Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY TUESDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about the enormity of our faith. I know what you might be thinking, “why does Saundra use words like enormity”. I honestly couldn’t think of any other worth that best describe the importance of our Faith. God loves us so much, and He loves us even more, when we love Him in return. Have you ever wondered why that’s all that He asks of us? Loving Him, and loving each other, supersedes the Laws of Moses. We all know that God is the great “I AM” and we were commanded to fear Him in the Old Testament, but Jesus taught us about another side of Him. Jesus actually showed us His “softer side”. He died so that we could have a relationship with Him, and it means a lot to Him to know that we love and trust Him, despite having never really seen Him.

Do you know how easy it is to not believe in God? There are so many different cults and religions, whose sole purpose is to try to discredit Jesus Christ. There are many who say that He never lived, or that He did live, but He was only a prophet like Isaiah or Samuel. Then there are the people who say that there isn’t a God at all. They believe every word the scientist says about things like evolution, and the “Big Bang Theory”. If you sit and listen to these groups argue their point, they all have very valid and logical arguments, which can honestly make you scratch your head, and go into deep thought. The enemy is working overtime to tempt us, and draw us away from God, so we’re constantly under His attack, and most of the time we don’t even know it.

A few years ago, right after I completely surrendered my life to God, I was on fire for the Lord. Everyone that I came in contact with knew that I was a child of God. I had a conversation with a friend, who had openly said that he didn’t believe in “God” per say. He said that maybe there’s some higher power out there, but He didn’t believe that it was my “God”. He had had a very bad experience with his religion growing up, which lead him to believe that a loving God wouldn’t have allowed this to happen to him (in so many words). So me embracing my renewed “Christian’ life, I was determined to win this guy to Christ, so I shared my testimonies. I shared how God brought me out of alcoholism and a not so great childhood, and how He showed me the light. My friend wasn’t convinced. He said, “see this is what I don’t understand, you take all of these steps to make life better for yourself, and yet you give all of the credit to this God”. Then he started firing questions at me, most of which I didn’t quite have the answer to, but what I did know, deep down in my Soul, is that Jesus is real, and so is God.

That day, I decided to go back to the drawing board, because I didn’t win that soul to Christ. I needed to speak to God, and see what it was that He wanted to say to this young man. I wasn’t thinking about what Jesus said here: “…do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11-12) In that moment my Spirit said to me, “Show him”. From that day forward, I’ve been attempting to show Jesus through me, so that the lost can see Him, and meet Him face to face. Sometimes there just aren’t enough words to express how good God is, or that can explain how you know that you know that there is only One True God, and One Savior, Who is Jesus Christ!

We should always live our lives as true vessels for Christ, because the truth is, we see Christ every day. God once said: if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. (2 Chr. 1:14-15) Honestly, why would God ask us to seek His face, knowing that we would never see Him, while we’re in the flesh? He is in everything, and that’s exactly where we’ll find Him. If we choose to see the beauty in all of His creations, and love without fault, and quickly forgive, our hearts will stay full of His love. Once that spirit grows on the inside of us, we’ll be able to see God in everything and everyone, and even the lost man will be able to see Him in us.

God loves you, and all that He asks is that you believe that He gave His Son, so that you could have the greatest life imaginable, by Faith. It’s an enormous deal to believe in Him despite what a big part of the world says. We’ve been given a place in His Kingdom, just because we believe. He’s willing to forgive us of every sin, and love us despite our flaws, all because of our faith, so don’t allow the enemy to lie to you any longer. If you feel in your heart of hearts that Jesus is real, then confess that to God. Confess that you’re a sinner, and that you need Him to survive. Ask Him to come into your heart as Lord and Savior, and just because you believed in Him, you are delivered. I’m not making this up, it’s His promise. If you want more information, take a few minutes to take the God Quiz today! My favorite verse today is: In whom ye trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13)

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Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Today's scriptures are about seeking to be near to God. There's only one place I'd rather be, and that's in the presence of the Lord. He loves me so much that all I want to do is seek Him. When we receive something good, we just want more and more, and that's how I feel about the love of God. The phrase "seek the Lord" is found in over 30 verses in the New King James Version of the Bible. The first one is written: ...you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deut. 4:29) I've experienced times when I felt lost and alone, and when I sought the Lord, I definitely found Him. I often felt this sudden warmth throughout my body, as if I'd just been hugged. There were times when I was frustrated and confused, I sought the Lord, and I suddenly felt this Spirit of clarity and calm. Seeking the Lord for all things is the only way to ensure that we're following His will for our life.

How do you seek the Lord? There are several ways, but the most effective ways are prayer, meditation, and studying His Word. These are the places you're sure to find answers to any questions you may have. You can also seek the Lord, by seeking Godly counsel, through other believers, and Godly leaders. You can seek the Lord in your favorite Gospel Song, or recorded sermon. You can seek the Lord through service, giving up your time, or blessing others. Our greatest commandment is to Love Him with all of our heart and soul, and the only way to do that is to show Him our love. Before we do anything, we should ask ourselves “Would this be pleasing to God?”. There are a lot of things that we do, and don't think twice about it, but we must be aware of our surroundings at all time. To dwell in the presence of the Lord is to continually be with Him, as He is with us.

Being a Christian isn't supposed to feel like a chore, but it's a way of life. When you love the Lord, you yearn for Him at all times, and you'll get to the point where you can't tolerate evil. The only way to get to that point is through your journey with Him. Our love for Him must come from the heart. It can't be the surface type of love, but it must be a deep love, or as we discussed earlier this week, we must be "in love" with Him. In order to fall in love with Him, we must surround ourselves with light. Light and darkness cannot mix, one will overtake the other, but with God, you'll always stay in the light. To know God is to love Him, and you have to ask yourself some hard questions, similar to the ones God asked Job. To know that we're miniscule in the universe, yet God takes His precious time to mold and love us, is enough to want to seek His awesome presence. He created the heavens, planets, moon, sun, and stars, yet His main concern is little old me. He makes sure He we breathe everyday, let alone, assuring we have all of the essentials in life, and all we have to do is seek and love Him. That's not much to ask at all.

Are you a great and loyal employee at your job? Are you always there on time, and pride yourself on doing a great job? Now, do you go to church every Sunday, or attend other church related services throughout the week. Do you find it hard to make time in your schedule to serve others, or make time for them when they’re in need? If you do struggle with those things, then it's time prioritize. As Michael Jacks says, "I'm starting with the woman in the mirror, asking her to change her ways". When it comes to happiness, peace, and joy, there's only one foolproof way of getting it, and that's seeking the Lord your God. Each day we're given another chance to seek the Lord. Out of love and reverence for Him, ask Him to reveal your path, and look for Him throughout the day. Look for opportunities to show Him to people you come in contact with, throughout the day.

To stay near to God, is to keep Him at the head of your life each day. If you don't know Jesus, then you cannot come to God. The Son is the key to your Salvation, spiritual growth, and internal peace. Without Him you are lost, and so make it a point to seek Him today. It's not as hard as you think; just take a few moments to take the God Quiz today. God is always close, because His Spirit dwells within you. It's amazing how someone could be so close to you, but you're so far away. Never cease to seek His face, and it'll become as second nature. My favorite verse today is: Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. (Psalm 65:4)

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Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY THURSDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful Friday-eve. Over that last few weeks my Spirit has been battling with worry, but I can still see that bad habit slowly fading away. Worry is so toxic, and it causes stress, which could affect us mentally, Spiritually, and physically. The Bible teaches us, "Do not worry"; Jesus said it severally times in His Sermon on the Mount. Yet we're creatures of habit, and it's something that plagues us all. I'm learning that God is in control, and as long as I'm trying my best to live righteously, there's nothing I need to worry about. Remember, light always conquers darkness, so speak light into every situation, and have Faith in Lord. Worry is a state of mind, not a reality, and we’ll gain nothing from it, so live and let go. Enjoy the remainder of your day, and be blessed family!

Today's scriptures are about God knowing the heart of His children. There's so much misunderstanding when it comes to sin, forgiveness and salvation, that people are often lead astray. The only way to know the answer to all of your questions, or clear up any confusion, is to go to the Word of God. We're told to "seek first the Kingdom of God", and to seek requires diligence on our part. It's a known fact that God loves the world, and everything in it, because He's our creator. However, He holds a special place for those who love His Son (who is also Him). Jesus said: "for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.” (John 16:27) The ability to love comes from the heart, and sin comes from the flesh, so God judges us according to what's in our heart.

Yesterday we learned that Jesus freed us from the law, and that could only be true because of the love we have within. We're free to love Him with all of our heart and soul, because of His grace. We're free to be close to Him, and commune with Him, whenever and however we choose. We're free to be forgiven for mistakes, and to be open to growth and wisdom, in order to adequately serve the Kingdom of God. We are free to be His children, and to express our love to others, the way He's expresses His love to us. He understands the frailties of the flesh, and looks beyond that, with the offer of unconditional forgiveness.

God knows our intentions, thoughts, and foresees our actions, so there's nothing we can get away with. Our inner thoughts and feelings tell Him all that He needs to know, so we must work on getting right from the inside out. We must be open to the changes Jesus is making our lives, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient they may sometimes seem. You know the times when you feel in your heart that you should go to church when you really don't feel like it, or when you should loan money to that friend in need, who you know can't pay you back. There are times when you should be nice to people, when you really don't feel like being bothered, or when you help someone you don't necessarily like. Those things come from the heart. God doesn't look at the fact that you are less than perfect, but the fact that you're trying. He looks at the fact that you love Him, and love those around you, everything else can and will be worked out.

Meekness, forgiveness, and giving are three traits of a loving heart, and God will do His part to make sure your actions line up with your heart. He doesn't judge us on our intelligence, earthly success, or popularity among men, but on how meek and humbled we are. He loves us just the way we are on the inside, so it's important to work on being that person who moves on what comes from within. It's written: Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:3) We must make it a point to speak and move by the Spirit. If you can confess Jesus as Lord to anyone you come in contact with, you're speaking from the heart, and that makes God proud. Seek the Lord, and all of His righteousness, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. Yes, you have to allow it, and follow Him, because you have free will. God won't force you choose Him; it's your choice.

Sin keeps you in bondage, which stunts your Spiritual growth. God understands failures and doesn't fault us for them. He waits for us to come to Him for forgiveness, and deliverance from the hold they have over us. In order to do that, just ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart, and show you how to lay those sins down. Be very observant, and watch Him work. In life we have choices, and being in tuned with the Holy Spirit makes it a lot easier to choose God over the world. The good news is, those times when you may choose wrong, God will quickly forgive you, so you could move forward, but you must move with Him. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, "I walk slowly, but I never walk backward". Always remember that God will spend our entire lifetime shaping and molding us into perfection, so take your time, and be open to the transformation. If He can work with me, He can surely work with you. He's brought me a long way, and He isn't done with me yet.

Jesus is the key to salvation, and receiving a righteous heart. All you have to do is invite Him into your life, and His Spirit will enter your heart, and make you whole again. If you believe that Jesus is Lord, and have accepted Him as your Savior, but don't feel like you've grown, or feel lost, then prayer is a good way to start. Ask God to show you the way to peace, and then seek Him. Spend quality time with Him, in His Word, and in His presence, and you'll start to notice His work. There's nothing separating you from Him, and you couldn't have done anything too bad in the past to lose your salvation. He's been waiting on you to come to Him in repentance. Just be honest with Him, and sincere about it, because He knows your heart. My favorite verse today is: Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalms 139:23-24)

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