Daily Devotional Day & Night

Happy Wednesday!

We only have one more day left in 2009, but doesn’t it feel like this year just started? This is the time to start your evaluation process (if you haven’t already). What did 2009 bring to you, the good, bad, and the ugly? Did you accomplish the plans, goals, and resolutions you set for yourself? Did you learn anything, or teach someone something? Did you notice life’s seasons changing, and did you grow from them? These are the types of questions you should be asking yourself, as you embark on the New Year, and make a vow (not a resolution), to follow the Will of God in 2010. Still make your plans to grow and change, and pray on them, but ultimately God is in control. Allow Him to be Him, and trust Him to love, uplift, strengthen, and grow you into the person that “He” wants you to be. Enjoy the rest of your day, and be blessed family!

Today’s scriptures are about being “blameless” in God’s eyes, because of Jesus Christ. We just celebrated the birth of the Baby Jesus on Christmas day, and we do this in remembrance of the most important man who ever walked the face of this earth. Jesus’ Will was to take on the burden of sin for all mankind, and He did that at the cross. He laid down His life to free us from sin, death, and to mend our relationship with God. Most importantly, He did it because He loved us more than His earthly flesh. Jesus sacrificed His entire life by teaching us the ways of God, and ultimately freeing us from the penalties of sin. This puts me in mind of a song we would sing at my old church “At the Cross”. The chorus goes: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! The Author reminds us that we have to go to the cross for forgiveness of sin, and with that forgiveness, comes a new “sight”. I wrote a little about free will yesterday, and due to the actions of Adam and Eve, we each have the option to choose what we want in life. God offers these gifts through the blood of Jesus, but He cannot make us choose Him. The natural order of things is the fact that we reap what we sow, and we can ultimately control our happiness and peace. God has given us every tool to help us live a righteous life. Jesus makes us “blameless” in God’s sight, Hallelujah! He said: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) We know what things to expect on a daily basis, just turn on the television, or log onto the Internet. There are temptations that follow us everywhere we go, but Jesus gives us a way out. He’s above anything that we will encounter, and even when we fall, and believe me each of us will, He’ll be right there to pick us up. God cannot look on sin, because He’s Holy and Righteous. When we’ve accepted Jesus as our Savior His blood covers us, and to God we appear white as snow. When He looks at us, He sees pure love in our hearts, no evil, no sin, nor mistakes that we’ve made. He sees love, because we have become one with His beloved Son. The world will chew us up and spit us out, so being a Christian expect to be criticized and questioned by non-believers, because they don’t know any better. Be prepared for tests to your integrity and Spirituality, because it happened to Jesus, so it’ll happen to us. We’re to take up our cross daily, and follow Him. When we live intently to serve God, and not man, His light will shine through us, and the world can’t ignore it. The love of God cannot be lost, and there’s nothing that we could do to make Him love us any less. We’re His creations, and He loves us more than any parent could love a child. He proved it when He sent His only Son to die for our sins, and He continues to prove it every day. There are many questions about Religion, Spirituality, and Denominations in the world. It goes back to the beginning of time. What will you tell people when asked why you’re a Christian? My answer would be: “God loves me, and His only Son died for my sins. I prayed and asked Jesus to be my Savior, and God immediately forgave my sins, and Jesus prepared a mansion in Heaven for me. While I’m on earth, my job is to help strengthen God’s Kingdom, by following His Will for my life. I’m not perfect, and no man but Jesus Christ ever were, or ever will be, but because of Jesus, God sees me that way. When I sin, I simply confess to God, and ask for forgiveness in the Name of Jesus, and repent. My sins are then forgiven, and washed away as far as east is to west. This opportunity was given by the grace of God, and it’s free to you as well.” For those of you that may be lost, say that prayer and allow Jesus to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. My favorite verse today is: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. (Philippians 2:15)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455196&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197

I love you!