You Are Not Going To Believe This

May 12, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 109:2
For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     Don’t you just hate it when people lie? They just cannot seem to tell the truth. No matter how hard they try, they always seem to stretch the truth to a point where hardly anyone could possibly believe them. Then when they do tell the truth, no one does believe them.

     What seems even worse is when they begin to lie about you. They might tell only half-truths or exaggerate the truth. It seems almost unbelievable that they would do such a thing. Suddenly, you find yourself wanting to get even, to hurt them back. Well, I am going to tell you how to do just that. Prepare to get even with these people.

     First, live a separated life. What is a separated life? It is a life in which it is hard to find fault. One separated from the world and their sinful ways. Separated to the Lord and His heavenly ways. Then no one who truly knows you would ever believe the lies someone else would tell and it is going to look bad on them.

     Second, take it to the Lord. Do not try to get even, get back, or get over on someone. Let God handle it. He knows both you and them far better than you do.

     Finally, pray for them and invite them to church. If you genuinely want a liar to quit lying, they will need to have a change of heart, not just a change of mind. The best way to get rid of an enemy is to make them your friend.

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     Could you imagine if someone were to say right up front when they first begin to tell stories on you something like, “You know so and so, that Christian, well you are not going to believe this but…” Did you hear it? Are you laughing? First, they labeled you as a Christian and then told the other person what was going to happen. “You’re not going to believe this…” and because of your life in Christ, well, they won’t.

Would any Christian who
really knows you believe a lie about you?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  May 12, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(O.T.-1,   N.T. & PS.-2,   Prov. – Monthly)}
1 Samuel 15-16 – Psalm 109:1-13
Proverbs 12 – Romans 6-8

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
2 Samuel 16-18 John 1:1-34

Someone Has A Crush On You

May 10 & 11, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     Guess what I have heard about you? You are wonderful. You are intelligent; witty, and charming. You have a great personality and are also found to be incredibly attractive. They said they like you and you are a great person to have as a friend. Do you want to know who said all these things about you? Sure you do. Whoever they are, they seem to be a very smart person. As people go, they might be able to be very good friends.

     However, what if someone said this instead? You are a fool. You are stupid, boring, and an absolute drag to be around. You have a horrible personality, and to top it all off I find you to be kind of ugly. Being around you is like rubbing sandpaper across my forehead until it bleeds. In fact, I would rather stick a fork in my eye than spend one more minute around you. OK, do you want to know who said that? Sure you do. However, the reason is different. You probably want to know, “What in the world could I have possibly done to them to make them hate me so much?”

     Yet, before our salvation, this is sort of the attitude we displayed toward God. We did not want to be around Him or His people. His ideas and ways seemed ridiculous and outdated, and we did not want to listen, read, or much less obey anything he had to say out of His Word. It may have sounded stupid, boring, and even foolish at times. However, while we were acting this way toward God, The Bible says “…God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God sent His only Son to die for us. Why? It is because He loved us even when we were acting unlovable toward Him. Now, my friend, this is real love.

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     I wonder if God ever thought to Himself, “What in the world could I have possibly done to them to make them hate me so much?” God loved us even when we were acting unlovable toward Him. In fact, the someone who thought all those nice things about you in the first paragraph would be God. He really is a great friend indeed.

Do you spend any time thinking about the fact
that God is thinking about you?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  May 10, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1,/NT & PS-2,/Prov-Monthly)}
1 Samuel 12-14 – Psalm 108
Proverbs 10-11 – Romans 4-5

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
2 Samuel 14-15  /  Luke 24:36-53

WHAT TO DO ON SUNDAY:

    There will not be a Daily Devotion sent out on Sundays. Instead, we encourage you to attend your church and listen intently to what God has prepared in the heart of your Pastor. Write down all the scriptures he uses in that message, then when you get home re-read those passages for today’s reading. God has given to your Pastor exactly what He desires for you on that day.  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  May 11, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1,/NT & PS-2,/Prov-Monthly)}
NO READINGS ON SUNDAY

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
NO READINGS ON SUNDAY

It’s A Matter Of Time

May 9, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 9:8-9
Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     We only get so many hours each day. Just a few opportunities to use the minutes God has given to us. The Bible says we are to be good stewards of all God gives us. We will often relate stewarding to money. However, it also refers to our time and talents.

     Being a good steward of time is the topic of our verses today. Rebuking a sinner of sin before they are saved is like beating your head against a brick wall. They do not care and are not convicted of their sinfulness; therefore, neither of you gets anything good out of it. They need salvation first.

     If you use your time to try to help someone who is teachable, you both come out ahead. A Christ-like Spirit is one that is teachable. The rebuke given to born-again Christians is an opportunity for them to examine themselves, to see where they stand with God. If the rebuke is correct, they will see an area they need to correct and become stronger in the Lord. If the rebuke is incorrect, they can come back and lovingly discuss the circumstances around it with you. When this happens, you both walk away stronger in the Lord, and in better fellowship with one another. Either way, a wise person comes out ahead. They have either gained wisdom in their walk with the Lord or a better understanding of a fellow Christian. In this, God wins.

     Is it ever easy to point out perceived sin, or the shortcomings in a friend’s life? NO! There is a slogan, which says, “Friends do not let friends drive drunk.” The same should be true for believers. Christian friends do not let Christian friends live in harmful unrighteousness.

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     In the New Testament, Jesus called it casting your pearls before swine. It is not referring to withholding the gospel from anyone as everyone needs to hear the gospel. However, it does mean using your time wisely. Not everyone is ready to listen.

How are you using your time for the work of the Lord?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  May 9, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
1 Samuel 10-11 – Psalm 107
Proverbs 9 – Romans 2, 3

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
2 Samuel 11-13  /  Luke 24:1-35