DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 7.3.21

In the Midst of Life Struggles: Look Up by Debbie McDaniel "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 There’s so much in this life we can start to feel anxious about, even when we know God’s truth and believe that He’s in control. It can still be a daily battle in our hearts, in our minds. When we just keep looking all around us, we can easily get defeated. Drained. Impatient. Cynical. We may find ourselves wrestling with worry. Fear might creep in. We lose our focus because we're so distracted on all the things that can never really give us strength and hope anyway. People won’t ever be the answer for our every need. Money, possessions, or success can’t ever satisfy the void deep inside that only God can fill. This world will never be free of all conflict. The government won’t ever fix all of our problems. It can’t.Because no matter who is President, no matter what we face in this life, God’s still on the throne. 5 Reminders of Hope from Psalm 121: - "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." v. 2 He's All-powerful. God is a mountain mover and Creator of heaven and earth. He's with us, always. He breathes help and strength into our souls, into our day. - "He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber." v. 3 He won't allow us to fall. We may find ourselves on slippery slopes, or the path we're walking seems to be full of potholes and obstacles. But the God who knows all,knows our way. And even when we stumble, as our eyes are fixed on Him, He will keep our footsteps firm. For He watches over us and never sleeps or slumbers. ----------------------------------------- A Clean Heart Psalms119:9-11 Reaching our full potential begins with a clean heart—one that loves the Lord and desires to obey Him. However, each of us was born with a nature bent away from God. Jeremiah17:9 describes the heart as deceitful and inclined towards wickedness. Pleasing self is man’s normal state. Salvationchanged our hearts and lives. Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin and broke its power over us. By receiving Christ as Savior, we each became a new creation—with a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and a mind that strongly desires to know the Father better. We also received the Spirit’s power to deny our selfish desires and obey God. With clean hearts, we can begin to realize the capabilities our loving Lord has given us. --------------------------------------- 3 More Habits of Happy People by Debbie Holloway In a previous devotional, I mentioned the first 3 "Habits of Happy People" according to a list I recently found. I figured I would share more Happiness Tips and continue to measure how the wisdom fits intoa Christian worldview. So, let’s look at three more habits of happy people… 1. Express gratitude for what you have Gratitude, or thankfulness, is encouraged throughout Scripture. Just a few verses espousing this attitude include: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18). “Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” (Psalm 95:2) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6). Followers of Christ are meant to be selfless, other-focused, and God-focused, not wrapped up in our own temporary discontentment. Noticing the blessings we do have, and expressing gratitude for them, helps us remember the big picture: we have already been given the ultimate gift of life through Christ! 2. Dream big The most important thing the Bible tells us about ourselves is that our identity in Christ, and our status as God’s creations and children, should underscore everything we do. Do you think of yourself as a slave to sin, or to a static, hum-drum life? Well,Paul says:“Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans8:17). -------------------------------------------------- Our Caring and Able Father 2Chronicles 20:1-4 Everyone faces challenges in life. Whether our struggles are financial, vocational, relational, or physical, we can be certain that nobody is exempt. Fortunately, we serve a God who is both interested in our problems and able to take care of them. When trouble looms, prayer is always a good first step to take. But having a foundation upon which to build our prayers also makes a difference. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, faced an enormous challenge. Three different tribes--the Moabites, Amonites, and Meunites--simultaneously waged war against him. Most leaders would have crumbled under such pressure, or at the very least taken drastic measures,but Jehoshaphat was a wise king. Though afraid, he did not strike out against his enemies.Instead, knowing that God was interested in his dilemma, he "turned his attention to seek the Lord" and proclaimed a fast throughout the land (2Chron. 20:1-3). ---------------------------------------------- The Meek of the Earth “Seek ye the LORD all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness:it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.” (Zephaniah 2:3) This phrase, “the meek of the earth,” occurs three times in the Bible (see also Psalm 76:9, which promises their salvation; and Isaiah 11:4, which assures them justice). Our text promises deliverance from God’s wrath. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5), said Jesus, referring to the promise of Psalm 37:11: “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” There are many other similar promises: “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way” (Psalm 25:9). “He will beautify the meekwith salvation” (Psalm 149:4), so we need to put on “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1Peter 3:4). That meekness is not weakness is made clear from the first use of the word in the Bible. “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers12:3). Moses was strong and courageous, but also deeply humble and self-sacrificing; a man of prayer and trust in the Word of God, willing to defend it at all costs. The Lord Jesus defined meekness in terms of His own human character: “Learn of me; forI am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). A meek spirit enables a Christian to maintain composure in the face of opposition, to accept adversity without complaint, promotion without arrogance, demotion without resentment. It produces a peace that no trouble can disturb and that no prosperity can puffup. Therefore, as our text commands: “Seek meekness!” HMM ------------------------------------------------------------ Down the Mountain - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. A man in the crowd called out to him, �Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child.��Luke 9:37�38 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/down-the-mountain/- Listen Peter, James, and John came down from the mountain with Jesus, and there waiting for them was a demon-possessed child. But they were unable to do anything about it. Twenty-fourhours after seeing the deity of Jesus, and they couldn�t help this poor boy. Luke�s gospel tells us the child�s father approached Jesus and said, �Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream.. . . I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn�t do it� (9:38�40 NLT). Like those disciples, we can be on a mountaintop one moment and down in the pit the next. We leave a church service, get in the car, and start arguing or getting angry aboutsomething. Or we turn around and slander someone or gossip�immediately after we�ve just sung the praises of God with the same lips. I don�t think we need more mountaintop experiences in our Christian lives. But I do think we need more day-to-day obedience as we walk by faith and not feeling. The disciples couldn�t understand why the demon hadn�t come out of the child. But Jesus put His finger on it. It was because of their unbelief. We can have the same problem. We have faith, and we believe God. But our faith is small. It�s weak and underdeveloped. Faith, however, grows through use. In fact, it�s alot like muscle. It�s painful in the process of growing, but it gets stronger every day through rigorous training. God will bring faith-stretching experiences into our lives, and sometimes it seems as though our faith has been stretched to the limit, and we can go no further. But afterward,we realize that we had more faith than we thought we had. And it�s during those difficult times that our theories become reality. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Importance of Persistent Prayer - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. �Luke 11:9 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-importance-of-persistent-prayer/- Listen Nineteenth-century pastor and evangelist George Mueller cared for thousands of orphans in England and was known to be great man of faith. He decided to pray for five personalfriends who did not yet know the Lord, and it wasn�t until five years later that the first of them came to faith. After five years, two more became Christians. And after 25 years, the fourth came to Christ. Until he died, Mueller prayed for the last person who had not yet believed.And that friend finally came to know the Lord after his death. In total, George Mueller prayed for his five friends for more than 50 years. Sometimes we pray for something that really seems like the will of God, but the Lord doesn�t give it to us when we ask. When nothing happens, we think that God has abandonedus. We want to know what went wrong. But Jesus would say, �Keep at it. Keep praying, keep seeking, and keep knocking. Don�t give up. Apply yourself. Be persistent.� Jesus told the story of a man who knocked on his neighbor�s door late at night until he finally got a response. He said, �Though he will not rise and give to him becausehe is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you� (Luke 11:8�9 NKJV). We, too, need to pray. And we need to keep praying. Sometimes we�re surprised when God answers our prayers, aren�t we? We pray and pray, and when God answers our prayers, we say, �I can�t believe it!� But we need to believe that God can answer our prayers. God has His timing. So don�t feel that He has let you down or abandoned you. Keep praying. ---------------------------------------------------- Be on Your Guard by Laura MacCorkle Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 2 Peter 3:17, NIV Who of us doesn�t remember a film, television show, book or play with some swordsman in chainmail declaring, �On guard!� before engaging in a duel with someone else? In that type of adversarial situation, the warning is said to alert the other party that �I�m armed, so prepare to defend yourself.� And in light of the current belief battles going on today within evangelical Christianity, that meaning has been front andcenter in my head and heart�especially after reading through today�s verse in 2 Peter. I did a little further study and found what I read in the New Testament portion of The Bible Knowledge Commentary to be quite helpful in understanding this passage: If [Peter�s] readers were not careful, they could be carried away by the error of lawless men � The verb �carried away� emphasizes a group or corporate movement. False teachers are not satisfied with ambushing one or two, now and then, here and there; they want to sweep large groups of people away from the correct doctrine of Christ. Those who keep company with such people are in danger of being led astray. I don�t need or want to name prominent names or cite recent book titles or the like within the Christian bubble, as I�m sure that one or many have already come to your mind by this point in today�s devotional. Sadly, false teaching is everywhere these daysand only seems to be gaining momentum as we head further into the twenty-first century. It�s alarming, for sure, to hear those who are in pastoral, shepherding or leadership positions mishandle God�s Word or imply that there is suddenly a new �change� in the meaning of scriptural doctrines that trained theologians and Bible scholars have agreedupon for centuries prior. But Truth is supposedly relative in the world where we now live, isn�t it? What�s true for you may not be true for me and so forth. Right? So how do we arm ourselves and follow Peter�s instruction to �be on your guard� as believers? -------------------------------------------------------- NoComplaints �And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled;and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.� (Numbers11:1) The Lord is not pleased when we complain about our circumstances, no matter how grievous they may seem to us. Our example is Christ, always. �For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should followhis steps� (1Peter 2:21). The children of Israel complained once too much. Forgetting all of God�s blessings in miraculously freeing them from slavery and providing all their needs, they repeatedly complained about their lot, one thing after another. �But with many of them God was notwell pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted....Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer� (1Corinthians 10:5-6, 10). God may not deal with a complaining Christian as severely as He did with His chosen people, Israel, but we can be sure He is displeased when we, who have received the blessing of eternal salvation by His gracious gift through Christ, forget His benefits andcomplain about His testing. �Do all things without mumurings and disputings,� He has commanded (Philippians2:14)�that is, without complaining and arguing about our treatment. We can be confident that He is allowing these difficulties for some good purpose in preparing us for our service for Him in eternity. We should not forget what happened to the complainers in ancient Israel. �Now all these things happened unto them for examples:and they are written for our admonition� (1Corinthians 10:11). HMM -------------------------------------------------------------- Dependence Day by Shawn McEvoy So now, come back to your God! Act with love and justice, and always depend on him. ~ Hosea12:6, NLT The 'Fourth of July' devotional. It fell to me this year. And whoa if I didn't have a firecracker of a time coming up with what to write. Don't get me wrong, I'm not riding on the trendy bandwagon of American self-loathing. I love my country. I dig personal and religious freedom. Without a free press I'd be out of a job, and without free speech I'd be locked up somewhere. But not here! So why the long face on red-white-and-blue, take-a-day-off, fire-up-the-grill day? Because Christianity has so little yet too much to do with the American Dream. Because I get sad when I consider the evolution 'Freedom' has undertaken just in my lifetime � from "allowed to act responsibly" to "if it feels good do it" to "absolutely anything goes and don't even try to suggest otherwise, or we might just take away your freedom." --------------------------------------------------- Leaving a Lasting Impact Matthew5:13-16 On this Independence Day, consider the question, How do you use the gift of freedom? God gives all believers true liberty through His Son Jesus Christ. Do you squander that blessing or share it with others? The problem is, some people are so focused on theirown needs and desires that they fail to impact even their closest neighbor. Think about the people you see every week. Do you know how many of your neighbors are sick? Are there people in your church who struggle to make it from day to day? Do you know if any of your coworkers are going through hardships? Most likely, there areindividuals all around you who could use assistance. But being self-focused limits our ability to notice those people, let alone reach out to them. ------------------------------------------------------------ TheReverend God �He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.� (Psalm111:9) It is most interesting that the adjective �reverend� is used only this once in the entire King James Bible. And there it applies to God, not to any man! However, the Hebrew word so translated in this verse (y�r�) occurs therein frequently, usually being translated (some 30 times) as �terrible.� The first time it is applied to God was by Moses. �Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thyGod is among you, a mighty God and terrible� (Deuteronomy7:21). Note also Moses� testimony in Deuteronomy 10:17: �For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.� For those who would deny or oppose Him, �it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God� (Hebrews10:31). But God is also uniquely a God of love. He is a merciful and forgiving God; He is �the God of all grace� (1Peter 5:10) and of many other wonderful attributes. �He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth� (God is thus omnipresent). �He fashioneth their hearts alike� (He is omnipotent). �He considereth all their works� (He is omniscient) (Psalm33:14-15). �In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth� (Genesis1:1). If a person truly believes the first verse of the Bible, he should be able to believe all other verses in the Bible, no matter what men or devils can say to the contrary. Our God, who has also become our Redeemer and Savior, is �eternal,immortal, invisible, the only wise God� (1Timothy 1:17). He is indeed a God of many attributes. HMM -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Believer's Purpose Galatians 5:13 God has a purpose for your life. If that weren't true, He'd have taken you home to heaven at the moment of salvation. Do you ever wonder why He left you here? The Lord intends to influence others through you. Our purpose is to be a vessel through which Christ overflows to others--touching those who hurt and desperately need a Savior. Once we are saved, Scripture teaches, our involvement is threefold. First, we love others. Jesus clearly stated that this was one of the two greatest commandments (Matt.22:38-39). Second, we share the good news of salvation (Acts 1:8). Some travel across the world to spread the gospel, while others teach neighbors acrossthe street. The Holy Spirit will direct us to the right people if we are willing to obey. Third, we serve in a variety of ways, like helping those in need, sharing our resources, and lifting others in prayer. Jesus is our perfect example of all three. His entire life was marked by caring for people--both those who loved Him and those who did not. In fact, the Bible teaches that He humbled Himself and became like us, willing to give up His life for ourredemption. There is no greater love; there is no greater act of service. Scripture clearly defines the believer's purpose. Aligning ourselves with God's intentions for His children--loving others, witnessing, and serving-- bring us great satisfaction. In fact, we're still on earth not merely to hear more teaching but to act onit and share with others what we learn. ----------------------------------------------------------- Business As Usual - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org People didn�t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. �Matthew 24:39 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/business-as-usual/- Listen During the Persian Gulf War, I happened to be teaching through the Book of Revelation. We starting receiving phone calls from some radio stations that wanted to know ifI would be a guest on their program because people were wondering whether the war was Armageddon. Needless to say, it wasn�t. But one day, I was on a phone-in radio program in Los Angeles where one of the other guests was a university religion professor who didn�t believethat Bible prophecy was relevant. He also didn�t believe that the Bible was inspired by God. As a result, we had a little bit of a debate. And as the conversation progressed, I said, �You know, you say you don�t believe in the Bible, but in reality, you�re a fulfillmentof Bible prophecy.� �What?� he said. I went on to explain that in the last days, the Bible predicts there will be mockers and scoffers who say, �What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? Frombefore the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created� (2 Peter 3:4 NLT). He didn�t appreciate that too much. Yet Jesus said, �When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah�s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddingsright up to the time Noah entered his boat� (Matthew 24: 38 NLT). In other words, it was business as usual. In the last days, people will ignore prophetic warnings, just as they did in Noah�s day. And just as they mocked Noah, people willmock us as followers of Christ. That, too, is a sign of the last days. But one day the mockery will cease and the laughter will stop when Christ fulfills His very words. Jesus is coming back. VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM