Romans 5:3 NASB "And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;"I don't know about you but reading the first part of today's verse has me wondering until I read the second part. No one ever really wants to celebrate the difficulties in life but if we do, we can find strength in the fact that we persevered! Having some health issues lately, I realized two options I had. One being to give up and just lay around and two being to push through no matter what. I chose the second option and although the health issues are still there but getting better, I found strength in Christ to push on. Sure it's not easy but its possible. Keeping focus on moving forward, praying without ceasing, and being honest about my limitations helps me through the tribulations. It always comes down to choice so choose well my friends! peace, tom
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Romans 12:4 NASB "For just as we have many parts in one body and all the body’s parts do not have the same function,"We each had our job to do! Today's verse is really all about unity and how even though different, we can have unity! In rookie school, they taught us to "work together as a team"! Each member of a fire crew had their own responsibility, and each of us needed to do our job to extinguish the fire. If we all began doing the same thing at the fire ground, the fire would rage out of control. Church families need to work together but each doing their own part for it to be successful. I'm sure we have all heard that 80% of the work is being done by 20% of the people. It's time to change that statistic. Just imagine if 100% of the people began to work as God has called them, where would our churches be today?! Think about it, what responsibility has God asked you to do for your church family, then do it! peace, tom
Matthew 7:21 NASB "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter."I remember it well! Today's verse may be hard for some of us to grasp, but the reality is that some will not get to enter! It was a childhood game, maybe you've played it too called "Mother may I" - Children would line up and one person would be selected to be Mother. Each would ask if they could take so many steps to reach her but if you didn't say "Mother may I" then the answer was no. The person who did say the right thing would get to take steps to get to "Mother" and be the mother for the next game. Sadly many of us think that if we do this and that, being nice, that we will enter heaven. The reality is that many will not get to enter but only those who have done the Father's Will. Let's make sure to read His Word, to find our what the Father's Will is, so that we can take the steps needed. peace, tom
Hebrews 10:25 NASB "not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."Log in, sign in, stay connected! Today we read about meeting together and encourage each other! From time to time my computer does an automatic update and when I go on different websites, I need to either log in or sign in. This way I can stay connected by keeping up to date on what's new. With the threat of Covid in the past, it's time we get back to meeting with those we have lost contact with. We need to sign in, log in, and actually get back to meeting face to face. Our church families are stronger when we are together, so let's get that family reunion up and running! At a recent family reunion, I got to be with those I love, hear what's going on in their life and reconnect. It's time we reconnect with those of our church family! Yeah we miss you too! peace, tom
2 Timothy 2:15 NASB "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."No one will see it! Today's Word is about living in such a way that we are not ashamed of how we handle His Truth! As I began to do the home repair project, I thought to myself, I can skip a few steps! No sooner did I begin to skip a step when I realized that doing it wrong would not end up doing it right. I had to make a decision on how I was going to the job. Do it right or do it wrong. I did it right! Sure it took longer but in the end I knew it was done right and would last longer. When handling the Word of Truth, we need to make sure we don't cut corners, do it sloppy or even try to just get by. God's Word is Truth and our word and deed need to reflect His Perfect Will not our attempt to cut corners! Let's do it right today! peace, tom
Matthew 6:15 ESV "but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."How long was I going to hold on to it?! Today we read about forgiveness and how we forgive, He will forgive! I was hurt by his actions and began to carry a grudge against him. Each time I saw him, I thought back to that day when he hurt me. It kept festering with in me and I knew I had to make it right. That evening at the fire house, when it was just the two of us, I told him I forgave him. He wasn't quite sure what I was talking about for he had forgotten all about it. I needed to forgive him so I could forget all about it. God forgives us the way we forgive others, so the question is, who do we need to forgive today?! Don't let it fester, get the forgiveness of God by forgiving them! peace, tom
Ephesians 5:15 NASB "So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise,"
I should have known better, paid closer attention! Today's verse is about being careful, as wise people! I have backed in my driveway a hundred times without incident but this time I lost focus. While driving back, I took my eyes off what I was doing and began to think about other things, then BAMM - I hit the house. It was only the mirror and I was able to put it all back together but it taught me an important lesson. Pay attention to what I was doing at the time and don't get distracted by something else. In life there will be distractions, things that cause us to look away from Jesus, but we must remain focused on Him as a wise person so that we don't fall into the damage of sin. Let's put the blinders on to distractions and keep focus on Him! peace, tom Luke 11:9 NASB "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."I lost it cause I wasn't ready! Today's verse speaks of actions! I missed the opportunity to land a large fish because I wasn't ready. I had allowed my mind to wander away from what I was doing so when the big fish hit my lure, I just wasn't ready. Life is about action and what actions we do can produce the results we are looking for. We can't find it if we don't look, we can't have it given to us, if we don't ask and we can't have it open to us if we don't knock. It may seem simple enough but without action, there are no results. We can plan all we want but if we aren't will to step into the arena of action, then our plans will just slip away like the fish I missed. Let's not just talk the talk but walk the walk and see where the Lord will lead. Get ready cause it will be the adventure of a lifetime! peace, tom
James 1:19 EVS "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;"If only! Today's Verse speaks to us about listening before speaking and being slow to get angry! If I had only listened better, the argument would never have happened! I had assumed what I heard as one thing but the reality was that what he was saying was in total opposition to what I thought I heard. Thereby leading to an argument that never would have taken place if I had only lived today's verse! I'm sure we've all heard that God has given us two ears to hear and one mouth to speak so we should hear twice as much as we speak. For me to hear means that I need to slow down and really listen, then speak - it will save a lot of frustration and misunderstanding. I wonder if we do that to God too, miss what He says to us by speaking before we really hear Him! I remember a first grade teacher tell our class "lets put our listening ears on!" peace, tom
2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad."Going through some old paperwork, I found it! Today's verse speaks of judgment, both good and bad! I had forgotten all about it until I came across it while cleaning out some old paperwork. I was a young driver at the time and had received a ticket for speeding. Looking at the ticket brought back the memory of standing before the judge as he gave me my punishment for breaking the law. One day, each of us will stand before God and be judged based upon our actions here on earth. The key is that we will be judged both on the things that we did bad and the things we did good. Don't know about you but I'd rather hear what I did right rather than where I sinned! Having served my punishment for breaking the law made me more aware of how I drove. Let's not wait till we are before our King to change the way we live! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
November 2024
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