Author Archives: jsjdevotions

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May 16, 2014

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Challenges & Difficulty, Trusting God

Is God Taking a Coffee Break?

What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch? Nobody’s tending the store. The wicked get by with everything; they have it made, piling up riches. I’ve been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? A long run of bad luck, that’s what – a slap in the face every time I walk out the door. [Psalm 73:11-14 MSG]

Does it sometimes seem as if God’s blessings are for everyone else? The good life seems to happen to other people and not to us. We ask God, “Where is my reward? Why me? What did I do to deserve this trouble? Why do the wicked get rewarded when you dump trouble on me?” The rich get richer while the poor get poorer and good things happen to bad people while bad things happen to the good ones. Where is the justice?

If  life sometimes seems unfair, that’s because it is! This is one of those puzzles that never seems to have an acceptable explanation. Like the Psalmist, we need to take God’s hand, trust in Him and realize that He is truly all we really need. The good fortune of the wicked is only temporary, our reward is eternal.

When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence. I’m still in your presence, but you’ve taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me. You’re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again. But I’m in the very presence of God – oh, how refreshing it is! I’ve made Lord God my home. God, I’m telling the world what you do! [Psalm 73:21-28 (MSG)]

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May 14, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Salvation: A New You, Temptation & Sin

We Always Have a Choice

Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. [Deuteronomy 30:15 (NLT)]

God always gives us choices. Adam and Eve made a bad choice when they decided to eat the apple and mankind hasn’t stopped making poor choices since then. The Israelites chose the golden calf, Samson chose Delilah, Judas chose 30 pieces of silver, and the crowd chose Barabbas. Unfortunately, it is no better today. Some choices (the blue or white shirt, pizza or burgers, the Cubs or Sox) are of little or no consequence. Others, such as the choice of a spouse, career, or friends are of major importance. Certain decisions, however, have eternal consequences. Will we choose to love or hate, to believe or not, to follow Christ or man, and to serve God or ourselves? What choices will you make today?

Tell all the people, “This is what the Lord says: Take your choice of life or death!” [Jeremiah 21:8 (NLT)]

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May 12, 2014

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God's Plan, Trusting God

Our Tomorrows Belong to Him

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. [Matthew 6:10b (NLT)]

O Lord, help us remember it’s your will we’re talking about and not ours. Help us recognize, accept and embrace your plan for our lives. Keep us from trying to rewrite it our own way. You hold our destinies in your hands. Our lives are yours; thank you, God.

But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands. [Psalm 31:14-15a (NLT)]

 

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May 10, 2014

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Fear & Doubt, Fruit of the Spirit, Nature, Trusting God

Nothing to Fear

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. [Joshua 1:9 (NLT)] 

As I started out for a walk the other evening, my neighbor stopped me. A bear had just been sighted at the end of our street, checking out the garbage cans and fishing in the canal. I did what any sensible person would and went back inside! God may tell us we have nothing to fear if we trust him, but he doesn’t tell us to be reckless or foolhardy.

If there are still things which we as sensible Christians should fear, what is it that we don’t need to fear? We never have to fear not being up to a task if it is task given to us by God. With God’s power, we never have to fear not being good enough, rich enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or worthy enough. We never have to fear being rejected or unloved. We are His and He loves us unconditionally. We never have to fear being abandoned or facing the unknown because we are never alone; He is always with us. We never have to fear being too weak because the Holy Spirit will give us the strength to withstand whatever Satan throws at us.

I don’t walk in dangerous neighborhoods or flash wads of money around in a crowd and I certainly don’t walk with bears. I do, however, walk with God and, because I walk with Him, I have nothing to fear.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. [2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)]

 

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May 8, 2014

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, Joy, Thanks & Praise

For Friends

I thank my God every time I remember you, always praying with joy for all of you. [Philippians 1:3-4 (NCV)]

Thank you, Lord, for those people who have reached out their hands in friendship and for those who so readily accepted our extended hands, as well. They have openly and honestly shared their history with us and enriched our lives in the process. Thank you for their support and correction, their encouragement and honesty. Thank you for those friends who have silently shared our pain in moments of despair and delighted in our happiness in times of joy. Thank you, Lord, for the many people who have touched our lives in love; may we always remember that the best way to remember a friend is in prayer!

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art … It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. [C.S. Lewis]

This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between good and bad and will choose the good; that you will be pure and without wrong for the coming of Christ; that you will be filled with the good things produced in your life by Christ to bring glory and praise to God. [Philippians 1:9-11(NCV)]

 

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May 7, 2014

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Challenges & Difficulty, Fear & Doubt, Prayer, Trusting God

Trusting Him

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. [1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT)]

Last week, I had a meltdown in the grocery store. I stood in an aisle and quietly cried. The tears had absolutely nothing to do with the frustration of not finding what I wanted in a strange store; they had everything to do with not trusting God. I’d made the mistake many of us Christians do of “talking the talk” but not “walking the walk.” I speak and write a great deal about trusting God but I’m nowhere near as good about giving up control and truly putting myself and those I care for into his loving hands!

Let me back up a bit. In the space of a few days, my husband went from the onset of symptoms to tests and diagnosis to a finding that surgery is necessary. Scheduled later today, the surgery is microscopic and the prognosis is excellent. Nevertheless, this puts a “monkey wrench” into our plans for the next month or so. As we left the doctor’s office last Thursday, we started planning and rescheduling and reorganizing our lives. We said all the right things about having faith and trusting God and even thanked Him for good medical care. But, I mistook acting calm and trusting for being calm and trusting. As I got busy rewriting our calendars and making new arrangements, I forgot the most important thing: prayer! Oh, I’d said my usual prayers and even added my husband to my prayer list but I hadn’t really talked with God about my fears and all of the “what ifs” that were racing around in the back of my mind. That’s what the tears were about in the middle of the store. I finally had to admit that while I could take charge of changing appointments on our calendar, I couldn’t take charge of my husband’s health and the future. I had to truly turn it all over to God and trust him fully with our tomorrows.

O Lord, thank you for the challenges of life and the lessons they bring. Forgive us when we act like we’re the ones in charge. We hand you all our worries and fears, trusting that you will enable us to handle whatever the future brings.

Perhaps what our Father would have us learn is that worry is not for Him to take away, but for us to give up. [From “Vital Signs” by Kathy Herman]

But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands. [Psalm 31:14-15a (NLT)]