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Luke 12:40 NASB "You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will."Sometime between 8-4! Today's verse speaks about staying ready, for He will be coming! I had called the local utility company to come help in a problem and they said they would be coming sometime between 8AM and 4PM! I sat waiting, and waiting, I kept watching, and watching and waiting! Maybe you've been there too - I didn't want to just waste the time waiting so I began to do some other things that needed to be done and no sooner did the knock on the door come! I had to quickly clean myself up and answer the door for I had stopped watching and waiting! We can become so tired of waiting for Christ's return that we begin to forget that HE IS COMING BACK! We need to keep alert for His Return and yet keep moving forward! Don't get caught off guard, for He will come when we least expect it! The question of the day is... are we ready?! peace, tom
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Luke 14:28 NASB "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?" We had to wait! Today's verse speaks about counting the cost of building! We wanted to enlarge our kitchen area in our home so we sat down and began to dream. What would we want, how to design the space to be efficient, what types of cabinets, etc and the final stage was whether we could afford it or not. Once the final figures were in, we found that we didn't have enough to build what we dreamed of so we had two choices 1. to reduce our dream or 2. to wait for enough finances to build it. Some times, well many times, when we count the cost of getting something done, we find we have to wait. God may have given you the dream but now comes the waiting! Don't give up on God cause He will never give up on us! Years later, we sit and enjoy our dreams come true and God will do that for us as well! Remain steady and keep focus on Him, He will get it done! peace, tom
James 5:16 NASB "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much."I debated with myself whether or not to come clean! Today's verse is loaded with some good information concerning Truth and prayer - be sure to read it! I finally decided that the best solution to the problem was to come clean, to admit I had made the mistake and was willing to pay for the damages! While working for a furniture company, as I loaded the truck, in my rush to get on the road, I didn't tie down the last piece of furniture. When we arrived to deliver it, it had shifted and had a large scratch across it, a gouge so big that it definitely would be noticed by the customer. I could have tried to hide it but I decided that the Truth was the best and admitted my failure! It may hurt but being truthful with our mistakes and sin, can set us free! peace, tom
Galatians 3:26 NASB "for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith."He came but sat alone! Today's verse lets us know we are all sons of God! As the meeting began, I noticed him off to the side. He came alone, sat alone and didn't say much as the meeting took place. Towards the end of the meeting, I seen him get up and begin to walk out. I quickly ran over to him, introduced myself and we began to talk. He had no idea what it meant to be part of a family. His dad had left him, his mom died early in his life and he drifted from place to place, never really having a home. the group of men who met that day, made sure that he was part of the family of brothers that gathered that day. By the end of the year, he didn't come alone, sit alone and even shared with the group. A changed life when you know people care! Knowing that we are all part of God's family can make the difference in a person's life, so let's make sure we adopt those who feel alone in life, for they are our brothers and sisters in Christ! peace, tom
Ephesians 5:20 NASB "always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father"All it takes is a moment! Today's Verse speaks to us about giving thanks for all things and giving that thanks to God! I wonder, if we could before we eat the bird, watch the football game, spend time with family, that we could spend a few minutes with God?! It doesn't take but a moment from our family gatherings to thank God for who He is and the many blessings we have. We may be going through a time of struggle but we can still thank Him for the struggle for He will help us through them! BTW, why not invite that person that you know who will spend the day alone, to your thanksgiving table, all it takes is one more chair! Happy Thanksgiving and know you all are prayed for - that your celebration of thanks is not for just one day but each and every day! peace, tom
Romans 1:8 NASB "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the world."It was just a simple text but it meant so much! Today's Word, as this week has been, is about giving thanks. After spending time with a friend, he texted me later simply to say "thank you"! Sometimes we forget to thank those in our life who have come alongside us and helped. We need to say thank you to those who give of their time, energy, wisdom, etc. and not just let it pass without saying it. A thank you can make the difference between someone who feels loved and cared for rather than simply used and forgotten. Too often we take those who give of themselves for granted. And I have to wonder, when was the last time we took a moment to thank God for the many blessings?! We don't need a phone to text or a computer to send an email, we just have to take a moment, and say Thank you God! - now how hard was that! peace, tom
John 6:9 NASB “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many people?”Don't sweat the small stuff! Today's Verse may seem like just a small verse with no meaning but if we read the rest of the story, we find that Jesus fed the thousands with what the boy had! We were locked out and the only way in was a small opening in the basement. On order to get back in, we needed a smaller person, in fact the smallest person there. He quickly entered through the small opening and unlocked the door so we could all enter! There was another time when I dropped the screw into the motor and needed a smaller hand to reach down and grab it, thank God for daughters! Let's thank God for the small stuff in life, for God can use the small stuff in life to reach more than we ever dreamed. Don't ever think what you do for God, even though it maybe small, will not reach thousands! peace, tom
Psalm 69:30 NASB "I will praise the name of God with song, And exalt Him with thanksgiving."I found myself singing along! Today's verse is about thanking God and this week I will be sharing about giving thanks! As I strolled through the store, I found myself singing along with the Christmas carols being played over head. And then it hit me, the stores went from Halloween right to Christmas and missed Thanksgiving, a day to give thanks for all we have. I couldn't help but think that too often in our life, we go from one thing to another without ever giving thanks for what we have or what we've been through. Let's not fall in the trap of forgetting to thank God for everything and take the week to exalt Him with thanksgiving, like the verse says! peace, tom
2 Corinthians 9:12 NASB "For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God."I was happy to give and serve! Today's Word speaks to us about service and giving and doing it as we thank God! No sooner did one person come through the line, then another and so on. Our men's group had decided to serve the local food shelter. I was only so happy to stand shoulder to shoulder with other men as we served those in need. It wasn't about us but about them and giving God the thanks for allowing us to serve and to be on the side of the table I was. Too often, I had taken for granted the blessings of God like a simple warm meal. As we face next week, the week of Thanksgiving, let us look for opportunities to give, to serve and give God the thanks for allowing us to be used! BTW, Thanksgiving should be everyday, not just a Thursday in November! peace, tom
1 Peter 3:14 ESV "But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled"We had accepted the job, so now we had to do it no matter what! Today's Word speaks to us about suffering for doing the right thing and not having fear or being troubled! We had bid on the job to clean out the basement of an old building. We needed to remove all the garbage and clean it up, but no one told us about the rats!! When we first entered, we didn't see any but soon enough we found them running along the boxes and hiding here and there. A few were even brave enough to stand by and watch us, and they were the size of cats! We finished the job and even removed the rats and walked away knowing we did what we said we would do no matter what! God will ask us to do things, where we may even find ourselves suffering but if we do what He asks, no matter what, we will come away blessed! So let's not fear or be troubled but finish the job no matter what! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
December 2024
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