it! Without the Spirit of God I am a dry and withered thing. I droop, I fade, I die. How sweetly does this dew refresh me! When once favored with it I feel happy, lively, vigorous, elevated. I want nothing more. The Holy Spirit brings me life and all that life requires. All else without the dew of the Spirit is less than nothing to me: I hear, I read, I pray, I sing, I go to the table of Communion, and I find no blessing there until the Holy Ghost visits me. But when He bedews me, every means of grace is sweet and profitable. What a promise is this for me! "His heavens shall drop down dew." I shall be visited with grace. I shall not be left to my natural drought, or to the world's burning heat, or to the sirocco of satanic temptation. Oh, that l may at this very hour feel the gentle, silent, saturating dew of the LORD! Why should I not! He who has made me to live as the grass lives in the meadow will treat me as He treats the grass; He will refresh me from above. Grass cannot call for dew as I do. Surely, the LORD who visits the unpraying plant will answer to His pleading child.

~Charles Spurgeon~

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Contagious!

In yesterday's devotional, I challenged you to live life with passion. Today I want to give you one other perspective on that. 

Take a look at 2 Corinthians 9:2 where Paul writes these words,

For I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority.

Did you notice those last eight words, and your zeal has stirred up the majority? Passion is contagious.

What do you think might happen if a community saw a church that was utterly on fire? Where all the members in that church were passionate about their worship, passionate about their relationship with God, passionate about serving one another, passionate about real deal Christianity where the rubber meets the road?

I believe there is a divine attraction to that!  And I believe that it would transform a community.

Sadly, most communities witness just the opposite—compromise, apathy, and boredom—not passion.

Now, rather than complain, I want to challenge you to live life with real passion. Go all out for God. It only takes one person to ignite the fire of passion in others.

I heard the story of a man who came to hear D. L. Moody preach. While sitting there the man next to him asked, "Do you come out here because you believe the things he's preaching?"

His response was, "No. I come out because he believes it."

Passion is contagious! Are people catching it from you? Is your zeal for Christ stirring up those who come in contact with you? If not, ask God to put that passion into your heart today and watch what happens!

~Bayless Conley~

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Why Is a Question We Cannot Answer—Yet

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” Isaiah 50:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

We can endure almost anything if we know why it is happening. Wouldn’t you agree? But we don’t always get the luxury of knowing why things happen.

You can’t be a pastor as long as I have without having heartbroken questions asked of you. “Why did my baby die?” “Why did I lose my business?” “Why am I so sick?”

Job felt this way. He said, “I deserve an answer why this is happening to me! The bottom has fallen out of my life. And I don’t know why.”

ACTION POINT:

Have you ever been plunged into darkness? Don’t get the idea that if you’re right with God, you’ll have all the answers. Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light.

~Adrian Rogers~