Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY TUESDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful day. It's terrific Tuesday and there's a lot going on in the world, such as new music and movies, and it’s Election Day. Today we're responsible for electing a new Governor in the Common Wealth of Virginia. I have to confess I haven't been following the coverage on this race, and if I were to vote today, I wouldn't know which person to choose. I'm not into politics as much as I should be, so I could’ve use some help today. I pray that the best person wins. Time is steadily flying, and they’ve started putting up Christmas decorations here in Bethesda. The thanksgiving displays are up in the stores as well. It's the perfect time to pick up can foods, cake mixes, stuffing, etc. I'm making 2 turduckins this year, and am looking forward to it. I'll be sure I post the recipe on my website by the end of the week, just in case you want to try it. Do you have any new or unusual Thanksgiving recipes please share? If so, you can post them on the forum on my website www.divinecuisineepc.com or send them to me, and I'll post them. It's always good to step outside of the box a little bit. Enjoy the rest of your day, and be blessed family!

Today’s scriptures are about the consequences of following the Lord. The natural order of life is, if you do well you're rewarded, and if you do bad you're punished. This has been the case since the beginning of time, and is standard all over the world. Somehow we think the rules don't apply in our Faith walk. Yesterday we learned that we should follow the paths laid before us by Jesus, and how beneficial it would be to study His ways. Jesus was the only sinless human being that walked this earth. If we want to know how we could walk in righteousness and avoid sin, we should study Him. The bible is full of God’s promises to reward the righteous, such as: Blessed are those who keep justice, and he who does righteousness at all times! (Psalms 106:3) Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! (119:2) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6) “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28) Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. (Revelations 22:14) Do you notice the trend in these five verses? They all say "blessed are those who...” and this indicates that our blessing, or lack thereof, are direct results of our actions. Forgiveness of sins is guaranteed to those of us who are saved, but what's the difference between being forgiven of sins, and being punished for them? When we sin, all we need to do is confess and ask for forgiveness, and those things are washed away. However being forgiven of those sins doesn't pardon us from its punishment, especially if we have no intentions on repenting. For example, "Thou Shalt Not Steal" is of the Ten Commandments, but let’s say that you work as a cashier at a department store, and someone gave you to much money one day. You really needed that $5 or $10, so you slip it in your pocket. Your Holy Spirit convicts you, and when you get home you confess and ask forgiveness. In the back of your mind you're thinking, "I wish someone would do that again, that came right in handy". It does happen again and you do the same thing, but this time you get caught and lose your job. Is it God's fault that you lost your job? Some people would get angry with God because they're not looking at their actions, but they're looking at their circumstance. However, had you done the right thing and given the money back, then God would've blessed you ten fold. Did you know we are often tested in situations similar to these? If we're following in Jesus’ footsteps then we're to actively turn away from all evil. Temptations are going come at us every minute of everyday, but we always have a choice. We'll be compensated for each choice that we make whether good or bad. If we choose to help a person in need and expect nothing in return, we'll receive blessings. However, if we lie, cheat, and steal, we'll be punished. It's just as simple as reaping what we sow. Just know that you are a precious child of God, and your every action reflects Christ. Take care to represent Him well, and truly take on your role as being like Christ (Christian). To get to know Jesus say a prayer confessing your sins, and asking Him to be Lord of your life. If you've already done that, but realize you need help getting back on the right path, pray and tell Him just that, He's been waiting to hear from you. Make righteousness a way of life. My favorite verse today is: The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. (Proverbs 10:29)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455139&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=5569835&ct=7613841

I love you!