Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY MONDAY!

Today's scriptures are about God’s protection of those He loves. When we’re protecting, or being protected, there are certain steps we must take in order to stay safe and taken care of. God offers us protection from not only the evils of the world, but protection from ourselves. The commandments He gave us, through Moses, were all designed to protect us. He gave us laws of integrity, which teaches us to carry higher standards. Most importantly, He commanded us to love Him first, and allow Him to do the rest. He's our Heavenly Father, so for Him to say, “trust Me and I'll protect you”, means a lot. When we're born again, or confess Jesus as our Savior, we became babes in Christ, and just as a parent would protect their child, that's how God protects us. When we start off on our journey with Him, He holds our hand, feeds and nourishes us with the right knowledge and understanding, until we mature enough to stand on our own. Even then, He's with us every step of the way, so when we do fall, He's there to pick us up, dust us off, and get us back on the right path. He's such a wonderful and loving Father, and because of that He gives us choices. He gives us instructions on how to live life, the Holy Spirit for guidance, and the blood of Jesus for forgiveness, but continues to leave it up to us to use those resources. It's written: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. (Matt. 18:1-5) Humility comes to mind when I read this passage of scripture, because Jesus laid it all out for us right here. All we have to do is become as little children, and we'll be considered the greatest, of God's chosen, in Heaven. Look at life in the eyes of a child, they're so carefree, joyful, and full of life. They have this undeniable innocence about them, and they never worry about anything. They look for the good in all things, and use their imagination to take them to wonderful places. They rely on, and trust in their parents’ protection, without a care in the world. Now I know what you must be thinking, but Jesus isn't asking us to be oblivious to the dangers of the world, because He also said: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matt. 10:16) He’s simply asking us to trust in our Heavenly Father, stop worrying about things we can't control, and as long as we do these with a humbled heart, we won't have a care in the world. Do you realize the magnitude of the power of Christ? We can do all things through Christ, because His power lives inside of us. Just as you did when you were a child, dream of your best life in Christ, and ask for His guidance to get you there. When you put your faith and hope in Him, He'll take you where you need be, giving you protection against the enemy along the way. The enemy will always try to steal that childlike innocence Jesus is referring to, but when we stay in the presence of the Lord, He'll rebuild all that the enemy attempts to tear down. Notice the keywords today like trust, hope, faith, and humility, because they're all necessary to receive the full coverage of God’s protection. Think of it this way, when you buy a car, it's equipped with door locks and an alarm system, to keep thieves from stealing it, but if we don't lock the doors, and activate the alarm, it's wide open, and the thief can just get in and drive away. Your car will eventually be replaced, if you have insurance, but it’s just the hurtful process it takes to get the replacement. We wake up each day to a God with open arms, ready to receive us, but it's up to us to welcome that embrace, and hold on tight. Jesus is the bond that brings us together with God, so you need Him before you could have that full embrace. Get to know Him, and the condition of your salvation, by taking the God Quiz today. My favorite verses today are: The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. (Psalms 37:23-24)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455313&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943547

I love you!