Daily Bible Reading - Monday - June 21st

Wasn’t Psalms just beautiful this morning?  It really spoke to me, how we all know the Lord is everywhere but do you realize He IS everywhere we are?  When we wake there He is.  When we are busy in the yard, there He is.  When we are chatting with a friend, there He is.  When we are driving along, there He is.  From the darkest corners of our lives to the brightest of sunshine the Lord is there.  Psalms says there is no place to dark for the Lord, for day is as night and night as day in His sight.  That is such a beautiful inspiring Psalm. 

The devotional really speaks some truth; we really do have the power to create the atmosphere in our homes.  To me it’s really important to create an atmosphere of love, joy and peace, when you do that you carry that atmosphere with you where ever you go.  You can always tell when there is strife, discord and sadness around, it always shows.  As it said in Psalms, the Lord is every where and knows everything.  Creating a loving and joyous atmosphere will carry over to others you come across that might have a need; you really never know who will cross your path today.

Today’s Reading

2 Kings 1:1-2:25
Acts 13:42-14:7
Psalm 139:1-24
Proverbs 17:19-21

Daily Devotional

II Peter 2:18
But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Did you know that you can set the atmosphere and tone in your home? It doesn't matter if you live by yourself or have a house full; you have the power to choose what you want to grow in your home. You can allow strife and confusion to grow, or you can choose to create an atmosphere for grace, favor, and love. It all begins when you recognize that you are a person of influence and power. The Bible says that as believers, the same Spirit that raise Christ from the dead dwells in us. That is tremendous power! We activate that power by the faith in our hearts and the words of our mouths.

Understand that the kingdom of God, or God's system on the earth, is like planting a garden. Our words are seeds. When you speak something, you are planting a seed. The more you talk about that thing, whether positive or negative, the more you empower that seed to grow. That's why it's so important to speak God's Word in your home every single day. Speak words of life over the people around you.

Another way to set the tone in your home is by your actions and attitude. In our family, I tend to be the one who's always laughing about something and trying to find the humor in everyday life. One time, I was making a joke about something, and well, admittedly, it was a little corny. My teenage son, Jonathan just rolled his eyes and shook his head but managed a big smile. (I could tell he wanted to laugh, though.) We all knew the joke was a bust, but Joel immediately piped up, "You know, Jonathan, if it weren't for your mother, it would be pretty boring around this house." I took that as a huge compliment because no one wants to live in a boring house.

I encourage you today; recognize that you have the ability in you to influence the atmosphere in your home. Create an atmosphere for love, joy and peace to grow. Use your words and gifts to empower others and watch how those good seeds will bring back a tremendous harvest of blessing in your own life in return.

Today's thought: I choose today to create an atmosphere of love, joy and peace in my home.