Day 1 of devotions

A change in focus! I found this great online daily devotional, Your Daily Walk, by Bruce H. Wilkinson. I've decided to share a brief summary of each one, with what I learned from the reading. Enjoy!

 

Day 1 – Genesis 1

Corresponding to Jan. 1 from this online devotional guide, page 16.

By God’s design the world was created, and then mankind. The first verse in the English Bible answers these very important questions often asked by people of all ages.

Questions:

1. What is there?
2. How did it get there?
3. Did it have a beginning?
4. What or who is responsible?

Answers from Genesis, Chapter 1:

1. The heaven and the earth.
2. It was all created.
3. Yes, it had a beginning.
4. God is responsible.

For you and I to believe this is true, requires our acceptance by faith that God IS, and He IS our Creator. Only then can we understand our (individual) identity and purpose. This has eternal consequences, for it determines how we spend our time (eventually) in heaven and (presently) here on earth.

So, if God created mankind, then He created you and me. For what purpose?

Try to read and complete this statement, with whatever words come to mind: “By God’s design, I am ___________.”

What comes to mind?

The author of this devotional study gives the following scripture references to help us understand how we fit into God’s design, or plan. Look up these verses in a printed Bible, or online.

1. Psalm 139:14
2. 1 Corinthians 11:3
3. Ephesians 2:10 then Ephesians 5:21-6:9
4. Titus 2:14

From the readings above, we learn that from God’s design, you and I are:

1. Fearfully and wonderfully made.
2. Members of the body of Christ. Christ is the head of the church.
3. Created as God’s workmanship, designed to do good works as planned by God beforehand.
4. Holy and blameless in Christ.
5. Redeemed by Christ. His own, belonging to Him.
6. Purified from all sin and lawlessness.
7. Intended to be zealous for good deeds.

Prayer of Application:

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for having a plan and design for this universe, for mankind, and for me. Help me to understand how to walk daily with You, to serve you with my whole heart in obedience, and to be willing to serve You and others in good deeds, out of a sincere faith. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Patient in Affliction

One of my favorite verses is Romans 12:12, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer". Today as I read it, I realized that "affliction" is the word I often overlook. Affliction is defined as a state of pain, trouble, or distress; misery. This condition is more common place than first realized. It may be a disease, or it may be a mental state. For the Christian, who is supposed to be living by faith, an "affliction" of some sort, can rob his or her spiritual joy, hope, faith, and ability to pray.

The Bible commands us to be patient in affliction. This is not to say that we deny a problem, we just recognize it and persevere through it. These problems may come in many forms, such as: doubt, fear, insecurity, lack of confidence, lack of faith, physical pain or illness, anxiety. These are examples of many types of affliction, and they are in contrast and conflict with God's plan for our lives.

In Hebrews 10, believers are encouraged to persevere..."Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful..." (22-23).


Paul faced hardships for the sake of the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 6..."as servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance, in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love. . .sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything" (4-6, 10).


Even the Son of God, Jesus Christ, faced trials, ultimately crucifixion, offering himself up as the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of all mankind. It is not only human nature to have trials come our way, it is an inevitability since we are living in a sinful world. Our hope rests on our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our advocate, who has gone to prepare a home for us in Heaven. This does not cause us to despair; rather, we seek God more, pray more, and act on our faith more, "for he who promised is faithful".

It seems that there is a great connection between our emotional, physical, and spiritual conditions. In 2 Peter 5:7-9, we are instructed:

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

In the good times and the bad, whether in joy or in affliction, we are called to be patient, alert, and to persevere. This is the model of Christ, and it is a command from Paul to the early church. "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:11-12).

The Condition of the Heart

The religious person feels justified in keeping the commandments and doing all the right things to please God and man. But in contrast to what we read in the Old Testament, we see Jesus changing the rules in the New Testament. In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5, Jesus emphasizes how it is the condition of the heart that pleases God, rather than outward acts alone. Jesus says, “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

The sixth commandment in Deuteronomy 5:17, is “Do not commit murder”; but Jesus clarifies, “I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire….” (HCSV). So we see that with God, it is the condition of the heart that is plain before Him. He is more pleased with our relationships to one another than our offering sacrifices of praise and prayer to Him with an unforgiving heart.

In reading 1 John, we are reminded that love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. “The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (4:7-8). Furthermore...

God’s love was revealed among us in this way; God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (sacrifice) for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us (4:9-12).

This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given to us from His Spirit. And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God--God remains in him and he in God. And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him (4:13-16).

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me and sending your Son, Jesus, to be my Savior. Help me to see that you love me unconditionally. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, and help me to forgive and love others you have placed in my life. In the name of Jesus, I pray. -Amen.

Godly Character

I was encouraged by the letter from Paul to the believers in Corinth. He reminds them that we are to not be a stumbling block to others, or to allow circumstances to alter our faith in God. Whether in the good times or the bad, God asks for our all.

"But in everything, as God's ministers, we commend ourselves: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardship, by pressures, by beatings, by imprisonments, by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the message of truth, by the power of God; through weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, through glory and dishonor, through slander and good report; as deceivers yet true; as unknown yet recognized; as dying and look--we live; as being chastened yet not killed; as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing yet possessing everything."

 Lord, please stir in us the Holy Spirit and help us to develop a godly character. Strengthen us to serve you in gladness and to not lose hope. -Amen.

Treasuring God's Word

I have imported some personal reflections from another blog I started and abandoned. It is a collection of daily bible study to build up my faith and encourage others. The idea for this entry came from reading Psalm 1, a reminder to me and my family that we should be meditating on God's Word day and night. So then, why? Here are a few reasons from the Old and New Testaments.

1. To educate myself and my family. 

In Deuteronomy, Chapters 5-6, Moses reminds the Israelites that they were rescued from the hands of Pharaoh in Egypt and instructed to fear the Lord, so that they would enjoy prosperity and preservation despite their enemies. They were instructed to not turn aside from the commandments of God, to not turn to the right or the left, so that they might live, prosper, and have a long life in the land they were promised to possess. Concerning God's commandments, they were told to...

“Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:7).

2. To take the road less traveled, the road to obedience and righteousness.

In the first chapter of Psalms, King David contrasts the two ways that a man can take in life, the way of the righteous, or the way of the wicked.

“How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join the group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

“The wicked are not like this; instead they are like chaff that the wind blows away…they will not survive judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin” (Psalm 1).

3.  To be equipped for every good work.

In 2 Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy to not be ashamed of the Gospel, to be loyal to the faith, and to be a worker approved by God, capable of correctly teaching the Scriptures. In Chapter 3, Paul warns that there will be difficult days ahead, when people will be corrupt and lack understanding; however, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (v. 16).


So it is my desire to be obedient in this task, to be faithful to reading and applying these truths to my life and to be a positive role model for my children and family and friends.

May we be blessed with understanding, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to apply God's Word to our hearts and minds, in the name of Jesus, we pray. -Amen.

The Best Cookies Ever

It took only about 30 minutes, but I made the best cookies ever. I came across this recipe in an older cookbook, but it has always been one of my favorites. It’s great for baking on a budget, too--only a few staple ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, and almond extract.

With this morning’s cold and stormy weather, I was content to be reading and listening to the rain. As I was getting sleepy, the kids were getting hungry. Remembering that Lillian ate only half of her Frosted Mini Wheats, I thought it couldn’t hurt to make them a little treat?

Problem 1. We have no chocolate chips. Can any dessert be good without chocolate in it? Ah, yes! Almond cookies!

Problem 2. Convincing children that a cookie that starts with “almond” can be good. Luke muttered, “What kind?” I answered, “Well, they’re really sugar cookies, but they have an almond flavor, but not really. Trust me--you’ll like 'em!”

As I shaped the dough into balls, Luke rolled them into sugar and put them on the cookie sheet. His skepticism turned into anticipation. “Well...they smell good!”

The result? They were perfect! Light, soft circles of sugary goodness. I poured another cup of coffee and delighted in the heart-warming outcome. We took a picture just for the blog--just in case you, reader, find yourself in a storm and out of chocolate chips.

Almond Cookies

2 sticks butter or margarine, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp almond extract
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Yields: 18 cookies

It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it.

~Julia Child

Spoken from the Heart

ISBN 978-1-4391-5520-2
Scribner, May 2010

I’ve been reading the former First Lady’s book, “Spoken from the Heart”. It is truly a Texas treasure. She speaks of her growing-up years in Midland, her relationship with her parents as an only child, and how she came to know George, enjoyed raising her two girls, Barbara and Jenna, and faced the reality of enduring politics and public service.

What surprised me was her sincerity in describing her feelings as a daughter, friend, wife, mother, and First Lady. I found myself breaking down in tears as she recalled her childhood, and then also again during the events of 9-11. I didn’t want to read that chapter, but I did, and it opened up the flood gate of emotions that all Americans must have felt on that horrific day. She explains how she dealt with the media’s opinion of her during those many years, and how she leaned on the help and advice of many friends and advisors. The book closes with how she and George were relieved to return to private life, yet they were sad to say good-bye to the many people they worked with at the White House. She often longs for a quiet, anonymous life, similar to her childhood in Midland, but she settles for the busy, post-presidential life in Dallas and in Crawford, at the Prairie Chapel Ranch.

I was blessed by her book in that it was indeed “spoken from the heart”.  Great time was put into recording specific details about both personal and national events during their presidency; but in her notes, she recorded how she felt and the people she met during the highs and lows of the decade. Her pride in being a mother, daughter, and loyal wife is evident and contagious. I was left knowing so much more about her complex and interesting life. This is a must-read for all Texan moms, of course.