Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the end of another workweek (for most). I'm doing well, and really feeling good about what the day will bring. TGIF!!! This week flew by quickly, and as of today, we're already halfway through October. It's amazing how fast 24 hours goes, and the types of routines we become accustomed to. It's also amazing how many hours within those 24 that we dedicate to God. Is it too much to offer Him one hour per day, instead of a few hours a week in church on Sunday? I know how hard it is to stay focused, and prioritize, especially in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Once you go to work, come home, cook and eat dinner, shower, and prepare for the next day, you're beat! However, quiet time with God needs to be at the top our mental checklist. Time with Him is as vital as food and water in our life. Enjoy your weekend, and be blessed family!

Today's scriptures are about the Lord being our strength and shield. Do you know how powerful you really are? Jesus not only offers us salvation and forgiveness of sins, but He gives us the strength to endure, and over come everything we're faced with in life. No matter the inflictions, through Christ, God will help us see our way through. Not only will we be able to get through them, but we'll also come out stronger and wiser on the other end. When we serve the one and only God, who’s all powerful, merciful, and gracious, His strength lives on the inside of us. There's nothing this world could throw at us, that we cannot defeat, with God on our side. He protects us every minute of everyday. It's unbelievable how many times the enemy attacks us a day, which we never see, because of God’s shield of protection that surrounds us. As we grow in our Spiritual faith walk, we mature, and are able to overlook at lot of things. Especially things that are meant for our harm, but God turned it around for our good.

God even protects us from ourselves, because more often than not, we have not clue what we should or shouldn't be doing. We put ourselves in impossible situations, with no way out, but God always seems to come to the rescue. I know I'm not the only one who’s done some pretty foolish things in the past, with no regard for my safety, or no grasp on the reality of the situation. As my co-worker would say, "I was a habitual line walker". In life there are boundaries outlined, and I was always the person to push the lines of the boundaries a bit too far. God always gave me the strength to endure my self-inflicted pain, and I eventually gained wisdom from them.
Then there's my optimistic spirit. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt; I'll trust you until you give me a reason not to. I'm always very understanding, and quick to forgive; most people would call it being naive. However, I like having this type of spirit, because it fills my heart with joy and love. I'm open to everything and everyone that God brings in my life, because I know that they're here for a reason. Don't get me wrong, I have common sense, and the Holy Spirit has helped me build a wonderful spirit of decrement. At the same time, I don't want to live my life thinking everything and everyone is bad, and being constantly on the defensive. God allows me to keep that "free spirit", and protects me from myself, and anyone who means me harm. He shields me from a lot of the evils of the world, because He created me to be the compassionate person I am today. Most of the time, I discover the danger that I may have encounter, or the person who tried to hurt me in hindsight, when it's often too late to do too much damage. I simply praise God for the lessons learned, and for delivering me from that trial, with the ability continue moving on.

We should rejoice in knowing that as children of God, nothing happens in our life unless He allows it. This, and fact that He’ll never give us more than we can bear, helps us live a life full of peace. We have no reason to have fear or doubt, because we are children of God, through Christ. Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." (John 15:11-13) Jesus has already laid down His life for us, and He considers us friends, all He asks in return is our love. Live your life in knowing that Jesus Christ is your good friend, and He's making intercessions for you in Heaven. There's nothing anyone can do to take us out of God's hands.

If you confess Jesus as Lord, and believe that He lives, then God considers you one of His children. He'll protect us, as any father would do or his child. At the same time, He allows us to make our own choices, and He gives us all of the tools we need to choose wisely. The first and wisest choice we should make is to choose Jesus as Lord. If you haven't confessed Him as your Savior, then you're open to any and everything this world will throw at you. Take a few minutes to pray and ask Him to come into your life as Lord, and get to know Him today. My favorite verse today is: The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. (Psalms 2:7)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455485&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio
http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional

I love you!