“I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.” Psalm 7:17
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Did you know that happiness is a choice?
A man said to a beggar one day, “Good day my friend.”
The beggar answered, “Well, thank you, but I never have a bad one.”
The man responded, “Well, may God give you a happy life, my friend.”
And the beggar replied, “I thank God that I am never unhappy.”
The man was speechless. And the beggar continued, “When I have plenty to eat, I thank God. When I am hungry, I thank God. If it is God’s will for me to endure this, then whatever is God’s will for me makes me happy.”
He chose to be happy.
ACTION POINT:
What do you want? Do you want to be happy? Then choose to be happy today no matter your circumstances…by praising God.
~Adrian Rogers~
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Today's reading: I Kings 22:29-53
Despite the clear message of defeat and death delivered by Micaiah, Ahab and Jehoshaphat push forward and attack the Syrians at Ramoth Gilead. Now that isn't particularly surprising coming from Ahab with his history and track record. But it is surprising coming from Jehoshaphat, whom we're told was a king that followed God and did what was right in His eyes. Getting involved with Ahab, and later Ahaziah, were clearly poor choices on his part.
What does Jehoshaphat's example reveal about the influence and pull that relationships, peer pressure and things like power and wealth can have on our judgment and actions?
~Tami~
______________________________If ye continue in my word - John 8:31
1. We shall be approved as Christ' s disciples. - "Then are ye truly My disciples." Of some the Master asks, "Why call ye Me, Lord, lord, and do not the things which I say?" And He drives these from Him, saying, "I never knew you." His words are the supreme test - the fire which detects the ore; the winnowing-fan that finds out the wheat. Our treatment of our Lord's words discriminates us: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, is he that loveth Me.
2. We shall know the truth. - God teaches us differently from men. They deal in peradventures and surmises; He with certainties - "Ye shall know the truth." They talk about the truth; He gives us the thing itself, and we know because we possess. They deal with circumstances and externals; He with the heart and root of matters. They give to the mind and soul; He to the spirit. We know the truth, because the Truth is in us, and we are in the Truth. ,'We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true."
3. We shall be free. - "The truth shall make you free." Just as we are free from the terrors which belief in witchcraft and ghosts was wont to breed, because we know that the spirits of the dead do not haunt dark and dangerous places; just as we no longer fear the fatuous light over the marsh, or the death-tick, because science has attributed these to natural causes; so, as Jesus teaches us the truth about God, and the future, and the forgiveness of sins, and the broken power of Satan, and the impotence of death, we are delivered from the bondage of fear, and walk with God in perfect peace.
~F. B. Meyer~
_________________________
Count It All Joy
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. - James 1:2-3
In our Discipleship Program, we closely examine the biblical teaching on trials. How often do we find joy in the midst of our trials? Can we realistically count it all joy today? Does this statement by James even make sense? Let us examine these verses more closely and see if we can better understand what James is saying. One of the main reasons for us to read and study the Bible is not just to learn meaning and content, but also to learn how to apply its principles to our lives. So, what is God saying to us about trials, faith and patience from these verses?
Since this first statement comes right after the greetings in verse 1, we can assuredly note its importance. In these two verses, there are three main points: we will fall into different types of trials, our faith will be tested, and patience will be produced from the testing. James is not trying to be politically correct and he is not concerned about offending anyone. He is stating the facts. Today, we deal with all kinds of trials in our lives. The issue is not if we will have them, it is how we will get through them. When we feel as though the battle is too much and the struggles are too intense, how do we respond? Difficulties with marriage, kids, finances, health and daily issues of life can seem overwhelming at times. But James says to "count it all joy" when these problems come. We can only begin to understand the meaning of this statement if we look at the results in our own lives.
God's goal in allowing us to experience various trials is to make us grow stronger, to learn patience, and to develop a deeper faith in our walk with God. We can choose to "count it all joy" as we go through them because we have the assurance in God's word that the end result will benefit our faith. How many times have you looked back after a trial has passed and recognized the benefits it produced in your life? So often, we get the point after the fact. We tend to acknowledge the blessings after the trial is over. "Oh, now I see what God was doing." Trials and testing can produce patience. There is not much we can do about avoiding such things in life; however, we can decide how to get through them.
If you find yourself in trials today, ask the Lord to help you find joy through His Holy Spirit so that you will come through the testing with an increased patience, strength and faith.
~Daily Disciples Devotional~
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Matthew 6:8-13
When Christ taught His disciples to pray, He told them to address God as "Our Father." They had previously heard Jesus say, "My Father," but now they, too, shared in that privileged family relationship. All of us who has been born again into the household of God have this same right.
Since our concepts of God are shaped by our earthly fathers, we all have different perceptions of Him, but Jesus is the only one who has a completely accurate understanding of the heavenly Father. Consider some of the ways He cares for His children:
• Loves: God's love is unconditional, since it's based on His nature rather than our performance (1 John 4:16).
• Listens: When we pray, He gives us His full attention (Ps. 55:16-17).
• Provides: The Father assumes responsibility for meeting all our needs (Phil. 4:19).
* Guides: He is the one who directs our path when we trust in Him (Prov. 3:5-6).
• Protects: The Lord shields us spiritually, emotionally, and physically, sifting every experience through His sovereign fingers. (Ps. 121:1-8).
• Stays: He's not an absentee parent, since He'll never leave or forsake us (Deut. 31:8).
• Disciplines: The Lord disciplines us
for our good, so that we may share in His holiness (Heb. 12:5-11).
Though experiences with our earthly dads may have distorted our view of the heavenly Father, we can learn to see Him as He truly is. By viewing Him through the truth of Scripture instead of our preconceptions, we will see evidence of His loving care and discover a security we've never known before.
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. - James 1:2-3
In our Discipleship Program, we closely examine the biblical teaching on trials. How often do we find joy in the midst of our trials? Can we realistically count it all joy today? Does this statement by James even make sense? Let us examine these verses more closely and see if we can better understand what James is saying. One of the main reasons for us to read and study the Bible is not just to learn meaning and content, but also to learn how to apply its principles to our lives. So, what is God saying to us about trials, faith and patience from these verses?
Since this first statement comes right after the greetings in verse 1, we can assuredly note its importance. In these two verses, there are three main points: we will fall into different types of trials, our faith will be tested, and patience will be produced from the testing. James is not trying to be politically correct and he is not concerned about offending anyone. He is stating the facts. Today, we deal with all kinds of trials in our lives. The issue is not if we will have them, it is how we will get through them. When we feel as though the battle is too much and the struggles are too intense, how do we respond? Difficulties with marriage, kids, finances, health and daily issues of life can seem overwhelming at times. But James says to "count it all joy" when these problems come. We can only begin to understand the meaning of this statement if we look at the results in our own lives.
God's goal in allowing us to experience various trials is to make us grow stronger, to learn patience, and to develop a deeper faith in our walk with God. We can choose to "count it all joy" as we go through them because we have the assurance in God's word that the end result will benefit our faith. How many times have you looked back after a trial has passed and recognized the benefits it produced in your life? So often, we get the point after the fact. We tend to acknowledge the blessings after the trial is over. "Oh, now I see what God was doing." Trials and testing can produce patience. There is not much we can do about avoiding such things in life; however, we can decide how to get through them.
If you find yourself in trials today, ask the Lord to help you find joy through His Holy Spirit so that you will come through the testing with an increased patience, strength and faith.
~Daily Disciples Devotional~
___________________________________
Our Heavenly Father
When Christ taught His disciples to pray, He told them to address God as "Our Father." They had previously heard Jesus say, "My Father," but now they, too, shared in that privileged family relationship. All of us who has been born again into the household of God have this same right.
Since our concepts of God are shaped by our earthly fathers, we all have different perceptions of Him, but Jesus is the only one who has a completely accurate understanding of the heavenly Father. Consider some of the ways He cares for His children:
• Loves: God's love is unconditional, since it's based on His nature rather than our performance (1 John 4:16).
• Listens: When we pray, He gives us His full attention (Ps. 55:16-17).
• Provides: The Father assumes responsibility for meeting all our needs (Phil. 4:19).
* Guides: He is the one who directs our path when we trust in Him (Prov. 3:5-6).
• Protects: The Lord shields us spiritually, emotionally, and physically, sifting every experience through His sovereign fingers. (Ps. 121:1-8).
• Stays: He's not an absentee parent, since He'll never leave or forsake us (Deut. 31:8).
• Disciplines: The Lord disciplines us
for our good, so that we may share in His holiness (Heb. 12:5-11).
Though experiences with our earthly dads may have distorted our view of the heavenly Father, we can learn to see Him as He truly is. By viewing Him through the truth of Scripture instead of our preconceptions, we will see evidence of His loving care and discover a security we've never known before.
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
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