A Christian Devotional

[Shammu]

Freedom has come to us today!

Deut. 26:8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm (z'roah), and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Right now, around the world, many are celebrating the holiday of Pesach (Passover) reminding us of the time that the Lord led His people out of slavery in Egypt.

As it applies to us today, there is a spiritual Egypt from which we all need deliverance. The spiritual Egypt symbolizes worldliness, carnality and spiritual bondage and the Lord wants to redeem us from those with His outstretched arm. He wants to lead us out of the burdens of this world and bring us into a place of freedom in Him!

In Hebrew, the word for arm is "z'roah". His z'roah is a picture of His might and His strength and His z'roah is mighty and able to bring us out of any bondage that hinders our spiritual walk. When the z'roah of the Lord led Israel out of Egypt He displayed great signs and wonders and He is more that able to do the same for us today.

Be encouraged! Whatever situation we may be in, whatever bondage has us enslaved, the z'roah of the Lord desires to display great signs and wonders in our lives and lead us out of our Egypt! Let' give our all to Him again and be FREE at last!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

It's time for spring cleaning!

I Corinthians 5:7-8 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

In preparation for Passover (Pesach, in Hebrew), the majority who live in here in Israel will cleanse their homes thoroughly, searching and scrubbing every corner of every room in order to remove all the leaven. This season, you will even see Rabbis standing on street corners with big pots of boiling water. Long lines of people come with their bags and boxes of kitchen utensils, pots, pans and other things, to be immersed in the hot water -- just to be sure it's completely clean of any possible trace of leaven.

With the same exuberance, we as believers need to cleanse our spiritual temples of all leaven this season -- even those things that have been hidden for a long time. For just a little leaven can corrupt the entire lump!

Let's take this opportunity to cleanse our temples of all leaven. Let's search through every corner, nook and cranny of our lives, ask for forgiveness of any areas that corrupt our walk with the Lord and be rid of them for good! God wants to bring us out of bondage of our Egypt today!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

God has something special in store for you!

1Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

When we were in the womb we had eyes, but there was little to focus on. Our eyes had rods and cones to distinguish shapes and colors, yet there were no shades or colors to see. We were in total darkness. But we had eyes that were meant to see light. Our eyes were the evidence that beyond the womb was a whole other world, still yet to be seen.

As we dwell in this world, our hearts cannot be satisfied by the things they see here. Deep inside, we know there is more... and we long for it. This life is Heaven's womb.

No matter what this world gives us, it can never satisfy what the eyes of our hearts long to see. It is here that we are being formed, and prepared to enter the realm of the Heavenly. Don't be discouraged that this this life can't give us all we want. It is a reminder of our inheritance yet to come.

Let's give our desires to the Lord once again. He wants to prepare us to rule with Him!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Sheep or goats?

Matthew 25:37-39 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

A friend sent us this story about a young lady named Sally and her experience in a recent seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons. This particular day, Sally walked into the class and knew they were in
for a fun day.

On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

Sally's friend drew a picture of girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another guy drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend. The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students were throwing their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart and everyone was laughing hysterically.

Finally, Dr. Smith asked all the students to be seated. He came to the front of the class with a less-than-amused look on his face. As he began removing the target from the wall, there appeared underneath, a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture; holes and jagged marks covered Jesus' face, and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words. "In as much as you have done it unto the least of these my brothers, you have done it unto Me." Matthew 25:40.

What a powerful analogy. Phew. When we "throw darts" at our brothers and sisters, friends and even strangers, we are actually piercing our Lord too. Let's get right with the Lord and others today. It's a good season for reconciliation. There's so much work to be done!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

More Elianna antics for your sheer entertainment!

Psalms 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

The other day we were busy working and realized it had been several minutes since we had heard anything from Elianna. That's almost never a good sign with an alert two-year old running around the house. After a quick search we realized that Elianna was in the bathroom with the door closed, a big no-no. We came in only to find that she had placed all of her bath toys in, sad to say, a forgotten-to-be-flushed toilet, last of which was her favorite stuffed Barney doll from a good friend in the States. That was an enjoyable clean-up. Needless to say, a little discipline was in order.

Why do we have to discipline our children? I mean really, who likes doing that? The truth is though, that if we don't discipline our kids, they will never learn to obey us. And if they never learn to obey us, how will they ever learn to obey the Lord? In teaching them to obey authority, we are actually teaching them to obey the Lord.

But here's the kicker. If we aren't obeying the Lord like we should, no discipline will ever be effective enough on our children. Are we following after the Lord wholeheartedly all the time? Are we setting a good example? I wish we could say we have a squeaky clean record. What we have is a huge responsibility. And we have innocent eyes always watching, just waiting for the next opportunity to show the world what they've learned. The sad reality is that our kids don't do what we tell them to do, they do what we do.

Young eyes are always watching, regardless of whether they are young physically or young spiritually. And we have a responsibility before the Lord to be a good example to them. Let's ask the Lord to cleanse us and mature us so that we can be lights to our children, our brothers and sisters and all the world around us.

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Get your game on!

Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

You've probably heard of tennis champion Boris Becker, but you may not know this. He had everything, talent, money, fame and every other worldly pleasure one could want, yet he still struggled with depression and frequent thoughts of suicide. "I had won Wimbledon twice before," he said, "once as the youngest player. I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed.... It's the old song of movie stars and pop stars who commit suicide. They have everything, and yet they are so unhappy. I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string."

When we're not fully submitted to the Lord, we are puppets on a string in the hands of the enemy. We will never be satisfied. We will never have peace. We will never be accomplishing the purposes for which we were divinely created.

D.L. Moody said, "I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled."

Let's get our game on for the Lord today. Let's give our heart to Him yet again today. Let's purpose to empty it of our desires and allow God to fill it with His. There's so much work to be done!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Show me a sign!

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

A king was seated in a garden, and one of his counselors was speaking of the wonderful works of God. "Show me a sign," said the king, "and I will believe." "Here are four acorns," said the counselor, "will you, Majesty, plant them in the ground, and then stoop down for a moment and look into this clear pool of water?" The king did so, "Now," said the other, "look up." The king looked up and saw four oak-trees where he had planted the acorns. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed, "This is indeed the work of God." "How long were you looking into the water?" asked the counselor. "Only a second," said the king. "Eighty years have passed as a second," said the other. The king looked at his garments; they were threadbare. He looked at his reflection in the water; he had become an old man. "There is no miracle here, then," he said angrily. "Yes," said the other, "it is God's work, whether he did it in one second or in eighty years.

Some of us are in need of answers today. We've been crying out for the Lord and feel like He's not listening. But He is! And He has a plan far greater than any of us could ask or think!

Be encouraged! Let's choose to trust that God has great plans for us in the making, regardless of whether we can see them right now. His timing is PERFECT!

[Shammu]

Take the plunge!

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

We've all heard the word "nesting" but have we ever taken a close look at true nesting in action? This is neat.

When a mother eagle starts building her nest, she begins using items we wouldn't at all expect for such a job -- sharp thorns, broken branches, rocks. Later, she places on top of it a layer of wool, feathers, and fur from animals she has killed, making it soft and comfortable for her eggs. Her eggs eventually hatch and her little ones grow to flying age. As with any creature, growing up is never an easy thing. That's precisely when mom begins "stirring up the nest." With her strong talons, she begins pulling up the thick carpet of fur and feathers, bringing the sharp rocks and branches to the surface. As more of the bedding gets plucked up, the nest becomes more uncomfortable for the young eagles. Eventually, this and other urgings prompt the little eagles to leave their once-comfortable abode and move on to bigger and better things like learning to fly and eventually making homes and families for themselves.

I think some of us may have gotten a little too comfortable in our nests. We've had all the warmth, comfort and free meals we could want but all good things come to better things, with the Lord! It's time we learned to fly!

Let's not be bitter at the Lord for plucking up our comfortable nests. He wants us to be all that we can be! He wants us to accomplish all the things He has for us -- to reach our fullest potential -- to experience the amazing sensation of flying, even soaring, high above our problems and issues and whatever other distractions hold us back from growing up in Him. Let's take the leap of faith today. There's so much work to be done!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

How much?

1 Timothy 6:10-11 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Most western worlders don't like to talk about their finances but it never ceases to amaze me how open Israelis are about them. It's commonplace to ask someone how much they make or how much they paid for their house or car. People do it all the time, even total strangers! So I'm gonna jump on the band wagon and be bold because the subject has been on my heart lately.

New York City's Mayor David N. Dinkins, when urged by Manhattan officials to buy some property thought to be an "extraordinary opportunity for the city," said: "If they're selling elephants two for a quarter, that's a great bargain. But only if you have a quarter--and only if you need elephants."

How many of us are guilty of spending unwisely - and not allowing the Lord to reign over our spending habits? While God doesn't condemn the possession of goods and money, He does speak against hoarding, coveting, selfishness, stealing, dishonesty, and even mismanagement of finances.

I believe the Lord wants to pour out a financial blessing upon us today. But have we shown Him that we are trustworthy to use it in a manner pleasing to Him?

Let's put our finances and spending before the Lord today and ask Him to be Lord over them all. God has great plans for us ahead if we will only lay ourselves down!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Need an extreme makeover?

Psalms 90:17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Charles William Eliot, former president of Harvard University, had a birthmark on his face that bothered him greatly. As a young man, he was told that surgeons could do nothing to remove it. Someone described that moment as "the dark hour of his soul." Eliot's mother gave him this helpful advice: "My son, it is not possible for you to get rid of that hardship...But it is possible for you, with God's help, to grow a mind and soul so big that people will forget to look at your face."

Yes, it's true. All of us have things we'd love to change about our bodies. And many of us tend to spend an awful lot of time and money trying to change, fix and cover those things up. But I think there is much truth in Mrs. Eliot's words. When we are shining boldly for the Lord, I don't believe anyone sees them!

Do you REALLY want to make a drastic difference in your appearance today? Let's stop focusing on our outward issues today and start focusing on what really counts -- walking uprightly and wholeheartedly with the Lord -- a spiritual extreme makeover! We will glow like never before, at a low low price and 100% guaranteed!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Get back to the basics!

1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Race car driving champion Bill Vukovich won the infamous Indianapolis 500 race two times, a record of success few others have achieved. When asked about the secret of his success in the race, Vukovich simply replied, "There's no secret. You just press the accelerator to the floor and steer left."

Sometimes we have a tendency to complicate things when it comes to serving the Lord. But like race car driving, there's really no secret, just move forward and finish the race! The only thing I would change about Bill's advice is steer RIGHT!!

Are you struggling with confusion, discouragement or anxiety about things of the Lord? God is not a God of confusion, discouragement or anxiety! Let's get back to the basics today. God created us, loves us unconditionally and wants to free us from all our entanglements that we may be holy as He is holy, that we may be able to love Him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and love our neighbor as ourselves! We're in this together, for the win!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Stay on guard!

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Anyone who has traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland has probably seen the Edinburgh castle. It is a tower of seemingly insurmountable strength. However, long ago that castle was attacked and seized.

One place in the fortress was protected by its steepness and impregnability, they thought, so no guards were posted there. But at an obvious weak spot was where the most guards were stationed. Wouldn't you know that at an opportune time, the attacking army sent a small band up that unguarded slope and surprised the garrison into surrender. Where the castle was strong, there it was weak.

In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin wrote: "There is perhaps no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive. Even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility".

I guess the even best of us struggle with pride in our lives -- wait, come to think of it -- it's most likely the best of us that struggle with pride the most!

The enemy of our souls would like nothing more than to cause us to stumble -- especially in the areas we feel most secure!! We need to be on guard. Let's never put our hope in our own strengths, or anyone else's for that matter. We must remind ourselves continuously that it is the Lord who is our strength, and He alone.

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Are you at peace?

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Back in the third century Cyprian the Bishop of Carthage wrote to his friend Donatus: "It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered, in the midst of it, a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy, which is a thousand times better than any of the pleasures of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are Christians, and I am one of them."

This is the kind of peace that we are supposed to experience as believers. The kind of peace that people notice, especially when we display it through our troubles. The kind of peace we can attain when we're despised – when we're persecuted – when everything is chaotic around us.

Yeah, it's a bad world, and incredibly bad world. But we have victory in our Messiah. Let's determine to trust God for that victory in a way we haven't before!

[Shammu]

Are you ready for marriage?

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

If you are not familiar with Jewish tradition, this is fascinating. There are two principle figures in the ancient Hebrew marriage. The "Khatan" is the Bridegroom and the "Almah" is the virgin who becomes the bride. Almah also means the veiled one, the one who keeps herself hidden, the one who separates herself. This is a profound picture of us spiritually -- born to be the Bride and joined to God -- but keeping ourselves distant from Him, hidden and veiled. The beautiful thing is, though the Almah means one who separates herself, Khatan, the Hebrew Bridegroom, means one who joins himself.

Despite our distancing ourselves, He still comes near. God is the Khatan, the One who joins Himself to us, who joins Himself to our sorrows, our burdens, our sins, our separation.

Remove your veils, unlock your doors and open your heart and your life today to the Khatan. The presence of Heaven is knocking at the door of your heart. Open up. Don't fear. You may be the Almah...but He's the Khatan.

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Thank God for independence!

Phillipians 2:6-8 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Last night we took part in the Independence Day celebration in Israel -- whew! What a party -- shows, fireworks, music, dancing, and everything else under the sun! But interestingly, the day before was a very solemn one. It was a day to remember all the soldiers who died protecting the cause of Israel's birth and statehood. All the major television stations stopped airing for twenty-four hours in honor of these men and women. At different times during the day, long loud sirens rang all over the Land. Israelis stopped whatever they were doing -- I’m talking about even standing still on the highways, to stop and remember them! The dedication and camaraderie among Israelis is just powerful. I have been many places and I’ve never seen anything like it.

This got me thinking. It is a beautiful thing to remember the price that was paid for our independence before we celebrate it.

Our Lord willingly laid down His life for our freedom. How much more should we take some time out to honor Him today before we celebrate the freedom He has so mercifully bestowed upon us?

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.