“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap.” 1 Timothy 6:9
Some of you are old enough to remember Monty Hall and the game show Let’s
Make a Deal—the one where contestants could keep what they had already won or
risk trading it in for the mystery prize behind “door number one, door number
two, or door number three.” Believe it or not, I once convinced Jim to go with
me to one of the shows.
There we were: I had toy birds fastened everywhere on my head and blouse, and
Jim (reluctantly) held a sign that said, “My wife is for the birds.” Our getup
was enough to earn us seats in the contestants’ row, and before we knew it, we
were in front of the cameras trying to name the correct price of four items to
win a brand‐new Camaro. And believe me, we needed that car! Jim had just
graduated from USC, and we had invested every available dollar in his tuition
and expenses.
We guessed the first three items within the three‐dollar margin of error, but
we missed on the last one—a Hoover vacuum cleaner. So we didn’t win the Camaro.
Yet we walked away from that show with a new vacuum cleaner and another, much
more valuable prize: a greater appreciation for how easily greed could overcome
us.
Since that time we have observed that Satan appears to offer whatever a
person hungers for in exchange for a spiritual compromise. In our case, a new
automobile was the perfect enticement to unleash our greed. If illicit sex is
your desire, it will eventually be made available. If your passion is for fame
or power, the object of that lust will be promised (even if never delivered).
Likewise, if you thirst for great wealth—beware! People who care passionately
about money are often suckers for wild‐eyed schemes and shady deals. They are
always on the verge of a bonanza that seems to slip through their fingers.
Instead of getting rich, they get taken.
This is the threat posed by greed. Material comforts or money in the bank can
become our first love—our greatest treasure and passion. And when that happens,
God becomes almost irrelevant. But the Lord will not settle for second place
(“You shall have no other gods before me”— Exodus 20:3). We
encourage you to say, “Let’s make a deal” right now. Agree now that you’ll
always keep money in its place and the Lord as the first love of your life.
- Shirley M Dobson
From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James
& Shirley Dobson
Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights
reserved.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
His Princess Every Day - Thursday, April 7, 2016
Devotionals for Women - Inspirational author and speaker Sheri Rose
Shepherd imagines what a letter written from God to you would look like.
What you may see as broken inside yourself, I see as beautiful. I am the One who makes beautiful things out of broken hearts. I am the same God who took a brokenhearted orphan named Esther and turned her into a queen who saved My people. Just as I used Esther’s pain for My purpose, I will not waste a single tear you have shed, My love. I can and will use whatever is broken in your life for My glory. My love and mercy will shine brightest in those broken places. I will not only use what is broken, I will rebuild you to become even better and more beautiful than you could ever imagine.
Love,
Your King who sees your true beauty
This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter. - Esther 2:7 (NLT)
A Prayer for Spiritual Beauty
Beautiful Princess! I pray that you will see how beautifully God created you and also see how He is turning your brokenness into greatness. May you believe Him fully when He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness.” I pray that you will bring your weakness and brokenness to Him so that He can restore you and turn you into something more beautiful than you could ever be on your own. I pray that all of heaven’s beauty will shine through you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. - Ecclesiastes 3:114 (NLT)
This devotional is written by Sheri Rose Shepherd. All content copyright Sheri Rose Shepherd 2015. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Visit HisPrincess.com for devotionals, books, videos, and more from Sheri Rose Shepherd.
Tikhon, Patriarch of Russia, Confessor and Ecumenist
Today the church remembers Tikhon, Patriarch of Russia, Confessor and Ecumenist, 1925.
Born as Vasily Ivanovich Belavin, Tikhon spent his early years with the church as a lay leader. Educated at St. Petersburg Theological Academy, he was an instructor of moral and dogmatic theology at Pskov Seminary. At age twenty-six, in 1891, Belavin took monastic vows and became known as Tikhon. He was ordained as bishop in 1897, becoming the Archbishop of the Aleutians and Alaska and head of the Russian Orthodox Church in America in 1898.
In this role, he developed warm friendships with Episcopalians in the United States. Tikhon attended the ordination of the Bishop of Fond du Lac in 1900, and was prepared to take part in the laying on of hands, but the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops forbade this. Tikhon returned to Russia in 1907.
Ten years later, he was elected Patriarch of Moscow, amidst a time of great political and social tumult. He condemned the killing of the Tsar and his family in 1918 and publicly opposed the nationalization of church property. In his later years, statements were issued in his name, renouncing his antigovernment positions. However, the authenticity of these statements is questioned, and the Russian Orthodox Church considers him to have remained loyal.
Exhausted from his work and imprisoned for more than a year by the Soviets, Tikhon died on April 7, 1925, a martyr for his faith. One of his most widely acclaimed quotations captures his zeal and his hope. It our prayer this day.
May God teach every one of us to strive for His truth, and for the good of the Holy Church, rather than something for our own sake. Amen.
Holy God, holy and mighty, you call us together into one communion and fellowship: Open our eyes, we pray, as you opened the eyes of your servant Tikhon, that we may see the faithfulness of others as we strive to be steadfast in the faith delivered to us, that the world may see and know you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be glory and praise unto ages of ages. Amen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarch_Tikhon_of_Moscow
Born as Vasily Ivanovich Belavin, Tikhon spent his early years with the church as a lay leader. Educated at St. Petersburg Theological Academy, he was an instructor of moral and dogmatic theology at Pskov Seminary. At age twenty-six, in 1891, Belavin took monastic vows and became known as Tikhon. He was ordained as bishop in 1897, becoming the Archbishop of the Aleutians and Alaska and head of the Russian Orthodox Church in America in 1898.
In this role, he developed warm friendships with Episcopalians in the United States. Tikhon attended the ordination of the Bishop of Fond du Lac in 1900, and was prepared to take part in the laying on of hands, but the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops forbade this. Tikhon returned to Russia in 1907.
Ten years later, he was elected Patriarch of Moscow, amidst a time of great political and social tumult. He condemned the killing of the Tsar and his family in 1918 and publicly opposed the nationalization of church property. In his later years, statements were issued in his name, renouncing his antigovernment positions. However, the authenticity of these statements is questioned, and the Russian Orthodox Church considers him to have remained loyal.
Exhausted from his work and imprisoned for more than a year by the Soviets, Tikhon died on April 7, 1925, a martyr for his faith. One of his most widely acclaimed quotations captures his zeal and his hope. It our prayer this day.
May God teach every one of us to strive for His truth, and for the good of the Holy Church, rather than something for our own sake. Amen.
Holy God, holy and mighty, you call us together into one communion and fellowship: Open our eyes, we pray, as you opened the eyes of your servant Tikhon, that we may see the faithfulness of others as we strive to be steadfast in the faith delivered to us, that the world may see and know you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be glory and praise unto ages of ages. Amen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarch_Tikhon_of_Moscow
Daily Readings for April 7, 2016
Exodus 16:10-21
And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'" In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.'" The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed. And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over until morning." But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
1 Peter 2:11-25
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge. For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
John 15:12-27
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. "If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world-- therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'Servants are not greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.' "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
Morning Psalms
Psalm 18 Part I
1 I love you, O LORD my strength, O LORD my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.
2 My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge; you are worthy of praise.
3 I will call upon the LORD, and so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The breakers of death rolled over me, and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.
5 The cords of hell entangled me, and the snares of death were set for me.
6 I called upon the LORD in my distress and cried out to my God for help.
7 He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling; my cry of anguish came to his ears.
8 The earth reeled and rocked; the roots of the mountains shook; they reeled because of his anger.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth; hot burning coals blazed forth from him.
10 He parted the heavens and came down with a storm cloud under his feet.
11 He mounted on cherubim and flew; he swooped on the wings of the wind.
12 He wrapped darkness about him; he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
13 From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds, burst hailstones and coals of fire.
14 The LORD thundered out of heaven; the Most High uttered his voice.
15 He loosed his arrows and scattered them; he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.
16 The beds of the seas were uncovered, and the foundations of the world laid bare, at your battle cry, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
17 He reached down from on high and grasped me; he drew me out of great waters.
18 He delivered me from my strong enemies and from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster; but the LORD was my support.
20 He brought me out into an open place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 18:Part II
21 The LORD rewarded me because of my righteous dealing; because my hands were clean he rewarded me;
22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not offended against my God;
23 For all his judgments are before my eyes, and his decrees I have not put away from me;
24 For I have been blameless with him and have kept myself from iniquity;
25 Therefore the LORD rewarded me according to my righteous dealing, because of the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 With the faithful you show yourself faithful, O God; with the forthright you show yourself forthright.
27 With the pure you show yourself pure, but with the crooked you are wily.
28 You will save a lowly people, but you will humble the haughty eyes.
29 You, O LORD, are my lamp; my God, you make my darkness bright.
30 With you I will break down an enclosure; with the help of my God I will scale any wall.
31 As for God, his ways are perfect; the words of the LORD are tried in the fire; he is a shield to all who trust in him.
32 For who is God, but the LORD? who is the Rock, except our God?
33 It is God who girds me about with strength and makes my way secure.
34 He makes me sure-footed like a deer and lets me stand firm on the heights.
35 He trains my hands for battle and my arms for bending even a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me your shield of victory; your right hand also sustains me; your loving care makes me great.
37 You lengthen my stride beneath me, and my ankles do not give way.
38 I pursue my enemies and overtake them; I will not turn back till I have destroyed them.
39 I strike them down, and they cannot rise; they fall defeated at my feet.
40 You have girded me with strength for the battle; you have cast down my adversaries beneath me; you have put my enemies to flight.
41 I destroy those who hate me; they cry out, but there is none to help them; they cry to the LORD, but he does not answer.
42 I beat them small like dust before the wind; I trample them like mud in the streets.
43 You deliver me from the strife of the peoples; you put me at the head of the nations.
44 A people I have not known shall serve me; no sooner shall they hear than they shall obey me; strangers will cringe before me.
45 The foreign peoples will lose heart; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives! Blessed is my Rock! Exalted is the God of my salvation!
47 He is the God who gave me victory and cast down the peoples beneath me.
48 You rescued me from the fury of my enemies; you exalted me above those who rose against me; you saved me from my deadly foe.
49 Therefore will I extol you among the nations, O LORD, and sing praises to your Name.
50 He multiplies the victories of his king; he shows loving-kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants for ever.
And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'" In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.'" The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed. And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over until morning." But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.
1 Peter 2:11-25
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge. For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
John 15:12-27
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. "If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world-- therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'Servants are not greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.' "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
Morning Psalms
Psalm 18 Part I
1 I love you, O LORD my strength, O LORD my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.
2 My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge; you are worthy of praise.
3 I will call upon the LORD, and so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The breakers of death rolled over me, and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.
5 The cords of hell entangled me, and the snares of death were set for me.
6 I called upon the LORD in my distress and cried out to my God for help.
7 He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling; my cry of anguish came to his ears.
8 The earth reeled and rocked; the roots of the mountains shook; they reeled because of his anger.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth; hot burning coals blazed forth from him.
10 He parted the heavens and came down with a storm cloud under his feet.
11 He mounted on cherubim and flew; he swooped on the wings of the wind.
12 He wrapped darkness about him; he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
13 From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds, burst hailstones and coals of fire.
14 The LORD thundered out of heaven; the Most High uttered his voice.
15 He loosed his arrows and scattered them; he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.
16 The beds of the seas were uncovered, and the foundations of the world laid bare, at your battle cry, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
17 He reached down from on high and grasped me; he drew me out of great waters.
18 He delivered me from my strong enemies and from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster; but the LORD was my support.
20 He brought me out into an open place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 18:Part II
21 The LORD rewarded me because of my righteous dealing; because my hands were clean he rewarded me;
22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not offended against my God;
23 For all his judgments are before my eyes, and his decrees I have not put away from me;
24 For I have been blameless with him and have kept myself from iniquity;
25 Therefore the LORD rewarded me according to my righteous dealing, because of the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 With the faithful you show yourself faithful, O God; with the forthright you show yourself forthright.
27 With the pure you show yourself pure, but with the crooked you are wily.
28 You will save a lowly people, but you will humble the haughty eyes.
29 You, O LORD, are my lamp; my God, you make my darkness bright.
30 With you I will break down an enclosure; with the help of my God I will scale any wall.
31 As for God, his ways are perfect; the words of the LORD are tried in the fire; he is a shield to all who trust in him.
32 For who is God, but the LORD? who is the Rock, except our God?
33 It is God who girds me about with strength and makes my way secure.
34 He makes me sure-footed like a deer and lets me stand firm on the heights.
35 He trains my hands for battle and my arms for bending even a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me your shield of victory; your right hand also sustains me; your loving care makes me great.
37 You lengthen my stride beneath me, and my ankles do not give way.
38 I pursue my enemies and overtake them; I will not turn back till I have destroyed them.
39 I strike them down, and they cannot rise; they fall defeated at my feet.
40 You have girded me with strength for the battle; you have cast down my adversaries beneath me; you have put my enemies to flight.
41 I destroy those who hate me; they cry out, but there is none to help them; they cry to the LORD, but he does not answer.
42 I beat them small like dust before the wind; I trample them like mud in the streets.
43 You deliver me from the strife of the peoples; you put me at the head of the nations.
44 A people I have not known shall serve me; no sooner shall they hear than they shall obey me; strangers will cringe before me.
45 The foreign peoples will lose heart; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives! Blessed is my Rock! Exalted is the God of my salvation!
47 He is the God who gave me victory and cast down the peoples beneath me.
48 You rescued me from the fury of my enemies; you exalted me above those who rose against me; you saved me from my deadly foe.
49 Therefore will I extol you among the nations, O LORD, and sing praises to your Name.
50 He multiplies the victories of his king; he shows loving-kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants for ever.
Daily Meditation for April 7, 2016
From Forward Day by Day
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
Agape is the love that lets us be our truest, best selves. So I have learned from the writings, teaching, and friendship of Pittman McGehee, a priest, author, Jungian analyst, and my mentor. In the ten years I’ve known him, Pittman has modeled Jesus’ commandment to love. He has empowered me to become the whole human being God created me to be. Pittman, of course, learned this agape love from Jesus who embodied that love for his disciples and whose followers have passed that love along through the generations.
My mentor is not the only one in my life to model Jesus’ commandment to love as he loved, but Pittman has helped me understand and live that love in my own life. As I continue to receive agape love, each day I seek to let others be. I try to live agape love so that others may become the amazing children of God they have been designed to be. I am grateful for mentors, family, and friends who have embodied that love for me, so that I can know and follow Jesus’ commandment to love as he has loved us.
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
Agape is the love that lets us be our truest, best selves. So I have learned from the writings, teaching, and friendship of Pittman McGehee, a priest, author, Jungian analyst, and my mentor. In the ten years I’ve known him, Pittman has modeled Jesus’ commandment to love. He has empowered me to become the whole human being God created me to be. Pittman, of course, learned this agape love from Jesus who embodied that love for his disciples and whose followers have passed that love along through the generations.
My mentor is not the only one in my life to model Jesus’ commandment to love as he loved, but Pittman has helped me understand and live that love in my own life. As I continue to receive agape love, each day I seek to let others be. I try to live agape love so that others may become the amazing children of God they have been designed to be. I am grateful for mentors, family, and friends who have embodied that love for me, so that I can know and follow Jesus’ commandment to love as he has loved us.
Girlfriends in God - April 07, 2016
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)
Friend to Friend
Do you remember the day you came to saving faith? Perhaps you’re still considering a relationship with Jesus. Perhaps you can’t even remember a time when you didn’t know Him. For me, it was on a summer night when I was fourteen years old.
When I think about how God brought me out of a home filled with alcohol, rage, and hostility into this wonderful relationship with Jesus, I’m amazed. The sheer wonder of it stokes my passion for Jesus and gratitude to God every time I tell it.
But here’s what you need to know. Just because I became a Christian when I was fourteen, does not mean that my feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy went away—the girl who had a filter of worthlessness over her mind and heart. When I made the decision to believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, those feelings did not dissolve like springtime snow. As a matter of fact I didn’t even know those chains were there. I simply knew that something wasn’t quite right. I was held hostage by my self-perceived deficiencies and didn’t even know it.
After the initial excitement of making a commitment to Christ settled down a bit, I actually felt a little worse about myself. (I’m being honest. I always will.) Now I added a new “I’m not good enough” to the list of my inadequacies. I’m not a good enough Christian, I decided. I can’t memorize Scripture like other people or pray like other Christians. I keep struggling with the same old insecurities. I know God loves me, but I don’t think He likes me very much. Why should He? I don’t like me much either. The problem was, as the song says, I was stuck on a feelin’. I walked through life prodded by my emotions rather than led by the Truth.
Through the years, I learned to compensate for my insecurities and self-perceived inadequacies. However, if you had seen me as a teenager—my achievements and accomplishments—you would have never known that I felt that way about myself. Even though I had the borders of the puzzle in place with the promise of heaven, I felt like I was missing key pieces to complete the picture.
From the time I was fourteen until I was in my early thirties, I always felt like there was something wrong with me spiritually. I had an uneasiness—like I had walked into a movie twenty minutes late, trying to figure out what was going on. I wondered why I struggled to live the victorious Christian life. By my mid-thirties, I had a wonderful husband, an amazing son, and a happy home life. I attended Bible studies and even taught a few. But in my heart, I knew something wasn’t quite right. I wonder if you’ve ever felt that way.
Simply put, I was stuck. I was stuck in my spiritual growth and the harder I spun my wheels, the deeper they sank in the muck and mire of the land of in-between—saved from slavery of Egypt but never quite making it to the Promised Land. And then God brought another woman into my life to shimmy the plank of truth under my tires and help me get on my way.
God wants to show you truths about your true identity, His timeless sufficiency, and your pre-ordained destiny that flesh and blood cannot reveal. He sits by the well waiting for you to show up—to dip down deep and pour out the affirmation you’re thirsting for—affirmations that call you to let go of the hindrances that hold you hostage, take hold of the promises that set you free, and live bold with that faith you’ve always longed for.
He’s looking for men and women who are not only willing but hungrily yearning to step outside of the quiet, settled, predictable faith and into the boldly believing, courageously confident, and miraculously powerful adventurous faith. Those who will take hold of what they’ve already got—of what Jesus has already taken hold of for them.
One thing that you have is a new identity in Christ.
You are a saint.
You are chosen.
You are dearly loved.
You are holy.
You are reconciled through Christ’s life.
You are justified by Christ’s blood.
You are free from condemnation through Christ’s death.
You have the mind of Christ.
You can do all things through Christ.
Today, take hold of these truths and allow God to transform your mind. You are not meant to simply hang on by the skin of your teeth until Jesus comes or calls you home. You are meant to let go of the past, move forward in the present, and live bold!
Let’s Pray
God, thank You for saving me! Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for the way You rescued me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of Your Son. But sometimes I get stuck on a feeling. I get stuck feeling more like the old me than the new me. Help me to let go of my feelings of insecurity, inferiority, and inadequacy and take hold of the truth of who I am as a child of God.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Did you notice that today’s truth has an exclamation mark after it? I didn’t put it there, Paul did. Why do you think he did that?
Click on this link to see a comprehensive list of you true identity as a child of God.
Which one gives you the most hope?
Which one is the most difficult for you to believe?
Even though it may be difficult, is it true?
I’m hoping you said “yes.” Now, take hold of that truth.
Click over to my Facebook page and declare one truth about your new identity as a child of God.
More from the Girlfriends
On the outside, many of us are well-put-together churchgoers with trendy shoes, beautiful families, and wide, white smiles. On the inside, we’re little girls hesitating at the edge of the playground, wishing we could join in, but feeling something’s not quite right. We don’t know how to truly take hold of the “life to the full” that Jesus offers us. So we settle for a life that’s . . . less.
But a mediocre, mundane faith is not your destiny! In Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, I reveal the most common reasons we get stuck in our Christian faith. I show you how to break free of all that holds you back, move forward with all that God promises, and live the adventurous faith of bold believing. It’s time to leave behind feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy that hold you hostage and take hold of the mountain-moving faith God intends. Let’s uncover untapped sources of confidence and courage, and see how to move from simply knowing the truth to actually living it out boldly in a life marked by true freedom and expectancy. It’s time to get UNSTUCK! Click on the book cover to discover free bonuses when you order before May 1.
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 1311
Huntersville, NC 28070
P.O. Box 1311
Huntersville, NC 28070
WOUNDS FOR CHRIST
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted
worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Acts 5:41
Today’s devotional comes from Ron Boyd-MacMillan’s excellent volume Faith That Endures:
The Biblical scholar William Barclay famously described a New Testament Christian as having three remarkable characteristics: “One, they were absurdly happy; two, they were filled with an irrational love for everyone; and three, they were always in trouble!”
Persecuted Christians are constantly in trouble. As a Palestinian pastor put it, “If you speak truth to power, power always reacts.” An encounter with the persecuted reveals the incendiary nature of this gospel we follow, and if our witness does not provoke some sort of explosive reaction, we have to check whether our gospel powder is damp or dry. We should be in trouble for Jesus! If we aren’t, something is wrong…
Persecuted Christians are not tempted into the illusion that the world is actually a friendly place that does not mind our identifying with Christ. The world for them is unmasked in its hostility to Christ.
Once when visiting Czechoslovakia in the 1980’s, I delivered a Bible to an elderly pastor. He had not seen a Bible in years. He smelled it, kissed it with trembling lips, cradled it, and then with great reverence, opened it. Then he turned to me and said, “Let me tell you of my wounds.” And he poured out his trials for God, which included seven beatings by the secret police and the awful seduction of his daughter by a government agent who then fooled her into betraying him. Then he turned to me, his eyes boring into my soul, and asked, “What wounds have you for the Master?” I was embarrassed to have so few to share.
The questions of the persecuted church are simple: Are you in trouble for Jesus? Where are your wounds? If you don’t have any, maybe you’ve forgotten you’re in a fight at all. Whatever culture we are in, we are always being subtly coerced into spending our money, or time, on what is not of Christ. Persecution afflicts us all if we stand up for Christ. The world, the flesh, and the devil will never reach an accommodation with Christ. Like it or not, we are caught up in cosmic warfare. The gospel has landed us in it. We will all be scarred by the battle. We will all experience persecution. The difference is only one of degree and type.
RESPONSE: Today I will evaluate my life and assess what are my wounds for Christ. I will then rejoice in suffering for Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord, I submit to Your Lordship over my life and accept whatever wounds You will enable me to bear for Your sake and the gospel’s.
Today’s devotional comes from Ron Boyd-MacMillan’s excellent volume Faith That Endures:
The Biblical scholar William Barclay famously described a New Testament Christian as having three remarkable characteristics: “One, they were absurdly happy; two, they were filled with an irrational love for everyone; and three, they were always in trouble!”
Persecuted Christians are constantly in trouble. As a Palestinian pastor put it, “If you speak truth to power, power always reacts.” An encounter with the persecuted reveals the incendiary nature of this gospel we follow, and if our witness does not provoke some sort of explosive reaction, we have to check whether our gospel powder is damp or dry. We should be in trouble for Jesus! If we aren’t, something is wrong…
Persecuted Christians are not tempted into the illusion that the world is actually a friendly place that does not mind our identifying with Christ. The world for them is unmasked in its hostility to Christ.
Once when visiting Czechoslovakia in the 1980’s, I delivered a Bible to an elderly pastor. He had not seen a Bible in years. He smelled it, kissed it with trembling lips, cradled it, and then with great reverence, opened it. Then he turned to me and said, “Let me tell you of my wounds.” And he poured out his trials for God, which included seven beatings by the secret police and the awful seduction of his daughter by a government agent who then fooled her into betraying him. Then he turned to me, his eyes boring into my soul, and asked, “What wounds have you for the Master?” I was embarrassed to have so few to share.
The questions of the persecuted church are simple: Are you in trouble for Jesus? Where are your wounds? If you don’t have any, maybe you’ve forgotten you’re in a fight at all. Whatever culture we are in, we are always being subtly coerced into spending our money, or time, on what is not of Christ. Persecution afflicts us all if we stand up for Christ. The world, the flesh, and the devil will never reach an accommodation with Christ. Like it or not, we are caught up in cosmic warfare. The gospel has landed us in it. We will all be scarred by the battle. We will all experience persecution. The difference is only one of degree and type.
RESPONSE: Today I will evaluate my life and assess what are my wounds for Christ. I will then rejoice in suffering for Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord, I submit to Your Lordship over my life and accept whatever wounds You will enable me to bear for Your sake and the gospel’s.
Verse of the Day - April 07, 2016
Galatians 2:20 (NIV) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Read all of Galatians 2
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Empty Castles
“This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what
you have prepared for yourself?” Luke 12:20
The utter folly of materialism hit home dramatically for me (jcd) during a trip to Britain years ago. As I toured the museums and historical buildings, I was struck by what I called “empty castles.” Standing there in the lonely fog were edifices constructed by proud men who thought they owned them. But where are those men today? All are gone; most are forgotten. The hollow castles they left behind stand as monuments to the vulnerability and impermanence of the men who built them.
I hope to leave more than empty castles behind when I die—something more meaningful than land, machines, stocks, or fame. I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless my legacy is a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to have served the God who made me. Nothing else really matters.
Just between us…
From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson - Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.
The utter folly of materialism hit home dramatically for me (jcd) during a trip to Britain years ago. As I toured the museums and historical buildings, I was struck by what I called “empty castles.” Standing there in the lonely fog were edifices constructed by proud men who thought they owned them. But where are those men today? All are gone; most are forgotten. The hollow castles they left behind stand as monuments to the vulnerability and impermanence of the men who built them.
I hope to leave more than empty castles behind when I die—something more meaningful than land, machines, stocks, or fame. I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless my legacy is a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to have served the God who made me. Nothing else really matters.
Just between us…
- If we died tonight, would our obituaries describe empty pursuits or meaningful lives?
- How would the Lord judge our stewardship of money, time, and belongings?
- What has been our most foolish investment or expenditure in the past few years?
- Do we seek satisfaction in things or in the Lord? Is a change in order?
- How can we encourage each other to pursue what really matters?
From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson - Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.
Find Freedom From Shame
by Sheri Rose Shepherd
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! - Isaiah 43:18
Don't wait another day bound up in shame. Whatever makes you ashamed, confess it to your Daddy in heaven and let Him cleanse your soul. Your Father is waiting to free you from shame. He sent His one and only Son to prove His love and to cover our sin, our shame. We can’t make ourselves clean or become a new creation in our own strength. Our loving Father longs have us confess to Him so He can tenderly cleanse our soul of sin and make us as white as snow.
If you are holding on to something, it’s time for you to see the cross as more than a symbol of your Savior’s death. When our Lord died and rose again, He broke forever the power of sin on our lives. Right now, take a moment to invite the Lord to search your heart for any unresolved sin from your past that continues to torment you. You can experience cleansing and freedom from this day forward! There is nothing else you need to do right now except rejoice. Now let faith rule your heart and your head, and whenever you begin to look back at who you were or feel shame again, speak out loud, “I am a new creation.” Then continue to ask God to help you receive all He has for you. You are forgiven whether you feel like it or not. So embrace it!
God's Letter to You
Leave your past is where it belongs... nailed to the cross!
Beloved Child,
I love it when you come to Me to confess your sin. I am your safe place and your salvation. There is nothing you can tell Me that I can’t handle hearing. I already know your every thought and action, so why waste even a moment trying to hide anything from Me? Let’s make it right together. Let Me have the thing that’s holding you back from a new and fresh start. Come to Me in truth and be transparent. I'm the Lover of your soul. If you will come to Me and confess, I will gladly wash over your mind, your body, and your spirit to make you clean. You will never need to feel shame again, because I covered you with My life.
Love,
Your Lord and Savior who died for you
Daily Readings for April 6, 2016
Exodus 15:22-16:10
Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" He cried out to the LORD; and the LORD showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he put them to the test. He said, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you." Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they camped there by the water. The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days." So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaining against the LORD. For what are we, that you complain against us?" And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the LORD has heard the complaining that you utter against him-- what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the LORD." Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, 'Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'" And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
1 Peter 2:1-10
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation-- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
John 15:1-11
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
Morning Psalms
Psalm 119:
1 Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!
2 Happy are they who observe his decrees and seek him with all their hearts!
3 Who never do any wrong, but always walk in his ways.
4 You laid down your commandments, that we should fully keep them.
5 Oh, that my ways were made so direct that I might keep your statutes!
6 Then I should not be put to shame, when I regard all your commandments.
7 I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, when I have learned your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me.
Psalm 119:
9 How shall a young man cleanse his way? By keeping to your words.
10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commandments.
11 I treasure your promise in my heart, that I may not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O LORD; instruct me in your statutes.
13 With my lips will I recite all the judgments of your mouth.
14 I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees than in all manner of riches.
15 I will meditate on your commandments and give attention to your ways.
16 My delight is in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Psalm 119:
17 Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may see the wonders of your law.
19 I am a stranger here on earth; do not hide your commandments from me.
20 My soul is consumed at all times with longing for your judgments.
21 You have rebuked the insolent; cursed are they who stray from your commandments!
22 Turn from me shame and rebuke, for I have kept your decrees.
23 Even though rulers sit and plot against me, I will meditate on your statutes.
24 For your decrees are my delight, and they are my counselors.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 12
1 Help me, LORD, for there is no godly one left; the faithful have vanished from among us.
2 Everyone speaks falsely with his neighbor; with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.
3 Oh, that the LORD would cut off all smooth tongues, and close the lips that utter proud boasts!
4 Those who say, "With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"
5 Because the needy are oppressed, and the poor cry out in misery, I will rise up, says the LORD, and give them the help they long for.
6 The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined from ore and purified seven times in the fire.
7 O LORD, watch over us and save us from this generation for ever.
8 The wicked prowl on every side, and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone.
Psalm 13
1 How long, O LORD? will you forget me for ever? how long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long shall I have perplexity in my mind, and grief in my heart, day after day? how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look upon me and answer me, O LORD my God; give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4 Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him, " and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
5 But I put my trust in your mercy; my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has dealt with me richly; I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 14
1 The fool has said in his heart, There is no God." All are corrupt and commit abominable acts; there is none who does any good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God.
3 Every one has proved faithless; all alike have turned bad; there is none who does good; no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers who eat up my people like bread and do not call upon the LORD?
5 See how they tremble with fear, because God is in the company of the righteous.
6 Their aim is to confound the plans of the afflicted, but the LORD is their refuge.
7 Oh, that Israel's deliverance would come out of Zion! when the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.
Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" He cried out to the LORD; and the LORD showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he put them to the test. He said, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you." Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they camped there by the water. The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days." So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaining against the LORD. For what are we, that you complain against us?" And Moses said, "When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the LORD has heard the complaining that you utter against him-- what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the LORD." Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, 'Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'" And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
1 Peter 2:1-10
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation-- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
John 15:1-11
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
Morning Psalms
Psalm 119:
1 Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!
2 Happy are they who observe his decrees and seek him with all their hearts!
3 Who never do any wrong, but always walk in his ways.
4 You laid down your commandments, that we should fully keep them.
5 Oh, that my ways were made so direct that I might keep your statutes!
6 Then I should not be put to shame, when I regard all your commandments.
7 I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, when I have learned your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me.
Psalm 119:
9 How shall a young man cleanse his way? By keeping to your words.
10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commandments.
11 I treasure your promise in my heart, that I may not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O LORD; instruct me in your statutes.
13 With my lips will I recite all the judgments of your mouth.
14 I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees than in all manner of riches.
15 I will meditate on your commandments and give attention to your ways.
16 My delight is in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Psalm 119:
17 Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may see the wonders of your law.
19 I am a stranger here on earth; do not hide your commandments from me.
20 My soul is consumed at all times with longing for your judgments.
21 You have rebuked the insolent; cursed are they who stray from your commandments!
22 Turn from me shame and rebuke, for I have kept your decrees.
23 Even though rulers sit and plot against me, I will meditate on your statutes.
24 For your decrees are my delight, and they are my counselors.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 12
1 Help me, LORD, for there is no godly one left; the faithful have vanished from among us.
2 Everyone speaks falsely with his neighbor; with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.
3 Oh, that the LORD would cut off all smooth tongues, and close the lips that utter proud boasts!
4 Those who say, "With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"
5 Because the needy are oppressed, and the poor cry out in misery, I will rise up, says the LORD, and give them the help they long for.
6 The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined from ore and purified seven times in the fire.
7 O LORD, watch over us and save us from this generation for ever.
8 The wicked prowl on every side, and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone.
Psalm 13
1 How long, O LORD? will you forget me for ever? how long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long shall I have perplexity in my mind, and grief in my heart, day after day? how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look upon me and answer me, O LORD my God; give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4 Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him, " and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
5 But I put my trust in your mercy; my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has dealt with me richly; I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 14
1 The fool has said in his heart, There is no God." All are corrupt and commit abominable acts; there is none who does any good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God.
3 Every one has proved faithless; all alike have turned bad; there is none who does good; no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers who eat up my people like bread and do not call upon the LORD?
5 See how they tremble with fear, because God is in the company of the righteous.
6 Their aim is to confound the plans of the afflicted, but the LORD is their refuge.
7 Oh, that Israel's deliverance would come out of Zion! when the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.
Daily Meditation for April 6, 2016
From Forward Day by Day
1 Peter 2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.
I sometimes forget that it is still Easter. I forget that the transformation of Jesus from death to resurrection is my transformation—and the transformation of the whole church. In this season, in the waking world, flowers open to announce new life and help to proclaim the story of resurrection.
As the daylight hours grow longer, tipping past the equinox, the whole world declares the reality of resurrection from the dead. When I forget that we’re in the fifty days of Easter, and that I too am resurrected with Christ, nature offers plenty of reminders of the mercy of God: reminders that we are God’s resurrected people, walking around like spring flowers, shining God’s presence in this great, living Easter proclamation of life.
1 Peter 2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.
I sometimes forget that it is still Easter. I forget that the transformation of Jesus from death to resurrection is my transformation—and the transformation of the whole church. In this season, in the waking world, flowers open to announce new life and help to proclaim the story of resurrection.
As the daylight hours grow longer, tipping past the equinox, the whole world declares the reality of resurrection from the dead. When I forget that we’re in the fifty days of Easter, and that I too am resurrected with Christ, nature offers plenty of reminders of the mercy of God: reminders that we are God’s resurrected people, walking around like spring flowers, shining God’s presence in this great, living Easter proclamation of life.
His Princess Every Day - Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Devotionals for Women - Inspirational author and speaker Sheri Rose
Shepherd imagines what a letter written from God to you would look like.
I know that you are under great attack as you are bombarded with lies about your worth. You are mine and this Identity crisis is not my will for you. The truth is that you are my treasured possession and my crown jewel. You are much too precious and valuable in my kingdom to allow anyone or anything to make you feel worthless. My daughter does not need bow down to a man-made image to find her true value. I already proved to you how much you are worth--on the cross. Now allow me alone to reveal to you your true value and worth. You’re created in my Image and you’re worth everything to me. It breaks my heart when you let these lies keep you in darkness when I called you to be light.
Love,
Your Father who treasures you
"or you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession. - Deuteronomy 14:2 (NIV)
This devotional is written by Sheri Rose Shepherd. All content
copyright Sheri Rose Shepherd 2015. Used by permission. All rights
reserved worldwide. Visit HisPrincess.com for devotionals, books, videos, and more from Sheri Rose Shepherd.
Girlfriends in God - April 06, 2016
Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ (Ephesians 4:32, NCV).
Friend to Friend
A little boy went to see the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. When he arrived, he pointed up at the monument and announced to the guard on duty, “I want to buy it.” The guard asked, “How much money do you have?”
The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter. The guard said, “That is not enough.” The little boy replied, “I thought you would say that” and pulled out nine more cents.
The guard looked down at the small boy and said, “You need to understand three things. First, thirty-four cents is not enough. Second, the Washington Monument has never been, nor will it ever be for sale. Third, if you are an American citizen, then the Washington Monument already belongs to you."
We need to understand three things about forgiveness. First, we can never be good enough or do enough to buy it. Second, forgiveness is not for sale, nor can we earn it. Third, if we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then all the forgiveness we will ever need already belongs to us. But we must choose to experience that forgiveness by accepting it as a free gift of God.
Our pride is often the biggest obstacle to experiencing forgiveness.
It is hard to admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior.
We like being in control of our lives … until that control lands us in some ditch or pit, and we need saving. In desperation, we lay down our pride and cry out to God … and He hears us.
Psalm 77:1 (NCV) “I cry out to God; I call to God, and He will hear me.”
God does not respond to our cries for help with condemnation and guilt. That’s the standard operating procedure of Satan. God offers unconditional love and eternal forgiveness.
Our pride is often the biggest obstacle to forgiving others. True forgiveness always requires sacrifice on our part – a truth that may often seem unfair in human terms. After all, we are the ones who have been hurt. Why should we have to sacrifice anything? Shouldn’t the people who hurt us be the ones who have to make the first move and offer the biggest sacrifice?
True forgiveness – God’s forgiveness – defies human logic and cannot be explained in human terms. Human forgiveness is easier … but a shallow substitute and a cheap imitation for the amazing power of God’s forgiveness.
We need to be willing to take the first step in the process of forgiveness. Jesus was. Romans 5:8 tells us that “God shows His great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners."
He did not wait until we shaped up.
He did not wait until we cleaned up.
He did not wait until we asked for forgiveness or even knew we needed to be forgiven.
Jesus stepped out of heaven onto a cross, purchasing true forgiveness for us.
Jesus died for people who do not deserve forgiveness, people who refuse to ask for forgiveness, people who ignore their own faults, people who sit in judgment of others, people who insist on others taking the first step. People like you and me.
We need to love and forgive in the same way.
God is very serious about forgiveness.
Matthew 5:23 (NLT) “If you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God."
God wants us to understand that it doesn’t matter how much we do or don’t do. If we have not forgiven someone, if we know that someone has not forgiven us, we should drop everything, put life on hold, and make things right.
If we want to experience the power of forgiveness, we must be willing to nail our pride to the cross, experience the love and forgiveness of God, and choose to forgive.
Let’s Pray
Father, I come to You today, asking first for Your forgiveness for the sin in my life. I choose to turn from that sin and obey you. Thank You for your grace and mercy. Give me the strength and power to extend that same mercy and grace to those in my life who have hurt me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
What hurt or pain are your holding onto? Make the choice to let it go today.
What one person do you need to forgive right now? Pray for that person. Ask God to let you see them through His eyes and make the deliberate choice to forgive them.
Forgive the person who hurt you. Forgiveness is a choice … not an emotion or feeling. If you make the choice to forgive, God will supply the forgiveness.
More from the Girlfriends
Need help? Get Mary’s MP3, The Power of Forgiveness for practical ways to practice true forgiveness in your life.
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Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 1311
Huntersville, NC 28070
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P.O. Box 1311
Huntersville, NC 28070
info@girlfriendsingod.com
http://www.girlfriendsingod.com
LIVING FOR JESUS
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to
myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
John12:32-33
Manuel was an effective evangelist among the mountain Quechua people in Peru. He felt called by the Lord to take Bibles and share the gospel with the anti-government guerilla soldiers who camped in hiding in the mountains. For the many illiterates he took the New Testament on cassette. It was a bold and risky ministry.
One day some Shining Path guerrillas with their big AK-47 guns intercepted him on the trail and ordered him to stop going to the mountains; stop handing out Bibles, cassettes and other Christian materials; and stop preaching about Jesus. They threatened his life if he did not desist.
Some months later Manuel did not return home when expected. A search party discovered his dead body at the side of the trail. It was more than just a cadaver. His feet, hands and tongue had been cut off. And with a knife they had carved on his torso a message in Spanish, “We told you to stop!” The chopped body parts completed the message, “stop visiting the villages; stop distributing Bibles; stop preaching about Jesus!”
There was a memorial service for Manuel attended by many believers. Hundreds of people came from the mountains to honor his memory. Our Open Doors co-worker reported that there were more people standing outside the rural church than sitting inside the crowded sanctuary.
An evangelist preached the memorial service message and challenged young people to come forward and take Manuel’s place. Ten young people made the commitment and knelt at the front altar.
An elder standing at the side asked in a loud voice, “But young people. What if the same thing happens to you as happened to Manuel?”
One of the youths at the front cried out, “If we die, a hundred will spring up and take our place!”
Living for Jesus is actually harder than dying for Jesus. It means I must die to myself every day!
RESPONSE: Since Jesus gave His life for me, what more can I give Him than my own life. And until that day of physical death, I will die to myself daily.
PRAYER: Thank You Jesus, for giving Your life blood for me. I give You my life in service today and every day until You call me to be with You in Your heavenly home.
Manuel was an effective evangelist among the mountain Quechua people in Peru. He felt called by the Lord to take Bibles and share the gospel with the anti-government guerilla soldiers who camped in hiding in the mountains. For the many illiterates he took the New Testament on cassette. It was a bold and risky ministry.
One day some Shining Path guerrillas with their big AK-47 guns intercepted him on the trail and ordered him to stop going to the mountains; stop handing out Bibles, cassettes and other Christian materials; and stop preaching about Jesus. They threatened his life if he did not desist.
Some months later Manuel did not return home when expected. A search party discovered his dead body at the side of the trail. It was more than just a cadaver. His feet, hands and tongue had been cut off. And with a knife they had carved on his torso a message in Spanish, “We told you to stop!” The chopped body parts completed the message, “stop visiting the villages; stop distributing Bibles; stop preaching about Jesus!”
There was a memorial service for Manuel attended by many believers. Hundreds of people came from the mountains to honor his memory. Our Open Doors co-worker reported that there were more people standing outside the rural church than sitting inside the crowded sanctuary.
An evangelist preached the memorial service message and challenged young people to come forward and take Manuel’s place. Ten young people made the commitment and knelt at the front altar.
An elder standing at the side asked in a loud voice, “But young people. What if the same thing happens to you as happened to Manuel?”
One of the youths at the front cried out, “If we die, a hundred will spring up and take our place!”
Living for Jesus is actually harder than dying for Jesus. It means I must die to myself every day!
RESPONSE: Since Jesus gave His life for me, what more can I give Him than my own life. And until that day of physical death, I will die to myself daily.
PRAYER: Thank You Jesus, for giving Your life blood for me. I give You my life in service today and every day until You call me to be with You in Your heavenly home.
Verse of the Day - April 06, 2016
1 John 3:16 (NIV) This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
Read all of 1 John 3
Read all of 1 John 3
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
You Can’t Outgive God
“See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much
blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10
My (jcd’s) dad, an evangelist, was the original soft touch. I remember him once going off to speak in a tiny church and coming home ten days later. Eventually my mother asked about the offering. I can still see my father’s face as he smiled and looked at the floor. “You gave the money away again, didn’t you?” she asked. “Myrt,” he said, “the pastor there is going through a hard time. His kids are so needy. I felt I should give the entire fifty dollars to them.” My good mother looked at my father for a few moments and then smiled. “You know, if God told you to do it, it’s okay with me.” A few days later, we ran completely out of money, so my father gathered us for a time of prayer. He said, “Lord, you told us that if we would honor you in our good times, that you would take care of us when things are difficult. We need a little help at this time.” The next day we received an unexpected check for $1,200. That’s the way it happened— not once, but many times. No matter what you give, you’ll find you can never outgive God.
Just between us…
Are we trusting God with our giving? What blessings, material and nonmaterial, have we seen from our gifts? Do we know someone now who needs a helping hand? Should we share what we have with them? Do we really believe “God owns it all”?
Heavenly Father, You promised to pour out blessings on those who tithe in Your name. Help us to take You at Your word and to trust in Your provision as we give back to You and share our abundance with others. Amen.
From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson
Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.
My (jcd’s) dad, an evangelist, was the original soft touch. I remember him once going off to speak in a tiny church and coming home ten days later. Eventually my mother asked about the offering. I can still see my father’s face as he smiled and looked at the floor. “You gave the money away again, didn’t you?” she asked. “Myrt,” he said, “the pastor there is going through a hard time. His kids are so needy. I felt I should give the entire fifty dollars to them.” My good mother looked at my father for a few moments and then smiled. “You know, if God told you to do it, it’s okay with me.” A few days later, we ran completely out of money, so my father gathered us for a time of prayer. He said, “Lord, you told us that if we would honor you in our good times, that you would take care of us when things are difficult. We need a little help at this time.” The next day we received an unexpected check for $1,200. That’s the way it happened— not once, but many times. No matter what you give, you’ll find you can never outgive God.
Just between us…
Are we trusting God with our giving? What blessings, material and nonmaterial, have we seen from our gifts? Do we know someone now who needs a helping hand? Should we share what we have with them? Do we really believe “God owns it all”?
Heavenly Father, You promised to pour out blessings on those who tithe in Your name. Help us to take You at Your word and to trust in Your provision as we give back to You and share our abundance with others. Amen.
From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson
Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.
Daily Readings for April 5, 2016
Exodus 15:1-21
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. "Pharaoh's chariots and his army he cast into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power-- your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.' You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them. "In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you guided them by your strength to your holy abode. The peoples heard, they trembled; pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; trembling seized the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away. Terror and dread fell upon them; by the might of your arm, they became still as a stone until your people, O LORD, passed by, until the people whom you acquired passed by. You brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your own possession, the place, O LORD, that you made your abode, the sanctuary, O LORD, that your hands have established. The LORD will reign forever and ever." When the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his chariot drivers went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea."
1 Peter 1:13-25
Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever." That word is the good news that was announced to you.
John 14:18-31
"I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them." Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.
Morning Psalms
Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my meditation.
2 Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I make my prayer to you.
3 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
4 For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, and evil cannot dwell with you.
5 Braggarts cannot stand in your sight; you hate all those who work wickedness.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O LORD, you abhor.
7 But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house; I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness, because of those who lie in wait for me; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth; there is destruction in their heart;
10 Their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
11 Declare them guilty, O God; let them fall, because of their schemes.
12 Because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
13 But all who take refuge in you will be glad; they will sing out their joy for ever.
14 You will shelter them, so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
15 For you, O LORD, will bless the righteous; you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 6
1 LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not punish me in your wrath.
2 Have pity on me, LORD, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are racked.
3 My spirit shakes with terror; how long, O LORD, how long?
4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me for your mercy's sake.
5 For in death no one remembers you; and who will give you thanks in the grave?
6 I grow weary because of my groaning; every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears.
7 My eyes are wasted with grief and worn away because of all my enemies.
8 Depart from me, all evildoers, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear; they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 10
1 Why do you stand so far off, O LORD, and hide yourself in time of trouble?
2 The wicked arrogantly persecute the poor, but they are trapped in the schemes they have devised.
3 The wicked boast of their heart's desire; the covetous curse and revile the LORD.
4 The wicked are so proud that they care not for God; their only thought is, "God does not matter."
5 Their ways are devious at all times; your judgments are far above out of their sight; they defy all their enemies.
6 They say in their heart, "I shall not be shaken; no harm shall happen to me ever."
7 Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression; under their tongue are mischief and wrong.
8 They lurk in ambush in public squares and in secret places they murder the innocent; they spy out the helpless.
9 They lie in wait, like a lion in a covert; they lie in wait to seize upon the lowly; they seize the lowly and drag them away in their net.
10 The innocent are broken and humbled before them; the helpless fall before their power.
11 They say in their heart, "God has forgotten; he hides his face; he will never notice."
12 Rise up, O LORD; lift up your hand, O God; do not forget the afflicted.
13 Why should the wicked revile God? why should they say in their heart, "You do not care"?
14 Surely, you behold trouble and misery; you see it and take it into your own hand.
15 The helpless commit themselves to you, for you are the helper of orphans.
16 Break the power of the wicked and evil; search out their wickedness until you find none.
17 The LORD is King for ever and ever; the ungodly shall perish from his land.
18 The LORD will hear the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear;
19 To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, so that mere mortals may strike terror no more.
Psalm 11
1 In the LORD have I taken refuge; how then can you say to me, "Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;
2 For see how the wicked bend the bow and fit their arrows to the string, to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven.
5 His eyes behold the inhabited world; his piercing eye weighs our worth.
6 The LORD weighs the righteous as well as the wicked, but those who delight in violence he abhors.
7 Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and burning sulphur; a scorching wind shall be their lot.
8 For the LORD is righteous; he delights in righteous deeds; and the just shall see his face.
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. "Pharaoh's chariots and his army he cast into the sea; his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power-- your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries; you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.' You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them. "In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you guided them by your strength to your holy abode. The peoples heard, they trembled; pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed; trembling seized the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away. Terror and dread fell upon them; by the might of your arm, they became still as a stone until your people, O LORD, passed by, until the people whom you acquired passed by. You brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your own possession, the place, O LORD, that you made your abode, the sanctuary, O LORD, that your hands have established. The LORD will reign forever and ever." When the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his chariot drivers went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea."
1 Peter 1:13-25
Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever." That word is the good news that was announced to you.
John 14:18-31
"I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them." Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.
Morning Psalms
Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my meditation.
2 Hearken to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I make my prayer to you.
3 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
4 For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, and evil cannot dwell with you.
5 Braggarts cannot stand in your sight; you hate all those who work wickedness.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O LORD, you abhor.
7 But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house; I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness, because of those who lie in wait for me; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth; there is destruction in their heart;
10 Their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
11 Declare them guilty, O God; let them fall, because of their schemes.
12 Because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
13 But all who take refuge in you will be glad; they will sing out their joy for ever.
14 You will shelter them, so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
15 For you, O LORD, will bless the righteous; you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 6
1 LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not punish me in your wrath.
2 Have pity on me, LORD, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are racked.
3 My spirit shakes with terror; how long, O LORD, how long?
4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me for your mercy's sake.
5 For in death no one remembers you; and who will give you thanks in the grave?
6 I grow weary because of my groaning; every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears.
7 My eyes are wasted with grief and worn away because of all my enemies.
8 Depart from me, all evildoers, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear; they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 10
1 Why do you stand so far off, O LORD, and hide yourself in time of trouble?
2 The wicked arrogantly persecute the poor, but they are trapped in the schemes they have devised.
3 The wicked boast of their heart's desire; the covetous curse and revile the LORD.
4 The wicked are so proud that they care not for God; their only thought is, "God does not matter."
5 Their ways are devious at all times; your judgments are far above out of their sight; they defy all their enemies.
6 They say in their heart, "I shall not be shaken; no harm shall happen to me ever."
7 Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression; under their tongue are mischief and wrong.
8 They lurk in ambush in public squares and in secret places they murder the innocent; they spy out the helpless.
9 They lie in wait, like a lion in a covert; they lie in wait to seize upon the lowly; they seize the lowly and drag them away in their net.
10 The innocent are broken and humbled before them; the helpless fall before their power.
11 They say in their heart, "God has forgotten; he hides his face; he will never notice."
12 Rise up, O LORD; lift up your hand, O God; do not forget the afflicted.
13 Why should the wicked revile God? why should they say in their heart, "You do not care"?
14 Surely, you behold trouble and misery; you see it and take it into your own hand.
15 The helpless commit themselves to you, for you are the helper of orphans.
16 Break the power of the wicked and evil; search out their wickedness until you find none.
17 The LORD is King for ever and ever; the ungodly shall perish from his land.
18 The LORD will hear the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear;
19 To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, so that mere mortals may strike terror no more.
Psalm 11
1 In the LORD have I taken refuge; how then can you say to me, "Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;
2 For see how the wicked bend the bow and fit their arrows to the string, to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven.
5 His eyes behold the inhabited world; his piercing eye weighs our worth.
6 The LORD weighs the righteous as well as the wicked, but those who delight in violence he abhors.
7 Upon the wicked he shall rain coals of fire and burning sulphur; a scorching wind shall be their lot.
8 For the LORD is righteous; he delights in righteous deeds; and the just shall see his face.
Daily Meditation for April 5, 2016
From Forward Day by Day
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
The “world’s peace” is so seductive. Sometimes what passes for the world’s peace is actually just anesthetizing, a temporary, instantly gratifying “peace.” It’s “vegging out” on the couch watching too much TV and the overindulging of food, alcohol, or drugs. When I’m not living as a citizen of the kingdom of God, living intentionally and consciously, I feel the pull toward this anesthetizing peace.
The peace Jesus offers grows with endurance as we trust more of life to God and are willing to walk in the ambivalence that life deals us again and again. It is a peace that waits for the emergence of clarity that only arises from living with paradox.
In the end, this peace is whole and enduring, about living in the kingdom of God in the very present moment. It is a peace that comes in waves, and one that I cycle back through after indulgences in the world’s peace. It is a peace that patiently honors my process of becoming a whole citizen of God’s kingdom.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
The “world’s peace” is so seductive. Sometimes what passes for the world’s peace is actually just anesthetizing, a temporary, instantly gratifying “peace.” It’s “vegging out” on the couch watching too much TV and the overindulging of food, alcohol, or drugs. When I’m not living as a citizen of the kingdom of God, living intentionally and consciously, I feel the pull toward this anesthetizing peace.
The peace Jesus offers grows with endurance as we trust more of life to God and are willing to walk in the ambivalence that life deals us again and again. It is a peace that waits for the emergence of clarity that only arises from living with paradox.
In the end, this peace is whole and enduring, about living in the kingdom of God in the very present moment. It is a peace that comes in waves, and one that I cycle back through after indulgences in the world’s peace. It is a peace that patiently honors my process of becoming a whole citizen of God’s kingdom.
His Princess Every Day - Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Devotionals for Women - Inspirational author and speaker Sheri Rose
Shepherd imagines what a letter written from God to you would look like.
My princess,
Every day can be a fight for something or with someone if you so choose. I want you, My princess warrior, to choose your battles wisely, and fight for the things worth fighting for. There are so many things that stand against you in the battlefield, and there are so many worthy causes. But the enemy of your soul will entice you to fight the wrong battles in order to distract you from your main mission. Remember, My beloved, your fight is not against flesh and blood, but against evil forces in the spiritual realm. When you find yourself in the midst of a war, do not be afraid. Call on Me in prayer and allow Me to deliver you. In My timing, I will give you the victory and bring justice to the afflicted. So don’t waste your time fighting the wrong battles. And never forget that the spiritual war is fought—and won—on your knees.
Love,
Your Warrior King
For the Lord your God
is the one who goes with you
to fight for you against
your enemies to give you victory. - Deuteronomy 20:4 (NIV)
Each of you has been blessed
with one of God’s many wonderful gifts
to be used in the service of others.
So use your gift well. - 1 Peter 4:10
This devotional is written by Sheri Rose Shepherd. All content
copyright Sheri Rose Shepherd 2015. Used by permission. All rights
reserved worldwide. Visit HisPrincess.com for devotionals, books, videos, and more from Sheri Rose Shepherd.
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