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John 1:5 NASB "And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it." He had to explain it to me as if I was a four year old! Today's Word is about the Light (capital L) and how it shines in the darkness. I had never seen one or even had any idea of how to work on one, so when the foreman asked me to fix the part that was broken, I was totally at a loss. I first had to admit that I didn't know anything about it and secondly I had to admit that I had no idea how to fix it! He began to explain it to me but the parts and the procedure to fix them was like speaking a foreign language to me. I had to ask him to repeat it many times over before I began to understand. When we share Jesus (notice I didn't say if we share Jesus, but when!) we need to be sure to use words and actions that speak of His Love in an understanding way. Let's shine the Light but make sure the darkness can understand it! peace, tom
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Hebrews 13:18 NASB "Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things."When he sat down, he couldn't look at any of us eye to eye! Today's verse is a simple prayer we may ask of each other! As the men's group gathered, he came and sat down quietly in the back. We could tell right away that something was off, he didn't seem himself. One of the leaders went over to him and began to ask him how he was. The truth came pouring out, he had sinned, fallen short and the guilt was eating him alive. We prayed for him, talked about him seek forgiveness and made sure we followed up with him throughout the week. Conducting ourselves honorably sometimes means being honest with our sin! peace, Tom
1 John 5:5 NASB "Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"Challenges are never easy! Today's verse is both a question and an answer! I wasn't sure if I could get it done alone so I made some calls to get some help. The men showed up and we got it done. We walked away with a sense of accomplishment that we met the challenge head on. Life will bring many challenges our way but how we respond will depend greatly on who we have in our circle of friends. Overcoming life's obstacles will take courage, integrity and help, and our greatest help is relying on Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's make sure we have Jesus, the Holy Spirit and some great men of faith in our circle of friends. Don't go it alone, be willing to ask for help! peace, tom
Romans 14:8 NASB "for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s."It's never easy to say good bye but it can be "see you later!" Todays verse speaks of death and life, and if we know the Lord, we are always His! Saying good bye to someone, whether it's for a short time or when they pass from this life, can be "see you later"! For the last year or so I was blessed to be with Steve. He had given his life to Christ but shortly after began to fight a battle against cancer. He fought bravely, never wavering in his faith or the love of Christ. He shared how Jesus changed his life. He is now home with Jesus and saying good bye just means I will see him again. Death from this life is never an easy thing to deal with but if we know Christ, it's never goodbye but see you later. I will see Steve again, and if I learn nothing else from Steve's life, it's that no matter what, we need to share Jesus for tomorrow is promised to no one! Please join me in praying for his family - that the comfort of the Holy Spirit may be upon them all! peace, tom
Matthew 14:23 NASB "After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone."It's ok!! Today's verse is some great advice when the noise of the world gets too loud! Whether it's sitting in a boat, walking in the woods, or just sitting in my chair at home, it's good to take some time to just sit and pray. Many times the world's noise gets so loud that we may miss the voice of the Holy Spirit trying to speak to us. The busy schedule seems to be what leads us to the next thing rather than the leading of the Holy Spirit. Like Jesus, we need to go by ourselves and pray. Not just a quick moment but for an hour or two. Let the Holy Spirit refresh us, renew us and give us strength to carry on. It's ok to take some time with the Father, it was good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for us! peace, tom
John 11:26 NASB "and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”" It's probably the hardest test we will ever face! Today's Word is rather simple, either believe in Him and live or don't believe and die! As I stood by his bed, holding his limp hand, we prayed. There were family in the room, eyes filled with tears, as we cried out to God for His Will to be done. It's never easy to stand upon the promises of God but there we stood, knowing that if God decides to take him home, he will live forever. The verse for today asks us an important question - do we believe?! It's a test of our belief when we need to stand upon the promises of God - but we can do it if we truly believe HIs Word. So, do we, believe?? peace, tom
Hebrews 13:6 NASB "so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”"I can still hear what they were saying!! Today's verse shares some great words that will help our confidence in Christ! They said I would not be able to do it, they began to laugh as I stepped up and tried. Whether it was children we played with when we were young or older men who we work with, there will be times when they ridicule us for trying to do something new. It's hard to keep our eye on the prize when they make fun of us or try to tear us apart. If we have the confidence in Christ, we can do it. We can have the power of the Holy Spirit help us to do what God has called us to do. Stepping up and out of our comfort zone means putting our trust in God, not in man or even ourselves. Don't let fear, or what others say, keep us from stepping up and out! peace, tom
Lamentations 3:23 NASB "They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." Well over 10,000! Today's verse is a great verse to hold on to as we start the new year, that God's faithfulness is new every morning! The verse also refers to God's love for us - each morning it's there, each day it's there - what a wonderful thought as life can bring some troubling days upon us. I recently sat with my wife and we discussed how long I have been doing these daily devotions. As we did the math, we found that I had passed the 10,000 mark! Someone asked me if I repeat them, my answer was no, they are new every morning. I thank all you who read them, share them, respond to them but I want you to think about the fact that God loves YOU every morning, His faithfulness to us never ends!! The question for us today is how is our faithfulness to Him?! peace, tom
Joshua 1:9 NASB "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."Commitment doesn't have to be hard but it has to be right! Today's verse has some great words of direction for our life, be sure to read it twice! Making a commitment, like a new year's resolution, means standing by what we pledged or said. We shouldn't say one thing, then do another when the road gets hard. While working for a customer, the small project turned into a rather larger one and I thought about quitting but I had given my word. I finished the job and didn't seek any extra pay. I had made a commitment and stood by it. The customer told others about my work and I was blessed to have more work than ever. Being committed to Christ, means keeping His Word...the question is, do we?! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
January 2025
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