Sorry this is so late. The Internet was out this morning. 

Marie’s daily verse: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). 

DAILY DEVOTION, October 14, 2022

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called. (Eph. 4:1).

Paul writes this while imprisoned because of his faith in Jesus. What is on his mind? Get me a good lawyer? Send money? No, he is thinking of new Christians, He wants to encourage them. Walking refers to our everyday lifestyle. The success of the church depends in part on how the members behave. He wants us to live lives worthy of those who have been redeemed by Christ. Those who have not yet come to faith are put off by Christians whose behavior dishonors the Savior.

Paul pleads with us to pay careful attention to our daily behavior. I recall an elder who was very faithful in church. He prayed nice prayers at the Lord’s table. He owned a business and according to his employees, he left his religion at the church. He cursed excessively and did not always treat those who worked for him fairly. We don’t want to be “Sunday only” Christians. Make sure your Sunday faith follows you throughout the week!

Father, please help me to live a life that honors You. I don’t want to discourage anyone from receiving the gift of salvation through my bad behavior. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Marie’s daily verse: Proverbs 14:22 (NLT)If you plan to do evil, you will be lost; if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness.

DAILY DEVOTION, October 15, 2022

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high(Hebrews 1:1-3).

We learn here that the Old Testament was inspired by God. As Luther said, the Old Testament is a Christian book. The Old Testament speaks of a coming Messiah. That Person is Jesus who appeared in the last days. We also learn that God has spoken. Thus, God is a Person. Only persons speak. “Last days” reminds us that with the coming of Jesus God has said all He plans to say concerning who He is and how He plans to redeem us.  

Next, we learn of the exalted nature of Jesus. He is the heir of the Father. He participated in creation. His nature is equal to the Father (therefore, Jesus is God). Jesus is now sustaining the universe. He atoned for our sins at Calvary. He then ascended back to heaven, where He sits at the Father’s right hand. Wow! When we think of Jesus, we have to remember His exalted nature. None of the things said about Him in our verses can be said of us. He became human as we are to redeem us, but He is very unique among human beings. He is worthy of our trust.

Father, thank You for Jesus. That He was willing to set aside some of His divine attributes to save us is almost incomprehensible. Our human minds could never have dreamed up such a Savior. Thank You for revealing the truth to us in Scripture. May Your name be exalted, and the name of Your beloved Son, Jesus, Amen.
 

Marie’s daily verse: Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5). 

DAILY DEVOTION, October 12, 2022

In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13).

In one verse Paul gives us the essence of how we receive salvation. First, we must hear the word of truth. God has graciously spoken to us in his inspired word. There we learned that Jesus Christ is our Savior who atoned for our sins on the cross. After we hear the word of truth, our response is to believe or not believe. Those who believe the gospel receive salvation. Many hear and do not believe. The consequences of rejecting Jesus are too awful to contemplate. Those who hear the good news about Jesus and believe in him receive the forgiveness of sins, everlasting life, and all the other benefits of the gospel.

Once we respond to the word of truth with faith a wonderful thing happens. We are then sealed with the Holy Spirit promised by God. We are reborn by the gift of the Holy Spirit and given power to lead a new life. We know that we have been reborn because we have a deep desire to follow Jesus. Trusting and following Jesus is the most blessed experience any of us will ever have.

Father, thank you so much we’re making the gospel so clear. I have heard the story of Jesus and I believe He is my Savior and Lord. I thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit who gives me the desire to lead a new life. Help me to hear His whisperings and to follow his directions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Marie’s daily verse: Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (JOHN 14:23). 

DAILY DEVOTION, October 11, 2022

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude 24).

There are wonderful promises in this verse. First, God is able to keep us from stumbling or falling away from His grace. While we do stumble momentarily, if faith is alive God will draw us back to Himself. Next, He will present us faultless before His glory. How can that be? I am certainly not faultless. However, faith in Jesus brings total forgiveness. We who are sinners because of Jesus, stand faultless before Him. Our sins have been forgiven. As the Psalmist expressed it, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). How far is the east from the west? Both directions can extend into infinity. Our sins are infinitely forgiven! That makes us faultless.

Finally, to be in the presence of God is to be filled with exceeding joy. We end up in a place where all the negatives of this earthly life are gone forever. All sadness is gone. The redeemed know nothing but joy in heaven. These are good reasons to trust in Jesus.

Father, the love You have shown to me overwhelms me. By Your grace, you keep me from stumbling into infinite darkness. My sins have been forgiven. During this life, I know some of the eternal joy I will experience in heaven. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. I pray in Your matchless name, Amen. 

Marie’s daily verse: O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

DAILY DEVOTION, October 10, 2022

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one

(2 Thessalonians 3:3).

God is forever faithful to those who trust in His Son. The word “establish” in Greek means “to strengthen or to ground one in the faith.” One of the problems we deal with is the activity of Satan. However, our text should ease our fears. God, Himself will protect us from the evil one. When temptations come, as we meet them with faith, God gives us the strength to ward off the devil. We should never excuse bad behavior with the idea that “the devil made me do it.” We have a faithful God on our side, and when we resist the devil in the name of Jesus, he flees from us (see James 4:7). The devil is wiser and more powerful than we are, but when he encounters the power of God, he is no match. He is a weakling who slinks away.

We see this played out in the temptations of Jesus. The devil tempted our Lord (and he will tempt you) but Jesus resisted him with the Word of God, and off he went.  Fill your mind with the Word of God and throw God’s truth into the devil’s face and he will not bother you.

Father, I thank you that You are watching over me, giving me strength to stand against the evil one. You are always faithful, and I praise Your holy Name. Amen.