Devotion
God’s word is the judge
David Jacobs
A few years ago my father died. He was a larger-than-life figure to me and I have always felt inadequate in some way because I constantly compare myself to him. He was an excellent student; I was a decent student. He worked incredibly hard; I got by with charm. He was the best father anyone could hope for; I felt unable to take care of even myself at times. I spent so much of my life doing things to prove that I was worthy to him, not based on things that I wanted to do but by doing things that I thought he would want me to do.
Right before he passed away, he told me that he was proud of me. He told me that all he ever wanted was to give me a better life, to be fulfilled, and for me to be a good person. I had made mistakes, but he seemed to not even remember them. All of the guilt and insecurity that I had felt was my own. I was projecting my own beliefs on how he felt onto myself...and they were not even accurate!
Many Christians are wracked with similar feelings of guilt, anxiety, and insecurity regarding their faith, behaviors, and even thoughts. Read these verses and understand that Christ did not come to judge you! He came to save you, by sharing his word and showing you a path to peace. The world can seem to be filled with darkness, and our faith constantly challenged. Christ was the light for the world and for all believers. Let that light shine inside you, share it with the world, and stamp out the darkness that fills you with feelings of guilt, despair, and worthlessness. God shared his light; go share yours!
Prayer
Generous God, help me to spread light to the world. Assist me in changing my feelings of guilt and insecurity to feelings of hope and love. You sent your son, Jesus Christ, to save us. I will do all that I can to follow your Word, so that his sacrifice will not be for naught. I pray all of this in your holy name, thanking you for showing me the way, Amen.
Morning Prayer
Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.
Inspiration
Through God, all things are possible, and all things may be made a new. Dwell not on the past, of what was or could have been, but rather look forward to what through God's grace, may unfold within his divine plan. Being a Christian is constantly about a state of becoming, of a movement towards the Light of perfection shown to us by Christ. A part of this is to always remain open to Gods' works and feats, emerging all around us. God's will to create and recreate the world is his right as our Heavenly father, and it is not for us to mourn what may pass, but rather to seek to adapt our faith in ...
Night Prayer
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Inspiration
God is our portion, our ultimate source of peace and happiness. We do not need to understand His ways or timing; we only need to know that He is always with us. God is our safety net, and He guides us through each struggle or hardship. We know terrible occurrences are bound to happen as we live in this imperfect world, but we have hope because God is with us every moment. His love will never fail.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we depend on You for peace and happiness all the days of our life. We are blessed because we can face any obstacle with You by our side. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
The Name Of God
Frances Taylor
God's name as it is written in Scripture is either Jehovah or Yahweh, or just YHWH. All are translations of He is Who He is. Because the Jewish people did not call God by the name he gave Moses. It is for this reason that the Jewish people were so angry when Jesus said that before Abraham came to be I AM. To say God's name was to blaspheme. For the people of Moses' time, names had power. They felt that to use the name of God was to say that they had power over God, and so the name was sacred. I can remember an uncle of mine who would often take not just the Lord's name in vain when he was angry, but would also use it to curse whoever he was angry with. I'm sure you know many people who do the same without even blinking an eye.
Good Christians, all, who would be horrified if they were called on it. We are offended when people use foul language, why are we not offended when the Lord's name is taken in vain? A friend of mine used to work in the office ...
