Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful "hump day". It's a perfect day to stay in with some movies. The temperature dropped tremendously, we had gone through a mini heat wave over the last few days, but that has quickly changed. I thought we skipped the spring season, and jumped directly from winter to summer. I know God doesn't make mistakes, so whatever He says go, I'm just grateful to see another day. I'm trying to find a good vegetarian dish for the Menu tasting. There were a few vegetarians at my tasting last year, and they were a little disappointed that I didn't have more dishes for them to choose from. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Have a wonderful day!

Today's scriptures are about our blessings from God. Kelly Price has a song named "It will Rain", which is one of my all time favorite songs. After I read today's scriptures, this chorus started playing in my head. It goes: It will rain, there'll pain, troubles will come, understand. Count it all joy, the morning will come, sun will shine, keep your head high. Everything we go through in life is part of a greater plan for us, as children of God. We should "Count it all Joy!” because God is constantly blessing us. Even when He chastises us, it's for our greater good. He allows pain in our lives to teach us lessons, for situations we may face in the future. I hear some people praise their parents for chastising them, because it helped keep grounded. How will we learn how to survive in life, if everything is handed to us on a silver platter? Life is hard, and everyone isn't saved. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), and he’ll use anyone or anything to get to us. We must experience life in order to be aware of his tricks. It's human nature to want to test the waters, I'm not sure why, but it started with Adam and Eve. We learned from them the penalties that come with sin. God was so good to them, and He gave them everything they could ever need, in the Garden of Eden. He only asked them not to eat from the tree of life, and they did it anyway. That's another part of human nature, the flesh it's never satisfied, no matter how much God gives us, we seem to always want more. Nobody ever wants to stop and appreciate the blessings they’ve already received. I'm guilty of it myself. I am excited everyday, I wake up saying, "Lord thank you for this, this, and that, now all I need is..." Then if I don't get that thing I asked for, I'm angry, upset, fearful, or stressed out, and I totally lose sight of all the wonderful blessings I already have. I've become increasingly aware of my blessings, and grateful for the good in everything. It's so easy to focus on all the bad things going on our lives. The enemy will constantly remind us of the negative things, and point out the things we don't have. Peer pressure and jealousy will get us in so much trouble too, as we see in the story of Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve's sons, in Genesis 4. Our Faith walk is a daily journey, when we spend our alone time with God, we should reflect on our blessings, and thank Him for them. We should thank Him for every circumstance, good or bad, because something good is always coming out of the bad things. We should thank Him for our pain, because it's meant to make us stronger, and build character. In our adversity He shines the most, because it help's strengthen our Faith, and the Faith of the people around us (2 Cor. 12:9). Appreciation is a word that should be in the forefront of our minds. Do you appreciate God? Do you appreciate your blessings? Do you appreciate the good people He has put in your life? It's written in Luke 12:48: ...For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. God blesses us with things in His perfect timing, He wants to make sure we have exactly what we need, and we're equipped to handle those things. He always answers our prayers with a yes, no, or a wait, most often it's yes or a wait, and the we should praise Him for the no’s because He saves us so much heartache. Would you allow your 10-year-old child drive your car just because they ask? Everything that comes from God is a perfect gift. It’s because of His grace, that we receive the precious gifts of Eternal life, and the Holy Spirit to guide us. I could testify that God has been so good to me! When I think about His goodness and mercy, I can't help but Praise Him. "If He never does another thing for me He's already done enough" (that's another one of my favorite songs). I urge you to stop walking around with your head down, because you're a child of God! Victory is in your grasp, by Faith, through the blood of Jesus! Only you could control your destiny, start focusing on your blessings, and try to see the good in your adversity. If you aren't a child of God then things are pretty grim for you, at this very moment that could change. Say a quick prayer thanking God for life, confessing that you're a sinner, and asking Jesus to coming your life as your Savior. After that's done, you don't have to fret anymore. It will rain, there'll pain, troubles will come, understand. Count it all joy, the morning will come, sun will shine, keep your head high. My favorite verses today are: Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. (Deuteronomy 8:2,5)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454951&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4949629&ct=6866031

I love you!