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Proverbs 15:22 ESV "Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed."You've got to love the "buts" in God's Word! Today's Word speaks to us about our plans and how, with the help of many advisors, they can succeed! The hard part was admitting I needed help. To assume I know it all really means that I know nothing at all. The man who admits that we need help and actually calls those who can help will find more success than trying to do it alone. "Get three!", was taught to me about getting quotes for help. don't just get one but make the call to get two more so that we are well informed. Why not get the three best advisors in our life... the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Those "Guys" will help us in any situation, we just need to admit we need them! I do, do you? peace, tom
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Psalm 40:8 NASB "I delight to do Your will, my God; Your Law is within my heart.”He got the bike but what I got was a heart-filled with joy! Today's verse speaks about delighting in doing the Lord's Will! It was the last bike left over from our church raffle, and no one came to claim it. It sat in the church hallway for weeks until one little boy, came with his grandmother. They were there to get food from the food pantry but walked away with so much more. I asked his grandmother if he had a bike, her response was no and so I walked him down to it and gave it to him. The joy on that little boy's face was beyond anything you can imagine. He beamed as he walked the bike back to his grandmother. He may have gotten the bike, and I got the joy of watching him. Doing the right thing, the godly thing, will bring joy not only to those we serve but to ourselves as well. Look for opportunities to live Christ, they are out there, we just need to delight in doing them! peace, tom
Matthew 24:36 NASB “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."Is it time? Today's Word speaks about when Jesus will return to take us home, and it clearly states that no one but the Father alone knows when! There has been many discussions, based upon what we see happening in the Ukraine, that the Lord is going to return soon! It's good to be aware that He is going to return but more importantly is whether we are ready for Him to return?! It was many years ago that I was gone for about a week and I know that my wife and daughters didn't know the exact time I was to return but they knew I was coming home. They made preparations and were ready for when it was to occur but they didn't sit around and wait. They went on with their days but always knew I would come soon. We need to have that same attitude as we wait for Christ's return. Be ready but keep on keeping on! The question for today is are we ready?! peace, tom
Hebrews 10:36 NASB "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised."I didn't have it yet, but I knew if kept at it, it would come! Today's verse speaks to us about endurance, staying strong till the end, then we will receive what was promised! I knew the job was going to take a few weeks to get done. Each day, I spent the time and energy to get it finished, but about half way through I wondered if I would get paid. I had to dismiss the thought that the pay wouldn't come, why wouldn't it. If I had completed the job, I knew the pay would come, so I remained faithful to the job and finished well and sure enough, the customer paid me in full! If we remain strong in Christ, follow where and what the Holy Spirit is leading us to, and do it well, we will get what is promised from God! It's called a promise and God always keeps His Promises! The question is... do we? Let's endure to the end as we promised to do and finish well! peace, tom
Revelation 3:16 NASB "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth."Make a decision!! Today's Word, while rather rough, speaks about being lukewarm and how God will treat us! The conversation when something like this: "Where do you want to go for dinner? I don't care, where do you want to go? I don't care. Neither do I. Make a decision, it doesn't matter to me!". I'm sure we've all had conversations like this regarding a simple thing as going to dinner, when two people can't make a decision about where to go. We need to make sure that we don't have this same attitude when it comes to God! Either we need to be on fire for Him, or walk away, cause if we stay in the middle, we make Him sick! I don't know about you but I choose Jesus! Get hot for God and let Him swallow us up rather than spit us out! peace, tom
2 Corinthians 11:3 NASB "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ."There is a difference! Today's Word is a warning about the lies of satan and how our minds can be lead astray! One is called rest and the other is idle time and to be honest, one will bring us strength and the other can tear us apart! I found myself resting and relaxing for a while and when it was time to get up and get moving, I sat longer than I should have. That idle time didn't get what needed to be done and when I did finally get off my good intentions, I felt like I had wasted time doing nothing. If we sit for too long doing nothing, satan will begin to fill our minds with temptations to go where we will be led down a slippery slope. Let's be careful to recognize the difference between resting and being idle! One is good for us and the other not so! Keep our minds on things above, rest when we need to, then get up and get it done! peace, tom
John 9:4 NASB "We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work."If we only had another hour! Today's Word not only speaks about our work days but also speaks about a time of Christ's return! Trying desperately to finish the job, we simply ran out of time. We didn't bring the generator with us to plug in lights so we could work through the night, so we had to stop for the darkness came upon us. While working in the woods, we were trying to finish the job, but without the lights, we were walking in darkness. We can find ourselves walking in darkness when we don't have the Light of Christ, or the power of the Holy Spirit. That's not a good place to be, we will stumble, fall, and even create more problems, so make sure we get the Light of Christ in our lives. One day, when He returns, there will no longer be an opportunity to do the work He has called us to do! Let's get the job done while we still have time! peace, tom
1 Corinthians 15:58 NASB "Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."After all those years, it still stood strong! Today's Word speaks about how we should be, firm, immovable and always excelling in the work of the Lord! Visiting an old friend, we took a walk in the woods on the families property and there stood an old cabin that his great grandfather had built. It had been built many years ago but it stood as if time hadn't touched it. The walls were straight, the roof still shed the storm's rain and snow for it had been built right from the start! We need to be like that old cabin, built strong upon the Rock of our salvation, straight like God's Word and let our lives stand for Christ for many years to come! No storm could knock over that cabin, and in our walk with Christ, we need to stand firm against the storms of life! Stand firm brothers, knowing that our work is not in vain, for one day our great grandchildren will look upon what we leave behind! peace, tom
Romans 12:21 NASB "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."The more I dug, the more rot there was! Today's Verse, simple as it is, speaks volumes to us regarding good verses evil! Trying to install new boards for a customer, the more I dug, the more rot I found. Water had penetrated the roof and left alone, had done so much damage. Even though the outside looked good, deep inside, there was rot! I wonder if we were to dig a little deeper into our own life, if we would find things ok or would there be rot, evil, sin that needs to be dug out of our life and filled in with good, God, His Word and the Holy Spirit. We may encounter those who look good from the outside but inside they are rotting away. The rotten boards were left in the dark, the water had slowly done its damage. Let's get into the Light, and dry ourselves off from the water of the world. Let's follow today's verse and replace evil with good! peace, tom
Matthew 24:42 NASB "“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming."I have experienced it many times, I wonder if you have too?! Today's Verse speaks about being ready, watching for the Lord will return and we need to be ready! Three times with my wife and three times with two of my daughters, I waited for the news of a birth! Once the 9th month was here, I knew that soon there would be the birth of one of our daughters or one of our grandchildren. I wanted to be sure that I was ready for the when the call came. Even though I went about my day, I stayed near the phone, always ready for the call that it was time. We should be the same way as we wait for Christ's Return. Alert and ready and that means getting our lives in order and accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior. The birth of a child or the return of our Lord should bring us joy like never before but we must be ready. So, the question of the day is... are we ready?! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
December 2024
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