Daily Spiritual Meditations - 10/9

[admin]

Our Sun and Shield

"The LORD is your sun and shield, the Lord bestows favor and honor, no good thing does He withhold from him whose walk is blameless." Psalms 84:11



Without the sun we would have no light, no food, no warmth, no life. God is the very source of life for us. He is the giver of everything we need to sustain us. Without Him, we would simply not exist. He is also our protector, he is our shield. Nothing can harm us because we are His children. He does indeed bestow favor on us every day. He is a gracious Father, giving us far more than we deserve in this life and in the next. The Psalmist states next that God gives us honor. I had never thought about that before. I know we are to give God honor, but to think that He would honor me was a foreign thought. I meditated upon it for a while and realized that yes, indeed, he has given me honor. He has adopted me as his daughter. He has taken a dirty sinner, cleaned me up, set my feet on the ROCK and adopted me as His own. Now if that is not honor, I do not know what is. I am a child of the God who created the Universe. I have been betrothed to His Son and one day will have the joy of being married to Christ. The Lord does bestow honor on us; honor we do not deserve. He will give us everything that is for our eternal good. He knows what is for our good, and he knows what would hurt us, physically and spiritually. He will not withhold that which will make us more like Christ. Our job is to walk with Him, and to obey His Word. When we draw close to the Father, when we live in His presence, we will know what it means to walk blamelessly because our hearts will be in tune with His heart. Our walk will be a walk of joy.

Father, thank you for always providing for me. You have blessed me far beyond what I deserve. You have protected me from Satan's attacks and I know I am safe in your arms and behind your shield. Thank you for lifting me out of the miry pit of sin and cleaning me up and giving me a new name. I am humbled to be a daughter of yours. Help me to live in your presence. Keep me from wandering away from you, for with you I am safe and secure. Thank you for giving me everything that is for my good, both the trials and the blessings. I know you use them to make me more like your dear Son and I thank you for them both. Amen Quiet Waters

-----

Knowing His Voice

John 10:4
Pastor Carl H Stevens

Do you ever wander around with a feeling that nobody cares? ...that there is no one to guide you to the right path? There is a Divine Shepherd who loves and cares for every sheep in His flock! He cares for you!

The word shepherd, poimen, means protect. Our Lord protects the sheep. He always walks before them. He calls them and talks with them, so they know their Shepherd's voice (1). When a stranger's voice calls the sheep -- they will not respond! They will not even listen. A stranger's voice will always attack. It will steal, kill and destroy. The goats will not hear the Word of God -- so they will hear the stranger's voice.

We must get to know our Father's voice and heart -- through prayer, listening to the Word of God and reaching out to the lost. The children of God hear His voice as He guides and leads them into the perfect will of God (2).

We, as children of God, must realize that our Savior is never too busy to hear our pleas. He is always there -- ready to help and be an aid to our cries. He is always there to guide us to the right path... just call on Him! "Casting all your cares upon him; for he careth for you" (I Peter 5:7).

And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
John 10:4
For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
Psalm 48:14

-----

Take the lid off
"I CAME THAT THEY MAY HAVE AND ENJOY LIFE, AND HAVE IT IN ABUNDANCE (TO THE FULL, TILL IT OVERFLOWS"
JOHN 10:10 AMP

You've been the gift of life, not just a half pint life that's dull and boring; but life in all it's fullness. Check this out: '"I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)"'. So many people live with the lid on their life. All the creativity and adventure are stored away and never used. Why? Because they're scared that if they take the lid off they might lose what they've got. Here's the killer question: who created the boundary of your comfort zone? A hundred to one says it wasn't God! Most boundaries come about because we're scared of what other people might think. One of the saddest things to say about somebody is, 'They had such potential'. But nothing about potential is definite. You could live your whole life full of potential but never do anything with it. Don't be that person today. God has filled you with His life and with that He's given you His Holy Spirit, who helps you to get on and do the things He challenges you about. You belong to God and He's poured Himself into you, but not so you can hold onto it for yourself, it's so that you can share His life with others. So lift the lid today and live life to the max! Word4U2Day

-----

Take the lid off
"I CAME THAT THEY MAY HAVE AND ENJOY LIFE, AND HAVE IT IN ABUNDANCE (TO THE FULL, TILL IT OVERFLOWS"
JOHN 10:10 AMP

You've been the gift of life, not just a half pint life that's dull and boring; but life in all it's fullness. Check this out: '"I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)"'. So many people live with the lid on their life. All the creativity and adventure are stored away and never used. Why? Because they're scared that if they take the lid off they might lose what they've got. Here's the killer question: who created the boundary of your comfort zone? A hundred to one says it wasn't God! Most boundaries come about because we're scared of what other people might think. One of the saddest things to say about somebody is, 'They had such potential'. But nothing about potential is definite. You could live your whole life full of potential but never do anything with it. Don't be that person today. God has filled you with His life and with that He's given you His Holy Spirit, who helps you to get on and do the things He challenges you about. You belong to God and He's poured Himself into you, but not so you can hold onto it for yourself, it's so that you can share His life with others. So lift the lid today and live life to the max!

-----

Devotional For Dieters 10/9

October 9

Isaiah 26:4
Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

Lettuce! Celery! Low-fat cottage cheese! Yeesh! It never got any more interesting. The same old bland foods got tiresome after awhile. Debbie thought she would go crazy before long. She knew what she was doing was a good thing. She really wanted to lose weight. She wanted to look and feel great. Sometimes she didn't know whether it was going to pay off. She believed that God was happy with her desire to lose weight. She trusted that He would help her. Often, it was only the strength she received from trying to please God that kept her going. She was thankful that God gave her that kind of strength.

Today's thought: The only thing I'll give us is being fat!

-----

PRINCIPLES OF PEACE



“See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others.”

Alcoholics Anonymous, page 164:2



“Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.” Ephesians 5:16

For what it’s worth: The state of the world was of no concern to me. I was too self-absorbed and drunk to notice. Thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous and a Higher Power, I am living sober one day at a time for some years now, and I am aware and concerned about the hatred, violence, poverty, hunger, homelessness, greed and all manner of sickness in the world where I live. And I ask my God: “What can I do about it?” He answers through my daily guides, the Big Book and the Bible. His message to me is clear. First of all, I am to be grateful for the abundance of gifts I have from Him. Then, my Heavenly Father wants me to maintain a good relationship with Him, pray to Him, trust Him and be a good copy of the Big Book and the Bible for others to read, so they will see the principles of peace that He already has in place for all who are blessed to find them.



God bless you!



Joe W.

[admin]

Today I will...let the love of Jesus show through me, knowing my sins are as white as snow.

-----

Psalm 54

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments.[a] A Contemplation[b] of David when the Ziphites

went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”

1 Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your strength.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen up against me,
And oppressors have sought after my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah

4 Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is with those who uphold my life.
5 He will repay my enemies for their evil.
Cut them off in Your truth.

6 I will freely sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

-----

A Bible Devotion

Thursday, October 9, 2008

You Are God's Work Of Art

EPHESIANS 2:10 NLT
10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the

good things he planned for us long ago.

Outwardly, you may not appear to be much of a masterpiece. You may look like a piece of junk.

But inwardly, and in reality, you are God's work of art -- and God does not make any junk.

All that is outward and seen is only temporary -- like the cocoon the butterfly inhabits for only a

short time. So, while you should take care of your present body, don't be overly concerned about it.

Most importantly, don't think of yourself as just the body you are now living in.

You are a child of Almighty God, creator and ruler of the universe. Someone God is "raising" to be

His companion for eternity. You are NOT insignificant.

Admittedly, you are a work in progress. God still has more work to do with you -- but He is the

artist, and He will finish His work. (Hint: as you submit to God, the easier it is for Him to change you

into the wonderful image He has in mind.)

Someday, everyone will clearly see what God has done in you: making you a wonderful, unique

individual worthy of Himself.

SAY THIS: Regardless of how I look or feel, I AM God's work of art -- His masterpiece.

-----

Bless Yourself
October 9

I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me.
—Proverbs 8:17

Our motives are misplaced if we think we read the Bible and pray to please God, or to keep from

making Him mad at us. God once told me, “You think, when you read the Bible, that you are making

Me happy. I am going to be happy whether you read it or not. No, Joyce, if you read the Bible, you’re

happy. If you pray, you’re happy. If you give, you receive.”

Every single thing that God tells us to do, He tells us to do so to bless ourselves. He doesn’t ask us

to devote ourselves to study and prayer for Him; it is for us. The good life is our choice.


From the book Starting Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Morning of the Year by Joyce Meyer.

-----

Daily Thoughts

A Time to Think I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. –Louisa May Alcott
To Act Do not let fear stop you from reaching your goals.
To Pray Lord help me to act on Your promise.

-----

Slow Down, Quiet Down. Do Not Fume. Do Not Fret.

Practice "the peace of God which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). Then note the quiet

sense of power that wells up within you.

No. 83 in a series of 100 Power Thoughts from The Power of Positive Thinking, the All-Time

inspirational Best-Selling Book by Norman Vincent Peale.

-----

NACR Daily Meditation

Thursday 9th of October 2008

I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight.
Jeremiah 9:24

God delights in kindness, justice and righteousness. None of this is easy
for us to believe.

Kindness is difficult for some of us to imagine because we do not have extensive
personal experience with kindness. We can imagine God as a weak, codependent,
ineffective being whose specialty is being relentlessly nice to people.
But what of the God who exercises kindness? What would that look like?

Justice is difficult for some of us to imagine because we have not had extensive
personal experience with justice. In dysfunctional families justice is either
chaotic or completely absent. But what of the God who exercises justice?
What would that look like?

Righteousness is difficult for some of us to imagine because we have not
had extensive personal experience with righteousness. We do not have instincts
for doing what is right, we do not delight in doing righteousness, we expect
it to be boring, dreary and out-of-date. We may delight in caretaking and
codependent niceness, but is that the same as delighting in righteousness?
Probably not. So, what of the God who exercises righteousness. What would
that look like?

God is capable of delight. God is not the Unmoved One. God is the Most Moved
of us all. God’s compassion and kindness are free and full. God’s commitment
to justice is beyond all our imaginations. God pursues righteousness.

Learning to share in God’s struggle for kindness, justice and righteousness
will require significant changes for us. It cannot be done in a one time
event. It will be a life-time quest. We will forget and remember again.
We will run away and come back again. But each day in the struggle we will
grow in our capacity for delight. Until, in the end, when God’s purposes
are complete, we will be filled with delight at the triumph of God’s kindness,
justice and righteousness

God of kindness, I want to understand you better.
God of justice, I want to live in solidarity with you.
God of righteousness, help me to delight in what pleases you.
Increase my capacity for delight, Lord.
Let me discover you afresh today.
Amen.

-----

Playing With Joy

2 Corinthians 10:12: “…They are only comparing themselves with each other, and measuring

themselves against their own little ideas…” (TLB).

Some of us play with a determination that defies relaxation. We participate in team sports and

become controlled by competition, preoccupied with winning. When we lose, we may silently believe

there must be something wrong with us. We try harder. “Playing” becomes a form of overwork. Even

our participation in individual sports activities may place excessive emphasis on competition — with

ourselves. We must run better than we did yesterday, we should exercise longer, we must reach

maximum heart rate even though we’re exhausted. We push, not necessarily to be more healthy or

relaxed, but to be the best or perfect. We compare ourselves with others and with ourselves.

In our race to compete and win, we sometimes miss the camaraderie of friends, the beauty of

nature, the laughter of children, and God’s free grace. We find an inner release when we stop the

comparison game, realize our value does not depend on our performance, and learn to enjoy our

physical activity.

Lord, help me to play with enthusiasm and joy.

2008 Joan C. Webb

-----

The Will of God
By: Ron Edmondson Thursday, October 09, 2008
The world and all its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John

2:17 NIV

Some of my best growth times with the Lord have been during teaching times with my children. I

remember when my son asked an important question, “Daddy, what is the ‘will of God’?”

Now, he wasn't asking, “What does God want me to do?” It was more general than that. He simply

wanted to know what the phrase “will of God” meant. My hope is that you and I can also grow

through this experience.

I explained it to him, as I understand it, that God's will can actually be described in several ways.

First there is God's individual will. That is for the individual decisions you and I make each day. You

know that God cares intimately for you, even down to the number of hairs on your head. God does

allow, however, for you to make some decisions for yourself in life. You may choose what to eat for

breakfast or you may choose a red car instead of a blue. It isn't that God doesn't care which you get,

but He most likely will allow you to make that decision.

Second, there is God's moral will. God's desire for you is that you develop your character into the

image of Christ. He will present you with every opportunity for you to do just that, but you will play a

part in how far you grow spiritually. You may choose to love your neighbor as yourself or you may

choose to be a very selfish person. God, however, is very concerned about your character, and for

His moral will for your life. In fact, God cares more that His moral will for your life be done than His

individual will, because God is in the character-changing business.

Third, there is God's sovereign will. God has a will that is set in stone! It won't change. It can't

change. It always stays the same! For example, God cannot help but love you because that is His

sovereign will. God cannot break His promises, because that is His sovereign will. Some things God

has set into motion, and they will never be different.

Now, I don't know what God's individual will is for your life. (I hope for you it is Wheaties and a shiny

red convertible.) But I can tell you this. His moral will is that you be right with Him through the blood of

Jesus! And better yet, His sovereign will says that once you do, He will reserve you a place in

Heaven!

You can't be in a better place than within the “will of God”!

-----

Answers for Each Day - Oct. 9, 2008

T-R-U-S-T

In our last devotional, we talked about the need to trust God. You may wonder, what does trust really

mean? Let me help you understand by using the word T-R-U-S-T as an acronym.

“T” stands for trust…which means that if you are going to trust Him, you have to take Him at His

word. Even if it seems like it is not true, you take Him at His word. If we will take Him at His word,

He will guide us through the course of life and bring us across the finish line safely.

“R” stands for rest. The Bible tells us to rest in the Lord. 1 Peter 5:7 says, Casting all your care

upon Him, for He cares for you. Do not worry. Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something

to do, but you don’t get anywhere.

“U” stands for understanding. Proverbs 3:5 says, Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not

on your own understanding. Sometimes things just won’t make sense to your understanding.

“S” stands for speech. Our speech is an expression of our faith. In Mark 11, Jesus said, “Have faith

in God.” And then the very next thing Jesus said is, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed

and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will

be done, he will have whatever he says.” Our faith in God is expressed through our speech.

The final “T” stands for thanksgiving. We offer thanks to God in advance. Philippians 4:6 says, Be

anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests

be made known to God. When we offer thanks to God, it is an expression of our faith.

That’s T-R-U-S-T!

-----

Making Your Heart Sit Down
Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth
Psalm 90:12 Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. (NLT)

Friend to Friend
Every minute of every day is either wasted or invested. Since the Bible contains over 400 verses

about time, we can safely assume that time management is important to God. In fact, it is a spiritual

discipline. We not only need to view time as an eternal investment, but as an immediate one as

well. One of the most valuable investments we can make is to spend time in solitude.

I once read an African proverb, “Lord Jesus, make my heart sit down”. Solitude is deliberately and

diligently setting aside time to “sit down” at the feet of Jesus. It is in those still, quiet moments of

solitude at his feet that we can more clearly hear God speak and gain strength and wisdom for the

journey ahead. In order to practice solitude, we must learn how to budget time.

It’s been said that women must balance their time more carefully than men because women don’t

have wives. The fact is we are all responsible for how we spend the time God has given us. Time is

a precious gift! Every morning we are credited with 86,400 seconds. No balance is carried into the

next day and every night erases what we fail to use. If we use it in the wrong way, that time is lost

forever and cannot be reclaimed. Un-budgeted time gravitates to our weaknesses, is stolen by

others or wasted on the unimportant. We must budget time, just as Jesus did.

Luke 2:52 “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (NIV).

At the age of 12, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem with his parents for the annual Passover Celebration.

When his parents began the long trip home, they did not miss their son at first and when they did,

assumed he was traveling with friends. Jesus was found in the temple, teaching. My first reaction

would probably have been pride in the fact that religious scholars and teachers were actually

listening to my young son. I would most likely have encouraged Jesus to continue, basking in the

looming recognition and acclaim. Instead, Jesus returned home where, for 18 to 20 years, he simply

grew. Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus grew mentally, physically, spiritually and socially. In Luke 3,

Jesus begins his ministry, the most powerful ministry ever known. In other words, Jesus Christ

budgeted his time wisely, resulting in a balanced life of fulfilled purpose. We can live the same kind

of life if our priorities are right.

Set priorities: Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that “there is a time for everything, a season for every

activity under heaven” (NLT). We either set our life priorities or allow circumstances and other

people to set them.

Schedule priorities: There is a right time and a right way to carry out right priorities. Ecclesiastes

8:5-6 warns, “For a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and

procedure for every delight” (NASB). We must schedule time for solitude. We must set aside

portions of each day to spend with God.

Stick to priorities: The apostle Paul teaches us to “make the most of every opportunity”

(Ephesians 5:16 NIV). Every challenge will either wreck our priorities or affirm them. Right priorities

stand firm in the face of change.

One day, we will all stand before the Father and give an account of how we invested our time.

Today, examine your time management habits in light of eternity. Initiate schedule changes that

honor God. Make a new commitment to invest your time wisely.

Let’s Pray
Father, I recognize my need for time alone with You. I lay down my schedule, my agenda and

anything else in my life that would keep me from that time. Please forgive me for the way I often

squander away the minutes, hours and days of my life. Give me the power to invest time wisely and

wisdom to live a balanced life.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

1. Choose to practice solitude - today.
2. Select a place to spend time in solitude – today.
3. Lay down your agenda.
4. Focus on Him and listen for His voice.
5. Memorize Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” (NIV)
6. Ask yourself these questions and use the answers to shape a plan for regular solitude:

o Why am I afraid of silence?
o What is the greatest obstacle to solitude in my life?
o What steps do I have to take in order to remove those obstacles?
o What do I hope to gain from time spent in solitude?

More From The Girls
Learning to rest and be still before God is so important to our spiritual growth, strength and maturity.

It won’t just happen. We have to carve out time to spend alone with God in solitude. Time spent in

solitude allows our heart to be still before God. Solitude filters through all of the voices in life and

seeks out God’s voice above the rest. I encourage you to read Psalm 23 every day this month and

find time each week for solitude. The book and/or CD, Escaping the Stress Trap, will be a helpful

tool as you learn to make your heart sit down.

-----

God’s Sufficient Grace
Day-by-Day

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Human strength is a strong deterrent to trusting in Christ. When we rely on our own strength, resources, and knowledge, we assume we can handle situations without help from God. We tend to divide problems into two categories: problems that we know require God’s help and problems we think we can handle on our own. Paul had a tenacious personality and an exceptionally strong will. He courageously faced angry mobs as he traveled far and wide to promote the cause of Christ. He had spent the first half of his life serving God in his own strength. However, once God gained his attention, Paul had to learn to rely on God’s strength and not his own.

Paul was afflicted with a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7). Whatever this was, it humbled him. He had performed incredible miracles, even raising the dead, but he could not remove the affliction that God had given him, an affliction that made him depend on God. The world had seen what Paul could do in his own strength, and it was horrifying! Now God wanted to exercise His power through Paul’s life. When Paul thought he was strong, he neglected to rely upon God’s strength. Only in his weakness did Paul trust implicitly in God.

If you feel strong in an area of your life, beware! Often your strength, rather than your weakness, hinders you from trusting God. God will bring you to a point of weakness if that is what it takes to bring you to trust in Him. Do not despise your weakness, for it leads you to trust in God’s strength.

------

TAKE TIME

Take time to rest - it is the foundation of health and vitality.
Take time to think - it is the source of achievement.
Take time to read - it is the foundation of wisdom.
Take time to play - it is the secret of staying young.
Take time to be quiet - it is the opportunity to seek God.
Take time to share - it is too short a life to be selfish.
Take time to be aware - it is the opportunity to help others.
Take time to laugh - it's the music of the heart.
Take time to be loved - it nourishes the soul.
Take time to be friendly - it is the road to happiness.
Take time to pray - it is the greatest power on earth.
Take time to dream - it's the well of inspiration.
There is time for everything.
- 'There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven' Ecclesiastes 3:1

From A Canopy of Stars: Some Reflections for the Journey

-----

-/\/\-----------------------------------------------------------------
\ / WHAT JESUS DID! -- http://www.heartlight.org/
--\/------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Scolded for Love


Some of the followers there saw this. They became upset and
complained to each other. They said, "Why waste that perfume?
That perfume was worth a full year's work. It could be sold
and the money could be given to poor people." And they
criticized the woman strongly.

-- Mark 14:4-5 (ERV)


KEY THOUGHT:
Isn't it sadly strange that people so often criticize the gifts others
make? I'm not sure if it is jealousy, greed, or pure pettiness that
makes humans so quick to be critical of other's generosity. However,
God loves a cheerful and generous giver. Part of the reason is that we
are most like God when we give generously and joyously. If only we were
as generous with our giving as we are with our criticism!


TODAY'S PRAYER:
Loving God and Almighty Father in heaven, please use me as a conduit of
your love, mercy, and grace. I want to have a heart that is generous
with others even if those around me cannot understand that generosity.
Thank you for being so generous with me. May I never hoard your
blessings, but always be quick to share them in ways that bring you
joy. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.