God is with You…Always (Hebrews 13:5)
Hebrews 13:5, Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. For many, when things begin to go wrong or unplanned it is easy to become discouraged. Especially for those positive people who seem to have it all organized and planned out, who simply allow themselves to be overwhelmed by a spirit of helplessness and hopelessness. And yes, men of God even need to be reminded that God is still in control. Martin Luther, was often discouraged. In fact, his wife thought the only way to help him was to shock him out of it. She put on a black dress and veil as if she was going to a funeral. When he asked her who had died, she said, “Martin, haven’t your heard? God has died.” He declared, “That is blasphemy!” His wife said, “Aye Husband, and it is blasphemy for you to be living as if God is dead.” Needless to say, Martin snapped out of it! If ever there was a time when circumstances seemed to be out of control, it was during the final week of the life of our Lord. Consider the unfair trial of the Man who was completely innocent. Think of the physical abuse of the One who had harmed no one. Remember the cruel and untimely death of the Person who was so involved in helping mankind. Out of control? Not at all. He was in control from start to finish! If ever everything seemed hopeless, it was on the day Jesus was crucified. The hopes and dreams of the disciples were shattered as they watched the Messiah die like a criminal on the cross. But three days later, God intervened. He turned what looked like sure defeat into victory. The triumphant resurrection of Christ when He arose victoriously from the grave. He is in control of your circumstances. Even godly people get down at times. Circumstances may knock us flat. Trials take us by surprise. But the difference between people is not the intensity of the things that we go through, but how we choose to deal with those circumstances. Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, however despondent tomorrow may seem, and despite all the problems that confront you, always remember that God is with you (Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Joshua 1:5; Psalm 23; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20 Hebrews 13:5). Place your faith and trust in Him and He will give you the victory. PRAYER: Father, thank You that You don’t ever give up on me. You pursue me even when I’m hiding and retreating from the circumstances in life. Help me to totally rely on You for the strength to handle any circumstances You allow into my life, no matter how tough. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
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He Will Lead You...Will You Follow? (Psalm 32:8)
Each day we are blessed to be able to encounter new opportunities. For some this can be a struggle due to the fear of what the future holds. When we cannot see what lies ahead, we become worrisome and feel out of control. Financial setbacks, disappointments, and personal problems tend to obscure our vision for hope in the future causing us doubt and despair. The Scriptures encourage us to thrust our concerns onto the Lord (I Peter 5:7). When Abraham followed God, he was positive he was heading in the right direction, even though he had no idea where he was going. That’s because he was walking by faith and not by sight. To walk by faith is not to take a blind leap in the dark, but to trust God to lead you down a path you have never taken before. From the time Abraham left his homeland in Ur of the Chaldees until the time he came within inches of slaying his only son as a sacrifice in obedience to God on Mt. Moriah, he had to entrust his well-being, his reputation, and his aspirations to the perfect wisdom of God. In spite of his own weaknesses and shortcomings, He lived by faith. Faith in God strengthened him to press ahead through the difficulties of his journey. And it persuaded him that the path he traveled was the right one. What a blessed promise from God. Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” This promise is from the very eye of God. Keep in mind, you can place your hope in the sovereign hand of God. He has a special interest in you. He truly loves and cares for you. This is a declaration about God. He who knows all and sees all knows far better than we do. God has instructed us and told us how to live, but the trouble with man is that he does not pay much attention to what God says and goes his own way rather than the way God has instructed. Only a foolish person would ignore such wise counsel and yet this is done every day. He had promised to instruct us and guide us in the way we should go (Psalm 73:24; Proverbs 3:5-6). If you are not living daily in the Word of God you are cutting off God’s guidance for your life. When you need direction on the paths of life, remember, that God is always near. He is there to guide us down the right paths. He will strengthen us when we are weak. He will give comfort when we are distressed. We just need to listen to Him. We serve an awesome God. Remember to thank the Lord for guiding us safely until we reach Heaven’s shores. PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the opportunities given me each day to trust in You. Help me to walk with surety upon the promises of Your Word that You will guide me as I walk through the dark valleys of life. In Jesus name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Spirit-Filled Family (Ephesians 6:1-4)
Ephesians 6:1-4, Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The word children refers to children still living at home. It is worth noting that love that is balanced with submission and a serving spirit brings about blessing. There are two places where Spirit-filled living shows up most—home and work. Children were made by God to glorify God. This great purpose is partly lived out by honoring and obeying their parents in the Lord. Obey means "to submit, to listen, to respond.” Children are to listen to and obey their parents (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 13:1; 15:5; 23:22). A common complaint from teenagers is "My parents don't understand me. They just don’t get it". Teenagers especially need to remember who chose their parents. Who did? God! God chose your parents and in your mother's womb. He took 23 chromosomes from each parent, to give you exactly the traits you need to fulfill His will for your life (Psalm 139:19). So, when you put down your parents, you are putting down God. You didn't choose your parents, but remember your parents didn't choose you either. A Spirit-filled child respectfully obeys his or her parents. The word honor means "to hold worthy; to value; to respect." Respect and honor for parents is of such grave importance to God that Moses commanded it: (Exodus 21:15, 17; Leviticus 20:9). Honor and obedience are very different. Obedience has to do with action, honor has to do with attitude. Not only are young people to obey their parents, they are to think right and have a good attitude about it. You may not always understand your parent's decisions and directions, but you are to honor and respect them. Children are observing their parents'. They are witnessing their parents’ relationships with the Lord. The first picture of God children receive is from their parents. Children are watching how their parents obey God. They are watching them pray, study the Bible and worship. Children are observing how their parents value the church. They are watching how their parents are speaking truth lovingly, working honestly, giving generously, encouraging others properly, putting away bitterness and anger repentantly, and forgiving one another (Ephesians 4:25-32). They will get a sense of authority, love and protection from their parents. As they see and treasure this example, it will inevitably point them to the ultimate Father. Behavior flows from the heart (Proverbs 4:23; 20:5; 23:26). Speak to the hearts of your children as you teach them about Christ. A PRAYER FOR YOUR CHILDREN: Father in Heaven, help me to be the example You would have me to be before my child. I ask that You stir my child’s heart towards obedience. I pray they would be inspired to love You and to serve You faithfully. In Jesus name AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Consistent Prayer (I Thessalonians 5:17)
I Thessalonians 5:17, Pray without ceasing. “Praying without ceasing” doesn’t mean that one must pray every minute of every day. That would be impractical. It means to be regular, faithful and steadfast in your prayer life. It carries the idea of consistency. We ought to always be in an attitude of prayer and communion with the Lord. We should always be in the mindset of prayer, even if we’re not physically on our knees or mouthing the words. This is what Paul meant when he said, “Pray without ceasing.” God's people are to be a praying people. A group of ministers were discussing I Thessalonians 5:17, one morning, but couldn't agree on its meaning. An elderly cleaning woman, scrubbing on her knees, raised up and expressed an opinion about this verse. She said, "When I go to bed at night, I thank the Lord for the joy of resting in His everlasting arms. When I awaken, I ask Him to open my eyes to behold new things from His Word. When I build the fire, I ask Him to kindle love in my heart. When I bathe, I ask Him to cleanse me from secret faults. When I eat, I thank Him for my food. As I walk to work, I pray to be led in paths of righteousness. As I pass the church, I pray for my pastor. While scrubbing these floors, I ask Him to wash the hearts of those walking above me with His precious blood...” And on she went. She had a pretty good understanding of that verse and knew just as much as those preachers. She knew the importance of consistency in prayer. God gives us insights into getting our prayers answered. May we put these five principles into practice and see the Lord do great things. 1. Be Sanctified – James 5:16, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 2. Be Searching – Jeremiah 29:13, And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 3. Be Sincere – Mark 11:24, Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 4. Be Sorrowful – II Chronicles 7:14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 5. Be Submissive – I John 3:22, And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Prayer: Father, I praise You that I can at anytime, anywhere, and under any circumstance come to You in prayer. My desire is to keep walking continually with You so that my prayer may be the natural expression of my life with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Praise You in the Storm (Psalm 145:2)
Psalm 145:2, Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. David commits himself to praise God. He vowed to not let a day pass by in which he did not pause to praise His Redeemer and Saviour. That vow remains as a lesson for the people of God to this day. One cannot go wrong praising God. This is a commitment to praise God for eternity. What’s worth noting is that eternity will not be long enough to adequately praise God. God is the One Who is to be praised. Don’t be ashamed to praise the Lord to others. Don’t be embarrassed to tell unbelievers what God has done for you. Our society seems to think this is a bad thing to do and that it would be injurious to some people if we praised God. But, in truth, it will be very injurious to those who do not want to praise Him. Praising God for all that He has done will draw you closer to Him. You will sense His presence in your life. Hebrews 13:15, By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Praising God for His blessings each day is a great way to start the day and express your gratefulness. You get your focus on the positives in your life instead of the negatives when you do this. You see that which is good instead of dwelling on that which is bad. Learning to rejoice and praise the Lord in difficult circumstances is one of the keys to overcoming frustration and worry because it directs your focus from your losses to the Lord. It creates an attitude of joy in your heart. When the Christian praises God, he can take circumstances that discourage and defeat him and turn them into victory. For example, on the eve of Hurricane Michael, Pastor John Blount of St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Panama City stayed in the church and helped shelter 25 people who stayed in two bathrooms and a small closet. The next morning, he began to access the damage to the building that was built in 1955. He walked in the auditorium and viewed the wreckage. He noticed the church Bible was still intact with minimal water damage to a few of the pages. He saw the blue sky and said, “God is God”. On Sunday morning the sun was shining down on the members. They lost their building, but not their faith. We, too, can pick ourselves out of the wreckage of life by trusting in the Lord and rising above our circumstances. Our joy and praise enable us to endure. Prayer: Father in heaven, help me trust in You and praise You, no matter how dark the storm rages. I desire to have hope in You in the midst of the storm. May You get the praise and glory. In Jesus name Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Trusting God in the Difficult Times (Psalm 18:2)
Psalm 18:2, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. When God is working in our lives, He doesn’t want our feedback. Can you imagine going to a surgeon for an operation, and then telling him, “I don’t want you to put me to sleep during the surgery so that I can make sure you’re doing a good job”? I’m sure he wouldn’t like that very much. He might even be insulted. In fact, he’d probably send you to another surgeon. An experienced surgeon wants you to trust him enough so that you’re willing to go to sleep and let him do his work. God feels the same way about the transformation He makes in the lives of His children. He doesn’t want us to give Him pointers about the way He should be fixing our problems. He doesn’t need us to help Him choose what is best for us. He doesn’t want to hear about how the changes He is making in our character don’t feel right. He wants us to do everything we know to do, and then He wants us to relax. And that means we have to trust Him. Trusting God is not an easy thing to do and sometimes it goes against all of our reasoning. Sometimes it means we have to relax instead of anxiously trying to bring a desired outcome to pass on our own. Trusting God means leaving the outcome of a situation in His hands without trying to influence it ourselves. This doesn’t mean that we are to sit around and not do anything. Trusting God involves working as we wait. It means we should stop worrying about the way it will turn out. Finally, it means we have to accept the outcome as God’s best for us, even if it is different than what we wanted. God is performing surgery in each of our lives. The ultimate question is, are we willing to trust Him and let Him do His work? All of us might answer this question by saying yes; but the real test lies in our response to health problems, relational issues, stress at work and financial emergencies. If God is really in control — and I’m convinced He is — then He will have no problem with managing our concerns. There’s no need for us to worry or panic. Let’s relax and let Him work. Prayer: I thank You that You are the God of the impossible. You can do anything. I have nothing to fear with You on my side. I want to trust in Your ability and not my own. Teach me to see difficulties in my life from Your perspective. Help me to focus on You and Your power. Help me to be strong and courageous even in the difficult times. I choose to have faith in Your ability to break through every obstacle in my life. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com The Power of Spiritual Purity (Romans 2:23-25)
One night in China, missionary C.L. Culpepper stayed up late for his devotions, but as he tried to pray, he felt like stone. Uncomfortable spiritually and not willing to remain in this current state. He asked, "Lord, what is the matter?" He opened his Bible and read from Romans 2:17-25. Culpepper said the Holy Spirit used these verses like a sword to cut deeply into his heart. The Spirit of God convicted him of hypocrisy, a lack of power and ineffectiveness for Christ. Culpepper awakened his wife and they prayed into the night. The next morning at a prayer meeting with fellow workers, he confessed his pride and spiritual impotence, saying his heart was broken. The Holy Spirit began to convict others of sin so much they could hardly bear it. Revival began to break out in the seminary, schools, hospitals and area churches as people got right with God and one another. The result of the Shantung Revival was the growth of churches as many got right with God and many were won to Christ. The effect of this passage on Culpepper was the same goal the Holy Spirit had for the readers of the letter to the Romans. God wanted them to have a change in focus and a change in heart. This was the punch in the long noses of those who were self righteous. It wasn't the possession of the Law, but the practice of it that mattered. Paul, drives his case forcibly against self-righteous Jews. The Jews rested in the Law and trusted it for their righteousness. They boasted that they knew God, knew His will, and chose a higher morality in life because they were “instructed out of the law” each week at the synagogue. They believed they were morally superior than everyone else. Paul wanted them to stop comparing themselves, stop focusing on the faults of others, and start looking at themselves. Adultery, idolatry and theft can also be done in the heart. They preached against stealing, yet were guilty of dishonesty in their personal affairs. They preached against adultery, but were secretly guilty of immorality themselves. They preached against idolatry, but profited from secret dealings with shrines of idols. It’s worth noting that hypocrisy deceives the hypocrite, damages unbelievers and dishonors God. The Bible teaches that we cannot please God if we do not have a right relationship with Him (Romans 8:8). We are to be right before men but also real before God. Lip-service and life-service are to go hand-in-hand. Our Sunday Christianity should be the same as Monday's. Our inward attitude is what is important to the Lord. God wants our heart and He changes it when we give it to Him. Ezekiel 11:19, And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: II Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Prayer: Father, my desire is to please and honor You in my daily walk with You before others. I know that there is not one thing that I ever perform or ponder that is concealed to You. As You examine my heart, help me to live a life of holiness, honesty and humility. I ask for strength, patience and wisdom as I aim to practice Your Word. In Jesus name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com God Has A Plan For You (Jeremiah 29:11)
Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. When we are going through trials it is of great comfort to know that God allows nothing to come into our lives without first passing through the hands of our Heavenly Father. If we are to rise above our circumstances, then we need to look at our circumstances from God's point of view. Fervent prayer and continual studying the Scriptures will help you learn how to do this. What does this mean to you? Below are five things: 1. God made plans for you before the world began. He has plans for you now. You are not a mistake. You are purposed for greatness (John 10:10; Ephesians 2:10). Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Not only does our Lord offer eternal life, He offers a fullness of life in the meantime. The Christian life surpasses anything the world can offer. 2. God's plans for you are bigger and better than your plans for yourself (Ephesians 3:20). Think of your greatest aspiration and then acknowledge the fact that God's desire for you is much bigger than anything you've ever imagined for yourself. 3. Remain faithful over what you have been given charge over. Even if it seems like no one is noticing, God is. He is paying attention to what you do and how you do it. He will remember, recognize and reward you. 4. Never give up. Your life may seem dull, ordinary and common, but we serve a God who can turn your life around in an instant. Keep your hopes up in the midst of dark days when we don’t understand what is going on. Remain in faith daily. Trust God every step of the way. Just keep having hope in the Lord no matter how dark it looks. 5. God can turn your life around. One swing from God can take you from fearful to a mighty man of valor (Gideon), from a barren man to a father of nations (Abraham), from a fisherman to a fisher of men (Peter), from an extremist to an evangelist (Paul) and from a shepherd boy to a king (David). Serve God faithfully and become the man/woman God has called you to be! Prayer: Father in Heaven, I know You love me and it amazes me that You made plans for me before the foundations of the world. Thank You Father for caring for me. I know the thoughts and plans You have for me are for Your glory and for my good. Whatever I may face today, I can expect that You are working for good in all of it. So I’m going to step forward in faith, trusting You in all things and seeking to cooperate fully with Your plans for me. I know I can’t imagine all the good You have planned for my life, but I also know it’s all coming in Jesus’ name, so I can say, amen! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com FEAR NOT! (Psalm 56:3-4)
Nothing comes into your life but what Almighty God allows. Sometimes He says, “I will let her go through that. She will draw upon My strength.” God may also say, “No. I will not allow that. It will overwhelm him. He is not ready.” Nothing comes into your life that God doesn’t already know about. And since He is with you, you don’t have to fear. Can fear be avoided entirely? Probably not. But Scripture gives us an alternative plan that prepares against and responds to fear. Psalm 56:3 says, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” God's Word gives us hope when we find ourselves overtaken by fear. Instead of staggering in it, we can put our trust in Him. We can deliberately turn away from fear and toward the Lord. David cried out, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” He knew the antidote to fear. It is trusting God. When fear grips our heart, the escape is to trust Him. “In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Taking God at His Word is the essence of trust. David, no doubt, reflected upon the promises of God’s deliverance which he found in the Word. David praised God’s Word and he was not afraid what men might try to do to him. His trust was in God and in His Word. David had nothing to fear. God's Word gives many reasons why we need not fear. Here are a few of those reasons.
Prayer: Father, I confess that sometimes my fears reveal I’m not trusting You as I know I should, but trusting in something, or someone else, instead. Thank you for reminding me just how fragile everything else is compared with You. Thank You for never leaving, or forsaking, me. Thank You for never letting me down and always proving Yourself trustworthy. Help me learn to trust You increasingly and banish fears from my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post has blessed you in any way please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com God’s Got This! (Psalm 34:17-19)
Psalm 34:17–19, “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Have you ever felt like nothing in your world was going right? You may have recently experienced the absolute worst day of your life. We all have experienced troubles and know the feeling of having a "crushed spirit." When circumstances are difficult, all too often this affects our attitude towards God and can also inhibit our worship. After all, why should we worship when it feels like life is falling apart at the seams? The Psalmist gives us 3 profound reasons why we can worship the LORD even in the midst of the deepest valleys. 1. We can worship because He hears us. This does not mean He merely hears our cry, but this word implies action. God is so unlike us; when He hears, He acts. And He acts immediately! He does not sit idly by, but intervenes in even the most desperate situation. 2. We can worship in the midst of trials because we know the Lord promises to deliver us. Keep in mind, this word deliver does not mean that He will remove us from our difficulty. Isn’t it true that at times we cry out to the Lord, but it seems as though our situation doesn’t change? Do not mistake unchanging circumstances for God’s lack of deliverance. His promise to deliver us is made evident in the way He sustains believers even through the hardest times. 3. Finally, when everything goes wrong, we can worship Him because the Lord is close to us. He is not a distant, uninvolved, uninterested God, but a loving Saviour whose arms reach out to us in the midst of our brokenness. Maybe you are in the midst of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, month, or even year. Maybe you feel that in the midst of a valley, it’s too hard to worship. Take some time today to thank God that He hears our cries, He promises to deliver us and we can rest assured that He remains close to us even in our darkest moments. “What we do in the crisis always depends on whether we see the difficulties in the light of God, or God in the shadow of the difficulties” G. Campbell Morgan Have you ever experienced a difficulty that inhibits your worship? Which of these three promises do you need to be reminded of; God hears your cry, God promises to deliver you, or God is near to you? PRAYER: Father, thank You for being a personal God who is involved in my life. Thank You for hearing my cries. I want to worship You in the midst of this difficult time. Help me to see that Your promise to deliver me from trouble is Your promise to see me through till the end. Thank You for being near to me, especially when I am hurting the most. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post has blessed you in any way please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com |
AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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