Daily Devotion – Moments That Matter

Glowing Review

 August 12 & 13, 2023
 August 12 – Daily Reading – Psa. 42-47 / Rom. 5
 August 13 – NO READING

 GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 45:17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Who does not like to hear good things said about them? Actors and actresses delight when a good review is given about the work they have done on stage or film. Restaurants have been made popular by a good review, or sometimes put out of business by a not so good report. Many workplaces review their leadership staff annually to see how things are progressing in their companies. Children from pre-school through college are given reviews or report cards stating their achievements in the classrooms. Face it, we are a people groomed from youth to look for and long for good reports. Glowing reviews. 

        Psalm 45 is a Psalm that paints a glowing review of the Christ to come. It is entitled “Shoshannim” which means a “Song of Lilies,” also known as “A Song of Love.” It is a marriage song for the Lily of the Valley, Jesus, the bridegroom, coming to claim His bride, the church. In the very first verse it says, “My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king:” meaning his heart is overflowing with good things to say about the King. He follows that with a glowing review of how God has chosen Him for who He is. About His glory, might, graciousness, majesty, and His honesty and righteousness. He shares of His eternal rule and authority, His love for what is right and hatred of sin, and how desirable He is. The conclusion says, everyone must know this, so I will tell them. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Folk’s, everyone does need to know just how awesome your Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord, really is. How He came to earth, lived, loved, died, rose again, ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us, and promised to come again for us. Everyone needs to know.

Will you tell them?

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

      When looking back over the past weeks’ devotionals, what joy we have in our hearts seeing God’s Riches poured out on His own. We see it in:

  ● Great Reward
  ● Gospel Is Revealed
  ● Guidance Received
  ● Grace Redistributed
  ● Guaranteed Results
  ● Glowing Review

      Compared to all the temporal things man has here on earth, I think you would have to agree, God’s Riches far outshines them all.

       Enjoy today with your church and hear what God has prepared in the heart of His man for you this week.

   See you tomorrow.  

 SUNDAYS:

       Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastors heart. Whatever scripture he uses for today’s messages were given to him by God for your specific needs.

August 14, 2023	Psa. 48-51	Rom. 6
August 15, 2023	Psa. 52-57	Rom. 7
August 16, 2023	Psa. 58-64	Rom. 8
August 17, 2023	Psa. 65-68	Rom. 9
August 18, 2023	Psa. 69-72	Rom. 10
August 19, 2023	Psa. 73-77	Rom. 11
August 20, 2023	No Passages Assigned

God’s Riches

Guaranteed Results

AUGUST 11, 2023
Daily Reading – Psa. 37-41 / Rom. 4

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 37:1-2 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        How do we deal with worries and troubles in life? Many people have their own solutions to try to cope with these annoying situations. David gives us some advice in Psalm 37 that if followed, there are guaranteed results.

        Beginning in Psalm 37:3 it says, “Trust in the LORD, and do good.” In vs 4 he tells us to, “Delight thyself also in the LORD.” In Vs. 5 we are instructed to, “Commit thy way unto the LORD.” When we get to vs 7 David adds, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him.” Then finally in vs 8 we read, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:” To summarize it says we should trust God and do good, delight, or find our greatest joy in the Lord, commit to follow His leading, rest, which is another way of saying submit patiently to God’s ways and His timing, and do not get angry and try to get even. What are the guaranteed results? You will find the answer a few verses later in Psalm 37:23-25 where it says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Basically, if we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, He does all the rest. Hey, I believe read that in other Bible verses. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        This Biblical idea reoccurs often. Prov. 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

If God repeats Himself often, do you think it is important?

Grace Redistributed

AUGUST 10, 2023
Daily Reading – Psa. 33-36 / Rom. 3

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Today’s verse is really a clear picture of the two types of life. One is the never satisfied life of the unbeliever, the other is the satisfied life of the child of God. You cannot measure a man’s contentment by the items they have collected. Things never have provided true satisfaction.

 

        The young lion crying for hunger is a very clear depiction of the lost soul in this world always wanting more from the world. As a young lion may hunger while the older lions feast, both are never satisfied with what they have that day. Their attention is always on the next meal. There is no refrigerator, restaurant, or marketplace to gain their next meal from. They are always on the hunt, searching, and never able to be satisfied. It has been studied and said that over 50% of wildlife does not die of natural causes. Even the aged lion becomes too old and weak to hunt and will often go off and die of starvation. Yet our verse today goes on to say; “…but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” Follow the Lord’s leading and He will supply for you. The difference is where our attention is focused. The young lion is seeking what the world might give. The believer is seeking the Lord. Jer. 29:13 says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Once you turn your attention on Him the hunting is over. He knows where everything is on earth and in heaven. He will lead you to what you need. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        God’s grace is redistributed to those that seek Him. When talking about earthly things, Matt. 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Makes sense.

 

Who will you rely on, Man or God?

 

 

Guidance Received

AUGUST 9, 2023
Daily Reading – Psa. 27-32 / Rom. 2

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Growing up in the 1960’s and 70’s, we had an Evangelistic duo come to our Baptist Church by the name of Paul Levin & Bob Findley. They sang together and then Brother Paul would preach. My parents had them over to our home often when they were in town. Over the years we became well acquainted. I remember Paul playing tricks on Bob, like one time at dinner, Paul took the skin off his chicken and placed it on Bob’s plate, then giggled as he watched Bob eat it. Oh, and did I forget to mention, Bob was blind? One year I was asked to lead Bob to the sanctuary from the lower level of our church. Being a teen, I had never led a blind person before, but it looked easy. Hold out your right elbow, let him take it, and walk. Except, when I went to the left of a support pole, I suddenly heard, THUD “OH.” I turned to see; I had walked Mr. Bob straight into that pole. He was very gracious and kind about it, but he seemed to walk a bit slower with his other hand out in front of him as we went on.

 

        Too often people try to find help navigating through life from the world. Yet sin has blinded the world. It is like the blind leading the blind. Luke 6:39 says, “…Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” God sees far beyond what any of us can. If we will receive His offer and trust His guidance, He said He will guide us with his eyes. He will do much better than I did, I promise. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        God said, He will instruct and teach us in the way we need to go. However, we must give over the guidance to Him. We must keep our eyes on Him and let Him keep His eye’s on our tomorrow. Like the chorus says, “Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way.”

 

Will you trust God’s eyesight?

 

 

Gospel Is Revealed

AUGUST 8, 2023
Daily Reading – Psa. 22-26 / Rom. 1

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Soon after I was saved, my pastor began a discipleship class. I and three other men met with him for about twenty weeks. During that time, he encouraged us to pray about finding, what he referred to as, “a life verse.” A verse that stood out as describing our new life in Christ. I felt God calling me to use the gifts He had given me to sing and speak, and when I came to Heb. 2:12, I knew this was my life’s verse. “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” It was not until sometime later that I found the same verse in Psalm 22:22 and realized how special this verse really was to me.

 

        Psalm 22 is a special prophetic writing. From verse one through verse twenty-one we read a description of Christ, crucified on Calvary. It opens with the words Jesus uttered on the cross found in Matthew 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” It speaks of His accusers mocking Him, His bones being out of joint, and the parting of His garments. From verse twenty-three on it speaks of His resurrection and His living forever. I see verse twenty-two as the hinge verse. This is good news, the Gospel, the revelation that Jesus has risen. Oh, how we should forever declare that name, and sing His praises. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        How gruesome the truth is of the death of our Saviour. The details of what He endured for us on that cross should cause us to cringe. However, this makes His resurrection just that much more glorious. It is great news. It is the Gospel.

 

Are you sharing this great news?