Daily Devotional

[Jack_N_The_Green]

April 19, 2004

Maintaining Character
Read: Romans 12:1-21

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. "?Romans 12:2

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News reporting is a tough business that tends to make reporters hard and unfeeling. That's what Barbara Bradley, a correspondent for National Public Radio, tells aspiring journalists. But she also believes it doesn't have to be that way. "I made a strategic decision when I first fell in love with journalism," Bradley says, "that if I found myself beginning to get tough I would leave the business. It's just a career, and why mortgage your character for a career? Maintaining your character counts for something and you can do it; it's just a decision you have to make."

In every high-pressure situation, we can react like most people or we can choose to be different. J. B. Phillips translates Romans 12:2 this way: "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands, and moves toward the goal of true maturity" (The New Testament in Modern English).

When we feel pressure to conform, character can stand firm on the bedrock of conviction, saying, "This is God's way and it is best." Maintaining our character begins and continues with a decision. Let's make it today. "?David McCasland


O Lord, You see what's in my heart"?
There's nothing hid from You;
So help me live the kind of life
That's loving, kind, and true. "?D. De Haan

Beautiful character begins in the heart.




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[Jack_N_The_Green]

April 20, 2004

Lost In The Fog
Read: Proverbs 3:1-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. "?Proverbs 3:5

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The fog was as thick as pea soup. Visibility was limited to a few feet, and the lake was as smooth as glass. The only sound to break the silence was the laughing of a loon across the lake.

I rowed for an hour around the shore, trying to catch fish in different areas, but the fish weren't biting! So I decided to go back to my cabin for a cup of coffee. I was at the mouth of a small inlet, which I knew was directly across the lake from the cottage. So I set out across the lake on a straight course (I thought) toward the dock.

The minutes went by"?and after an hour I was surprised when I arrived back at the mouth of the little stream from which I started. I had been going in a circle in the fog. I was so sure I knew where I was going, but after an hour I had gotten nowhere! If I had only taken my compass"?instead of relying on my own sense of direction.

Proverbs 3:5 comes to mind: "Lean not on your own understanding." Without the Lord as your guide through the fog of life, and His Word as your compass, you will wander aimlessly.

So be sure to make Proverbs 3:6 your lifelong motto: "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." "?M. R. De Haan, M.D.


My Lord is ever with me
Along life's busy way;
I'll trust in Him completely
For guidance day by day. "?Anon.

To avoid going wrong, follow God's leading.




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[Jack_N_The_Green]

April 21, 2004

Who Packed Your Chute?
Read: 1 Samuel 30:1-25

As his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike. "?1 Samuel 30:24

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Charles Plumb was sitting in a restaurant when a man came up to him and said, "You're Plumb. You flew jet fighters in Vietnam. You were on the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!" "How in the world did you know all that?" asked Plumb. The man, who had been on the same ship, replied, "I packed your parachute." Then he added, "I guess it worked." "Indeed it did," said Plumb.

That night Plumb thought of this man who had stood at a table in the belly of the ship carefully folding parachutes for men whose lives might depend on them. Plumb was saddened and humbled as he thought, How many times might I have passed this man but didn't even say good morning because I was a jet pilot and he was a low-ranking sailor?

This story brings to mind David's words in today's Bible reading. Two hundred of his men became too weary to march farther to fight the Amalekites. So they stayed behind to guard the supplies. When David returned from battle, he made no distinction between them and his fighting men. He said, "They shall share alike" (1 Samuel 30:24).

In God's service there are no high and low people, no high and low tasks. We all depend on one another. Let's never forget those who packed our parachute. "?Herbert Vander Lugt


Lord, help us to appreciate
The work that others do,
The service given from their hearts,
Their sacrifice for You. "?Sper

No service for Christ is insignificant.




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[Jack_N_The_Green]

April 22, 2004

Unlimited Power
Read: Isaiah 40:25-31

[God] brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name. "?Isaiah 40:26

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Why don't the stars fall down?" A child may ask that question, but so does an astronomer. And they both get essentially the same answer: A mysterious power or energy upholds everything and prevents our cosmos from collapsing into chaos.

Hebrews 1:3 tells us that it is Jesus who upholds all things by the word of His power. He is the source of all the energy there is, whether the explosive potential packed inside an atom or the steaming kettle on the kitchen stove.

That energy is not simply a mindless force. No, God is the personal power who created everything out of nothing, including the stars (Genesis 1; Isaiah 40:26); who divided the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 14:21-22); who brought to pass the virgin birth of Jesus (Luke 1:34-35); and who raised Him from the dead and conquered death (2 Timothy 1:10). Our God, the one and only true God, has the power to answer prayer, meet our needs, and change our lives.

So when life's problems are baffling, when you face some Red Sea impossibility, call upon the wonder-working God who upholds all things. And remember that with our almighty God, nothing is impossible. "?Vernon Grounds


Thou art coming to a King"?
Large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such
None can ever ask too much. "?Newton

God is greater than our greatest problem.




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[Jack_N_The_Green]

April 23, 2004

A Storm Is Coming!
Read: Proverbs 1:20-33

It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. "?Hebrews 9:27

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We were in a small boat on the far side of the lake and the fish were biting when we heard a rumble of thunder in the distance. Looking up, we saw a mass of dark clouds in the west.

I ignored the suggestion of my fishing partner that it might be wise to start back to the cottage"?I wanted to keep fishing. Then it happened! The storm was suddenly upon us. We tried to start the motor but it wouldn't go! My friend tried to row, but the rain came in sheets and the waves tossed our little aluminum boat. We survived, but I learned a lesson. Don't delay when a storm is brewing.

Another type of storm is coming"?a day of judgment. It may seem far off, and you don't feel you have to hurry to prepare. You may be in good health and in the prime of life. But listen, the storm may come upon you unexpectedly.

Proverbs 1 says that disaster will strike the person who foolishly ignores all warnings (v.27). And the author of Hebrews warned, "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (9:27).

To heed God's warnings is true wisdom. Have you sought shelter in Christ? If you haven't, it's time to stop "fishing" and seek safety before it's too late. Turn from your sin to Christ. Do so today. "?M. R. De Haan, M.D.


Oh, turn to Christ while still you may;
Too late, it soon will be"?
A glorious life you then will have
Throughout eternity. "?Anon.

Those who reject Christ as Savior will face Him as Judge.




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This one is great. A whole lot of people think they are too young and feel like "I want to do this now and I will do that later on when I am older" We are not guaranteed anything. How do we know we will have that tomorrow to change our ways to be saved. The answer we don't.

[Jack_N_The_Green]

That's right Mrs. Freddy! Thanks for the input!

[Jack_N_The_Green]

Hey guys, i won't be home til about 2 or 3 this morning, so i figured i would go ahead and post tomorrow's devotional...thanks and God Bless!

April 24, 2004

The Worst Defeat
Read: 2 Kings 25:1-21

Because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah. "?2 Kings 24:20

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There have been some horrendous defeats in sports history, but none more convincing than Cumberland's 222-0 loss to Georgia Tech in 1916. It was the worst college football defeat ever, and the young men of Cumberland must have been devastated.

Another kind of loss happened to the people of Jerusalem in 586 bc, and it was much worse than any sports defeat. Because of God's punishment for their sin of worshiping other gods, they were defeated by the Babylonian army (2 Kings 24:20).

Led by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians laid siege to the Holy City and left it in ruins. They burned the majestic temple, the palace of the king, and the people's homes.

It was perhaps the worst defeat in the long, often tragic history of God's people. Their continued disobedience to Him had devastating consequences. Through it all, He urged them to repent and turn back to Him.

It's sobering to me to see how much the Lord longs for His people to live in a way that glorifies Him. I need to remind myself often of my duty to live as God wants me to live because of how much it means to Him.

Judah's worst loss can challenge us all to live in obedience to God. "?Dave Branon


O help me, Lord, to be afraid
Of disobeying You;
And may I bring You highest praise
In everything I do. "?Sper

The more you love God, the more you hate sin.




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[Jack_N_The_Green]

April 25, 2004

Give Him Your Burden
Read: Psalm 55:16-23

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you. "?Psalm 55:22

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A poor man in Ireland was plodding along toward home, carrying a huge bag of potatoes. A horse and wagon finally drew up alongside him on the road, and the driver invited the man to climb aboard. After getting on the wagon, he sat down but continued to hold the heavy bag.

When the driver suggested that the man set the bag down in the wagon, he replied, "I don't want to trouble you too much, sir. You are giving me a ride already, so I'll just carry the potatoes."

"How foolish of him!" we say. Yet sometimes we do the same thing when we attempt to bear the burdens of our lives in our own strength. No wonder we become weary and overwhelmed with anxiety and fear.

In Psalm 55, David spoke of the anxiety he felt because his enemies were attacking him (vv.1-15). But then he gave his concerns to the Lord and was filled with renewed hope and confidence (vv.16-23). That's why he could write, "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you" (v.22).

When you recall the story of the man and his bag of potatoes, remember the simple lesson it illustrates: Rather than trying to bear your burdens by yourself, set them down in God's hands. "?Henry Bosch


Give Him each perplexing problem,
All your needs to Him make known;
Bring to Him your daily burdens"?
Never carry them alone! "?Adams

God invites us to burden Him with what burdens us.




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[Jack_N_The_Green]

April 26, 2004

Pain And Gain
Read: Hebrews 12:1-11

No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. "?Hebrews 12:11.

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Years ago I was an extremely anxious Christian. When I began spiraling downward emotionally, God didn't intervene, for He knew I needed to reach the end of myself. When I finally hit rock bottom, the "rock" on which I fell was Jesus Christ.
The Lord immediately began rebuilding me, applying truths from His Word to teach me trust and faith. Gradually He changed me into the joyful, God-dependent person He intended me to be. Through this painful but profitable experience, I learned that when God disciplines us, our greatest gain isn't what we get but what we become.

In Hebrews 12, we read that our heavenly Father loves us too dearly to let us remain immature. Like any loving father, He disciplines, corrects, and trains us"?often through difficult situations. God uses our times of struggle to help us grow and make us more holy (vv.10-11).

Many people are motivated to live for health, wealth, and ease, and they try to avoid pain at all costs. But the abundant life that God intends for His people isn't trouble-free. Growth and change are often unsettling, but the gain is worth the pain. "?Joanie Yoder


We shrink from the purging and pruning,
Forgetting the Gardener who knows:
The deeper the cutting and paring
The richer the cluster that grows. "?Anon.

God uses setbacks to move us forward.




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