Where Is Your Treasure?

TODAY’S VERSE
“Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God.”
Psalms 20:7

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:20-21

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is easy to get our priorities mixed up. It seems that people are judged by the money they earn and the things they acquire. Even criminals are honored if they have the “rich and famous” lifestyle. Fame and fortune are the goals that we aspire to. The issue isn’t whether “riches” are good or bad. The issue is that there is something more important than our materialism. There is a spiritual reality that we need to be concerned about. Jesus told us to store “spiritual” treasures in heaven. David said not to boast in our earthy positions and pleasures but to “boast in the Lord.” Why is this important? Because what we treasure is a reflection of what we are inside. If we treasure God, it is because He has the affection of our heart. If we boast in the Lord, it is because we are pleased with our relationship with Him. Do we want to have a deeper, more satisfying relationship with God? Seek Him like we would gold. Go after Him like a lost treasure. Make Him the most valuable part of our life and our heart with follow.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I want to treasure you more than gold. I want to love you more than my possessions. Help me to know you. Help me to experience your love. Help me love you more and more until I understand the valuable treasure your love really is.
AMEN

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How Deep Is His Love?

TODAY’S VERSE
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.”
Ephesians 3:18-19

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Unconditional love. What a thought; better yet, when we realize it, what a reality! God loves us with no strings attached. But do we really believe that? Brennan Manning, in his book “Abba’s Child,” challenges whether we do or not. He writes, “It is one thing to feel loved by God when our life is together and all our support systems are in place. But what happens when life falls through the cracks? What happens when we sin and fail, when our dreams shatter, when our investments crash, when we are regarded with suspicion? What happens when we come face-to-face with the human condition?” If we are honest with ourselves, we would probably begin to doubt whether could love us. Why is that? Could it be that we want something to do with our own salvation? Is it the cross plus our worthiness? Is it His death plus all the good things we have done? We need to pray what Paul prayed, that we would have the power to understand how much He really loves us. Manning wrote it this way, “Whether you understand it or not, God loves you, is present in you, lives in you, dwells in you, calls you, saves you and offers you an understanding and compassion which are like nothing you have ever found in a book or heard in a sermon.” May you really begin to believe and experience this reality.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank you for the fact that you love me unconditionally. Please give me the power to fully understand how deep Your love really is and the fact that it is a gift, not something I have to earn. Thank you for such an amazing truth. In Jesus Name.
AMEN

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Living With Purpose

TODAY’S VERSE
“I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.
Genesis 45:4-8

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Joseph had a dream that God had a purpose for him to fulfill. In it his family was bowing down to him. It was a purpose apparently with significance. His brothers were jealous of Joseph and in a rage, sold him to slavery. He worked as a slave, went to prison, but everywhere he went, God favored him.  He believed that God had a purpose for him and this deep belief carried him through each day. Finally, at the end of the story, there was a famine. God led Joseph to store up grain for the famine and so when others were starving, Egypt was able to survive. Hearing that there was grain in Egypt, his brothers went to buy some. It was here that they were reunited with Joseph. When Joseph revealed himself, they were horrified. Joseph shared with them the key to his success, to his survival, to his extraordinary life. He believed that God was in charge and had a purpose for him. He said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”  Victor Frankl in his book “Man’s Search for Meaning” shared about the ability of some people to survive the Concentration Camps of Nazi Germany when others did not. He concluded that those that seemed to have a purpose, a calling, a dream about their life had the will to live that helped them survive such severe atrocities. What about you? Come to God. He knows you. He loves you. He has a purpose for your life.  Make Him ruler of your existence and live for Him today. 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thank you that you have a divine purpose for my life. I have been called to serve you and ask you to guide me in the way I should go. Help me trust you today. Help me to have the faith that Joseph did in trusting you when the times were good and when they were bad.
AMEN

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Amazing Grace

TODAY’S VERSE
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. II Corinthians 12:9

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Troubles happen. There are so many variables in life. It is good to have dreams, to make plans and to choose paths, however, you and I know that things don’t always go the way we plan. What do we do when things seem to get all messed up? We’ve asked for wisdom, for guidance but now it calls for something more. Something very special. It calls for grace. 
According to Merriam-Webster grace means, “unmerited divine assistance”. This was given to us when He we asked Him to forgive us from all that we did to separate ourself from Him. And more that that, He made us His child. Our forgiveness was totally unmerited. There was nothing we could do to deserve it. In today’s verse, Paul is saying that God wants us to live life in the same way we received His forgiveness and became His child by relying on God’s unmerited divine assistance. Paul gave us his own testimony. When nothing was going right and Paul kept asking God to move in certain directions, God had to say, “No!” It was not the direction God had for Paul. Instead God was saying, “Paul you are going to have to trust me, but don’t worry, my grace, my intervention in your life that you could never earn, is going to get you through.” This is what hope is about. This is what faith is based on. This is the reality of our walk with Christ. No matter what we go through, God promises that His grace is all we need! Today, admit to God your need for His grace in your life. Humble yourself before Him, and acknowledge His ability (and desire) to see you through this day.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I need You in my life today. I need Your divine assistance. I need Your amazing grace. I know that I do not deserve it. You have lavishly poured Your love into my life and I praise You. Thank You for all that You have done for me. Thank You that today, Your grace is all I need to get me through. In Jesus Name.
AMEN. 

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Never Forsaken

TODAY’S VERSE
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6

“Be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
Hebrews 13:5

TODAY’S THOUGHT
One of the first things they teach you in marriage communications is to stay away from using emotionally fatalistic words like “never” or “always”, as in, “You never help around here!” or “You always waste money.” It is very rare that human behavior is “always” or “never”. But what about God? The Bible makes it clear that His ways are not our ways. In Romans 3:4 it says, “Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true!” Now consider today’s verse in light of the fact that God does not lie. Moses tells us to be strong and courageous and not afraid. The author of Hebrews wrote to be content with what you have. Why all the optimism? Why the courage? Because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” God Himself has said to you and I, “Never.” Never. NEVER! Let it sink in – He will never leave you or forsake you! Today, right now, let this fact change your day. Let it reshape your emotions. Let it precede all your decisions. He will never leave you or forsake you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I wander through most days with so much doubt. Perhaps apathy is a better word. I live as if you half exist. I haven’t taken most of your promises seriously. I have not been content. Most the time I am not strong or courageous. Forgive me for this. Instead, help me today really grasp what it means that you will never leave me or forsake me. Help me understand what that promise really means to me today. Thank you, Lord, for all your love for me. Help me to love you. In Jesus Name.
AMEN

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Light Your Corner of the World

TODAY’S VERSE
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Matthew 5:14

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I love synergy. That is the result of different entities working together to create a bigger response than they could by themselves. Have you ever been to a “candle light sing”, when at the end of the service one candle is lit and one by one each candle in the auditorium sends forth its illumination? What a beautiful site. How amazing that one little candle can be part of such brightness. This is the effect Jesus had in mind when He said that we were the “light of the world”. He was leaving this world and with the power of the Holy Spirit in each of our lives we would each shine our own light. Together we would become the light of the world. Dallas Willard in his book “Hearing God” writes, “Those who receive the grace of God’s saving companionship in His word are by that very fact also fitted to show humankind how to live.  Collectively the ‘called out’ people of God, the church is empowered to stand up for wandering humanity to see. When faced with starvation, crime, economic disasters and difficulties, disease, loneliness, alienation and war, the church should be, because it alone could be, the certified authority on how to live to which the world looks for answers.” We are called to be the light where we are. Today, come to Him, bring Him your candle; let Him light it for you and then light up your corner of the world. I’ll light mine. If everyone reading this devotional would let Christ light their light, someone is bound to be effected. There are people all around us dying to come out of the darkness.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, speak to me, ignite my heart and then help me shine that light today. Help me share the light that I have with those hurting in utter darkness so they too can live in the light of your love and glory.
AMEN

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He Is Right Beside You

TODAY’S VERSE
“I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.”
Psalms 16:8

TODAY’S THOUGHT
As a child I was afraid of going down to the basement by myself. It was dark and creepy. Yet that is where my mom stored the canned vegetables. And everyday after school my mother would ask me to go and get a can and bring it upstairs. Once, after my brother turned off all the lights on me, I was really frightened. My father, who arrived home as I was expressing my panic and fear, asked what the trouble was. I explained to him my concern about the basement. He took me downstairs and had mom turn out the lights. I grabbed his hand and relaxed as I realized he was actually holding mine. He walked with me through the basement explaining to me that there was nothing to worry about. What a difference his presence made. What a relief to know that this giant of a man was beside me and that I had nothing to fear. David knew about darkness. He was a lonely shepherd, out many nights taking care of the sheep. But he knew the secret to overcoming the fear of the dark. He wrote, “I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.”
Today you can have that same assurance. Acknowledge His presence. Spend time with Him and allow Him to guide you throughout this day. He truly is right beside you. 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thank you that you are with me. Help me today to be keenly aware of your presence. Guide me, direct me and make me conscious that you are always at my side.
AMEN

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Give God the Glory

TODAY’S VERSE
“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God – Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God.”
Deuteronomy 8:10-14

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We have all heard stories about those that went through severe trial leaving them deeply hurt, dejected and wavering in their faith. Who of us would judge someone in such a tragic situation? Rather we pray and ask God to make Himself real to them in their time of sorrow. Yet what is far more common is the ordinary story of tens of thousands of Christians who, growing up in the faith, buy into the American dream, give in to materialism and become nominal in their faith. God warns us to be careful, very careful that when things go good that we do not forget Him. How could that happen you ask? Moses says it when we eat and are satisfied, build fine houses, settle down, earn income (sound like anyone you know?) and become proud. We start to believe that it is our ability, our skills, our intelligence, our savvy that has produced all that we have. We fail to give God glory and soon our heart grows cold toward Spiritual things. There is hope for the wounded heart to be healed, but what hope is there for the callous, dried up heart? The only hope is to repent! Give God back His glory which you have stolen. Fall down before Him and praise Him for all that you have. Ask Him to renew your heart, to open your eyes to His goodness and give back all that you have to Him for His use. Make Him the Lord of your income and possessions. When you do, you will find that materialism will lose its hold on your heart and your soul will be free and alive with the love of God.
 
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, to think that I have created my own income, am master of my own possessions and the sole reason for my own success is to rob you of your glory. I know — I have fallen to this temptation. It is so easy to forget that You are the giver of all good things. Forgive me Lord. I give you back all that I have. Be Lord of everything I am and own. Help me to live my life for you and to give you praise and glory for every blessing you give me.
AMEN

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Jealousy and Selfish Ambition

TODAY’S VERSE
“If you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.”
James 3:14-16

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.”
James 4:1-2

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There is a plague in our world. At its worst it is the root of wars, poverty, hatred and injustice. In our everyday life it is what causes arguments, hurt feelings, disappointment and ungodly behavior. James calls this plague “jealousy and selfish ambition”. He goes further to call it, “unspiritual and demonic behavior” and assures us that wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and evil of every kind. Now does this mean that it wrong to have ambition? Is it wrong to desire goals? Is it wrong to have nice things? The answer to all three questions is, “No!” Where wrong comes in is when we live our lives independently of God. It is when we make our goals without considering the way He desires us to live that we are susceptible to major discontent. We listen to the world and start to desire fame and fortune. We create goals that we think will lead us to the place we need to be and nothing better get in our way. The cure for jealousy and selfish ambition is to develop a relationship with Christ. Talk to Him. Tell Him about your desires and dreams. Ask Him to show you how you should live. Ask Him to help you create goals that will honor Him. When you do, you can also leave the results to Him. You are already accepted by Him and loved unconditionally. When you really start to believe that, there will be no room in your heart for cheap imitations. There will be no reason for jealousy or selfish ambition.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for taking my eyes off of you and setting up my own kingdom. I know that jealousy and selfish ambition have been prevalent in my life. I renounce these attitudes and ask that You would show me Your will for my life. Help me be content and live a life pleasing to you.
AMEN

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Change Your Clothes

TODAY’S VERSE
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3:12-14

TODAY’S THOUGHT
I like to lay out my clothes the night before I have to get up and go to work. It is one less thing I have to think about when I get up. It allows me to be more objective and intentional instead of rushing to decide what to wear. Paul shares that intentionally is also important in wearing the wardrobe that God has for us to wear. Paul uses the analogy of clothing because our behavior is something that people see about us. Just like a bad suit we look bad in negative behavior. Instead, Paul admonishes us to clothe ourselves in love. He then says to accessorize love with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. What an ensemble. Can you imagine if we were intentional in putting on this behavior everyday? What a difference it would make in our life and the lives of those around us. Today, decide what you want to wear. It is your choice. God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has custom made an outfit just for you. The clothes fit perfectly and bring out your true self. Go ahead, find a quiet changing room and go change. Clothe yourself today with love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness.  

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I know I need to wear something different in my heart. I haven’t been wearing the clothes you gave to me when I became a Christian. Help me today to change the clothes of my heart and put on love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness.
AMEN

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