Daily Bible Reading - Friday Jan. 9th

God’s word is so amazing isn’t it?  In just these few days we’ve gone from discipline to faithfulness to perfection and now God is taking us into wisdom and yet we pretty much can’t have one without the other, they all go together.  Both yesterday and today God has told us that wisdom with save us.  And just how to we obtain wisdom?  By what we are doing, reading and studying His word.   Like Sugar said yesterday, God tells us if we hide wisdom in our hearts we WILL prevail over the evil around us and boy is there evil all around us.  I like how in today’s reading of Matthew 7:15-29 God warns us of the evil doers around us. He’s already told us ahead of time in Proverbs to “hide" wisdom in our hearts and now he’s telling us to use that wisdom to watch out for the evil doers all around us that they come in sheep’s clothing but are really wolves ready to devour us if we let them.  He tells us we will know them by their fruit, boy there is some out there that have the wrong fruit on their tree isn’t there?  My favorite part this morning was in Matthew 7:24 where it says “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."  Then he goes on to say that when the storms come we will be ok because we are on a solid rock foundation.  Thank you God!!  I sure don’t want to be one of those that are on the foundation of sand, when the storms came they were washed away.  See how hiding God’s wisdom in our hearts is awesome? My goodness how good is God to us.  Like the crowds Jesus spoke to in Matthew I am so amazed at His teachings.  Reading the bible this year has already opened my eyes in ways they have never been opened, wow!

 

Sugar you are so right, the end times are so right upon us.  From what little I have studied of the end times I believe we are already on the 6^th trumpet, the 7^th trumpet is where the Lord comes back, no wonder He is stressing to us today to hide wisdom in our hearts, with all the false teachings out there today and all the happenings around us and around the world, we truly NEED as much of His wisdom as we can get.  Like you and Peggy both said, how amazing it is that we can A.S.K God and He will be right there to help us and give us His wisdom.  I love it, truly love it.  Cassie isn’t wonderful that this is a true story full of history of the past that also is our future?  Not only is it history but its our instructions on how to live our lives until He comes back to get us, that’s just awesome, He loves us so much that He not only gave is Son for us but tells us how to live victoriously so that one day soon we can see Him face to face, that just sends chills up my spine.

 

Today’s Readings

Genesis 20:1-22:24
Matthew 7:15-29
Psalm 9:1-12
Proverbs 2:16-22

 

Daily Devotional for Dieters

Psalm 40:1-3
"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair…He set my feet on solid ground…He has given me a new song to sing…"

Have you ever felt like you were in a pit of despair? Just like God lifted David out, God is going to lift you out. Where you are right now is not where you’re going to stay. There are brighter days up ahead for you filled with favor, promotion, and increase. As you walk uprightly before Him, no good thing will He withhold from you.

Notice that God gives us a new song. We have to do our part to sing that song. That means you don’t go around talking about your problems, how bad things are, or how you’re never going to make it. No, you have a song of victory! If somebody asks you how you’re doing, your attitude should be, "I’m too blessed to be stressed! I’m moving forward in strength and power." Remember, praise precedes the victory, and the Bible tells us that God is enthroned on our praises. As you magnify and lift Him up, He will lift you up out of your despair. He’ll set your feet on solid ground, and you’ll move forward in joy and victory in every area of your life.

Today's thought: I will sing the new song you have placed in my heart!

Just have a minute here as I have to get on out and walk and then on to town to run some errands... I'm plumb tuckered out but the Word has breathed life into my spirit for another day...

MY GOODNESS THERE IS "GOOD STUFF" in the word!  It has the power to refresh and bring new life into our sometimes trying, sorrowful existences! 

I thought as I read and then walked yesterday... what is the Lord going to say to me when I see Him... is He going to say "you knew  better than to have done the things you did, I told you over and over to change and you chose to step right over my instructions (His word)" or is He going to say, "well done my good and faithful servant"?  Now as we have said before we know we are never going to be perfect but I had to stop and think and as we are talking so much about wisdom and I now what I struggle with...am I being faithful to heed His word according to what He has given me a conscience for?  Am I putting myself lowest so that He can be highest priority in my life?  That's what I love about Him... if we will just listen He will cause us to  "walk in the ways of good men and keep the paths of the righteous.  For the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it."  Don't that just make you want to strive to do what "we know to do it right" so that we can "walk in the land"  "The Land" in  my eyes this morning is the  very peace, grace, comfort, contentment and glory of the Lord! and then later on all of eternity with Him!!!!  How exciting is that!

I just pray today that the Lord will open His very special blessing to each that cast eyes on His precious Word today and does something special for you as He has for me!

Bec

Another day of reading God's Word....I usually give up by now!  But I'm too excited and too refreshed.  And I love to see what you all get from this Living Word. 

I am also reading "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.  Yesterday's reading was today's Bible reading in Genesis!  (Tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor!)  God wants a living sacrifice, not just to give up things, but to give up things that keep us from living a life indentified with Him.  Wow....how many times have I just given things up because I thought I had too.  (And upon further reflection, how often have I picked those things back up.)  Now I understand that it only honors God if I give things up to live a life closer to Him. 

Again, it just thrills me to see how the Word is real and alive and meets us each where we need to be met!

I read in my women's devotional bible last night that struck me hard. In it, it said that we are always referred to as sheep and the Lord is our shepherd. It said that when a sheep is ba-aa-aaad (exact word in my bible I kid you not!! LOL!) and the sheep go way ward repeatedly, the shepherd will break the sheep's leg and carry it on his shoulders until the sheep has learned to be completely dependent on the shepherd. It occurred to me, that all of my struggles, all of my set backs and my heartaches have been given to me by the Lord so that I will be completely dependent on Him.

Andy I agree with what you said. I believe we will be hearing the 7th trumpet very soon. I myself hope I can see this in my life time. I want my daughter to grow in a safer world. However, I am not being a good mother to her. I am not going to a church here in Kansas City. When I visit my parents at the Lake of the Ozarks I go to the Potter's House in Camdenton. I fear that I am not teaching my daughter enough about the Lord and Jesus. I know that she knows about God and that she does love him, BUT, I need to get her to church on a more regular basis. It is my responsibility to teach her the Word of God. I am now on a mission!!

Cassie, hello and hope your day is going well.  I have read your post about reading the word of God and how you feel that you are not doing enough for your daughter in a religious/spiritual way.  I would like to extend my invitation to you and your daughter to attend my church.  I belong to the Community of Christ church Highlands congregation.  I live in Kansas City north and would love for you to experience God and for your daughter to feel welcome.  How old is you daughter might I ask?  I am a youth pastor at my church and run a youth group called Carpenters Kids for ages 2-11 or the 5th grade and feel  in my heart that it would be a fun time for you and allow you to see our church and the love of kids and adults alike that we all should have.  Hope you will consider, if not that is ok.  May the blessings of our Heavenly Father be upon you each and every day.

Kerri

Where is your church located at? I live over by Worlds of Fun. What time does your Sunday School services begin? And the worship services? My daughter Megan will be 7 in just 20 more days!! My how time flys!! I think me and my Hubby will be trying a church a Sunday until we feel that we are "home".

No problem.  My church is located at 7615 North Platte Purchase Drive.  It is off of Barry road.  Our services start at 8:30-9:30 for our tradational service, Sunday school starts at 10am-11am and our contempory service is at 11am-12noon.  Breakfast is served at 9:30-10:30 and is anything you would like to have for breakfst.  NOt just donuts and coffee, we have cererals, waffles, biscuits and gravy etc...  All of which I no longer am able to eat. LOL.  The youth program that I run is on Wed. evenings 6:30-7:45 and I would love to meet you and your daughter and husband too.  Dinner is served at 5:30 on Wed. evenings too.  Please feel free to email me anytime ok [email protected].  I would love to meet you and get to know you.  Put a face to the name ok.  Blessings to you and all the family!
Kerri

Is there children's church during the traditional service? Is the youth program like Awanas? I loved going to Awana's when I was a kid. You know what? Your surgery was just a few days after mine! Mine was on the 23 of June! That is kind of cool!


ETA: I will see if my husband, Cary, would like to go to the 8:30-9:30 service!

Hi Cassie....

You have mail!

Hi all! What a wonderful day in the Word! I read it this morning before I went to the JOY lunch/game day, and then again this evening after I got home and after Rick had read it so I could refresh my memory.

Did anyone else notice that when Abraham took Isaac up on the mountain to sacrafice him, what he said to the men who had gone with them in 22:5? He saidto them "stay with the ass and I and Isaac will go up and worship and then we will come back to you." Abraham beleived every promise that GOD had made to him and with NO doubts took Isaac to the edge of death. But I saw in that verse the faith that we should all have! All tho he was willing to do as GOD asked, he believed that GOD would let him keep his son.  OHhhhhhhhh! But to have that strong a faith!!!!

Then in Matthew when in verse 27 as it speaks about the house falling, it not only fell but the fall was great! This so speaks to my heart about when Ive failed to keep my ground when it comes to GOD and his word, how great the fall always is. We dont just slip a little but we fall hard every time we fail HIM in anyway. Does that mean I can never rebuild and get a firmer foundation??? NO, GOD is faithful to let me try again because HE loves me and wants what is best for me. But hopefully if I built on shifting sand before, I will wise up and look for the bedrock next time.

NOW...Psalms...verse 9! WOW! Can his word be any clearer about how GOD is our refuge in times of trouble??? THANK HIM and Praise HIM for HIS love for us!

Love you all for sticking with this study and for the accountability here on the board! Praise HIM for that too! Have a blessed night! And an even greater tomorrow studying HIS word!