Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY THURSDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this gorgeous Friday eve. I'm doing well, but feeling exhausted, as I know many of you are. It's been a long week, but it's been a really good week. I'm grateful that the weather warmed up a bit, and indulged me. I wasn't quite ready for the cold temperatures already. I'm looking forward to the weekend. I don't have anything planned, so I'll get to sleep in, but I do want to get in the kitchen and try some new recipes. I wonder what they will be, but it has to be good. God has given us lots of natural ingredients that can work together to make something wonderful. Let me know if you want to be my taste taster, it'll be a lot of fun! Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day, go outside and take pleasure in the magnificent beauty of God, the clouds are moving out and the sun is moving in. Be blessed family!

Today's scriptures are about having our hearts fixed on God. The bible depicts countless stories about some brave people, some of which fought lions, and parted seas with a walking stick. Some were stoned to death, because of their love for God. Then there are accounts of people who were weak like Judas who betrayed Jesus. We don't have to face half of what was faced in the biblical days, yet we still stray, fret, and become weary in our Faith walk. In order to truly live a Righteous life, our hearts must be fixed on God. Let's examine the word "fixed". There are several different definitions, so I'll give you the first three:(1) Firmly in position; stationary. (2) Determined; established; set. (3) Not subject to change or variation; constant. James 1:5-8 says: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Throughout this chapter James warns us about being "double-minded". He wrote to the church to help them deal with the practical aspects of the Christian faith, and to help remind them of what their everyday conduct should be. James' letters are still valid in today's society. Do you consider yourself brave? The book of Acts is a very interesting read, so take some and study it. It's sub-titled "The Acts of the Holy Spirit", and it follows the lives of the Jesus' disciples, mostly the journey of Peter and Paul. They were two very brave men. They came up against much adversity, but their hearts were always fixed on God. No matter how much they faced, they were still well loved, appreciated, and taken care of. God always supplied their every need, and all they had to do was stay "firmly positioned", and follow the will of God. They never feared death, beatings, or being imprisoned for what they believed in, because they knew their rewards where in Heaven. Humbleness starts when we truly surrender to God. When we allow Him to have total control and trust Him for everything, we're fixed. When we pray without ceasing we're fixed. When every step is taken with Him in mind, we're fixed. Being fixed on God will change our entire way of life, we'll have more peace, joy, and happiness, despite our earthly situations. We'll have more confidence to face the giants of life, and with that confidence we'll be more successful, because we aren't afraid to dream big. Frankly, with the blood of Jesus Christ, and a heart fixed on God, we shouldn't be afraid of anything. When we aren't fixed on God, we're in bondage, and when we finally fall back in line with Him we'll be able to stand firm on Faith. I've attached one of my favorite songs “Stand”, and part of the chorus is: Well, you just stand, When there's nothing left to do, You just stand, Watch the Lord see you through, Yes, after you've done all you can, You just stand. I love this song so much because I sometimes have a hard time letting go and letting God. Some of us go through life trying to take on the world alone, when all we need to do is stand still and wait on the Lord. If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior then what is your heart fixed on? Who do you rely on? Where does your help come from? Jesus offers the answers to all of this and more. When you get tired of going through life alone, pray and ask for God's help, and fix your heart on Him. My favorite verse today is: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455127&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=5492525&ct=7533383

I love you!