A Christian Devotional

[Shammu]

Time to get up!

Phil. 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

If you haven't noticed, our little girl comes in handy for devotional topics. It's funny, we thought we'd be teaching her but boy, is she teaching us some great lessons!

Over Fourth of July weekend last summer, our family enjoyed a delightful time at Chicoteague Island with some close friends. Elianna had never been to the beach before and today was her day. She'd always loved bathtime but this was like the biggest bath tub she'd ever seen and she was LOVIN' it!

We all sat around sunning, chatting and relaxing on the beach as Elianna sat beside us playing in the sand and enjoying the inflow of bubbly white water creeping up into the little sand pit we made for her right next to our umbrella. Suddenly, with no warning, the tide shot up in one wave and swept Elianna backward, eyes, nose, mouth full of salt water, sending her a couple of feet backward. We were absolutley horrified and scooped her up at once. It took Elianna a few seconds to get her bearings and I was sure at this point we'd need to be heading back for the day. After that experience, surely Elianna would be too traumatized to continue playing on the beach.

But to our amazement, Elianna opened her eyes, let out a cough or two, looked around and then motioned she wanted to get right back to playing! Not even a tear! She took that wave like a pro and just kept on going, happy as before.

Sometimes life can throw us a sudden wave and knock us around a bit. But, like Elianna, we need to get right back up and keep going! Heavenly blessings await those who endure trials and keep pressing forward for the Kingdom!

Have you been sideswiped recently? Don't let it get you down! Let's get right back in there and make the best of our time here on this earth. Soon we'll be hearing the words, "Well done thou good and faithful servant!"

[Shammu]

Open your heart!

Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

Talking to people about God has become a regular part of our lives. Between meeting people on the boards and in our chat rooms and the opportunities which open up in our daily lives, we find ourselves sharing with people from all walks of life - unbelievers, new believers, people who have come and gone from the faith and back again.

It's so typical of the human nature to want all our questions answered before we decide to make any commitments, isn't it? We want proof that God is real and that the Bible is accurate. We want to know why sometimes those who call themselves Christians do awful things and how God could allow bad things happen to good people. Sadly, as soon as we think all our questions are all answered to satisfaction, undoubtedly more appear. It happens to the best of us.

While there numerous answers and proofs to these questions, we have come to realize that some things just can't be answered with our minds - they have to be answered with our hearts. The deepest faith doesn't come by getting all our questions answered - it comes simply when we open our hearts to the Lord and invite Him to search it through and through.

Don't get me wrong, it's good to ask questions and be knowledgeable of our faith, but the fact of the matter is that there are some questions to which we won't find answers until we can see the Lord face to face and ask Him ourselves.

Regardless of whether we're new believers, old believers or not yet believers at all, let's all of us open our hearts to God today and ask Him to do a work in us. May you be blessed this new year as the Lord reveals new and wonderful treasures to your hearts.

This e-mail Devotional, is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[airIam2worship]

Dw, I enjoy these devotions so much I look forward to them everyday. Little Elianna has taught me a few lessons.

[nChrist]

Hello Dreamweaver,

Brother, I also want to tell you how much I enjoy this devotion. The writer has an almost "story teller" quality that gets your attention, and I don't want the story to be over for that day. He incorporates family things and dailly events that we can all relate to, but there is always a strong Bible message.

Thanks for sharing these with us.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Matthew 5:13 NASB  "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

[Shammu]

Hello Dreamweaver,

Brother, I also want to tell you how much I enjoy this devotion. The writer has an almost "story teller" quality that gets your attention, and I don't want the story to be over for that day. He incorporates family things and dailly events that we can all relate to, but there is always a strong Bible message.

Thanks for sharing these with us.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Matthew 5:13 NASB  "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

Your welcome brother, course you know I enjoy them. I still have about 25, of them in my e-mail I saved. If the orginal thread doesn't reappear I will post them.

Resting in the hands, of the Lord.
Bob

Isaiah 65:22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat [the fruit]. For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My chosen and elect shall long make use of and enjoy the work of their hands.

[Shammu]

Have you been drinking?

Judges 16:20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

My wife was feeling terrible earlier this week. For a few straight days, she was battling bouts of fatigue, nausea and dizziness and we couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally last night, she tried drinking a few glasses of water -- lo and behold, the sickness left her instantly!

When tourists come to Israel, and especially to these southern parts where we live, one of the first things they're warned is to make certain they drink enough water. The climate here is very dry -- it fools you into thinking it's not as hot as it really is. You might not even feel thirsty, and before you know it, you can collapse from dehydration.

Experts say that although thirst would seem to be a main indicator of dehydration, it is actually not. By the time one feels thirsty, he or she may very well already be dehydrated!

Could the same be true with us spiritually? How many of us are walking around spiritually dehydrated and we don't even realize it? Satan, the enemy of our souls, would love nothing more than to keep us very busy and unaware of our dire need for the living water of the Word, prayer, worship and Godly fellowship. But we need to be smarter and take time to drink enough of these important nutritious spiritual beverages, that we might be strong and ready to do the work of the Lord!

Let's examine ourselves today. Have we been drinking enough? Let's make sure we are! We don't want to collapse -- there's so much work to be done!

This e-mail Devotional, is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

What is God's will?

Romans 12:1,2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

A woman once asked John Wesley what he would do if he knew that he would die at midnight the next day. "Why, Madam," he replied, "just as I intend to spend it now. I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning; after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening. I would then go to Martin's house...talk and pray with the family as usual, retire myself to my room at 10 o'clock, commend myself to my Heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in glory."

So many people wonder what God's will is for their lives. John Wesley seemed to be quite confident that He was already walking in it!

We all need to work on offering our bodies as Living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God and no longer conforming to the pattern of this world but being transformed by the renewing of our minds. THIS, before anything else, is God's will for our lives! THEN, the Word says, we WILL be able to test and approve what His good pleasing and perfect will is!

Let's offer our bodies, minds and hearts again to the Lord today and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to His perfect plan for our lives. There is so much work to be done!

This e-mail Devotional, is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Don't neglect your hugs!

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

I heard a story about a young woman named Linda who was traveling alone up the rugged highway from Alberta to the Yukon. The first evening she found a room at a small-town Inn in the mountains and figured she'd continue her journey bright and fresh, early the next morning. But strangley, when she called down to the front desk and asked for a wakeup call at 5 AM the clerk sounded puzzled by her request.

She awoke bright and early as she intended, and suddenly realized the reason for the clerks reaction the night before. A thick fog covered the mountain tops -- it was not the kind of weather in which you'd want to take a Sunday drive. Not wanting to look foolish, however, she got her things together and went to breakfast. There, she met two friendly truck drivers and who invited her to join them. "So, where are you headed?" one of the truckers asked. "Whitehorse", Linda replied.

"You're not planning on driving that little car are you?" he said chuckling and pointing outside at the only little car among several eighteen-wheelers in the parking lot. "This pass is dangerous in weather like this!" "Well," said Linda, "I'm determined to try." "Well then -- I guess we're just going to have to hug you," the other trucker suggested. "What?!" Linda gasped, "I don't think that would be appropriate!"

"Not like that!" the two truckdrivers laughed heartily. "We'll put one truck in front of you and one in the rear. In that way, we'll get you through the mountains." All that foggy morning, Linda followed the two red dots in front of her and had the reassurance of a big escort behind as they made their way safely through the mountains.

Just as Linda did, we often feel confident that we can get by on our own, without any help from anyone else -- and before we know it, we're lost in the thick fog of the mountain of life. Rivka and I have seen so many people leave the fellowship of believers and go off on their own, becoming bitter against a brother or sister, or pastor and believing they'll be better off doing their own thing. Many of these have sadly never come back to the fold. But this is yet another way the enemy of our souls seeks to draw us away from the Lord. As brothers and sisters in Messiah, we need to be closely knit with one another, helping eachother and giving and receiving compassion and love. We need one another!

Let's get back into fellowship. Let's make it a priority to be "hugged" by our family in the Lord who know the way and can lead safely ahead of us, and strive to reach out and "hug" others by gently encouraging them along from behind!

This e-mail Devotional, is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Don’t look down!

Psalms 98:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

Years ago, a young sailor went to sea for the first time. Soon after their departure, his ship encountered a heavy storm and the sailor was commanded to go aloft and trim the sails. About three quarters of the way up, the young sailor made the mistake of looking down. The roll of the ship combined with the tossing of the waves made for a frightening experience. The young man started to lose his balance. At that moment, an older sailor underneath him shouted, "Look up, son! Look up!" The young sailor did as he said -- he looked up and regained his balance.

Similarly, when our focus is on the circumstances that we face, the waves of life, we can easily lose our balance and our direction. But when we switch our focus on to the victory that the Lord has already provided -- it is then that we will be able to maintain our stability, finish the assignments we’ve been given and get to the top!

Are you feeling unstable today? Let’s look up! There’s no reason to look anywhere else -- God has the victory already won!

This e-mail Devotional, is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

In light of the recent news of Iran declaring their desire to see Israel’s destruction, I want to share with you a true story.

Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

Years ago, when I first met my wife, I asked her what it’s like to live in Israel. Among many fascinating things, she described the people. She said that the people of Israel are open, lively, curious, and eager know about each other and the world around them. They are bold and aggressive, and won’t hesitate to ask you questions about topics that one might normally find offensive like how much you paid for something, how much you weigh, etc. Perfect strangers, on the bus, walking down the street or sitting in a local coffee shop, will with no hesitation approach you to talk about things the average westerner wouldn’t dream of asking a perfect stranger! The neighbors will greet each other and be eager to help with whatever each needs -- invite each other for coffee or Shabbat dinner. I couldn’t wait to take part in such a lively and exciting culture!

We’ve been here in Israel for over two years now -- and I’m sad to report that I haven’t found most Israelis to be the way my wife described at all. It wasn’t that my wife was wrong about the culture, but over the years, and especially these past few years, it has changed dramatically. In response to the many traumatic experiences Israel has undergone in these past years, many have been plagued with feelings of tragedy and hopelessness. Instead of that bold, open curious people I was expecting, the Israelis have become full of fear and suspicion of each other -- never knowing who will be in disguise, perhaps wearing the package of explosives under their coat, needing only to press a single button to kill and maim hundreds in a fraction of a second.

Thousands upon thousands of Israelis have lost friends and family members and even more have lost arms and legs to these explosions. How could we expect that this wouldn’t take a toll on the people of a country the size of New Jersey?

I am humbled. Not to say that we haven’t experienced pain in our lives, but this people has experienced pain that is transforming an entire culture. We are seeing this effect even upon Israeli believers in the Lord!

All of us really need to be praying for Israel. Pray against the enemy’s tactics to cause this people to become fearful and silent instead of bold and vivacious -- depressed and hopeless instead of exuberant and excited about the wonderful calling of God upon their lives. We must be praying for revelation of the fact that God is a loving God, He is real, and he does have a plan for this hurting nation -- and more importantly that they can find their redemption in Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. Please also pray for us, as we’re sometimes tempted to be conformed to these same fears. Pray for the finances to accomplish what is on our hearts. And pray for those who are called, to become a part of this harvest. The harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. There is MUCH work to be done here. Please join us in the battle ahead.

This e-mail Devotional, is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Don't crash!

Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

When I became a believer nine years ago, the Lord began putting it on my heart to create a web site that people could go to in order to find out what's going on around the world, so that they could pray. Little did I imagine that Worthy News would become what it has today. You have to understand, I didn’t know the first thing about computers when I started. I was a Deadhead traveling the country, living a life of rebellion before I gave my life to the Lord.

I started with a Pentium 1. The hard drive was tiny -- just a few gigs. With all the information I was trying to put on the site, it would get overloaded so quickly -- almost to point of crashing every few minutes. It was so frustrating! I finally figured out that in order to fix the problem, I had to dump all the unused programs and unnecessary information I was saving. Soon afterwards it began functioning well!

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the responsibilities of life and ministry. With a growing family who wants my attention, Worthy Ministries to oversee, hours of Hebrew study a day, ministering to the people that God has brought into our lives, the stress of Israeli life, I was becoming a little like my poor old computer -- almost to the point of crashing!

Sometimes life gets too complicated. We tend to take on more burdens that we can bear -- process more information than we need. Those are the times when we need to reevaluate what’s important and, like with my little Pentium 1, get rid of the rest. Despite our busyness, God must always come first! If we are faithful to take some time with Him each morning, it really makes a difference -- and He always has a way of multiplying our time! After God, comes family, then ministry, and lastly, any other interests we might have.

Let’s take a moment and do some reevaluating today. Perhaps we’re doing some things we don’t need to be. Maybe we’re neglecting some important other things! This evaluation is worth the effort! It might save us from “crashing” in the long run!!

This e-mail Devotional, is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Want a greater treasure?

Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The Lord quotes this scripture in Matthew. It contains an important principle which I think we sometimes tend to overlook. Many believe and even teach that if someone acquires much material prosperity, then God has surely given them favor, and that if someone is undergoing extreme trial, it must be because they have sinned or that they lack faith. But the Lord says that the sun rises and the rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous alike. A life of good circumstances does not necessarily mean that God is with us. And likewise, a life of trial and suffering does not mean that God is not with us!

If we base our lives on our circumstances, we are no different than people without God. What makes us different from the world is that we have something far greater than our circumstances! We can live victoriously both in want and in plenty because we have a relationship with the living God!

There is nothing wrong with rejoicing through the good times but we need to rejoice through the bad as well! If you're going through some hard times, choose to rejoice in the Lord today! We have a greater treasure and a more amazing victory when our lives are centered upon Him at all times!

This e-mail Devotional, is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[sincereheart]

Want a greater treasure?

A life of good circumstances does not necessarily mean that God is with us. And likewise, a life of trial and suffering does not mean that God is not with us!

If we base our lives on our circumstances, we are no different than people without God. What makes us different from the world is that we have something far greater than our circumstances! We can live victoriously both in want and in plenty because we have a relationship with the living God!

There is nothing wrong with rejoicing through the good times but we need to rejoice through the bad as well! If you're going through some hard times, choose to rejoice in the Lord today! We have a greater treasure and a more amazing victory when our lives are centered upon Him at all times!

These portions caught my eye since I had just been studying praise as a spiritual weapon! What a great reminder! And if the Lord never gives us ANYTHING, He's already given us His All! 

[Shammu]

These portions caught my eye since I had just been studying praise as a spiritual weapon! What a great reminder! And if the Lord never gives us ANYTHING, He's already given us His All! 

AMEN sister, he has given us his, Allinall. And no, I'm not talking about Allinall, Kevin.

[Shammu]

Scatter your enemies!

Proverbs 16:7 When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

A young reporter approached an old man on his 100th birthday. "Happy birthday, kind Sir! Can I bother you to answer one question? In all your years, of what are you most proud?" he asked.

"Well," said the man, "I don't have a single enemy in the world."

"Really?!" shouted the reporter, "That's just incredible -- how inspiring to us all!"

"Yep," added the centenarian, "outlived every darn one of 'em."

Sadly, each of us has acquired an enemy or two in our lives. While it's our human nature to find fault in others and make an occasional
unnecessary enemy, sometimes it has nothing to do with us! I mean, you wouldn't believe the kind of hate mail we get from people we've never met! What can we do to make peace with enemies like those?

"He" is the operating word in the verse above. Did you catch that? He, that is, the Lord, makes even [a man's] enemies be at peace with him. All we have to worry about is making sure that our ways are pleasing to the Lord and He will do the rest!

The word "deh-rech" in Hebrew, is 'way' in the verse above. Derech can also mean journey or path. When our path is straight, and God is the focus of our journey, then our ways will please Him and He will make even our enemies be at peace with us.

Let's rededicate our lives to the Lord again today and see Him bring the victory. There is so much work to be done!