Daily Bible Reading - Saturday - May 1st

Wow, can you believe its May 1^st already?  Where has the time gone since we started reading through the bible through again?  I know this past 4  months have been such a blessing to me, I’ve learned so much more this second time and grown even more in the Lord. 

I just couldn’t help but get excited over the devotional this morning, I mean the reading was good but the devotional struck me like a brick.  For years I’ve felt like the piece of coal that it talks about, I’ve gotten bitter at times, lost my enthusiasm over the years, and allowed difficult times to bury me alive.  Since I’ve started reading the bible through and doing this post God has renewed my strength and now I feel like I can endure just about any situation that arises, and believe me, situations will arise to where you think you can’t handle them but you can.   I’ve made the choice to keep pressing on and not look back, to allow discipline and dedication take over in area’s of my life.  I’m able to keep pressing forward with a smile as it says and I can see a small area of development that has taken place.  It’s amazing how God can work in our lives when we only give in and let Him do what He does best to mold us into an image like Him.  Now, instead of feeling like a piece of old black coal God is beginning to make a diamond out of me because I chose not to let the pressures of life get me down, instead I chose to let the pressures build me up which is causing new growth, new potential, new talent, new opportunities and new visions, wow!! Thank You God!!

Today’s Reading

 Judges 13:1-14:20
John 1:29-51
Psalm 102:1-28
Proverbs 14:15-16

Daily Devotional

Romans 5:3-4
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation"

Did you know that the way you handle your adversities has a huge impact on your success in life? If you shrink back, choose to get bitter, and lose your enthusiasm, then you are allowing the difficulties of life to bury you. You are allowing hardship to keep you from your God-given destiny. But if you choose to keep pressing forward with a smile on your face, rejoicing even in the hard times, you are allowing God’s character to be developed inside of you. You are setting yourself up for promotion.

Did you know that the only difference between a piece of black coal and a priceless diamond is the amount of pressure that it’s endured? When you stand strong in the midst of the trials and difficulties in life, when you allow God to shape and mold your character, it’s like going from a piece of coal to a priceless diamond. Those difficulties are going to give way to new growth, new potential, new talent, new friendships, new opportunities, new vision. You’re going to see God develop your life in ways that you’ve never even dreamed!

Today's thought: Thank You for giving me strength to overcome every obstacle in life. I choose to rejoice no matter what may come against me because I know You are working all things together for my good. Thank You for developing Your character in me.