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1 John 5:18 (ESV)
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.It had to be broken, or at least scratched... when the package arrived, the outer box was covered with gouges, parts of the cardboard was missing and dents all over... I thought to myself, there's no way it's not damaged... today's verse speaks about protection, God's protection... after unpacking the item, I was amazed... there was no damage of any kind to the product inside, the inner wrapping of styrofoam and cardboard had kept the item safe from harm... in life, we will get damaged along the way but if our inner core is protected by God, we will come away undamaged, the key of course is being wrapped by God, in the depths of our hearts and minds... so what kind of protection are you walking around with... I pray it's His Protecting Love, cause the evil one will not touch us... peace, tom
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1 Corinthians 15:57 NASB "but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."It was finally in the net! Today we read that the thanks goes to God for He brings the victory! The fight lasted what seemed to be hours even though I know it was about 15 minutes. I had hooked into a large fish and began to fight the battle. I wasn't sure what type it was until it broke water and I got to see the musky that felt like it was trying to pull me out of the boat. Each reel brought him closer but then he would make a run and I watched as line peeled off my reel. Finally I got him tired out and we netted him. I thanked him for the fight, and let him slowly slip away back into the lake. Exhausted, I was thrilled with the battle and the victory. No matter what battle we are facing, remember that God gives us the victory through Jesus Christ. Keep reeling, keep fighting, keep focus and He will bring the victory! peace, tom
Philippians 3:14 NASB " press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."It's easier just to give up, but then it wouldn't''t have been complete! Today's Word speaks of pressing on, moving forward, going the distance! I was young and foolish when I started my first real job. I had all sorts of temp jobs but this was a real, 40 hours a week job but by the end of the week, I wanted to give up. I was exhausted for the work was bodily taxing. I remember thinking to myself, just give up, just walk away but I remembered the words of my father -" if I quit half way, in any thing, I will never know how good it feels to accomplish the task at hand! " - pushing through that first few weeks made be appreciate the accomplishment of a job well done. Don't give up, don't give in, keep fighting, keep pushing and when the fight is over, we will see that all things are possible for those who believe! peace, tom
Romans 1:11 ESV "For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you"I'll have just a coffee! Today's Word speaks of meeting with those who will give us some spiritual gift to strengthen and encourage us! It's not that often we get to meet, but when we do, I always come away blessed in some way. Having a godly man in my life, that I can call, meet with and be encouraged by is a blessing. When I find myself questioning a decision that has to be made, making the call to "that" guy, brings a new perspective on the situation and offers wisdom I may have missed along the way. We all need those who can build us up, encourage us, strengthen us for the battles of life - the question for today is... who do we call? Find a mentor, get a godly person to help us and encourage us when the path becomes difficult - it will make a difference in how we face life's struggles! peace, Tom
Matthew 7:25 NASB "And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock."How the wind howled and the rain came down in buckets! Today we read where we should be anchored, in Him! The storm came upon us quickly, out of no where and thank God we were anchored. The boat tossed and turned, the waves got higher and higher. We had a decision to make, try and run for shore or wait the storm out. We chose the later, and thanked God the anchor was dug in good. In life, storms will come, they will blow us this way and that way, we may get wet, soaked by the storms of life but if we are anchored upon the Rock of our Salvation, we can weather the storm. Remember that Jesus even slept through a storm - perfect peace is found in Him. Check our anchor lines! peace, tom
Ecclesiastes 10:10 NASB " If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success."It didn't take too long before I realized there was a problem! Today's Word speaks to us about being sharp and having wisdom as our advantage! No sooner did I begin to filet the fish, when I realized something was wrong. The meat wasn't coming off cleanly, it was being mangled. I stopped and checked the blade of the knife - just as I suspected, it was dull. After sharping the blade, the knife went through like butter! When it comes to being sharp, it doesn't just apply to our knives and saw blades but to ourselves as well. My dad used to say "dress sharp, feel sharp, be sharp!" He always was and taught me that wonderful truth about bringing God the glory in how we present ourselves as His Followers! Dress for success! peace, tom
Psalm 50:15 NASB "Call upon Me on the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.”I couldn't say thank you enough! Today's Word tells us who to call when trouble comes, and we will be rescued! There have been many times when I was in trouble, and I made a call to my dad, or an uncle or two, or a friend for help and I thank God that they answered the call. Being on the Fire Dept., I have answered the call myself to go and help. But the greatest call I ever made was crying out to God during times of personal struggle, personal trouble and each time, He has answered the call. I do give honor to all those who have helped me along the way but the greatest honor goes to God - for He has never failed me and He won't fail you either. Call out to God on our day of trouble - He is always there to help! peace, tom
Titus 2:7 ESV "Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,"We were one slip away! Today's verse speaks to us about good works, integrity and dignity, actions and words that seem to have been lost along the way! As we walked along the path, the edge was getting smaller and smaller. Each step had to be carefully examined or we would have fallen off the edge. Life can be a slippery slope when we don't watch our steps. A little slip up here and there can cause major damage to our life and our legacy. We must ask ourselves, what do we stand for?! When we got to the end of the pathway, we all were glad that not one of us fell off the edge and made it safely. Watch our steps as we travel this thing called life - we are all just one slip away from disaster! peace, tom
Psalm 51:9 NASB "Hide Your face from my sins
And wipe out all my guilty deeds."It was time! Today's Word speaks about getting the garbage out! It was time that I went through some of the many desktop folders I have on my computer. Things I no longer needed were slowing my computer down to a crawl. Slowly I went through each folder and began to delete the unwanted, or unneeded material. No sooner did I finish, when the computer began to work faster and more efficiently! In life, we collect a lot of garbage in our lives - no wonder there are so many "self storage units out there! ". When we want to work a little faster, more efficiently, it's time we take out the trash. Begin to go through our lives and see what's really needed, and what's just taking up time and space in our lives. One of things we all need to get rid of is sin...plain and simple, get rid of it and stop making excuses to keep it in our lives! peace, tom Ezekiel 1:12 NASB "And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went." Distractions! Today's verse is about moving forward without looking or going off course! They come in many forms, they come in many ways and there one goal is to distract us from the Truth. Many of them are called excuses, things that we either make up or make more important that doing the job we are called to do! I had to dismiss the "what if's" that were coming into my head as I entered the fire building. I had been trained, we had practiced what our role was and when it was time to execute, the doubts came in. Pushing them aside and heading forward with the confidence that I was prepared for what was to come, made moving forward easier. Let's be prepared, and keep our eyes focused on where the Holy Spirit is lead us, not matter what! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
February 2026
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