Daily Bible Reading - Saturday - August 14th

Nehemiah has been getting pretty interesting.  Nehemiah knew that the safety of a city, under God, depends more upon the inhabitants than upon its walls. Every good gift and every good work are from above. God gives knowledge, He gives grace; all is of Him, and therefore all must be to Him. What is done by human prudence must be ascribed to the direction of Divine Providence. But woe to those who turn back from the Lord, loving this present world and happy those who dedicate themselves, and their substance, to his service and glory. 

I just love how Psalms said in vs. 18 – 22 that we must “trust" God if we are to enjoy His kind love.  You know, it really takes total trust in God in order to even read His scriptures.  When we read the Bible with total trust it will come to life to us.

I really liked the devotional this morning talking about set backs.  I know we’ve all had set backs and have experienced what its like to be disappointed because something did not work out like we had planned or something just did not go our way like we had hoped.  It’s in those set backs I really think God speaks to us and always has a lesson for us to learn.  When disappointment comes if we’ll work through it and seek God and His righteousness we’ll find a bigger blessing then we could ever imagine.  Just keep on seeking God and what He has for you, you wont be disappointed there.

Today’s Reading

Nehemiah 7:73-9:21
1 Corinthians 9:1-18
Psalm 33:12-22
Proverbs 21:11-12

Daily Devotional

Isaiah 43:18, NIV

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past"

Every person, no matter how much faith they have or how good a person they are will face disappointments. It may be something simple like not getting that promotion you really hoped for, or not closing that big deal you worked so hard on. Maybe you didn't qualify for a house you really wanted. Or, it may be something more serious like a relationship not working out, the death of a loved one, or some kind of illness in your body. Whatever it may be, the reality is that we’re all going to suffer some setbacks. But I believe one of the main keys to overcoming disappointments is learning to let go of the past. The past weighs you down and holds you back.

If you feel "stuck" today, you may want to examine what you're holding on to. Be willing let go of the past by choosing forgiveness. Who hurt you? Who wronged you? Release it to God. Do you need to forgive yourself? Do you need to receive God's forgiveness? Make the choice today to let go of the past so that you can experience the bright future God has in store for you!

A Prayer For Today:

Heavenly Father, search my heart and mind today. Show me any area where I may be holding on to the past. Help me to receive Your forgiveness so that I can extend forgiveness to others and move forward in the wonderful plan You have for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.