Bible Devotional - Short Bible Devotions

Evil speech. Spreading a brother's moral failing behind his back.

2013-11-17T11:18:00.001-05:00

People will trash their brother behind their back. They seem to justify their unloving speech because it is not a lie. "Its okay I'm only spreading the truth." When people do this they are not walking in love. There is no good will towards their brother. There is no desire to help turn a brother away from ways that are hurting him and restoring him to God's ways which are good for him.

When a person walks in love they want to restore a brother not trash him publicly. There goal is to restore their walk with God not to disgrace them in the community. Notice in the passage below that every effort is made to first privately speak to the brother with the attitude of restoration. Then if that doesn't work then its okay to slightly enlarge the private conversation by adding another one or two in the hope of restoration his walk. Then only if the all else fails then it is to be told to the church. But even in telling it to the church the goal is to have a community motivator, although unpleasant, drive the person back into right relationship with God. Loves goal is to restore and not to speak evil of others. What if God aired all our dirty laundry from our lifetime just because it was true. Thankfully God is willing to cover our sins and doesn't maliciously spread our moral failings.

Matthew 18:15-18

15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

( please note there are exception is the Bible where it was in the best interest of the church to handle a situation immediately and publicly)

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

God's great faithfulness to a stubborn people

2013-10-19T11:30:00.003-04:00

Here is a portion of Nehemiah 9. If you have time open your Bible and read it in context.

Nehemiah 9:16-22

16 “But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly;

They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments.

17 “They refused to listen,

And did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them;

So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.

But You are a God of forgiveness,

Gracious and compassionate,

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;

And You did not forsake them.

18 “Even when they made for themselves

A calf of molten metal

And said, ‘This is your God

Who brought you up from Egypt,’

And committed great blasphemies,

19 You, in Your great compassion,

Did not forsake them in the wilderness;

The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day,

To guide them on their way,

Nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go.

20 “You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,

Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth,

And You gave them water for their thirst.

21 “Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want;

Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell.

22 “You also gave them kingdoms and peoples,

And allotted them to them as a boundary.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Rebellion then trouble - Call to repentance with blessings promised

2013-09-20T11:00:00.001-04:00

In the Book of Joel God's people had sinned. As a result of their sin they were experiencing trouble. One trouble from God's hand was various kinds of locust ravaging the land. They were also warned that a great and mighty people is coming and they should tremble. These things were happening due to their rebellion.

Then in Joel chapter 2 verses 12-17 God calls them to a wholeheartedly repentance. To save space we'll just look at verses 12 and 13.

12 12 12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;
13 13 And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.

Then if the people repent and the spiritual leaders seek God then blessing can return.

Joel 2:25
25"Then I will make up to you for the years
That the swarming locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.

In fact what I find amazing is God willingness to respond to repentance and make up for the bad years they experienced. And those bad years were from their own rebellion. They deserved God's disciplining hand for those years. But with repentance God was willing to make up to them those bad years they deserved. God is good.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Jesus, through whom grace and truth were realized, preached repentance

2013-08-01T12:25:00.001-04:00

Matthew 4:17

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

When we refuse to obey - then change our minds

2013-07-27T14:08:00.005-04:00

When we refuse to obey - then change our minds

One thing we see in the passage below is willful disobedience of a son followed by repentance. This passage is an encouragement to me because when I refuse to obey, and then repent, I can know that God will regard me as one who does His will.

Matthew 21:28-32

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They *said, “The first.” Jesus *said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

God teaches us ways to avoid self inflicted poverty

2013-07-13T16:08:00.004-04:00

The purpose of this devotion is to avoid some sources of self-inflicted poverty. But this teaching does not suggest that everyone that is poor has brought it upon themselves. There are many factors that can lead to poverty that could be out of and individual's control. Here are just a few examples: layoffs, injuries, and living in a country that has an oppressive government.

Lets start our devotion in Proverbs chapter 6. In verses 1-5 God is trying to protect His children from self-inflicted poverty. He steers them away from the dangers of becoming surety for a stranger / neighbor. We are instructed that we should not guarantee another persons debt. One example would be to co-sign for a stranger / neighbors car loan. If that person can no longer make their payments then the bank will come after you and demand payment. We, and our families with us, can be brought to financial ruin through such practices. But because God loves us He steers us away from this form of self-inflicted poverty.

Continuing in chapter 6 we will find another source of poverty. Verses 6-11 show that being lazy and loving sleep will cause poverty to overtake you.

Proverbs 6:9-11

⁹How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
¹⁰“A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest”—
¹¹Your poverty will come in like a vagabond
And your need like an armed man.

The sluggard is lazy and does not want to work. But even if circumstances force him to work he proves to be a thorn in his employer's side and runs the risk of being fired. He can be late or even miss work due to his unwillingness to get out of bed. And even once he arrives at work he does his work half-heartedly. And because he lacks the self-motivation, which is one characteristic of the diligent, he ends up requiring extra supervision. The lazy one is a grief to his employer and inevitably he will lose his job . So through either unwillingness to get a job, or being fired due to poor work performance, the sluggard lacks earning power and poverty overtakes him.

Proverbs 10:4

⁴Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

Proverbs 20:13

¹³Do not love sleep, or you will become poor;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food.

In Proverbs 6:6-8 the sluggard is asked to observe the work habits of the ant. The ant is diligent and needs no supervision. The ant thinks past the need of the moment. It continues to work because it anticipates needs in the future and stores up for that future lack.

Proverbs 6:6-8

⁶Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
⁷Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,
⁸Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.

Another source of poverty is being pleasure centered.

Proverbs 21:17

¹⁷ He who loves pleasure will become a poor man;

He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.

In the first half of verse 17 we see someone who begins with wealth and then loses it by being pleasure centered. This person could have received wealth through an inheritance and then squandered it through the pursuit of pleasure. A perfect example of a person who is pleasure centered and dwindles from a wealthy state to a poor state is the Prodigal Son. That passage is found in Luke 15:11-32. Also, in the second half of Proverbs 21:17 (above) we see the effect of being pleasure centered from a different perspective. The person who lacks riches is prevented from rising to a wealthy status due to a focus on pleasure.

A few other verses to consider.

Proverbs 23:21

21 For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

Proverbs 28:19

19 He who tills his land will have plenty of food,But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

How quickly do we respond to God's instructions?

2013-06-08T10:10:00.002-04:00

How quickly do we respond to God's instructions?

Pay attention to the word "immediately" used more than once in the passage below. They showed no hesitation. They responded to the Lord immediately.

Matthew 4:18-22

18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Bad company will corrupt your morals

2013-06-02T08:42:00.003-04:00

In today's devotion will address the need to avoid bad company. The verse we will look at is 1 Corinthians 15:33

33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."

What a powerful impact bad company can have on our walk with God. It can take a person who has good morals and cause those good morals to be weakened. Don't let yourself be tricked into thinking you are steadfast and can't fall. Don't be tricked into thinking you can keep the wrong kind of company and be unaffected. Obviously the potential is there to be tricked in this area otherwise the Bible wouldn't say, "Don't be deceived..." If we have that mindset that our walk will be fine while we keep bad company then we are deceived and our walk will suffer.

And don't think that all of your Bible learning will prevent you from drifting. The bad company will outweigh your wisdom and knowledge and understanding. Remember that God granted Solomon great wisdom but that wisdom did not keep him from turning to other gods. And why did Solomon turn to other gods? It was because of the wives he married. His wives were a source of bad company. Their company corrupted his morals and turned his heart away. The passage that tells us about Solomon's wives corrupting him is found in 1 Kings 11:4

4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

This teaching must be kept in balance. On one hand we need to avoid bad company. And on the other hand we need to be around those that are not healthy spiritually in order to show them love and share the gospel with them. Ask God to show you the proper way to keep this balance in your situation.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Avoiding the adulterous woman - Part 1

2013-06-01T12:29:00.002-04:00

In this multi-part devotion we are going to talk about avoiding the adulteress. In part 1 we will be drawing our text from Proverbs chapter 5. Please open your Bibles and make sure my comments agree with the scriptures.

In Proverbs chapter 5:1-3 we see a spiritual battle being played out in the realm of words. Through speech the father gives wisdom to the son that can prevent him from falling prey to the adulteress. But also through speech the adulteress tempts the son by her sweet, smooth, and enticing words.

In verses 3-4 we see the importance of not being a short term manager. If all he thinks about is the moment than he can fall prey to her wiles. He must think like a long term manager. He must look past the pleasure of the moment and keep in the front of his mind the future consequences. Embracing her will have a bitter end and one that leads to death.

Verse 8 provides a way to protect the son from her. Don't go near her. One of the ways this will protect the son is it will keep him away from her speech that can entice him and trap him.

Verse 10 provides an additional deterrent. Don't go after her or you will suffer financial loss.

Verse 11 again talks about being a long term manager. Don't go after her for the end result is that you will groan when your body and flesh are consumed.

Verses 15-19 provide a God given way to satisfy the sons desires and thereby reduce the tempting lure of the adulteress. Through marriage the son is actually encouraged to take pleasure in his wife. And it is evident in this text that the purpose is not merely to produce offspring but it is also for mutual enjoyment.

Verse 21 gives the son an additional deterrent by making him aware that God is watching everything he does. And God who watches also orchestrates consequences for every man's deeds.

Verse 22 warns the son that sin itself can capture and hold him. Here is just one example of how his sin could capture him. He could lose his freedom through an increased work load. If a divorce occurs he could be forced to work a second job in order to keep up with the child support payments.

Verse 23 shows that the consequence of this sin is great. If he does not pay attention to instruction then he will die.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Pleasing God or grieving God

2013-05-26T20:20:00.001-04:00

Proverbs 10:1 talks about a son either acting wisely or foolishly. If he acts wisely he can bring joy to his parents. If he acts foolishly he can bring them grief.

10 The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

It is necessary for the son to have the knowledge of how his conduct affects his parents. They provide both a positive and a negative motivator for obedience. Likewise these same two motivators produce obedience in us towards our heavenly Father. On one hand we are encouraged to walk in love because we know it will please God

Hebrews 13:16

16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

And on the other hand we don't want to walk in sinful conduct since we know it can grieve Him.

Ephesians 4:30
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Two keys to a successful marriage

2013-05-25T11:25:00.001-04:00

I don't want to oversimplify relationships which can be complex but nevertheless there are two core principals that are needed for a successful marriage. One principal applies to the man and one to the woman.

God who knows us and fashioned us understands how our needs differ and has given us good counsel on how each spouse can meet the need of their partner. As you read this you may think of other things that keep a marriage strong but for sake of this devotion we will only focus on just two core issues.

God identifies these two core needs as love and respect.

Ephesians 5:33
Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Notice in this verse the core need of a woman that is addressed is different from the core need of the man that is revealed. A core need of the woman is her need to be loved by her husband. And a core need that a man has is to be respected by his wife. When a woman feels loved it makes it easier for her to respond with respect to her husband. When a man feels respected it makes it easier for him to respond by expressing love to his wife.

But a vicious circle can develop when we only meet the other persons need when our need is first met. Mindsets like " Respect is earned and I'll only show respect to him when he shows love to me" Or "I'll only express love towards her when she starts showing me respect" In this example each spouse is withholding a core need of the other until their own need is met. Having these type of mindsets leads to further deterioration of the relationship.

In the above example of conditionally meeting the other persons need the couple can be driven further apart. The woman sensing that love is being withheld from her digs her heals in and withholds respect from her husband. The man feeling that he is not respected by his wife responds by withholding love from her.

One solution for this example is to show unconditional love and unconditional respect.
This can keep a vicious cycle from forming. Instead with an unconditional display of love and respect a positive cycle can be produced. The woman feels loved and she is encouraged to respect her husband. And that respect sits well with him. The husband feeling respected is encouraged to respond by showing his wife love and this meets a great need in her. This can feed upon itself in a positive way and fuel a cycle of increasing love and increasing respect. This cycle is key to a successful marriage.

God bless you.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Wise business investing - The benefits outweigh the disadvantages

2013-05-24T11:44:00.002-04:00

Proverbs 14:4

4 Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

Make wise business investments is one point that can be drawn from this verse. Here the farmer will incur initial financial loss in the purchase of an ox. He will have added ongoing cost to feed and keep that animal healthy. He will have added inconvenience in keeping the stall clean.

But one thing this scripture is saying is don't let the cost and inconveniences hinder you from investing wisely in your business. In this example the benefits of a greatly increased harvest will far outweigh the financial outlay and the inconveniences associated with adding one or more oxen to your barn.

God cares about every single area of our lives. As a result He even gives counsel concerning running a business. The outlay of money and extra work may not be God's leading for your situation so take it to prayer before making any decisions.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Creating our own problems

2013-05-19T13:52:00.003-04:00

There are times when God brings discipline into our lives. There are times when God allows trouble to enter our lives for a purpose. And although there may be other reasons why difficulties come there are times when people have trouble because they brought it upon themselves. Their own conduct created an unnecessary problem in their own lives. Lets look at one example in Proverbs.

Proverbs 14:3

3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise will protect them.

Here the sinful use of the tongue ended up being a rod for the foolish person's back. Unnecessary trouble came back to this person as a direct result of sinful speech. Words that hurt others could be one example. When someone is wounded by unloving speech they can respond back to the speaker with anger, quarreling or even violence.

This trouble would come to the speaker by their own doing. God's hands did not engineer this conflict. They created their own conflict by the way they treated their fellow man.

We will never be trouble free in this life. But we can reduce unnecessary trouble by building godly character in thoughts, words and deeds.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Tempted to use your mouth in a wrong way?

2013-04-28T16:10:00.003-04:00

Psalm 39:1

I said, “I will guard my ways
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”

David had more than one approach to keeping his tongue under control. In Psalm 39 we see two of his methods. One of the things he focused on was the tongue itself. He made a conscious effort to keep his tongue under control. He guarded his mouth.

But notice he did not just guard his mouth but he also guarded his ways. He said, “I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue;" The way we are on the inside will eventually work its way out to our tongue. So addressing our ways is also very important if we are going to keep our tongue under control. That principal is clearly stated in Luke.

Luke 6:45

45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Having a balance between work and rest

2013-04-14T11:32:00.000-04:00

Ecclesiastes 4:4-6

4 I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind. 5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. 6 One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

In this passage we see three different mixtures of work and rest. One person chooses to avoid work, one has a healthy balance between work and rest and one works too much.

In verse 5 the foolish person takes a lazy extreme. He chooses to fold his hands and to avoid work. He did not get a lay off which caused him to be out of work through no fault of his own. He was unwilling to work and provide for himself. In his case his poverty is his own fault.

In verse 6 the next person balances work and rest. One handful of rest suggests that he has one handful of rest and one handful of work. He has a balance between a time of work and a time of rest.

The third person which is also in verse 6 has two handfuls of work. He works too much and does not rest from his work when he should do so. Whatever is motivating him to be a workaholic is robbing him of needed rest. Sin can be a hard task master that drives us and deprives us of needed rest. But God doesn't drive us like a task master. God leads us to work and He also leads us to times of needed rest too.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Little with peace is better than wealth with fighting

2013-02-10T15:38:00.001-05:00

Proverbs 17:1

17 Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it

Than a house full of feasting with strife.

Strife can diminish the rich person ability to enjoy their wealth . And the lives of those who have little can actually be better if their godly character provides peace in the home.

Lets take a look at the poor person first. His portions are poor both in quantity and in quality. It is poor in quantity since the word "morsel" is used. It is poor in quality since the word "dry" is used.

In contrast the rich person has both quality and quantity. Quantity is clear by the word "full" and quality seems to be implied the word "feasting". One would think of moist, not dry, food that is flavorful when feasting.

It seems to be implied that the poor person is godly while the rich person is disobedient. The poor person in this verse has developed relationship skills that keeps the home at peace. While the rich person's selfish character puts him at odds with those around him

But the main point that I get out of this verse is that wealth can't be fully enjoyed without the development of godly character. And developing a godly character will yield me a better life whether I have little or much.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Some Stern warnings about hardening our hearts and falling away from God

2013-02-06T12:04:00.001-05:00

Hebrews 3:7-11

7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today if you hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tried Me by testing Me,
And saw My works for forty years.
10 “Therefore I was angry with this generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they did not know My ways’;
11 As I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’”

Here is a passage found in Proverbs that speaks of a consequence of persistent disobedience.

Proverbs 29:1

A man who hardens his neck after much reproof
Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Seeking a spouse?

2013-02-03T11:59:00.003-05:00

Seeking a spouse? Don't be blinded by one sided thinking that says, "I just need to find the right person." Instead we also need to focus on our own godly character too. A successful marriage requires both partners, not just the other person, to be walking in God's ways. Grow in love so you will be a good partner for that future right person. Don’t just look for the right person, be the right person too.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

How willing are we to follow Christ?

2013-01-31T13:05:00.001-05:00

I am not going to give a devotion on this topic today. I'll just let these verses say it all. God bless you.

Luke 9:57-62

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Warning! Some Causes of unfruitfulness and a consequence

2013-01-22T20:47:00.001-05:00

Within the Parable of the Sower we find 3 things that can choke the word of God. The verses that speak about those three things are Mark 4:18-19.

Mark 4:18-19
18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

In Luke 13:6-9 we find another parable concerning bearing fruit. We are told about an owner of a fig tree who looked for fruit on his tree and found now. And how the owner gave orders to cut it down.

Luke 13:6-9

6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”

Since being unfruitful can lead to serious consequences we too should be serious about removing the things that choke the word of God and render us unfruitful.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Sin can be a hard taskmaster that won't let us rest

2013-01-16T18:04:00.000-05:00

God leads us to work and be diligent in whatever service we do for HIm. Yet He is not a hard taskmaster. He also leads us to rest too.

But in the verse below we can see that the pursuit of wealth can be wearisome. It can be a taskmaster that keeps driving a person hard in order to obtain more and more. It robs that person of needed rest.

Proverbs 23:4
Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.

When a person is not obtaining enough rest tiredness is not the only symptom. We all know from experience that when we are tired we are more irritable, more negative and unhappy, have trouble concentrating, are quicker to lose our cool and our low resistance can set ourselves for sickness.

I don't want this devotion to give the impression that the unbalanced pursuit of wealth is the only area that can weary us. Several areas of sin rob a person of rest. God is our teacher. So let us ask God to open our eyes and reveal to us any sinful area that are driving us hard and robbing us of God ordained rest. Obtaining this knowledge can be an added deterrent to slipping into that area of sin.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

In the pit - God delays - God answers - Then a song of praise

2013-01-06T17:50:00.000-05:00

Psalm 40:1-4

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

In this Psalm David seems stuck in a desperate situation. He has prayed about the situation but did not get an immediate answer to prayer. This is clear since he stated he that he "...waited patiently for the Lord" ( v.1)

But as David waited with patience God heard him and answered him (v.1). He brought him up from the situation he was stuck in and brought him out to a stable place (v.2)

God's answer was so good that David couldn't help but break forth in praise (v.3). In fact the answer was so wonderful that it blessed others too. Many that knew about David prayers being answered feared and put their trust in the Lord (v.3).

We too may need to be patient for answers when in a difficult situation. But God is able to bring us out and bring us to a stable place. His good answer can put praise in our mouth. And as God helps us it can minister to those around us too.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Jesus Christ spoken of in advance by Isaiah

2013-01-04T10:54:00.001-05:00

Isaiah 53

Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But the Lord was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

When God looks for fruit in your life and finds none

2012-12-31T10:54:00.000-05:00

God expects us to grow in Him and bear good fruit. When we do not bear any good fruit God takes notice. It is a serious matter to Him as this passage from Luke testifies.

Luke 13:6-9

6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Rejoicing in work or being burdened by work

2012-12-26T16:30:00.003-05:00

Have you ever seen youths that have seemingly endless energy. And that energy abounds when their bodies are working on what they want to do. But if you ask them to rake the yard then all their energy drains right out of them. It not that their bodies lack energy. Its a mental burden to them because they selfishly don't see any good in the work and their selfish mindset wearies them.

But God teaches us that we should rejoice in our work and see the good in it. In Genesis chapter 1 we find that God created the heavens and earth. And during those 6 days God frequently looked at His work and told Himself that it was good. God showed us how He rejoiced in His work so that we too would rejoice by telling ourselves that our labor is good. God has kind intentions towards us. And as a result He teaches us about joyful paths. Another passage that strongly promotes rejoicing in our work is Ecclesiastes 2:24.

24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)