Faithfully Yours Forever

Passage: Psalm 34:8-14 (NIV 2011)

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

Such comfort may be found in these words!  Such instructions may be found in these words!  May we have ears to hear, eyes to see, and mouths to praise the Lord, our God.  May we have the wisdom and the power from above that we need to choose wisely the path we should take… each hour… each minute of each and every day.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

Passage: Psalm 34:1-7
Verse: Psalm 34:4 (NIV 2011)
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

The Lord is faithful… just as we must be.  He hears us when we pray, when we cry, and when we rejoice.  He seeks only to bless us, because He loves us.  However, He is holy and righteous.  He knows what we need to grow and to have His image restored within us.  As the first verse of this Psalm 34 tells us, the praise of the Lord must always be upon our lips… in all of life’s circumstances.  We need not fear those dark and difficult times.   He will carry us through them.  May we forever be His faithful followers.  May we forever be grateful to Him.  May we forever seek after the Him and glorify His name. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

Passage: Ephesians 2:1-10
Verse: Ephesians 2:8 (NIV 2011)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

What an amazing thing that through God’s grace, His unmerited favor, that we can be saved!  While it is a free gift from God, we need to have faith – faith to believe in the gospel message of Jesus, the Christ.  May we have sufficient faith to believe.  May God’s prevenient grace, the grace that goes before salvation, draw those seeking after God to a point where they are able to accept the gift of salvation.  May all those who have been saved, by the grace of God, continue to work out that salvation… all to the glory of God. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

Passage: Genesis 3:14-19 (NIV 2011)

In this passage of Scripture, we clearly see that Adam and Eve, and all people in the generations to come, would face some challenging consequences… because of their wrong choices.  Women would bear the pain associated with childbirth.  In addition, while desiring to be in control, they would be subject to their husbands.  Men would painfully toil amid the thorns and thistles to produce sufficient food to eat.  In the end, they would return to the ground as no more than a pile of dust.  We know, however, that God has a much better plan for us.  He desires to have a meaningful relationship with us and to freely give us the gift of eternal life.  May we choose the path of obedience.  May we repent of our wrong choices, seek after God, accept His free gift, and choose to do His will and be a part of His plan to redeem His creation. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

Passage: Genesis 3:8-13
Verse: Genesis 3:13b (NIV 2011)
“What is this you have done?”

This week’s devotional messages are focused upon Genesis 3, and what is often referred to as “The Fall” of mankind.  With recent events, we may be asking, “What is this you have done?”  Our thoughts may be drawn back to a time when life seemed perfect, or at least better.  The writer of the devotional, in reference to the Garden of Eden, stated, “In a garden that was once perfect in true, pure innocence and intimacy with one another and with God, as suddenly as the shattering of a window pane, the peace of the garden is shattered.”  We learn, as we continue to read the Scriptures, that God will call all of us forward to account for our thoughts, actions, and deeds.  For those of us who have turned to Jesus Christ as our Savior, Lord, and Redeemer, may we find comfort and peace today.  For those who are far from Him, may they find their way to Him and His awaiting arms of protection and care.  Lord God, may Your kingdom come.  May Your creation, and everything in it, be restored to its original glory and state of perfection. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

Passage: Genesis 2:4-17
Verse: Genesis 2:17 (NIV 2011)
“[Y]ou must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Have you ever wished you could return to the innocence of your youth?  In today’s devotional message, we are reminded that God created Adam as the perfect man.  He was a man who was “holy, righteous, and pure.”  Adam and Eve’s willing disobedience caused a break in their relationship with a holy God.  For individuals born to the generations that followed, many have yearned to be restored to life in that perfect state.  However, we know we live in a broken world that is ravaged by sin and selfishness.  May we recapture the innocence of our youth by turning from unrighteousness toward holy and selfless living.  May we, through the grace of God, practice those things that set us apart, make us holy, and equip us for His service.  May we also experience the unmistakable joy found in a growing relationship with God. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

Passage: John 17:20-26
Verse: John 17:23 (NIV 2011)
I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

We are blessed to have Jesus Christ as our intercessor with the Father!  We can take comfort knowing that Jesus prayed and thought of us, and all future believers, even as He was burdened with the knowledge that He would soon be put to death.  In verse 23, we are reminded that we should be in complete unity with other believers.  As we become familiar with the many different parts required for the Body of Christ to function as intended, we may begin to appreciate how being “in Christ” is required for us to be of one mind, or be unified, with others that may seem to be so different from us.  The unity of believers can be an awesome testimony of Jesus’ love for us and of our love for others, because of Him.  May we strive for the unity that would honor Christ’s sacrifice and bring glory to the Father.  May we allow the Holy Spirit to draw us into a close loving relationship with Christ that is required for us to be unified. (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)

Passage: John 17:1-10
Verse: John 17:3 (NIV 2011)
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Well now, that is it in a nutshell.  Eternal life is to know the Father… and Jesus Christ whom the Father sent.  When Jesus returned to the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to guide us to all truth.  What a blessed Trinity!  We can begin to experience eternal life now.  The relationship that God wants to have with us involves us learning to know Him… really know Him.  May we grow in our knowledge of Him.  May we search the Scriptures and trust the Holy Spirit to show us the Truth.  May we experience the full message of the gospel as lived out on earth by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  May we praise Jesus for His prayers and His intervention on our behalf.  (inspired by Reflecting God – Devotions for Holy Living, WordAction Publishing Company)