Hebrews 3:12 NASB "Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God."We need to stop blaming Him! Today's verse speaks to us about evil, unbelieving hearts and falling away from God! Sadly I have spoken to many who have fallen away from God. They blame God for the misfortunes of their life when in reality it was by the choices we made. They blame God for what man has done to them and I hear things like "I'll never go back to church", "your religion is phony", and "why did God do this to me". If we take a step back and really examine what happened, we will find that it was man who caused our hearts to unbelief not God! He loves us but when man gets involved, we mess the things of God up. Let's not let what man has done, create an evil and unbelieving heart keep us from the living God! We simply need to show the love of God! peace, tom
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Luke 11:17 NASB "But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls." I knew which I liked better! Today's Word speaks of division and how when we aren't working together, things fail! I have had the opportunity to demolish houses and to build houses, and I like building better! As I swung the sledge hammer, I thought to myself, I am demolishing the hard work of others! As I nailed the new walls together, I thought to myself, I am helping to create family! When we use our words or actions to demolish others, or find the differences in each other to dislike, we are tearing things apart. But when we begin to build with others, all on the same page, we are creating unity. We need to make sure that our life, our actions and words bring us together rather than tear us apart, don't ya' think?! peace, tom
1 Corinthians 14:10 NASB "There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and none is incapable of meaning."Just because I couldn't understand them, didn't mean I should treat them any different! Today's Word speaks of those different than us, but that there is still meaning in them! While shopping at a local store, I began to hear a different language being spoken in the aisle next to where I was. I thought maybe someone was praying in tongues ( a gift of the Holy Spirit) but upon turning the corner, I found men from a different country speaking to each other. Tongues, the language of the Holy Spirit, can seem foreign to us but that doesn't mean that God can't or doesn't speak to us or allow us to use a different language to help us understand what He wants us to hear. Let's not be so quick to judge others just because they speak a different language, cause to them, we speak a different language! Let that sink in! peace, tom
Ephesians 6:10 NASB "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might."Wow, they were huge! Today's Word is the final step in the Armor of God that we need to wear each day! We had the opportunity to go to the local fair. As we walked along the horses, we came to the draft horses. They were magnificent, huge creatures and they stood strong and yet gentle. I stood back and admired their strength, how they could pull whatever was paced upon their backs to carry or pull. I thought about how strong we need to be in the Lord. Willing to be gentle and yet strong enough to carry the burdens of our fellow man. Standing there in their stalls, you could see the strength they had and yet gentle enough to allow a small child to rub their noses! May we find the strength in Him to be willing to carry whatever the Lord asks of us! peace, tom
Psalm 119:15 ESV " I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways."I got distracted! Today's verse is about paying attention and where to focus our eyes! It was a two part epoxy that needed to be mixed at the right time for the right amount of time. I got distracted as I began to put the two parts together and when I came back to it, it had hardened! I needed to pay closer attention to what I was doing and not get distracted by other things. I had to start over, wasting part of the material. In life, we can either keep focus on Christ, or get distracted by the things of the world. One way will keep us on track while the other may just harden our hearts to where our time is wasted. It always comes down to choice!, always! I choose to pay attention to the Holy Spirit and where He leads me, how about YOU?! peace, tom
Romans 14:19 NASB "So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another." Bam, he knocked it over! Today's Word is about peace and building each other up, something we need to do more of! Playing with my grandsons, I notice an interesting thing. When they were younger, and I built a tower of blocks, they loved to knock it over . As they grew older, they began to help build the tower rather than knock it over. As we grow in Christ, become mature in Him, we need to be building each other up rather than knocking each other down! The world does enough of that, knocking down who we are, our accomplishments and who we are in Christ. This day, the challenge is to find one person and help them by sharing a word or two of encouragement! It's better than knocking them down, don't ya' think! peace, tom
Genesis 1:1 NASB "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." I stood in awe! Today's verse is the very first verse in the Bible, and what a verse it is! I stood in awe at the sunrise and the sunset. Sometimes life becomes so busy, so complicated, so filled with this and that that I forget to take a moment and just stand in awe of what God does every day. Each day the sun rises and sets. Some of those mornings and evenings are filled with unbelievable colors that I can't help but take a moment and just stand in awe of such an amazing God. And yet there are those who say there is no God. They try and scientifically define what is happening in the sky but I know it's God's Handiwork! Just like the people I will encounter throughout my day, they too are God's creations! Let us take a moment and simply give God the thanks for the beauty He creates! peace, tom
Deuteronomy 31:6 NASB "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or in dread of them, for the Lord your God is the One who is going with you. He will not desert you or abandon you."Putting my trust in Him! Today's verse has a lot going on but the bottom line is that He will not abandon us! Whenever I have to go for medical testing, I have this little feeling of fear. My dad would say that one trip to the doctor can change your life. The "what if's" begin to crowd my mind... what if this or what if that. I have learned to pray before each visit, putting my trust in the Lord that no matter what, He will see me through. We all face those times of uncertainty, whether a new job interview, a medical test, stepping out in faith to where God calls us. Each of these can be moments of fear or dread but like today's verse states, "He will not leave us alone! " peace, tom
Nahum 1:7 NASB "The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him."He knows! Today's verse is one to remember as we have those troublesome days! It was probably just a saturday to many but for me, it was the day my dad left this earth a year ago. I have thought about him everyday for the entire year. Little things that would come up in my days made me think of him and the memories we shared. When the moments got tough and I struggled with his earthly death, I found strength in the Word like today. That God is my stronghold when the day of trouble comes. No matter what we are going through, the loss of a loved one, the struggles of life, we can rest in the knowledge that God knows those of us who take refuge in Him. There's no better place to take our struggles, troubles and concerns than to God, for He will see us through! Find strength in Christ to face no matter what the world puts in our path! peace, tom
Romans 12:14 NASB "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."It's probably one of the hardest things to do! Today's verse may seem like an oxymoron but the reality is that is exactly what Jesus did! If we really read today's verse, really read it, we may just find it hard to live out. For years I didn't like people cutting me off on the highway. Whenever they did, I always wanted to try and get back in front of them and for what reason... there wasn't a good reason. Not until I learned that some people are speeding past me for a good reason like their child was in an accident and taken to the hospital, or a dying parent, etc.. And really, is speeding past me even persecuting me?! When we say we are followers of Christ, our actions need, dare say must be like His. From the Cross He said "Father forgive them for they know not what they do!" We should too! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
May 2024
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