Devotion
In His Hands
Chipo Biti
Trust is a hard thing to come by in the world. When you are surrounded by people who only have their best interests at heart, it can be very hard to find someone you can confide in. The thought of giving a person a glance into your heart and your mind can be daunting.
People are capable of convincing you that you can trust them, but the moment you have finished confiding in them, they are already thinking of the way they're going to tell someone else about everything that you've just shared with them. People are capable of smiling in your face and talking behind your back at the same time. Such things leave very little to be desired when it comes to trying to trust people and letting them into your lives.
Fortunately, with God we don't have such worries. We know that God has our lives in our hands and this gives us peace. It does not scare us and it definitely does not give us any reason to worry. God truly is the only one who has your best interests at heart. Everything He guides you in is for your benefit. This is why he constantly urges us to follow the guiding of His Spirit.
He isn't trying to control us. He is trying to prevent us from experiencing anything detrimental to our health and our livelihood as his children.
Think of an interaction between a child and their mother. A child may walk into the kitchen and tell their mom that they are ready to drive a car. The mother will look at her eight year old child and tell them that they are not ready to drive. The child might become upset and think that their mother is trying to stifle their dreams. But the mother is actually protecting them. If the child tries to drive at their young age, they will end up injuring or even killing themselves.
Prayer
The same thing happens with God. He knows us better than we know ourselves and because of this, some of the things he may guide us to do might not make sense in the moment, but when we take a look at our lives later, we realize that everything actually does make sense.
This is why David could confidently tell God that he has committed his spirit into God's hands. He is the only one who can truly protect us, guide us, and prepare us for anything life tries to throw in our direction.
Night Prayer
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Inspiration
When multiple flocks of sheep become blended, there is no need to worry. The good shepherd will call out to his sheep, and they come directly to him because they know his voice and will not confuse it with others. As God's people, we often become mixed up in things of the world. Sin is tempting as we surround ourselves with the wrong crowd; God is always watching and calls us back to the fold. We find Him when we are lost because we know the sound of His voice; it's the only one we've chosen to follow, and we do not confuse it with others.
Prayer
Dear God, when we are lost, we listen for You. Your voice is precious and will guide us back to the fold where we belong. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
The Word of God
Frances Taylor
If there's one thing I know about Christians and the Bible, is that there is an ongoing debate about whether it is the word of God or the word of men, and what that means. We all agree that the Bible is the living revealed word of God, but! There are wide differences in how that is interpreted. There are some who believe that every word of the Bible was dictated to someone who wrote it down. For others it is purely men's thoughts. For others, men were inspired by God to write their experience of God. I don't know where you find yourself on this continuum.
For most people who believe that the Bible is inspired either word for word or as guided by God, the Bible tells God's truth. Unfortunately for those of us who speak English, we have to rely the sources we have had over the years as guides to how the Scriptures should be interpreted. I have had many people ask me which translation is correct, but there's no clear answer.
The Bible has been translated ...
Morning Prayer
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Inspiration
Suffering will be a part of our lives as Christians. The New Testament is filled with warnings about the suffering Christians will incur because of their decision to follow Christ and not the ways of the world. Millions of Christians across the world are subjected to torture, isolation, and mockery just because they have chosen to follow Christ. But Christ has also assured us that we will not endure this suffering alone, and a reward lies ahead for all of those who suffer for the name of Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that in times of persecution and great tribulations, may you strengthen me and encourage me to keep going on. I also pray for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who endure great pain and torture for choosing to follow you. May you comfort them in these trying times, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
