#995 God’s Care – Casting Our Care upon God

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We as Christians have the special privilege of being in God’s care when we accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord all the way forever when we are living with Him eternally.  God’s care is made possible first of all by Him being God and perfect in all ways.  It is His attributes that provide His care for us, and it is His perfect goodness that is the ground for His doing good things which is part of His care for us.  As the Psalmist makes clear, all God’s goodness is right there waiting for us who reverence Him and accept His Son.  Though He keeps His goodness stored up for us, He gladly bestows them upon us as a part of His care for us and does so in the sight of all around us.  What a blessing!

Spend some time today thanking God for all the goodness He has bestowed upon you as a Christian!

“Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!”   (Psalm 32:19)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#960 God’s Creation – The Truth of God’s Creation

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It would be very gratifying to know that all who receive this devotional believe in the truth of Genesis 1:1; however, we recognize there are those who believe otherwise.  If we believe that the Bible is God’s Word, then we will also by faith believe that God did create the heaven and the earth, and He did so out of nothing.  The particular Hebrew word used in Genesis 1:1 for “created” is used to describe the act of creating something out of nothing; there being no pre-existent matter out of which the world was produced.  When we accept this fact by faith, we will also come to the realization that it is this same God that loves each of us enough to call us His own when we accept by faith His Son, Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.  It is not our duty to prove or disapprove other beliefs concerning creation; it is our obligation to declare the truth of God’s Word.

If you claim to be a genuine Christian, you will also believe the truth of God’s Word and will be ready to share this truth!

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.”   (Hebrews 11:3a)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#957 Joyfulness – God Our Joy

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we have seen in the past few days, Scripture is clear that we as Christians should be joyful in all circumstances, that joy is a fruit of the Spirit that is ours when we accept Christ as our personal Savior.  We also saw that the source of our joy is our faith in Christ, with our joy flowing from the Holy Spirit within us.  God’s Word also tells us that God Himself is our joy, the One in whom we can rejoice as we can count on Him, His promises, and His salvation.  In the Old Testament both David and Isaiah testified to this as they repeatedly rejoiced in God, counting Him as their joy.[1]  In the New Testament we see the same from Mary and Paul as they rejoiced in the Lord always.[2]  What a lesson for us:  just as followers of God in the Bible, we are to come to God as our “exceeding” joy, not only for our future certainty of eternity with Him, but as our joy is this earthly life.

Do you depend on God as your “joy?”  Seek Him through His Word, fellowship with Him through prayer, and come to Him praising and rejoicing in Him as your exceeding joy!

“Rejoice in the Lord alway:  and again I say, ‘Rejoice.’”   (Philippians 4:4)

May God Richly Bless You Today

[1] Psalms 35:9; 43:4; Isaiah 61:10

[2] Luke 1:47; Romans 5:11; Philippians 3:1; 4:4

#956 Joyfulness – Joy in All Circumstances

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our joy comes from knowing Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, not from our everyday circumstances.  Having made that statement, though, joy is often associated with our circumstances as Scripture identifies several difficult circumstances in which our joy is actually increased.  In God’s Word we find that sorrow, lamenting, weeping, as well as temptations can expand our faculty for joy.[1]  Affliction, suffering, and persecution for Christ’s sake actually enhance the joy and rejoicing we have in the Lord.[2]  In these circumstances we may not be happy, but our joy in the Lord is not based upon circumstances, it comes from knowing Christ as personal Savior and maintaining a close relationship with Him.  That is why we can have joy in all circumstances.

As you go through difficult circumstances, allow the Holy Spirit to work in you in a way that increases the joy you possess for the Lord!

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:  for great is your reward in heaven:  for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”   (Matthew 5:11-12)

May God Richly Bless You Today

[1] John 16:20; Romans 5:3; II Corinthians 7:4; 8:2; Hebrews 10:34; James 1:2

[2] Matthew 5:11-12; Acts 5:41

#954 Joyfulness – The Joy of Christmas

First published December 25, 2012

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This Christmas day we celebrate the birth of Jesus, born of Mary in a manger in Bethlehem of Judea.  Outside of Bethlehem were shepherds watching their flock when an angel of the Lord appeared to them to announce the birth of Jesus.  After assuring the shepherds there was nothing to fear, the angel told them the announcement was “good news of great joy.”  Yes, there was and is great joy in the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ; however, the great joy extends to the “good news,” the Gospel of salvation that is ours through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Even further, this Gospel is extended to all people, and salvation is available to all people who believe on Christ as personal Savior.  The joy of Christmas is that not only do we celebrate the birth of our personal Savior Jesus Christ, but the good news of salvation is extended to all who believe in Him by faith.  Truly we can sing, “Joy to the world!  The Lord is come.”[1]

Have you and your family truly experienced in your hearts the true Joy of Christmas, Jesus Christ?

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’”   (Luke 2:10 – NIV)

May God Richly Bless You Today

[1] Joy to the World, words by Isaac Watts 1674-1748; music by George Frederick Handel 1685-1769; arranged by Lowell Mason 1792-1872.

#951 Joyfulness – Joy of Fellowship with God

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, there is a joyfulness and intimacy in our fellowship with God.  Although we cannot lose our salvation when we have genuinely accepted Christ, sin in our lives can cause us to lose the joy of our fellowship with God.  David found this out when he had sinned with Bathsheba and was confronted by the prophet Nathan.  In Psalm 51 we find David’s plea to God for mercy, forgiveness, cleansing, and a restoration of the joy of fellowship he once had with God.  Unconfessed sin in our lives may have caused a break in our fellowship with God, a break that has taken joy from our salvation.  Just as David did, we need to confess our sin to God, ask forgiveness, and ask His mercy bring restoration of the joy we once had in fellowship with Him.

Does God seem distant to you or your faith seem to be not as strong as it was in the past?  Examine your heart for unconfessed sins that may be causing those feelings, and if so confess them to God today!

“Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.”   (Psalm 51:12)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#950 Joyfulness – Source of Our Joy

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Joy is a quality of spirit that characterizes each of us as Christians, the source of which is the Holy Spirit.  It is identified as one of the “fruit of the Spirit,” habits that the Holy Spirit produces in Christians.  The opposite of the visible expressions of lusts that are the “works of the flesh,”[1] the “fruit of the Spirit” is produced by the invisible power of the Holy Spirit in those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior.  Likewise, the “fruit of the Spirit” is part of the character of God that is reproduced in His children, us as Christians.  Just as joy marked the fellowship of Christians in New Testament times,[2] the joy that is within us as Christians should be manifest in our fellowship with fellow Christians today as we live and walk in the Spirit.

As a Christian, be certain that you are manifesting joy in your life, not only to demonstrate to the world your salvation but also in your fellowship with fellow believers!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-23, 25)

May God Richly Bless You Today

[1] Galatians 5:19-21

[2] I John 1:4; II John 12

#912 Lessons from Jonah – The Lord’s Salvation

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Book of Jonah is a book of salvation, God saving and sparing those who repent and believe Him.  God spared the sailors on Jonah’s ship when He quieted the storm after they believed and feared Him, throwing Jonah overboard at God’s direction.[1]  When Jonah, one of God’s prophets, was thrown overboard God provided a great fish to swallow him; and after Jonah repented from the belly of the fish God saved him by having the fish vomit Jonah onto the shore.[2]  We also know that God saved and spared Nineveh after Jonah preached and the people repented and believed in God.[3]  God is compassionate toward sinners and desires they come to Him, trust Him, and accept His Son as their personal Savior.  If they respond to Him in sincerity, He will show them His grace and mercy, not His punishment.

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and received His grace and mercy?

“Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot distinguish between their right and their left, as well as many animals?”   (Jonah 4:11)

May God Richly Bless You Today

[1] Jonah 1:14-17

[2] Jonah 2:1-10

[3] Jonah 3:1-10

#893 Spiritual Blessings – Work of the Triune God

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

For the previous couple of weeks we have been looking at the spiritual blessings that are ours as Christians as Paul discusses them in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians.  In the first part of the chapter Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, describes God’s plan for salvation, doing so related to the work of God the Father in the past, the work of His Son, Jesus Christ, in the present, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the future.  That statement does not mean there are any works on our part in salvation as it comes immediately upon our accepting by faith Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  What it does mean is that through the work of the Triune God we were chosen by the Father in the past, redeemed and forgiven when accepting Christ, and are sealed and assured in the future by the Holy Spirit.  What a blessing it is to know that we are loved enough by God that He has planned for us so great a salvation.

Are you not thankful God loved you enough to include you in His salvation plan?

“In Whom [Christ] you also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”   (Ephesians 2:22)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#844 God’s Response to Spiritual Concerns – Assurance of Salvation, continued

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Besides not remembering the specifics of the salvation experience, there are other reasons some of we Christians fail to possess an assurance of salvation and the resulting eternal life.  Sadly, these reasons come from failing to believe God’s Word as Truth which in turn means we are questioning God Himself.  When God makes promises in His Word, they will come to pass as God cannot lie.  If we are having doubts or an uncertainty as to our salvation, maybe we should examine our own heart and not question God.  When we accept Christ as personal Savior we invite Him into and trust Him with all our heart, accepting by faith His promises.  Perhaps we trust our good works, feelings, or what we consider a worthy life instead of our Savior.  As genuine Christians with these feelings, we need to confess our sins to God (one of which is doubt,) study the promises in His Word, and enjoy the peace of having an assurance of our salvation.

If you are a “doubter” of God’s Word, take the step today to ask God’s forgiveness and to trust Him at His Word!

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”   (I John 5:11-13)

May God Richly Bless You Today