Romans 12:21 NASB "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."My first reaction was to strike back! Today's Word, while rather simple, it speaks volumes in how we must live! I still have that tendency to want to strike back when I encounter those who do me harm, maybe you do too. I had to take a step back and ask myself why, why was I so willing to strike back at someone who harmed me in some way?! The harm done didn't kill me, didn't even hurt me to the point where my life was some how changed and yet my flesh wanted to get even. I had to remind myself that getting even wasn't even close to what Jesus said about turning the other cheek. Rather than focus on the evil done, I needed to focus on overcoming that feel of my flesh and walk by the Spirit. I'm not saying that we need to be doormats, letting people walk all over us but there is a way to overcome and that's to do good! peace, tom
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Romans 8:28 NASB "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."It would be just plain simply crazy! Today's Verse speaks to us about God working things out for those who are called! It would be just crazy to go out hunting for deer and using a duck call to try and get them to come to us. I had the opportunity to go turkey hunting with a friend and we never ever thought about using a duck call to get a turkey. Using the right call to get the animal that we are hunting seems pretty basic so why would we try to call others to Christ by using anything other than the love of Christ?! God calls us for His purpose, using the death of Christ to show us how much He loves us and we in turn are asked to use the love of Christ to call others to Him. Maybe we need to change the call we are using if we don't see others coming to the harvest?! peace, tom
Romans 12:10 ESV "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."I can do it better! Today's Word shares two important points, one being loving one another and the second is out doing each other in showing honor! As a young boy, playing with others from the neighborhood, we always tried to out do each other. Whether it was trying to run faster, throw the ball farther, or jump higher, we were always trying to out do each other as if to show that we could do it better. I wonder as we read today's Word, if we ever thought about out doing each other in showing honor and respect to others?! It doesn't take a lot to respect and honor others over ourselves, all it takes is a humbling of ourselves and honoring others first. I am pretty sure that's how Jesus lived, so show some respect this week by showing honor to others! peace, tom
Proverbs 13:22 ESV "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children,"It's not the stuff! Today's Verse is about leaving a legacy from a father to his children's children! My dad made sure when he knew I was babysitting the grandkids, his great-grand children. He would stop by and love on them. He would make them laugh, teach the grandsons how to shake hands, hold our granddaughter and just talk to her. He loved them and they loved him. He has left them an inheritance of love. It's never about the stuff but it's about the substance in life for the things of this world will slowly slip away when we focus on the love. While my dad may have left this earth, he has left his grandchildren and great grandchildren something that is far more valuable than anything we can buy. He has left them love and found memories of where he lived Jesus Christ. He always made them feel as if they were his favorite! He learned how to love by knowing how much God loves us by sending Jesus Christ to be our sin. Get to know that love by spending time in His Word and then share it with others! Dad, you may be gone from this world but never forgot and we will see you again! Thanks for a great legacy of love! peace, tom
Hebrews 12:7 NASB "It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?"It wasn't always laughter and joy! Today's Word speaks of discipline and how God deals with us as sons! I would love to say that life was always rosy and bliss but that's just not the truth. The reality of life is that there were times, many times when my dad had to be the discipline in my life. I can still remember those words "this will hurt me more than you!" as he pulled off his belt to set me straight! I didn't know what he really meant until I had children of my own, and when it was time to discipline them, it hurt me too! I am sure God feels the same way about us, His Children, when He disciplines us for our wrong doings. But I know that it is in love that we are set straight. Let us remember that when we are disciplined, we are loved! It may not feel like it at the time but later, if we learned the lesson, we will remember those times and be glad! peace, tom
John 1:7 NASB "He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him."So should we! Today's Word shares about being a witness to the Light of Christ, not for ourselves but for others! They just keep coming! Testimonies and stories of how my father touched someone's life in ways we never knew. I guess you could say that he came as a witness to the Light of Jesus Christ and shouldn't we all live that kind of a life, that others will see us live Christ and want to know Him?! This week, I have been trying to honor my dad and the life he lived by sharing him as he shared the Light of Christ. We all can be part of testifying about the Light, but we first need to know Him as Lord and Savior. Just the like candles on a birthday cake, there is no celebration until the candles are lit then, the singing begins. Let's live as candles for the Lord and sing praises to our God so others get to know His Son! peace, tom
1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV "But, as it is written,“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”"I can't imagine what he sees and hears! Today's Word speaks about what no eye has seen or ear has heard for those who love God! We had seen beautiful sunsets together, sunrises in the morning, watched leaves fall from the trees and seen big fish netted as my dad and I spent many days and nights fishing but nothing we seen here on earth will compare to what he is seeing and hearing as he got to heaven. The key to our fishing trips and adventures in life had to do with love, the love between a father and a son. Now my dad is spending time as a the son of his Heavenly Father and I can't even imagine what he is seeing and hearing. Enjoy what we see and spend time with those we love but look forward to what God has prepared for us who love Him! peace, tom
John 16:22 NASB "Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one is going to take your joy away from you."Thank God for memories! And pics too! Today's verse shares about grief but we can take comfort for we will see them again! I was blessed to have had my dad as long as I did! So many memories, so many stories, so much laughter and some pain along the way but I wouldn't have traded any of them for anything else! We will all go through times of grief, times of pain, times of loss and we can either dwell on the grief, the pain and the loss or we can remember the joy, laughter, life lessons and the love, it always comes down to choice. And one choice we all need to make before Christ returns is to accept Him as Lord and Savior. I was blessed that my dad not only encouraged my acceptance of Christ but charged me to go deeper in my walk with Christ. I there for charge you today, to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and for those who know Jesus, to go deeper! Miss ya Dad! 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."It just wasn't complete!! Today's verse shares about meeting together, some have forgot it, but we should encourage each other to do so! Taking some time away from a busy schedule, I decided to do a puzzle. Sitting and relaxing as each piece went into place but then as I reached the end, there was a piece missing. I searched everywhere but it wasn't found. I couldn't help but think that the local church is like a puzzle. We each fit in somewhere and need to be there in order for it to be complete. If one of us in missing, then the whole picture of His Church will not be complete. Don't be the missing piece, get involved and bring others along! peace, tom
Psalm 51:10 NASB "Create in me a clean heart, God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."It didn't take long but when done, I found a renewed joy! Today's verse, while rather simple, shares a prayer that we all should pray! Coming back from the job site, I kept just putting my tools here and there, not back where they belong. It got to the point that my tool site was a mess, tools everywhere. I decided to clean it up, to begin to put things where they needed to go, and the more I cleaned up, the more joy I felt in getting things where they needed to be. In life, we can keep just putting things off, shoving them here and there but one day, we will have to clean things up. Asking God to create in us a clean heart means getting rid of the garbage and putting things in order and we will find that we will be renewed with a refreshed spirit. Don't let the clutter of the world creep in to the cleaned heart of walking in the Lord! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
April 2024
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