Wednesday, September 30, 2009

My Father's World



The earth is
the Lord's,
and everything
in it.

1 Corinthians 10:16




This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world,
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their Maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
He shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

~Maltbie Babcock, 1901~

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Prayer


Pray
without
ceasing.

1 Thes. 5:17



Photo by Donna Downey


Prayer does indeed change things...
and that thing is ourselves.

* * * * * * * * *

The power of prayer cannot be diminished by
distance; it is not limited by age, infirmity,
political changes or restrictions. The power of
prayer in the life of an obedient Christian can
only be undermined by neglect.

~David Bentley Taylor~

Monday, September 28, 2009

My Source


Photo by
Donna Downey








The strength that He gives is continuous,
for He is a source of power I cannot exhaust.

...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not
grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Friday, September 25, 2009

Work in Progress







God is faithful.
What He is doing in me
is more important than
what He is doing for me.

~Sheila Walsh~

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Grace


Photo by
Donna Downey





"My grace is sufficient for you, for
My power is made perfect in weakness."

II Corinthians 12:9


Grace is not a license to sin.
It is the power to overcome it.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Our Hearts


Photo by
Donna Downey




I will give you a
new heart and put
a new spirit in you.

Ezekial 36:26


From our hearts come our response to God.
God's greatest desire is that His people
love Him with all their hearts. Jesus
said we are blessed if our hearts are pure.
Sin hardens the heart. The more sin we
allow to pass over our hearts and through
our lives, the more resistant we become to
a word from God. We cannot continue to
resist the promptings of the Holy Spirit
without becoming hardened against Him.
Exposing ourselves to evil and ungodly
influences desensitizes us to God and
His word.

~Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby~
from: Experiencing God Day by Day

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Superiority


Photo by
Donna Downey





Are we not all children of the same Father?
Are we not all created by the same God?

Malachi 2:10


Any time we allow feelings of superiority to take
residence in our hearts and minds we are falling
prey to pride. Pride is sin and sin separates us
from our Creator. Each person in the universe was
created by the same God we worship for a purpose
that only He knows. We would do well to keep that
in mind.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Instruments



photo by
Donna Downey




Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?
Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?
As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up,
or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!

Isaiah 10:15


One of the dangers in the Christian life is to take credit
for what God does. It is sometimes easier to handle poverty
or weakness than wealth or strength. Poverty causes us to
recognize our need for God. Prosperity persuades us that we
no longer require Him. Be careful how you handle the success
God gives you. As you enjoy His blessings in your family,
your business, or your minisry, keep in mind that you are an
instrument in the hands of the Master.

~Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby~
from: Experiencing God Day by Day

Friday, September 18, 2009

Sanctification


May the God of
peace Himself
sanctify you
completely.
1 Thes. 5:23



Are we willing to pay the cost of sanctification?
The cost will be a deep restriction of all our
earthly concerns and an extensive cultivation of
all our godly concerns. Sanctification means to be
intensely focused on God's point of view. Sanctifica-
tion means being made one with Jesus so that the nature
that controlled Him will control us. The resounding
evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person's life is the
unmistakable family likeness to Jesus Christ, and the
freedom from everything which is not like Him.

~Oswald Chamblers~
from: My Utmost For His Highest

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Still


Be still and
know that I
am God.

Psalm 46:10


Whenever the sounds of the world subside in
our soul, we hear the whispering of God. He
continues to whisper to us, but we often do
not hear Him because of the noise and distrac-
tions cause by the hurried pace of our life.

~Frederick William Faber~
From: Streams in the Desert

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Resting


My soul finds rest
in God alone; my
salvation comes
from Him.

Psalm 62:1



A believer must rest in God. When we fret about an issue
or something we consider necessary, we're neither
committing ourselves to the Lord nor trusting in Him.
Because of our limited human viewpoint, waiting
patiently is rarely easy. However, God knows when
circumstances and timing are perfectly aligned for
His will to be done.

~Charles Stanley~
from: In Touch Devotional Booklet

Monday, September 14, 2009

Our Value


How great is the love
the Father has lavished
on us, that we should be
called children of God!

1 John 3:1





Our value comes from God's love for
us, not from other's opinions of us.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Strength and Shield


The Lord is my
Strength and my Shield;
my heart trusts in Him,
and I am helped.

Psalm 28:7

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Expectantly












But as for me, I will watch expectantly
for the LORD;I will wait for the God of
my salvation. My God will hear me.

Micah 7:7



Once you've experienced the awesomeness of
God, from then on you come to expect it.

-- Aaron Landry--

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Conflict

Set a guard over my mouth,
O LORD; keep watch over the
door of my lips.

Psalm 141:3


Our heavenly Father knows when people
verbally attack us, and He has promised
to protect us. Nothing can touch His
children apart from His permissive will.
He has the power to work painful times
into something beneficial. We can have
hope because His will cannot be thwarted,
even in bad circumstances. We do not have
to react to criticism with anger and self-
protectiveness, as the world does. God
has called us to represent Him in every
situation the same way Christ did--through
dependence on the heavenly Father.

~Charles Stanley~
from: In Touch Devotional Booklet

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Wonderfully Made


God loves
each of us
as if there
were only
one of us.





For Thou didst form my inward parts;
Thou didst weave me in my mother's
womb. I will give thanks to Thee,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully
made; wonderful are Thy works, and
my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:13-14


Thank You that You uniquely designed and created
me with the same care and precision You used in
creating the universe...that You formed me in
love exactly to Your specifications. I rejoice
that You have gifted me for the special purposes
You have in mind for my life. Your hands have made
and fashioned me. I am one of Your masterpieces!

~Ruth Myers~
from: 31 Days of Praise

Friday, September 4, 2009

For Good






As for you, you meant evil against
me, but God meant it for good.

Genesis 50:20


In dark moments of disappointment, we may find
it challenging to keep our eyes on God rather
than on our circumstances--or those who may have
created them. An yet, only by focusing on our
faithful, Almighty God can we hope to see the
purpose He's bringing out of our difficulties.
God has a purpose.

~Kay Arthur~
from: Lord, I Give You This Day

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Righteousness


They exchanged the truth
of God for a lie, and
worshiped and served the
creature rather than the
Creator.

Romans 1:25




There's much debate today about what is right and
what is wrong. As a society, we have passed from
morality to immorality to amorality. We have ad-
justed our standards to cover our unrighteousness.


What is righteousness: It's doing what God says is
right. How do we know what God says is right? The
Bible tells us what God says is right and wrong.
Heed its words carefully.

~Kay Arthur~
from: Lord, I Give You This Day

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Others


Bear one another's
burdens, and so
fulfill the law
of Christ.
Galatians 6:2






When God places people in your life who are
in need, He is aware of what they lack, and
He knows He has given you the resources to
meet those needs. God does nothing by accident.
Allow God to help you see beyond the obvious
needs of others to the things He wants to
accomplish in their lives.

~Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby~
from: Experiencing God Day by Day

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

His Heart



Even when we can't see
God's hand, we can trust
His heart.