Daily Devotional

Thanks for doing these man. This actually gives me a reason for getting on here. I enjoy these posts,and thanks again. Keep up the good work!

[Jack_N_The_Green]

thank you guys....if they're shutting down the forum, and you still want a devotional, post your e-mail on here or pm me? better do it quick though

[Jack_N_The_Green]

March 12, 2004

Only One Option
Read: Habakkuk 1:1-2:4

Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith. "?Habakkuk 2:4

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If you were to ask several people to draw a crooked line on a piece of paper, no two lines would be identical. There is a lesson in this: There are many ways to be crooked, but only one way to be straight.

The Lord tells us that the righteous person has only one option"?to "live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). In the chapter prior to this declaration from the Lord, the prophet Habakkuk had complained about the violence and injustice around him. It seemed as if the wicked were swallowing up the righteous (1:13).

God responded to Habakkuk by saying that His people were to be "just" and were to live by faith. They were not to be like the one who is "proud" and "not upright" (2:4). A proud and self-sufficient person will rationalize his faults and imperfections. He doesn't want to admit that he needs God. His ways are crooked.

Wickedness seems to prevail in our world. God urges us to live our lives in faith, taking to heart His assurance to Habakkuk that there will be a day of reckoning for the wicked.

The only way to please God now and to be ready for that day of reckoning is to live by faith. "?Albert Lee


Lord, grant me grace throughout this day
To walk the straight and narrow way,
To do whatever in Thy sight
Is good and perfect, just and right. "?Huisman

The only right way is the straight and narrow way.

[Jack_N_The_Green]

I really want to thank all you guys again for your support on this thread! It means a lot to me that you all take it to heart! Thanks!

[Jack_N_The_Green]

I won't be able to get on here tonight or tomorrow, so i'm gonna go ahead and put up the next 2 devotionals!

March 13, 2004

Message For All Seasons
Read: Acts 5:31-42

Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! "?John 4:35

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I'm a novice at growing flowers. But I've learned to appreciate the difference between annuals and perennials. Every spring I usually buy trays of annual bedding plants. Once in the ground, they immediately take root. Their brief life always ends with the autumn frosts, and the soil lies barren until my next annual spring planting. I prefer to plant perennial flowers. They go on living from year to year, and regularly bloom, flower, and reproduce.

Writer Eugene Harrison describes the evangelistic efforts of New Testament believers as "perennial" in nature. They didn't pour all their energies into once-a-year evangelistic efforts. Instead, according to Harrison, sharing the good news of Christ was "the supreme concern of every believer, every day in the year, in every place." In Acts 5:42 and 8:4, the scope of their witness is clear: They shared Christ and the gospel in the temple, in their homes, and in the marketplace, using the Spirit-given methods of preaching, teaching, and personal testimony.

Jesus taught that the season for spiritual harvest is always today (John 4:35). And the apostle Paul said that "now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Be assured, there's never a time when the harvest is out of season. The fields are white today. "?Joanie Yoder


Help us, Lord, to be a lifeline
To a dying world today,
Bringing hope to hopeless people
As we share salvation's way. "?Sper

Witnessing for Christ is never out of season.


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March 14, 2004

Costly Consequences
Read: 1 Samuel 13:1-15

You have not kept the commandment of the Lord . . . . Now your kingdom shall not continue. "?1 Samuel 13:13-14

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I always knew that disobedience has consequences, but it came home to me forcibly in basic training during World War II. I had traveled beyond the distance allowed on my weekend pass to be with my wife Ginny, and I returned to camp late because the train had broken down. I paid for my rule-breaking"?20 hours of extra duty washing pots and pans!

King Saul also learned the high cost of disobedience. He faced the prospect of fighting a huge well-equipped Philistine army with his small band of frightened and untrained followers. While waiting for Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice before going to battle, Saul became impatient and offered the sacrifice himself, even though he knew that God had given that right only to the priests. It was a costly mistake.

Saul had begun his reign with humility and compassion, and he gave God the credit (1 Samuel 11). And the prophet Samuel told him that God would have kept the kingship in his family if he had obeyed God's command (13:13-14). But that one act of disobedience changed the course of his life. From that point on, it was a sad downhill journey.

Never forget that disobedience has consequences. And some of them may be very costly. "?Herb Vander Lugt


O help me, Lord, to be afraid
Of disobedient ways;
And may I seek what pleases You,
What gives You highest praise. "?Sper

The way of obedience is the only way of blessing.

[imported_OleTob]

Guys and Gals Jack is having some troubles logging in and he will return with the Daily Devotionals soon. Thanks

[Jack_N_The_Green]

March 15, 2004

Healthcare For The Heart
Read: Proverbs 4:20-27

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. "?Proverbs 4:23

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If you're over 40 years old, your heart has already beat more than 1.5 billion times. I know that when my heart stops, it will be too late to change my ways. So I've been trying to control my weight, get exercise, and watch not only what I eat but also what's eating me.

This last point relates to another vital organ called "the heart""?our spiritual heart. It too has throbbed millions of times with thoughts, affections, and choices. In the heart we determine how we will speak, behave, and respond to life's circumstances (Proverbs 4:23). Will we trust the Lord and choose to be gracious, patient, and loving? Or will we yield to pride, greed, and bitterness?

Today's Scripture reading emphasizes the importance of caring for our heart. Are we keeping spiritually fit?

Weight: Do we need to lose the weight of unnecessary burdens and cares?

Pulse: Are we maintaining a steady rhythm of gratitude and praise?

Blood pressure: Is our trust greater than our anxiety?

Diet: Are we enjoying the life-giving nutrients of the Word of God?

Have you checked your heart lately? "?Mart De Haan


O Lord, You see what's in the heart"?
There's nothing hid from You;
So help us live the kind of life
That's filled with love for You. "?D. De Haan

To keep spiritually fit, consult the Great Physician.




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March 16, 2004

Seek And You Will Find
Read: Proverbs 2:1-6

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will . . . find the knowledge of God. "?Proverbs 2:4-5

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Justin Martyr was a second-century man who eagerly sought for truth. He read the Greek classical writers, examining and analyzing every philosophy from all sides. He sought insight, especially the answer to his longings for sexual purity. But every effort was in vain. He wrote, "All at last did faithless prove, and late or soon betrayed love."

One day, aimlessly wandering on the seashore, he met an elderly man who spoke to his heart as no one had ever spoken before. He pointed him to God through Jesus Christ, and in that simple witness Justin found the knowledge he had sought all his life"?"the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:4-5).

Perhaps you, like Justin Martyr, are searching for insight, looking everywhere for the answer to your longing for truth. You've read widely and thought earnestly about life, but you can find no answers that satisfy the deep needs of your soul. If so, read the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament. As you read, cry out to God for understanding. He will hear you, and you too will find the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

God doesn't force truth on those who don't want it, but He hears the earnest cries of those who request it. As Jesus said, "Ask, and you will receive" (John 16:24). "?David Roper


Look not to reason's arguments
If God you seek to find;
Look only to His holy Word,
For sin has made us blind. "?D. De Haan

To find truth, look to Christ.

[Jack_N_The_Green]

March 17, 2004-happy birthday to me!

Life's Seasons
Read: Psalm 71:1-21

By You I have been upheld from birth . . . . My praise shall be continually of You. "?Psalm 71:6

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When we are young, we can't wait to grow up. When we are old, we look back longingly to former years. But God intends that we joyfully take each season of life as it comes. Whatever our age, He imparts what we need to be all that we can be. He asks us to commit our way to Him and accept the struggles He allows and the strength He provides.

A woman who was facing the difficulties of aging asked Bible teacher J. Robertson McQuilkin, "Why does God let us get old and weak?" McQuilkin replied, "I think God has planned the strength and beauty of youth to be physical. But the strength and beauty of old age is spiritual. We gradually lose the strength and beauty that is temporary so we'll be sure to concentrate on the strength and beauty that is forever. And so we'll be eager to leave the temporary, deteriorating part of us and be truly homesick for our eternal home. If we stayed young and strong and beautiful, we might never want to leave."

Are you in life's springtime? Trust God's timing to fulfill your dreams. Are you in life's summer or autumn? Face your daily challenges head-on. And if you feel winter's chill, draw close to the Lord. His presence can make every season of life one of strength and beauty. "?Dennis De Haan


Only this hour is mine, Lord"?
May it be used for Thee;
May every passing moment
Count for eternity. "?Christiansen
© Renewal 1965 Singspiration Inc.

Whatever the season of life, attitude makes all the difference.




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[Jack_N_The_Green]

March 18, 2004

Friends Listen
Read: Job 13:1-9

Oh, that you would be silent, and it would be your wisdom! "?Job 13:5

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It is about 9 in the evening. My wife Ginny and I are sitting in our living room. I'm reading a book. Suddenly she says, "Honey, I want to talk with you for a few minutes." She begins to talk"?then she abruptly asks, "Are you listening?"

I'm tempted to reply, "Of course I am. I'm only 2 feet away from you." But actually my mind is still on what I'm reading. I need to close the book and give my full attention to what Ginny is saying. She deserves that from me.

Job too was frustrated because his friends weren't paying attention to what he was saying to them. He sensed that while he was talking they were planning their next response. They were bent on trying to convince him that his suffering was punishment for sin in his life. They were not listening to the deep cry of Job's heart.

Many of us are poor listeners too. Teenagers can be frustrated because their parents always have a quick answer, when actually they just want someone to listen to their struggles and accept them. One teen said, "Sometimes I would just like to talk until I know what I want to say."

Deep relationships are built on acceptance, understanding, and being a good listener. "?Herb Vander Lugt


When our friends encounter suffering,
We can help them if we're near;
Some may need a word of comfort,
Others just a listening ear. "?Sper

Listening may be the most loving thing you do today.




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[catsoftball23]

i really liked this passage...i do feel sometimes that my mother responds way to quickly!