|
2 Peter 3:9 NASB "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance."Thank God for His Patience and the patience of others! Today's Word is about patience and how God is patient towards us! He must have shown me how to do it at least 10 times before it finally began to sink in. For some reason, I just couldn't grasp the concept but he patiently when over it time and again and it was if the "light bulb" went off over my head. That's how it is with God and it should be for each of us in how we treat each other, patiently! I think back to how many times I sinned and yet God was patient enough to wait for me to get it, that it was wrong and I needed to repent and turn away from doing it! I love the part of the verse that says "not willing for any to perish! " - that's me, that's you and that's all of us that God waits patiently for us to "get it" - let's not let Him wait too much longer and get things right today! peace, tom
0 Comments
James 5:16 NASB "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed."I was asked the other day if we still meet, the answer was yes! Today's verse may be hard to live out for no one really wants to confess our sin before others! A gentleman came up to me and asked if I still met with a group of men who share our struggles and victories concerning being a godly man. I told him we do and invited him to connect with us. I am still waiting for him to reach out! No one really wants to get together with others and tell our sins, tell where we have fallen short but the key to remember is that "we all have sinned and fallen short!" so we are all in this together! Don't let fear keep us from finding God's healing in confessing our sin so that others can pray for us to be healed! Find a group of men to pray with, and then join that group! If you can't find one, maybe God is asking you to start one! Don't find excuses, find the reason is Christ! peace, tom
1 Peter 4:12 NASB "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you"I should have known it was going to be that way! Today's verse speaks about fiery trials, and how they come for the testing of our faith! I was late, really late and it seemed that at every step, things were going wrong. While getting dressed, a button popped off my shirt, the shoestring broke, I walked out of the house and forget the important paperwork I needed and had to turn back to get it. Finally heading in the right direction, I got behind a school bus who seemed to stop and pick up every kid on the block, and then the accident that closed the road I was on with nowhere to turn around. I finally sat back and said to myself, "who is in control?!" I needed to realize that I had to put my faith in Christ, that God was in control and not me. The meeting finally went well and everything turned out ok and I learned that He really is in control! Let's not lose sight of Him while the fiery trials come and they will come!! peace, tom
Proverbs 4:25 NASB "Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you." I really wanted to drive faster! Today's Word tells us where to keep our eyes focused! Driving to a men's event, I went down a winding road with sharp turns and blind corners! I love to drive, and found myself wanting to go faster and faster down the hill but with the many turns and blind corners I had to drive safely and keep my focus on the road straight ahead! Sometimes life throws us many curves and blind corners where we don't see trouble coming but if we remain focused on Him and His Will, we can avoid the many mishaps that can happen. The key of course is, although our flesh wants to go faster, the Spirit is telling us to slow down and pay attention. One will keep us on track while the other will lead to disaster! Let's keep focus no matter what we face! peace, tom Matthew 18:20 NASB "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”All it took was the strength to ask one guy to coffee! Today's Word is about meeting together in His Name and He is there! No guy likes to be "that guy"! You know, the one who steps out of his comfort zone and asks another guy to meet for coffee. It takes courage and strength to step out and ask another man to meet to talk about life, our walk with Christ, but someone has to take the first step! Finding the courage in Christ to reach out and ask a guy from church to have a cup of coffee has led me on some great adventures and we've never left the coffee shop! Sharing life, guy to guy and our struggles, victories, joys and sadness takes one man to ask another man for coffee! BE that guy! Go to your church this weekend and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to that one man and then ask him out for coffee! Jesus will show up in ways we never thought possible! peace, tom
Psalm 40:2 NASB "He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud; And He set my feet on a rock, making my footsteps firm."Rise above the muck! Today's Word shares about how Christ can raise us up and put our feet on solid ground! As I drove my son-in-laws 4 wheeler, I thought I was on solid ground but no sooner did I find myself stuck in the muck. Unable to move forward or reverse, I had to call for help. He came with a bigger tractor and pulled me back to dry ground. In life, we will find ourselves stuck in muck. Where we can't seem to move forward or reverse! It is then, that we need to call out to God and He will send His Comforter, His Helper, the Holy Spirit to help us rise above the muck! And there is no greater feeling than the freedom found in Christ! So, if we are spinning our wheels, going no where, it's time! Time to call out to God for direction and the strength to rise about the muck! peace, tom
1 Thessalonians 5:14 NASB "We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone."It wasn't that he didn't know, it was that he was never taught! Today's Word speaks of things we can do and act upon regarding each other! I remember when I was there too, not sure how to do the job until I was taught. When he arrived on the job site, he had a willingness to work, a healthy attitude to learn all about the position but until he was taught, he wasn't quite sure what to do. If we had judged him on his first day, we would probably said he was a slacker but in reality he stood back to learn. Let's not confuse the difference and teach those who don't know. And the best thing we can teach about is knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and how there is this "Book" that has all the answers! Let's not be so quick to judge but be willing to help those who don't know, for we were there once!! peace, tom
Acts 3:19 NASB "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord"It was silent! Today's verse speaks of repentance (saying we are sorry) and a time of refreshing! We did not see eye to eye and it eventually led to an argument where neither one of us agreed and it led to silence not only in words but in how we interacted with each other. No marriage is perfect and my wife and I found ourselves disagreeing and eventually silent with each other. Not until I told her I was sorry and she did the same, did the conversation and our life began to be refreshed. Some times we need to step back, take a look and see where we fell short and ask for forgiveness so that a time of refreshing can come. Don't allow a disagreement keep us from enjoy the blessings that God has given us! peace, tom
1 Corinthians 16:13 NASB "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."Drag queens in elementary schools, no wonder young men are confused these days! Today's verse tells us to stand firm in the faith, to act like men, to be strong! I was utterly shocked when I saw the report of school boards allowing men dressed as woman to read books to elementary schools! I wondered to myself, who allowed this to happen? Have we gotten so far off course in being a godly nation that we allow things that go against God's Word into our lives?! And then I began to think how God is not allowed in schools and who allowed that to happen? WE DID! By not standing up for the things of God and His Ways, we have allowed the evil of the world to take the place where God was and needs to be. We will take some persecution in standing firm in the things of the Lord but isn't that what Jesus did for us?! peace, tom
Proverbs 22:6 NASB "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he grows older he will not abandon it."I can't do it without thinking of him! Today's fatherly advise verse is about raising up our children in the ways of the Lord and when they are older, they will remember! It doesn't matter whether he's with me or not, but when he's not, he still is! I know, sounds like a riddle but every time I cast a line into a river or lake or stream, my dad is with me in spirit! He has taught me how to fish as a young boy and I continue to fish even as I grow older! But more importantly is the fact that I can't open my Bible without thinking of him too. He has taught me the importance of God's Word, about walking in the Spirit and how to give God the glory. As a young boy, I saw my dad not only reading God's Word but living it and teaching it to me. Let's be careful what we are teaching our children, cause they will remember!! peace, tom Have a blessed Father's Day!
|
Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
January 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed