Devotion: Rest A While

When we are tired or worn out, most of us know what it means, “to rest a while.”  Most of us would define this “rest” as a period where we would take a break from our labors in order to relax and regain our strength.  We would use it as a time to refrain from all strenuous or stressful activities so that we could refresh or rejuvenate ourselves.

“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:2).

Following his six days of creation, God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because he rested from all the work of creating he had done.  When we think of God resting, we should not confuse this “rest” with being worn out where he could not do, make, or create one more thing.

Devotion: Be An Encourager

Are you an encourager?  Or are you a discourager?  Most people are discouragers and do not even know that they are.  Don’t get us wrong, there are some very negative, very disgruntled, and very unhappy people in the world.  Normally, the things that they say can identify them.  But, when was the last time you checked yourself to see what kind of things you say?

“And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:20-23).

Scripture tells us that it is what comes out of us that contaminates and makes us unclean.  From inside of us, within our hearts flow evil thoughts, fornication, sexual sins, thefts, murders, adultery, covetousness, greed, wickedness, evil actions, deceit, licentiousness, unrestrained immorality, envy, reviling, insults, pride, arrogance, reckless folly, and foolishness.  All these wicked things come out from within our heart to contaminate and make us unclean.

Devotion: God Has Already Given

Most believers do not understand what the statement, “God has already given” actually means.  Some believers have accepted religion’s definition of “the sovereignty of God” and believe that nothing happens without “the approval of God.”  They make God responsible for any and every thing that happens, whether it be good or bad, and completely removes our responsibility as to what happens in our life.  Other believers have accepted the other side of the coin, where the belief is that we control what happens to us.  They believe that we can motivate, convince, or even persuade God to move on our behalf through our persistent prayer, by our obedience to God’s laws, and even because of the good works that we do.  They make us responsibility for any and everything that happens, whether good or bad, and make God’s response subjected to our performance.

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:1-4).

Devotion: Jesus Never Fails

Most people, both believers and non-believers know the story of how Adam’s disobedience allowed sin to enter into the world and come upon the human race.  When sinned entered, death caught a ride and spread throughout the world causing everything to grow old and to die.

“For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin.  But this one man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God’s mercy.  Adam’s one sin brought the penalty of death to many, while Christ freely takes away many sins and gives glorious life instead.  The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to be king over all, but all who will take God’s gift of forgiveness and acquittal are kings of life (reign in life ) because of this one man, Jesus Christ.  Yes, Adam’s sin brought punishment to all, but Christ’s righteousness makes men right with God, so that they can live.  Adam caused many to be sinners because he disobeyed God, and Christ caused many to be made acceptable to God because he obeyed” (Romans 5:15-19 TLB).

Devotion: Selfish Love

When was the last time you checked out your love life?  Is the kind of love that you have a self-centered, self-seeking, or self-interested kind of love?  Do you only love someone when there is something in it for you?  Is your love base on what you can get from someone?  Basically, do you have a selfish kind of love?

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (Timothy 3:1-5).

Devotion: You Are Not A Loser

There are a lot of so-called Christians walking around defeated.  By defeated, we mean that they have not yet fully experienced all that God has made available to them through the new covenant, “a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).  By defeated, we mean that they have not yet experienced that “more abundant life” that Jesus spoke of in John 10:10.  The really sad part is that they do not even realize that they are defeated, living a defeated life.  They claim the blood of Jesus over their lives but it is of no effect or at best, it has a partial effect on their lives.  The biggest culprit is not the devil or any other outside forces, but it is an internal force known as “self,” what we will refer to as “an image problem.”

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: …” (Proverbs 23:7).

Devotion: Great Things Happen When You Believe – Part II

In part one of our “Great Things Happen When You Believe” series, we talked about faith and the three elements of faith, which were:

• belief, which is accepting that something can be true or that something is real when it has not been seen,
• confidence or conviction, which is believing or trusting that something is, especially when there is no logical proof that it exists,
• and action, which is doing something in order to reach a goal, to obtain a result, or to get that thing which you hoped for.

We found that faith is confidently acting upon what you believe, what appears to be impossible and expecting results.  Scripture tells us that “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).  And while your faith plays a key role in causing those great things to happen, in making all things possible, there be a few other things we need to consider, things that are equally as important and equally as strong but can cause those great things not to happen.  The sad part is that most people are not aware of them.