JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Luke 6:12) "He went out into the mountains to pray, and prayed all night."
In any satisfying relationship, it is necessary for the two parties to spend time together to experience the oneness, and the comfort, the encouragement and the security that cultivate those special intimate times together.
Why do you need a quiet time with God each day?
Because Jesus did, and He's your example: "He was up long before daybreak and went to pray" (Mark 1:35).
The truth is, we make time for what we value most, for the people we love most, for our highest priorities, and for what we find the most rewarding.
Notice, Jesus seldom prayed for anybody in public.
Why?
Because He'd already done His praying before He got there!
He made deposits each morning so that He could make withdrawals all day long.
And the busier He got, the more He prayed.
Did He know something we don't?
Jesus had no difficulty choosing between the crowd's agenda and His Father's will.
He said "I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the One who sent me" (John 5:30).
Why do spiritual leaders sometimes fall?
Because they get caught up in the work, and neglect their relationship with Him.
“Neglected relationships” are the number one reason that marriages fail.
“Neglected relationship” with God are how and why believers lose their first love for God.
Listen folks, if you want a marriage that stays vibrant, satisfying, fulfilling and intimate, “pay attention to your spouse”.
Give them your time and spend time with them.
To the church at Ephesus, (Revelation 2:5) … the Church whom had lost her first love for Him… Jesus said “Do the first works” go back to when you first fell in love.
Spend time in the presence of your Savior, (Psalm 37:4) “delight thy self in the Lord, and He will, give you the desires of your heart”.
Make Him your priority.
The same goes for a marriage or any relationship that seems to be interesting or have the potential for long term satisfaction.
Time spent together, is the cement for a strong relationship.
Throughout history, anyone who has been greatly used by God was a person of prayer.
Martin Luther said, "I have so much to do that I must spend the first three hours each day in prayer."
Ceaseless activity will drain you and leave you vulnerable to Satan's attack.
The sign on a church bulletin board says it all: "Seven days with out prayer, makes one weak."
So the busier you become, the more time you need to spend with God.
Simply stated if you're too busy to have a quiet time with God, you're too busy!
Remember, He's not asking for your whole day, just a little of your time, just a little of your heart given to Him and your the one who benefits from it.
Good Day!
(Revelation 4:11) "And for thy pleasure they were created".
Most every morning as I'm waking up, I awake with this sense that there is a presence that is waiting to be with me or visit with me. ?
As I've grown older and developed this awareness, I've come to learn and realize that it is the presence of the Holy Spirit/God whom is wanting to commune with me or spend time with me.
Did you know: ?(1) God created you so that He could have a relationship with you.
He made you in order to enjoy your company every day… (Revelation 4:11) "And for thy pleasure they were created".
Your attitude toward your quiet time with God will be transformed when you realize that He wants to spend time with you, waits for you, and welcomes you into His presence.
(2) The cross is what made this relationship possible.
When Adam sinned, God drove him from the Garden of Paradise and placed angels with swords at its entrance so that mankind could never re-enter to eat of The Tree of Life.
The Tree of Life was placed in the Garden of Eden as part of God’s perfect creation.
Scripture says, “And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.
The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden” (Genesis 2:9)
The Tree of Life was not symbolic only.
It was a real provision through which God sustained human life.
Adam and Eve were created mortal but with access to immortality through obedience and dependence on God.
As long as they remained in harmony with God, they could eat freely of the Tree of Life and live forever.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating from the tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil, sin entered the human experience.
God had warned, “In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).
Sin was not merely a broken rule... it was a rupture in trust, loyalty, and relationship with the Creator.
The consequences were immediate and far-reaching.
Shame, fear, separation, and death entered the world… humanity was now fallen and sinful.
After the fall, God expressed a specific concern regarding the Tree of Life.
Scripture records, “Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil.
And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…’” (Genesis 3:22)
This statement reveals God’s reasoning.
Sin had entered the world and Sin had to be blocked.
If fallen humanity were allowed to eat from the Tree of Life, they would live forever in a sinful, broken state.
That outcome would be a tragedy, not a blessing.
Living forever while separated from God, burdened by sin, pain, and corruption, would lock suffering into eternity.
God never intended immortality apart from righteousness.
The Tree of Life was designed to sustain life in a sinless world.
Once sin entered, access to the tree had to be restricted.
Blocking the Tree of Life prevented sin from becoming eternal.
Then God did something truly amazing! ?
He took on human form, lived among us, died in our place, and was cut down by the sword of divine judgment at the cross, providing us with a way back into His presence.
In the Old Testament only one man, the High Priest, could go into the Holy of Holies and he could only do it one day a year.
A thick veil separated God from the people.
?
They stood outside wondering what God's voice sounded like, what His presence felt like, and what His glory looked like.
But only the high priest knew.
And when Jesus cried, "It is finished", as He hung on the cross (John 19:30)… the Bible says, "The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top [where God was] to the bottom [where we were]" (Mark 15:38).
Now, as "priests unto God" we can come into His presence at any time and meet with Him (Revelation 1:6).
What a privilege! "Grace" makes it possible.
And "gratitude", should be the magnet that draws you there each day.
The benefits? Well they far out weigh the cost of the time spent!
(John 15:9-16) “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.
Now remain in my love.
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.
Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit… fruit that will last… and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. “
What an amazing declaration from the heart and mouth of God!
How can we not respond to such an invitation?
You know it takes approximately 5 minutes to read this devotional each day.
Maybe another minute to digest some of the content clearly, and possibly 3 to 7 minutes to pray and touch the hem of Gods garment in gratitude, thanksgiving, praise, and petitions unto Him for your provision and protection.
Ten minutes to 15 minutes each day!
Is that to much time to give to a God whom loves us, calls us His friends, protects us, provides for us and promises us a secure eternity under His watchful eye?
Good Day!
(Psalm 27:8) "My heart says of you, 'Seek His face!' Your face Lord, I will seek."
In his book “Talking Dogs”, Sam Mason discusses how God can use our pets to speak to us.
Looking back on some dogs he has owned and the lessons he learned from them he wrote;
“One such occasion was when Ranger, our eleven-pound Italian greyhound, was sitting on my lap as I relaxed in the recliner.
From my peripheral vision I noticed that familiar, endearing little tilt of the head as he looked me directly in the face.
I found myself wondering what was he thinking?
A second later I warmed to the pleasure of divine inspiration, as the explanation flowed into my stream of thought.
Ranger was seeking my face!
You see, dogs become students of their owners.
Their comprehension of spoken human language is limited to a handful of words.
Their capacity to understand a creature of far greater intellect is restricted, so they study our movements, our facial expressions, hand gestures, and other body language.
Likewise, we have limited understanding of our Master”.
From our scripture text this morning, David writes the following assertion… “Your face Lord I will seek!”
So how do we ‘seek the face’ of someone who is so far our superior?
To be honest with you there are only three sure ways… with a possible fourth that is beyond our control but totally manifested by the Lord Himself.
The Lord reveals Himself through His Word first… then thru prayer… and thru the intervention of the Holy Spirit that lives or resides within us.
That’s where our pursuit begins.
And the truth is, statistics report that few “professing Believers” actually read and study the Bible on any regular basis.
The word of God tells us… “Thy Word O Lord is a light unto my path and lamp unto my feet” (Psalms 119:105).”
(Psalms 119:129-131) “Wonderful are Your testimonies… therefore I obey them. The unfolding of Your words gives light; it informs the simple. I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commandments”.
(Luke 4:4) – (Matthew 4:4) “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
(Colossians 3-16) “Let the word of Christ dwell within you richly.”
But beyond the Scriptures, there are only really two other ways other ways to seek God’s face.
Seeking Gods face in prayer opens up our spiritual senses as it were… to the influences and instructions of the Holy Spirit… who reveals the intentions of God and the understanding of His Word.
Beyond that are the "supernatural experiences" that unfold as we walk with the intent to serve Him the best we can or know how.
From my peripheral vision I noticed that familiar, endearing little tilt of the head as he looked me directly in the face.
I found myself wondering what was he thinking?
A second later I warmed to the pleasure of divine inspiration, as the explanation flowed into my stream of thought.
Ranger was seeking my face!
You see, dogs become students of their owners.
Their comprehension of spoken human language is limited to a handful of words.
Their capacity to understand a creature of far greater intellect is restricted, so they study our movements, our facial expressions, hand gestures, and other body language.
Likewise, we have limited understanding of our Master”.
From our scripture text this morning, David writes the following assertion… “Your face Lord I will seek!”
So how do we ‘seek the face’ of someone who is so far our superior?
To be honest with you there are only three sure ways… with a possible fourth that is beyond our control but totally manifested by the Lord Himself.
The Lord reveals Himself through His Word first… then thru prayer… and thru the intervention of the Holy Spirit that lives or resides within us.
That’s where our pursuit begins.
And the truth is, statistics report that few “professing Believers” actually read and study the Bible on any regular basis.
The word of God tells us… “Thy Word O Lord is a light unto my path and lamp unto my feet” (Psalms 119:105).”
(Psalms 119:129-131) “Wonderful are Your testimonies… therefore I obey them. The unfolding of Your words gives light; it informs the simple. I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commandments”.
(Luke 4:4) – (Matthew 4:4) “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
(Colossians 3-16) “Let the word of Christ dwell within you richly.”
But beyond the Scriptures, there are only really two other ways other ways to seek God’s face.
Seeking Gods face in prayer opens up our spiritual senses as it were… to the influences and instructions of the Holy Spirit… who reveals the intentions of God and the understanding of His Word.
Beyond that are the "supernatural experiences" that unfold as we walk with the intent to serve Him the best we can or know how.
Unfortunately these supernatural experiences are few and far between because we all get so busy that we seldom make “seeking Gods face” a priority.
An example of those supernatural experiences can take place as we “pay attention” to the ways of God… as the Holy Spirit moves upon your heart during church services.
That’s why it is good to go to a church service and worship together with a household of believers.
Another is to “learn” from His “interventions” as you experience those “God instances”… where something supernatural happened in your life and those of your fellow believers.
Behind His works are His ways!
We must determine to become a student of the Master at every opportunity.
If we really want to know Him... them we must be a people that seek His face!
Let me ask you… are you one that regularly seeks His face?
If you really want to know Him and enjoy His presence, power and purpose in your life…
Then today is a good time to start… that’s what these daily devotions are all about!
Good Day!
Let me ask you… are you one that regularly seeks His face?
If you really want to know Him and enjoy His presence, power and purpose in your life…
Then today is a good time to start… that’s what these daily devotions are all about!
Good Day!
(Romans 5:3) "Tribulation worketh patience."
Isn’t it interesting how “as we get older”, we tend to become more patient, even though we have less time left?
Have you ever wondered “why is that”?
I think it’s all about “perspective”!
The word perspective means; a particular way of considering something: to think about a situation or problem in a wise and reasonable way.
Perspective is all about how we see things!
Our problems haven’t changed that much, but our “perspective” has.
Things that once upset us don’t anymore, because we’ve lived long enough to know “His grace is sufficient” (2nd Corinthians 12:9) and that “this to shall pass”
Life can be bad, then it can be good, then it can be bad again.
But, the main thing to remember is that nothing is permanent in life.
Bad times don’t last forever they pass with the wind.
The sun will always set, but it will rise again in the morning.
There is always hope, and the pain will pass.
Once you realize that it’s no big deal (and most things aren’t), you can say,
“Been there, done that!”
Instead of fretting and complaining, which doesn’t work and only steals our joy… we need to learn to sing, “Great is Thy faithfulness, oh God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not… As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.”
Like Joseph, you can look back to times in life you thought you would never get through and stuff you thought you would never survive and say, “You meant evil against me… but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
Yes, perspective produces patience.
“We can rejoice…when we run into problems and trials, for we know…they are good for us… they help us learn to be patient.
And patience develops strength of character… and helps us trust God more each time we set it free to work in our lives until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.
When that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens knowing that all is well with my soul…
Because we know that we know… God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:3-5)… and “all things work together for good to those that love Him”.
In the book of (Hebrews 10: 35-36) the writer writes to us saying “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
You have need of patience, you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised”.
That’s where faith comes in!
To persevere to be “steadfast and unmovable”!
So as you deal with each of the irritating issues of life that tend to tire us all out, remember that God is using them make us stronger and wiser.
They are actually tests to see if we have learned our “lessons” as it were.
So today determine to let God develop your patience.
Oh and “give thanks continually for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus” (1st Thessalonians 5:8)
Good day!
(1st Samuel 30:8) "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."
God’s Word promises that whatever the opposition is that you are facing today you can overcome.
And there’s more!
You can get back what you’ve lost or something even better.
How?
By doing what David did when the Amalekite armies destroyed his home and took his family captive. (1st Samuel 30:1-15)
First He turned to God for strength to deal with his problem.
(1st Samuel 30:6) “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God”
Lets be truthful… if you could have solved the problem by yourself, you would already have done it, right?
Don’t feel bad about that… feel good!
Paul the Apostle says in (2nd Corinthians 12:9) “I glory in my weakness, for when I am weak I know that He is strong”.
God says “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2nd Corinthians 12:9)
Acknowledging that you are powerless is the first step to victory.
Acknowledging that you’re powerless… isn’t the same thing as giving in to hopelessness.
It means acknowledging that you can’t, but God can… and that He will when you surrender the problem to Him.
Second, God gave David a plan to deal with his problem… “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
Armed with God’s strength and His plan, David went after the enemy and kept attacking until he recovered everything that had been stolen from him.
God wants to do that for you too.
He has promised, “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten” (Joel 2:25)
When you turn to God, He can give you more joy and success in the years ahead, than in all the years behind you.
That’s His recovery plan for you!
You need to understand today and every day ahead of you… that God has a plan in store for you.
(Jeremiah 29:11) “for I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and give you a future, not plans for evil”
(Romans 8 28-32) tells us that “all things work together for good” and that God has plans for you to be “more than a conqueror”
And that plan is fulfilled in Jesus as you live dwell and abide in Christ.
I encourage you today to stop your running, stop your conniving stop your manipulating.
Stop trying to do it your way and start doing it Gods Way.
Our way, (mans way) is the way that leads to death (Proverbs 16:25)
And “His way” starts by surrender to His Holy Spirit!
Yes David was a mighty man of valor!
David was a charismatic leader!
But David also made it a priority to trust depend and obey the voice of God.
That’s why He went to God first in the midst of his heartache, his loss and his pain!
His example is our map to follow.
Jesus says “come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and you will find rest for your soul” (Matthew 28:11)
Good Day!
(Isaiah 54:17) “Vindication will come from me."
Have you been falsely accused? So was Jesus.
They called Him a glutton, a drunkard, and a friend of low-life sinners.
They accused the apostle Paul of being a madman, a fool, and a babbler.
The Bible calls Satan the “father of lies” (John 8:44).
And when you’re committed to doing God’s will, Satan will attack you… and he will manipulate people… sometimes even your own family and friends to accomplish it.
But don’t get discouraged and don’t despair.
God will vindicate you.
(Isaiah 54:17) Gods Word says, “No weapon turned against you will succeed.
You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you... these benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord… their vindication will come from me.”
However, if you insist on retaliating, God will back off and leave you to it in your own strength which will almost all the time cause the situation to only escalate or get worse.
But when you put the situation into His hands, the test, the trial, the heartache, the discouragement, the loneliness and despair that you feel can result in a testimony to His goodness, His faithfulness and His saving keeping grace in your life.
So instead of wasting time complaining about the way you are being treated, pray this prayer of David from (Psalm 31:16-20)
“Let your favor shine on your servant, in your unfailing love, rescue me.
Don’t let me be disgraced… Lord, I call out to you for help.
Let the wicked be disgraced… silence their lying lips…those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the Godly.
How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.
You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them.
You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues”
From (Romans 12:19) Paul instructs believers “Do not avenge yourselves, but leave room for God’s wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord”
Simply pray… “Father, I put this situation into Your hands today... please vindicate me according to your word.
My trust is in the Lord… my strength is in the Lord… my very existence is in your hand’s.
Please cover me, protect me and avenge me.
Hide me in the shadow of your love… cover me in the shelter of your wings”
Never forget… Jesus said (John 15:19-20) “If you were of the world, it would love you as its own.
Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’
If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well”
But take heart and let joy flood your soul because Jesus also said…
In (John 16:33) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble… but take heart… I have overcome the world.”
Good day!
(Genesis 12:2) "I will bless you...make your name great, and you will be a blessing."
Recently I read this article that really challenged me, so I thought I would share it with all of you out there that read my devotion yesterday about the “joy of giving” just because.
The story goes as follows… a few years ago, I found $300 dollars on the street.
I knew someone must have dropped it, but I had no way of finding him or her.
I gave one hundred dollars to my friend who was with me, and I placed the other two hundred dollars in the side pocket of my handbag.
For months I walked around with the money in my handbag, not finding anything worthy of my spending those two special “one hundred dollar bills” on.
After a few months of holding the money, I was walking by a deli and a homeless man asked me for money.
I paused and looked into his eyes and I felt them pierce through my heart.
It seemed like the perfect moment to use some of the found money.
I asked him if he would like a meal.
He replied he’d like coffee with whole milk and one sugar, and a turkey sandwich on club with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato and American cheese with the bread slightly toasted.
I was definitely startled by his detailed order but I went immediately into the deli to buy his meal.
It was lunch hour and there were several people in front of me.
I was able to get the coffee with milk and sugar quickly but the slightly toasted bread would be the barrier to my quick exit.
I stood there impatiently the entire time and it took about 25 minutes to get his complete order.
I walked outside and gave the man his food.
He barely looked at me and muttered thank you and then I walked away.
Now I was joyful that I had bought this man lunch, but I felt slightly annoyed by his elaborate order and the time it took to get the food, as well as by his muted reaction to receiving it.
When I got home, I made myself a cup of tea with milk and honey and ate some imported chocolate.
As I ate my elaborate snack, I realized there is no reason why that homeless man shouldn’t want coffee with milk and sugar and a special sandwich.
And I realized that he was no different than me, as I sat there eating my “special chocolate”.
And the thought struck me, how dare I ask if he wants a meal and then expect him to limit what he may want and how long it should take me to get it?
Was I really saying that I would only help him as long as he did it within my boundaries and said “thank you” the way I wanted him to?
The incident made me reflect on my intentions when I give and the openness of my heart.
Most of us have enjoyed the act of giving to a friend, family member, charitable organization or even a stranger.
But I think sometimes that even though we are giving with the best intentions, we still expect things to go “a certain way”, or have certain expectations in return.
We may inadvertently be “expecting” that people will receive our gifts, favours or donations graciously and thank us in an “appropriate manner”, or that our giving will have a certain impact on an individual or an organization.
We also have an expectation about the time and effort it will take… to give to someone else.
While there is nothing wrong with having reasonable expectations, it really can limit our “joy of giving” and the ultimate experience for everyone involved.
Our “expectations” often “taint the act of giving” because we can never know how things will be received or how a situation will turn out.
It can often lead to anger or disappointment if the person we helped doesn’t return the kindness or appreciate the gift the way we want them to.
This may also lead to us “giving less”, to a particular person or organization, not because their need is less, but because of how we felt when our expectations didn’t pan out.
But when we can “release” our expectations and assist another person with the pure intention of just giving for the joy of giving… it can be one of the most thrilling aspects in our lives, even when we hear or see no reaction or get nothing in return.
Then we can just focus on helping another human being, to alleviate some of their daily suffering or spreading some joy.
I’m not suggesting that we remove all boundaries and let people take advantage of us.
I’m merely stating that most of us can probably give a little more to the people in our lives, without thinking what we want or expect in return.
With a more open and giving heart, we can create a ripple of kindness and love in the universe… if even for just one moment.
As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life …by what we give.”
“Jesus said give and it will be given unto you, pressed down shaken together and running over 30 60 and a hundred fold”. (Luke 6:38)
I’ve come to understand that the varying degrees of return are linked to our attitude in the giving.
“The point is this… whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifullywill also reap bountifully.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”. (2nd Corinthians 9:6-7)
Good day!