"To answer before listening is folly and shame." Proverbs 18:13
I will admit it. I do this. Sometimes out of impatience, sometimes unwittingly, sometimes lately, because of my decreasing capacity to hear accurately. Whatever my reason or explanation, I would do well to listen more and better.
"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21
These words of Paul are certainly true for him, and should be true for all of us who follow Christ.
Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Kim:
"And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord and behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a still, small voice……" 1 Kings 19:11 – 12
A still small voice…..are you listening???
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it" Matthew 13:45-46
A number of years ago NASA gave each of the 50 states a special gift from the Apollo 17 mission, a little chunk of rock from the moon. Over the ensuing years a number of states lost or misplaced their gifts and could not locate them. The state of Arkansas though, eventually found theirs in a plastic bag in one of the files from back when Bill Clinton was governor.
"Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, 'Bring us some drinks!" Amos 4:1
The Bible is not always delicate or sweet in its indictments against selfishness and opulence.
"All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart." Proverbs 21:2
From time to time, I need to read Proverbs. I never have to read very long before God reveals something to my spirit that is good for me to know.
A devotion from Heather Gent:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
In the last couple of weeks, I've been undergoing what feels like open heart surgery without the anesthesia. God has allowed circumstances into my life that have tested every fiber of my being, as well as my devotion to Him. However strong I believed my faith and dedication to be, He has since shown me just how weak it really was - a revelation that has caused me to question absolutely everything in my life.
Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Hank:
"For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." Romans 7:18b-20
See if the following scenario sounds familiar to you: You try to do the right thing most of the time, but it seems the more you try, the more difficult things become. You attempt to keep that passage of Scripture in mind that says "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9)
"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13
As you may know by now, I, from time to time, like to break down verses word by word or phrase by phrase. This passage of encouragement once again lends itself to that type of a devotional. Hopefully this will satisfy each of you with a morsel of spiritual nutrition that you need in your hearts.
"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed pure, for God will judge the adulterer and the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have. For God has said, never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:1-5
As you may have figured out already, this is sure a long passage of scripture for me to write a devotion about. I almost always choose a verse or two and then, not long or complex ones. Until I saw these five verses together I had not realized they were such a compelling paragraph, and had only remembered them as pieces or verses on their own.
A devotion from Heather Gent:
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:18
Around early June of this year I began struggling with my faith in new and unfamiliar ways. As my posts from that time and thereafter reflect, I was caught in the middle of feelings and emotions that I hadn't before experienced, at least not since I've been walking with God.
Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Ray Beeman:
"Rejoice Always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Many things on my mind this week, following an amazing Christmas season. My little great grand-daughter Katie (4 yrs old), and her first sermon/testimony, given impromptu at Christmas dinner at daughter Valerie’s house (grandma to Katie).
"The Lord said to him: 'I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there." i Kings 9:3
As I read this passage this morning which immediately follows the completion of the temple of the Lord it came to me that this would be the exact same prayer that God would pray over us. Why do I think that?
Heather shares a devotional from Daily Disciples.
"For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" Romans 8:15
I drove carpool today. Boy, the things I learn while having a few more junior high kids in the car are so valuable to me. I am also thankful because the kids are still at a point of listening to instruction if I say it clearly, simply and in as few words as possible.
Pastor Fred shares a devotional from Holy Land Moments, written by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein:
"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." Isaiah 58:12
Tel Megiddo, one of the most impressive and important archaeological sites in all Israel, is an object lesson of historical and biblical proportions. This ancient site located near the entrance of the Jezreel Valley and along antiquity’s major super highway, the Via Maris, imparts the story of 25 civilizations that are built upon the ruins of another.
Our Devotion comes to us from Greg Laurie Daily Devotions:
"Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." II Corinthians 12:8–9 NKJV
When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, a sign is effectively hung around your neck that says, "Under new management." You now belong to Jesus Christ, and He does not operate on a timeshare program. Isn’t that nice to know? He doesn’t say, “Okay, now I have Greg for six months, and the devil can have him for the next six months.” That is not what happens. When we put our faith in Christ, He comes in and is the sole resident in our hearts and lives.
Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Lahoma:
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17
To start the New Year right, our Wednesday Night Women’s Bible group has chosen to study the actual BIBLE itself during the month of January.
Here is a good devotional from Os Hillman about time. I have been enjoying my recent study of Ecclesiastes and this verse makes an excellent point of how important time is no matter how we are feeling at the time. Take time for God, you will never regret it. In His Time, Pastor Fred
"For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him." Ecclesiastes 8:6
"For waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers." Psalm 24:6
For a number of years I have been growing a profound respect for those who take and heed counsel. One of the least kind but truly accurate things I have ever said of someone is that.... "you can't tell them anything". Not because they will spread it all over the place, which is a different kind of a problem, but because either they seem to know everything or just won't listen to counsel. We all need advisers and guides. Of course, God is the best counsel and His guidance and advice revealed through His Word is supreme, and most wise. God Himself and His Word are the ultimate truth. That should be the primary source of wisdom for us all.
"Do not pay attention to every word people say or you may hear your servant cursing you-- for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others." Ecclesiastes 7:21-22
Solomon's wisdom is sometimes so subtle. He has a way of saying much with just a few words. Here, he is warning us not to listen, or take too seriously all the things that people say. After all, we certainly don't want everybody to remember everything we say, either. Think of it this way. Would you really like to know every single thing that has been said about you? Yeah, maybe all the nice things, but not all the garbage. Nor would I like for everyone that I have spoken of to know what I have said about them either.
This devotional from an unknown source is shared by, The Severins:
"Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!" I Chronicles 16:11
We both want to spend more time in God's Word this year but we have such different ideas about how to do that and we need each other as well as friends to keep us accountable.
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