Tag: Devotionals

Day-by-Day – Day 7 – Our Intercessor

On By KateIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

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~Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Jesus Christ stands before the Father and intercedes for the born-again believer.  It amazes me how many believers do not really comprehend exactly what this means.  Let me give you an illustration that may make it clearer.

Picture this in your mind’s eye.  You’re in a courtroom standing trial.  The Heavenly Father is the Judge and is listening to arguments on your case.  The outcome of the trial will decide whether you are going to Heaven or to Hell.

The devil, your prosecutor, is making accusations against you.  Your Advocate objects!

The Judge responds, “On what grounds are you objecting?”

Jesus Christ answers, “Judge, this believer has committed all these things that the prosecutor has accused him of.”

Jesus continues, “However, Judge, I have already paid the debt for these sins with my death on the cross.  This believer has accepted this work and has made Me Saviour of his life.  Therefore, he no longer needs to pay the penalty.  I paid his penalty in full with my blood.  This believer must be acquitted of all charges and set free.”

Hallelujah!!! Who will praise the Lord with me?  Thank You, my Lord and Saviour!  All praise, honour and glory are Yours!

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Day-by-Day – Day 6 – Not Welcomed

On By KateIn Devotionals1 Comment

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~2 John 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.

With today’s way of thinking, one may think that this verse is intolerant.  However, it goes to show us how important it is to recognize false doctrine and to stay away from it.

One cannot recognize what is false without first knowing what is true.  It is said that bank tellers are trained to recognize counterfeit money by having them handle real money.  The longer they touch and look at real money, the more likely they are to be able to pick out a counterfeit bill.  It is the same with false doctrine.  The more a believer is in the Word of God, reading it and studying it, the more he will be able to recognize when someone is spreading false doctrine.  He will be able to recognize the devil’s lies.

What is false doctrine?  It is anything that denies the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, His deity, His death, burial and His resurrection.  False doctrine can also come in the way of “adding” to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by saying that His death on the cross was not enough but more is needed.

Don’t be left in the dark.  Study your Bible and read it daily so you are able to recognize what is right and what is wrong.  Our world is not getting better and you will need to be armed with truth.

~2 Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

~Acts 17:11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

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Day-by-Day – Day 5 – Fruit

On By KateIn Devotionals1 Comment

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“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

What kind of fruit are we bearing as children of  the King?  Are we praising Him when we speak?  Are we praising Him with our actions?  Or do we bring shame to Him?  Do we thank Him?  These are the types of fruit that he bears when he is growing as a Christian.

How can we grow and bear good spiritual fruit?  Just like any garden needs sun, rain and good soil to grow good and healthy fruit, so does the believer.  We need the Son (1 John 5:12) – we need the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26)- and we need the convicting of the Holy Spirit in our lives (John 14:26).

We can either bear good fruit, spotted fruit or rotten fruit.  They all reflect the condition of our spiritual walk.

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Day-by-Day – Day 4 – The Subtle One

On By KateIn Devotionals2 Comments

~Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD GOD had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Since the beginning of time, the devil has been trying to make the Word of God unbelievable. His subtle questions in the Garden of Eden were worded in such a way to cause Eve to question what God had said. He is still doing it today.

Today’s Christian must take a stand. We have the Word of God at our fingertips and we have no excuse for not knowing what God has written to us. It is only by knowing the Word that we will be able to recognize the devil’s subtleties. Knowing is half the battle, as they say.

~2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

So, to be able to recognize the devil’s antics, one must:

  1. Read the Word
  2. Apply the Word
  3. Live the Word

It is one thing to read your Bible, but we must also allow the Holy Spirit to do a work in our heart.  Once we have been taught by Him, we can be a testimony to the unbelieving world.

~1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Day-by-Day – Day 3 – The Father Cares

On By KateIn Devotionals2 Comments

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~Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

It is estimated that the average human head has 100,000-150,000 hairs on it. That surely puts this verse into perspective, doesn’t it? Our Heavenly Father not only cares for each bird that flies in the sky, but He has every hair on every believer’s head counted!!

Does this not bring you great comfort? You are precious to God. When you possess something precious, you know everything about it. If it’s a book, you read it over and over. You know on what page a certain passage is located.

The Word says that God views His creation as precious. So much so, He sent His Son to die for us!  That’s a sign of great love!  I never could comprehend such love until I understood that God loves me so much that He knows how many hairs I have on my head!


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Day-by-Day – Day 2 – Change

On By KateIn Devotionals2 Comments

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~2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Salvation brings about change in a person’s life. The stealer steals no more. The curser curses no more, etc.  It is not that we are “perfectly holy” at the time of salvation.  It is that we acknowledge our sin and we desire to be more like Christ.

~2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The Holy Spirit convicted our hearts and our whole spiritual life goes from running with the world to being a child of the King! Our old nature wants to sin but the new nature is now “in Christ” and no longer wants to sin. There is truly a battle.

~Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Before salvation, we do not care that we sin. However, after salvation we become aware of that sin in our lives and we do not have the same desires to continue in it. The Holy Spirit convicts us and we continue to change into the image of our Lord and Saviour!   Many profess Christianity but do not change.  They sit in church pews and live their lives just as they did before with no convictions at all.  That was the way I was prior to salvation.

~Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

There IS a difference in a person’s life once they accept Christ as their Saviour… there SHOULD be a difference.

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Day-by-Day – Day 1 – How to be blessed

On By KateIn Devotionals2 Comments

 

~Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (1) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (2) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (3)

In the Bible, God gives us a wonderful recipe on how we can be blessed.

Don’t:

  1. … take counsel from the unsaved
  2. … hang around predominantly with unbelievers
  3. … hang around those who hate God

DO:

  1. DO delight yourself in God’s Word
  2. DO meditate on what you read

Results:

  1. You will grow spiritually and grow closer to God
  2. You will bear the fruit of the Spirit
  3. Your spiritual fruit will not wither away but will be everlasting
  4. What you do for the Lord will prosper

For the Weary – Day 28 – Our Hope

On By KateIn Devotionals1 Comment

~Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

Misplaced Hope

When we get to the point of weariness, we tend to look for relief in the wrong places or in the wrong people. When I have been to this point, I have felt that God wanted me to go through this and wasn’t going to give me relief from the situation I was in. It is then I would look for help – but not from the Lord. Friends were there for me and were a blessing – but they could not take the trial away. They could encourage my heart but they could not change my attitude about the trial. It is the same when believers are stricken with an illness that is pretty serious. They turn to their doctors and place their hope in the doctor to heal them. As good as that sounds, the hope is truly misplaced.

Hope Eternal

The weary believer gets to a point in his life that he is overwhelmed and feels as though he has been totally abandoned.  When we place our hope in God, the hope will not be misguided. That hope will be eternal and He will sustain us. As I close this devotional series for The Weary Believer, I pray that it has impacted you in such a way that you will turn to the Lord rather than to anyone or anything else in your time of need. I have tried to convey the importance of seeking God’s face and turning to His Word for encouragement. The Word heals the broken believer. When you have filled yourself with the water from the Word, you will look at your trial with different eyes. The overwhelming feeling will be replaced with the attitude that you can live through this.

~Psalm 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

© Kate Plourde 2009

The picture above was taken by Carol Meyers and used here with her permission. She has traveled to some of the most beautiful places in the world and has captured so many pictures which depict peace and tranquility. Thank you, Carol, for allowing me this opportunity to use your work!

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For the Weary – Day 27 – God Hears

On By KateIn Devotionals1 Comment

~Psalm 3:3-4 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. (3) I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. (4)

God hears

As we’ve been going through this series, we have been learning about God’s attributes. Today’s verse teaches us that God does hear us when we cry to Him. I can’t begin to tell you how many times someone has told me that they do not feel as though God hears them. They continue to say that their prayers seem to stop at the ceiling. Does that sound familiar to you? Don’t believe it for a minute. God tells us that He does hear us and that He stands ready to help us. David said he cried with his voice and God heard him. God hears us as well!

God’s shield

The weary believer gets to a point in his life that he is overwhelmed and feels as though he has been totally abandoned. However, our God stands ready to shield us from total despair if we allow Him. Sometimes we just cannot see His shield in our lives because we are so absorbed in our circumstances. That is why it is so important that we stay in the Word. Reading brings life to our down heartedness. Reading brings to light God’s promises and comforting words. One can hardly read Psalms without walking away with a ray of hope. Why is it that we fail to go to the place where healing can occur when we need it the most?

God lifts us up

The best part of the verse is that God is the lifter of the weary believer’s head! Whether your head is stuck on a pillow because you’re exhausted or your head is drooped because of depression, God WILL lift it. He is there waiting and willing to do this. Read the Word and envelope yourself within the pages of encouragement. God will wrap His arms around you and bring you that much needed comfort and peace.

© Kate Plourde 2009

The picture above was taken by Carol Meyers and used here with her permission. She has traveled to some of the most beautiful places in the world and has captured so many pictures which depict peace and tranquility. Thank you, Carol, for allowing me this opportunity to use your work!

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For the Weary – Day 25 – Comfort

On By KateIn Devotionals2 Comments

~2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;(3) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (4)

where to find comfort

Where do you find your comfort?  Do you find it in music?  Do you find it in someone you love? Do you find it in distractions?

~Psalm 119:50  This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

Comfort found outside the Word of God is temporary. If you find comfort in music, what happens when the music is turned off? God’s Word permeates the soul. It makes us alive – that is what the word “quicken” means.

~Psalm 119:154 Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.

It stands to reason that when we are in need of comforting, we can find permanent comfort in God’s Word. Not only will it make us alive, it will keep us focused on Him!

The more we are in the Word of God, the more we can be assured that we will find comfort within its pages.  The believer who does not spend time regularly in the Word is like a car that does not get regular maintenance checks.  Without fluids being added regularly, the car will being to spit and sputter and eventually break down.  This is the plight of the believer who does not take time to read his Bible.  When this believer needs comfort the most, he will not find it – he will turn to something else to find that comfort.  Unfortunately, that comfort will be temporary and will not meet the believer’s deepest need!

the god of all comfort

Verse 3 says that God is the God of all comfort! We do not need to look anywhere else or with anyone else. We simply need to look to God for all our needs – all our comfort. He will provide us with exactly what we need at exactly the moment we need it.  Yes, even during those times when He disciplines us, He provides that same comfort.

~Psalm 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

We can rest assured that even when we are being disciplined by the Lord, He will give us the comfort we need.  He will not allow us to be overwhelmed or exasperated as a result of His discipline.  God’s compassion is above any man.  His compassion never fails – His love is perfect.

~Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

god waits to give you comfort

Take control of your spiritual life, weary Christian. Do not let the devil has his way with you. He is the father of lies and is a lion seeking to devour you! Make time for God’s Word and find the comfort and peace that you are in such desperate need of.  God desires to give you peace and comfort.  In fact, not only does He provide that peace and comfort but you will find it He does this in a magnificent way!  You will not be able to fully comprehend how you can possibly have His peace and comfort at the time.  It is this perfect peace and comfort that will keep you going – the more you experience it the more you will want to stay on the right path for Christ.  The more you will want to stay in the Word so you can constantly be refueled by Him!  Don’t despair, dear Christian.  Don’t give up!  God is waiting to comfort you if only you will seek Him.  Once you have found this comfort, it will keep your heart and mind encouraged.

~Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

© Kate Plourde 2009

The picture above was taken by Carol Meyers and used here with her permission. She has traveled to some of the most beautiful places in the world and has captured so many pictures which depict peace and tranquility. Thank you, Carol, for allowing me this opportunity to use your work!

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