Devotion
Good Advice
Frances Taylor
The Book of Proverbs makes for an interesting read. There is great advice in these words and quite a bit to think about. The first verse we have here is pretty familiar. "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." It is good to remember that God is God and we are not! So often we think that we are in control of our lives, the masters of our fate! We forget that God is in charge. When we think of ourselves as in charge, that's when things go wrong. We put ourselves first, we make poor decisions and suffer the consequences. When we put God first and follow his way, we are at peace. That doesn't mean that we don't run into problems, but God is there to direct us. We only need to ask for direction. It's amazing that a peaceful heart usually means a decrease in stress and anxiety. This leads to a healthier you and goes along with the statements that our days will be multiplied. And even if we don't live as long as we might like, it will be a happier, more joyous life. The problem is, we tend to like control. I do understand. I am a very bad passenger, I prefer to drive. I have been in too many situations where I felt unsafe. It takes time for me to trust. But I have found that when I gave up trying to control my life, things went a lot smoother. I pray daily for God's guidance. I can't control what my children or grandchildren do, no matter how much I might like to, but I can pray that God will help to guide them. It is my responsibility to give them good example and to help them realize that following Jesus will bring them joy and not sorrow. Handing everything over to God isn't always easy, but, as the proverb says, it is the beginning of wisdom, and it also is the beginning of freedom. If God's in charge, I don't have to be!
Prayer
Thank you Lord for giving us this great book of advice! It's full of common sense and that can be lacking in our world today. Let me turn to it more often to remind myself of the things I should already know! Amen.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
