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Post by Redeemed on Jun 23, 2023 5:16:35 GMT -8
June 23 - Plans We Cannot See
For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Hebrews 10:36
Adoniram and Ann Judson were the first American missionaries to Burma (now known as Myanmar). They spent years witnessing to the Burmese people. They endured numerous hardships including Adoniram being imprisoned and tortured—but through it all they never gave up on their calling. By the time they both had passed, the couple had only established a few churches in the country, but they contributed one of the greatest gifts they could: the Word of God in the Burmese language!
Sometimes the efforts we make may seem slow, but we can’t see the big picture like God can. What may seem futile to us now may have a great impact in the future. We can only see the short-term solutions, but God has long-term plans—greater than anything we can imagine. The next time you feel your work is in vain—remember that God will not allow your labors to go to waste—He has a plan.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 24, 2023 4:51:48 GMT -8
June 24 -Too Busy?
For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:8
In his book Walking with God, Andrew Murray wrote, “No knowledge of the air or the food around me can nourish me, except it enters into my inward life. And no knowledge of the truths of God can profit me, except as He, by His Spirit, enters into my inmost being and dwells within me. It is with the heart I must wait upon God. It is into the heart God will give His Spirit and every spiritual blessing in Christ.”14
Amid our business and busyness, we can mentally know we are Christians without enjoying that precious fellowship that makes us one with Christ. Our desire should be to move toward Jesus, not away from Him, but that takes waiting upon Him in prayer, Bible study, quietness, and confidence.
Try to slow down a little bit today, and be still for a few moments, enjoying the knowledge—the true personal character—of the Lord Jesus Christ. How incredible that He longs to meet with us, if we will only pause a momentd take the time!
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 25, 2023 5:40:45 GMT -8
June 25 - An Unnatural Choice
You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
Psalm 45:7
People who live exclusively in one culture live much of their life subconsciously. That is, they are so used to the ways and traditions of their homeland that they don’t have to think before acting. But when they go to another culture to visit or to live, every choice is a conscious one because everything is new. They have left their natural state and are living in an unnatural one.
Jesus’ “culture” was one of intimate fellowship with the Holy Spirit. From eternity past, He had lived with the Father and the Spirit in heaven; and when He came to earth, that relationship continued. He was human and had to submit to the Spirit, but He was without the sin nature that we encounter, so He did not wrestle against the Spirit. Not so with us. Our sinful, fleshly nature is not naturally at home with the Spirit. So, moment by moment, instead of walking in darkness, we now choose to walk as “children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).
Choose today to follow the leading of the Spirit in your life and seek to do what is pleasing to the Lord. Humanly it is an unnatural choice, but it is one that your new nature in Christ will gladly agree with.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 26, 2023 4:38:53 GMT -8
June 26 - Wilderness Training
For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness.
Deuteronomy 2:7
Many adventurous people are signing up for wilderness training, seeking to learn the survival skills that will keep them safe in rough terrain and remote regions. The dictionary defines wilderness as a wild and uncultivated region, one that is either uninhabited or inhabited only by wild animals.
The word wilderness shows up quite a bit in Scripture. The Bible has a lot to say about believers trudging through wilderness areas—the Israelites, who traveled to Canaan; David, who hid from King Saul; Jesus, who was tempted by Satan in the wilderness of Judea.
That word seems to describe the rough patches of life, so we all need wilderness training and survival skills in a spiritual sense.
The most important aspect of wilderness training is having the right Guide. The wilderness doesn’t threaten the Lord Jesus. He created the wastelands of earth, and He formed the vast wastelands of the universe. He inhabits it all, and He knows every step of the way.
Don’t worry today. With God leading us, we can make it through the wilderness.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 27, 2023 6:44:46 GMT -8
June 27 - The Key to Happiness
He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
Proverbs 16:20
Happy birthday, Adell Julie Green Thompson! When the “rock” of her family turned 105, she gave all the credit to the Lord. Her daughter, Maxine, said, “She trusted God from a little girl. She was always worshiping God and praying. She’s just a unique person…. She likes reading her Bible.” And her grandson Anthony added, “Her faith is so inspiring. Even at her age, she’s still reading her daily devotional. It’s just remarkable how the grace of God and the love of God have just been on her life.”
Trusting God is a tonic for the body, mind, and soul. The Bible doesn’t often use the word happy. The biblical writers preferred to write about joy. But Proverbs 16:20 doesn’t hesitate to tell us that trusting God brings happiness to our heart. It enables us to cast our cares on Him, focus on His nearness, feed on His promises, anticipate His coming, and share His message.
No matter what is happening around us, we can always trust God.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 28, 2023 5:09:06 GMT -8
June 28 - Delights and Desires
Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
No resource was more valued in biblical lands than pure water. Cities grew up around water supplies. In fact, Jerusalem relied upon the waters of the fresh-water Gihon Spring during the Old Testament era. (And it still flows today.) It is no wonder the biblical writers used a spring or well as a symbol of life.
Solomon called the heart a “wellspring of life” (Proverbs 16:22). Thus, the heart was to be kept pure and righteous; the health of the life depended on the health of the heart.
So when David wrote that God would give “the desires of your heart” to the one who delights in God, he had a pure heart in mind. Such a heart would be consistent with one who delights in God and His ways. It’s the equivalent of Jesus telling His disciples to abide in Him and His words in order to receive whatever they asked for (John 15:7). Getting our prayers answered, or being given the desires of our heart, presupposes a heart that delights in God.
God delights in meeting the needs of His children and satisfying them with every good thing (Deuteronomy 26:11). His goodness to us is an ever-flowing spring of blessing.
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Post by civic on Jun 28, 2023 6:44:34 GMT -8
June 28 - Delights and DesiresDelight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 No resource was more valued in biblical lands than pure water. Cities grew up around water supplies. In fact, Jerusalem relied upon the waters of the fresh-water Gihon Spring during the Old Testament era. (And it still flows today.) It is no wonder the biblical writers used a spring or well as a symbol of life. Solomon called the heart a “wellspring of life” (Proverbs 16:22). Thus, the heart was to be kept pure and righteous; the health of the life depended on the health of the heart. So when David wrote that God would give “the desires of your heart” to the one who delights in God, he had a pure heart in mind. Such a heart would be consistent with one who delights in God and His ways. It’s the equivalent of Jesus telling His disciples to abide in Him and His words in order to receive whatever they asked for (John 15:7). Getting our prayers answered, or being given the desires of our heart, presupposes a heart that delights in God. God delights in meeting the needs of His children and satisfying them with every good thing (Deuteronomy 26:11). His goodness to us is an ever-flowing spring of blessing. And if we are not getting/receiving the desires of our heart then maybe our desires are not lining up with the known will of God revealed in His word.  |
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 29, 2023 6:33:14 GMT -8
June 29 - Follow God’s Calling
Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Matthew 4:19-20
Mary Slessor grew up hearing her mother read the mission paper every month. She could feel in her heart a desire growing to share the love of Jesus with others. When David Livingstone, a missionary to Africa, died, Mary decided she wanted to continue his work in sharing the Gospel. She became a missionary to Africa, and she crossed territories where no Europeans had been before her—fighting danger and hardship—and she was able to spread the Gospel to areas where no other missionaries had been able to go.
Following God can be dangerous. You may face uncertain circumstances and uncharted territory as you follow Him. Some people may try to discourage you, but what God has set in your spirit, no one can take away. God has placed a calling in each of our hearts, and it’s our responsibility to follow His direction for our lives. When an opportunity comes our way—it’s up to us to seek God’s will and pursue it. What has God laid on your heart today? Listen for His still, small voice and follow God’s calling.
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 30, 2023 5:26:23 GMT -8
June 30 - Pay It Forward
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.
Titus 2:11
A California student raised nearly thirty thousand dollars for his former substitute teacher after learning that he lived out of his car. After retirement, the teacher, Mr. Jose Villarruel, was struggling to make ends meet and found himself homeless. His former student recognized him and decided to raise donations online. The teacher’s response? He wants to pay it forward. “The greatest feeling that I have right now is like an obligation that I need to do a lot for the world and the greatest feeling is I can do it and I’m going to find a way to do it,” he said.16
Being part of God’s family is truly the greatest blessing in the world. As we consider this bountiful gift and thank God for His mercy to us, it is only natural to share it with those around us—to pay it forward. If someone is hurting and needs to hear the message of the Gospel—share Christ with them—pass it on and encourage others to join the family of God!
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Post by Redeemed on Jul 1, 2023 15:09:22 GMT -8
July 1 - God Will Wipe Away Our Tears
God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4
What do you call a drop of water that contains mucin, lipids, lysozyme, lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, glucose, urea, sodium, and potassium? It’s a tear. All land mammals (except goats and rabbits) produce tears, but only humans do so as part of the emotional responses of life. For humans, tears are often sparkling drops of emotion from the depths of our hearts.
There’s nothing wrong with tears, for Jesus wept, and He was perfect in every way. Weeping is often therapeutic. Yet at the beginning of the eternal state on the new earth, God will somehow wipe His finger across our eyes, and remove our need for weeping. Most of our earthly tears come from sorrow, grief, loneliness, and heartache. But there will be no such experiences in heaven—“No more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Imagine a place without pain, suffering, or sadness—ever! That’s heaven, and that’s our home.
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Post by Redeemed on Jul 3, 2023 12:14:44 GMT -8
July 3
Viral Servanthood
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
GALATIANS 5:13
When the coronavirus struck China, millions of people fled or were quarantined, as fear spread across China to the world. One group of people, however, had a different response. Christians in the city of Wuhan went into the streets distributing face masks, passing out Gospel brochures, and sharing the message of Jesus. One pastor said, “It is readily apparent that we are facing a test of our faith. The situation is so critical, yet [we are] trusting in the Lord’s promises, that his thoughts toward us are of peace, and not evil, and that he allows for a time of testing, not to destroy us, but to establish us.”
Christians find joy through serving and helping others. Even in trying times, we can encourage and assist others—especially those who are sick and alone. If you can’t leave your home, you can still reach out with a card, an email, a phone call, or through prayer. It is our joy as followers of Jesus Christ to minister to others in His Name. He brings joy to the world!
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