Faithfully Yours Forever

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+1%3A1-11&version=NIV
Passage: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
Verses: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

In this world we face many challenges and hardships.  Those of us who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are remarkably blessed with a comfort that is sometimes hard for others to understand.  May we help those around us, who face similar challenges and hardships, to find the comfort that may be known by having a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2032:1-11&version=NIV
Passage: Psalm 32:1-11
Verse: Psalm 32:7 (NIV 2011)
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

What type of blessing is it that we should seek?  Psalm 32 tells us:

• Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
• Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit [v. 1-2].

May our sins be forgiven.  May our hearts be clean.  May our thoughts be pure.

How is it that we may be forgiven?  Psalm 32 tells us we must:

• Acknowledged [our] sin… and did not cover up [our]
• Confess [our] transgressions to the Lord [v. 5].

We can rejoice in the Lord and be glad [v. 11a].  Praise God.  He will instruct [us] and teach [us] in the way [we] should go; [He] will counsel [us] with [His] loving eye on [us] [v. 8].

(inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2051:1-19&version=NIV
Passage: Psalm 51:1-19
Verse: Psalm 51:4(NIV 2011)
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.

May this be our prayer today, that the Lord, our God will:

• Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin [v. 1-2].
• Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me [v. 10-12].

In return, may this be our reasonable service:

• I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you [v. 13].
• My mouth will declare your praise [v. 15].
• My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise [v. 17].

Amen… and amen.

(inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2044:1-5,%2021-28&version=NIV
Passage: Isaiah 44:1-5, 21-28
Verse: Isaiah 44:22-23 (NIV)
“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”  Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.

Remember back to your youth.  Do you remember being picked by a team captain to be on the team captain’s side in a game or sporting activity?  It is nice to be chosen.  However, we should remember that we have been chosen by one much greater than a game or sports team captain; we have been chosen by God.  As Christians, we have become a part of His team.  As with any team, there are rules and there are expectations of team members.  If the team works according to the game plan and if the members of the team follow the direction given to them by their coach, then team members can expect to be rewarded in some way.  May we choose to follow the plan that Father God has set before us.  May we be guided by the Holy Spirit.  May we acknowledge Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf; a sacrifice that opened the door to our redemption.  May the things we do bring pleasure and glory to God.  May we each receive a special touch from the Lord today.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+43%3A16-28&version=NIV
Passage: Isaiah 43:16-28
Verse: Isaiah 43:25 (NIV)
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

While we may cling to what this verse says, when we put it into context with the rest of the passage, we can see that God was angered by His people.  The question seems to be, why should He do all that He was doing for them [blotting out and not remembering our transgressions] when they have done nothing of what they had promised to do for Him?  The Lord then asks His people to review the past for [Him], and then He says let us argue the matter together; He asks them to state the case for [their] innocence.  Assuming we are like them, do we have a leg to stand on?  Verse 27 suggests we may also have sinned and rebelled against those whom He has sent to teach us.  May it be upon Christ, the solid rock, that we stand.  May we call on the name of the Lord.  May we renew our strength through Him, and not grow weary.  May we honor Him with our service… and all the glory be to God.  May we no longer cause the Lord to grow weary.  Instead, may we give Him reason to rejoice and be glad. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Amos%208:1-14&version=NIV
Passage: Amos 8:1-14
Verse: Amos 8:11 (NIV)
“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.

Have you ever been hungry… really hungry?  This passage speaks of a hunger, not for food to nourish the body, but for spiritual food to nourish the soul.  The word of the Lord sustains us; it keeps us strong.  Imagine, if you can, a time when people will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it [v. 12].  What hopelessness would be felt!  May we never feel such hopelessness.  May we never be separated from the word of the Lord.  When we feel weak, may we always find strength in the word of the Lord.  When we feel faint, may we always be lifted up by the word of the Lord.  May the spiritual food from the Lord flow freely to us… as we honor our covenant relationship with Him by our thoughts, our words, our behaviors, and our deeds.  Just as food nourishes and sustains our physical bodies, may the word of the Lord spiritually feed our souls today and always. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Amos%209:1-15&version=NIV
Passage: Amos 9:1-15
Verse: Amos 9:13a (NIV)
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes.”

The Lord, in all things, is all powerful, all knowing, and forever and always present. There is no hiding from the Lord.  Wherever we go, whatever we do, He IS there and He KNOWS.  For those who believe in and follow the Lord, His presence is a comfort and a blessing.  However, for those who willfully disobey or deny Him, His presence becomes a disturbing reminder of the judgment and wrath to come.  There is no escape from the Lord.  We will all come face-to-face with the Lord, our God.  May we be found worthy, through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.  May we know that it is only through Christ… and not by anything we might be, say, or do… that we will be allowed to stand before Him and to be found blameless.  May we remember that in that day the Lord will restore, repair, and rebuild… for the remnant that bear His name [v. 11-12].  Being in Christ, may we yearn for the day when we will be able to rebuild the ruined cities… will plant vineyards and drink their wine; when we will make gardens and eat their fruit; when we will never again to be uprooted from the things that the Lord has given and intended for us [v.14-15].  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Amos%207:1-15&version=NIV
Passage: Amos 7:1-15
Verse: Amos 7:8b (NIV)
Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.”

A plumb line is defined, by Encarta, as a line to which a weight is attached to find the depth of water or to verify a true vertical alignment.  A plumb line is often used as a guide, helping us to stay on the desired path.  The Lord, our God, has set a plumb line for us.  He does expect us to follow it.  Our plumb line is defined for us in Jesus Christ.  As we envision this plumb line, consider and reflect upon these questions.

• How deep have the roots of your relationship to the Lord grown since you first chose to believe in and follow Him?
• What can you do to feed the growth of the roots that connect you to the Lord?
• Is your will truly aligned with the will of the Lord or are there some changes that need to be made?
• What can you do to realign, tighten, or reinforce your alignment with the will of the Lord?

As we consider God’s Word and as we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit, may our knowledge, understanding, and ability to follow Jesus Christ increase.  May we discover the plumb line set by the Lord as we read, study, and reflect upon the Scriptures.  May we seek for our thoughts, behaviors, and deeds to be more aligned with that of the Lord’s.  May we heed the warning of the prophet Amos, by remembering what the Lord said.  He said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.”  May we choose to act in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%209:1-20&version=NIV
Passage: Psalm 9:1-20
Verse: Psalm 9:7-8 (NIV)
The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.   He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.

 
May we come together today to pray to the Lord, to give thanks to the Lord, to sing to the Lord, and to worship Him alone.  The Psalms can be such an encouragement.  May they be an encouragement to you today.  May we be blessed today, and each day, as we:

• give thanks to you, Lord
• tell of all your wonderful deeds
• rejoice in You
• sing the praises of your Name.

In addition, may we:

• find refuge in You
• trust in You
• seek You.

And… may You, Lord God, have mercy on us.

(inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2012:1-11&version=NIV
Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NIV)
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

The members of the Body of Christ, His church, are [or should be] dependent upon one another to do the work that has been entrusted to us to do for Him.  None of us, no matter how gifted we are, are sufficiently gifted to accomplish God’s purposes on our own.  We need each other.  We must learn to work together and appreciate what each person brings to the table… His table.  Each one of us is gifted, by the Holy Spirit, not to serve our own purposes or for our own benefit, but for the common good [v.7]… according to the will of God.  May we discover the ways the Holy Spirit has uniquely gifted us for service.  May we embrace the diversity of gifts given to others around us.  May we seek ways to join in with them, in a complementary way, such that His will may be accomplished through us.  May we be open to receive, possibly new and different spiritual gifts, as the Holy Spirit may determine.  May our bodies and the bodies of our local churches be united in service for the good of Him and the building of His kingdom.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)