Devotion and Reflections for Wednesday

The Lord Will Reveal His Will>>>more
from In Touch MInistries

"...We always need to be asking, "God, what are You teaching me today, and what would You have me do with that knowledge?"

Sometimes for me it's hard to pray, hard for me to know His will for my life, knowing what to say to Him, what questions to ask but reading today's devotion from Dr. Charles Stanley has helped me. I too am guilty of sometimes treating God like a "information clerk". We have to spend time in His word, talking and listening to Him. Too many times we talk and talk to God and not sitting still and listening to His answer for our lives. We have the television on or the music(that's my confession) and not letting the quietness be our music. Sometimes when I'm driving to work I have nothing turned on...no radio, no CD, nothing. That to me is my time with God, listening to Him to give clarity, give me direction, give me wisdom for that day or situation that I'm facing and just sometimes giving thanks to Him because of what Jesus has done for me.

Sometimes when driving I can look out the window and see someone standing on the bus stop and I give thanks to Him because at one time, I was that person standing, waiting for public transportation. I'm not saying ALL people that are on the bus line need transportation because sometimes it's better to ride the bus because it saves on gas, you do not have to concentrate and you can sit back and relax. But there are people that are on the bus line because they do not have a car and not being able to be on your own schedule can be tough to adjust to sometimes.

I'm finding everyday that learning to communicate with my Heavenly Father gives me peace, give me a much clearer direction for my life and less stress day in day out.

Be Blessed,
Be Safe,
& Have a Wonderful Wednesday.

Praying For Our Children
from Christian Embassy Church

Compassion

"Holy Father, I pray that You would clothe my children with the virtue of compassion."

Colossians 3:12

other devotions for today:
The “Mom Box”
Amazing Gift

Devotion and Reflection for Monday

Jesus' Offering of Peace>>>more
devotion from In Touch Ministries

"What gives you peace?"
That is the question asked from the devotion today from Dr. Charles Stanley. Although I am still a baby Christian I seek His true meaning of peace each and everyday. By keeping my faith in Him instead of my surrounding, by talking and listening to Him each and everyday I try and maintain my faith in His word because I have not been let down by God yet. I know they will be times when it feels that nothing is going the way I wish for them to go or that my entire world is crumbling around me, that is when I have to realize that through the blood of Christ Jesus I am protected and that what I am going through is to grow me stronger in God, pull me closer to God so that my walk with Him is so ever close.

I am learning that when you put your trust for peace in the world it will throw you a curve time and time again. I am learning how to "be in the world" but "not of the world" each and every day. Learning to ask God for clarity, direction, to have Him be my guide makes my peace with people, situations that crop up much more stable, I can deal with this in a calmer manner because I'm being taught to be proactive instead of reactive.

When reading this devotion there is always a Bible passage Dr. Stanley suggest to read. One thing I have learned over time with my short walk with God is that when one translation you do not understand, read another to reach your heart, your spirit and the New Living Translation did that for me this morning.

My prayer for you this morning is that you find true peace in His word because in doing this He may not remove your trials that you go through day in/day out but knowing that by trusting in Him, instead of having your day direct your life, God will give you the knowledge, wisdom to learn from today and the days that follow...to appreciate the good and the bad.

Be Blessed, Be Safe, & Have a Wonderful Monday.

Praying For Our Children
from Christian Embassy Church

Perseverance

"Lord, teach my children to persevere in all they do, and help them run with perseverance the race set before them."

Hebrews 12:1

other devotions for your spirit:
The Greatest Gift
Morning Corruption

messages from OnePlace.com
The Way to Heaven – Part 1
Life Lessons From The Christmas Story - Part 2
The Man Who Tried to Stop Christmas

"Spouting off before listening to the facts
is both shameful and foolish."
~proverbs 18:13

{read Proverbs Chapter 18 for wisdom for today}

Reflection and Devotion for Saturday

Living in the Center of God's Will>>>more
from In Touch Ministries

Hello everyone,

I have taking a long hiatus but I'm back ready to begin to share how God truly loves me, how He watches over me, how being obedient to Him gives me strength, courage, and peace in my life.

Right about now I'm coming back in a time of my valley right about now. This is my trying time right about now. I have to show how much I really trust in my Heavenly Father. Things has not been going so well for me in a while but I am really beginning to learn how much He loves me. I am learning how to be obedient to God because in the end it's not worth going against His will. I wonderful friend shared wisdom with me on how to pray. It's so good when you go to God and not only will He give you wisdom but many times God will have people enter your life to give you wisdom as well. She told me that when I pray for direction, understanding, thanksgiving also pray for clarity because God wants our specifics. He wants you and I to talk to Him as if you and I talk to a close dear friend that is right there with you in the flesh.

I remember the first time I read the passages where Abraham and God would have conversation and the one that really blew me away was when Abraham ask our Father to spare Sodom and Gomorrah(Genesis 18:. The conversation was so personal and direct. I had mentioned before in a post a wrote a while back, I could not believe how Abraham spoke with and to God in that manner but then I was taught an important lesson: when you obey God you can come to him like a son or daughter...not like a beggar.

God wants the very best for my life and I have to begin to put my time, my faith, my money where my mouth is because "faith with works is dead".

The devotion from Dr. Charles Stanley is so awesome this morning. He describes the the rewards and chastisement when it comes to living in the center of God's will. His audio messages from Dr. Charles Stanley, God Always Rewards Obedience-Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 is something to give a listen to...you will not regret it.

My prayer for you today is that you learn to trust in God and watch Him work awesome things in your lives.

Be Blessed, Be Safe and Have a Wonderful Weekend.

Praying For Our Children

from Christian Embassy Church
Peace Loving

"Father God, help my children make every effort to do what leads to peace."

So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

~Romans 14:19

Other Devotions for today:

• A New Beginning
• Our Daily Bread
• Turning Point

Messages from OnePlace.com

• The Riches of God’s Grace – Part 2
• Con. Life Lessons From The Christmas Story - Pt 1
• Don’t Lose Jesus at Christmas

Tech News for today:

• Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta now available for download
• Gamers gone wild: Wii goes flying
• Playing it safe with Windows Vista

Netcast for today:

• MacBreak Weekly 19: Live via TalkShoe
• TWiT 79: Fifty Plus
• dl.tv 120

Devotion from Dr. Charles Stanley

God's Love Offered to the Hurting

READ | John 4:7-27

Jesus said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). His life clearly revealed God's loving character and His compassion for people. The Lord's interaction with the Samaritan woman, for example, was a demonstration of the tender love and care our heavenly Father has for us.

Jesus initiated contact. Much to His disciples' dismay, Jesus deliberately went out of His way to meet the woman from Samaria. In that day, Jews did not associate with Samaritans. In fact, they avoided traveling through their region. But God does not follow man's rules or his prejudices. He reaches out with a message of hope and new life to anyone who will listen and believe.

Jesus knew the Samaritan woman's pain and heartache. She must have felt worthless, abandoned, and unloved after being divorced by five husbands. We all have emotional baggage that weighs us down and causes us pain. Our heavenly Father knows our deepest hurts and secret shame. Jesus offered her forgiveness and love. The Lord drew out the details of her situation in a nonjudgmental way. He wanted her to be receptive to His offer of forgiveness and a relationship with God. Jesus understood what she needed—to feel loved, valued, and accepted. And He knew a relationship with Him would fulfill that need.

God sees us as clearly as He saw the Samaritan woman. He knows our hurts and wants to bring us healing and restoration. Will you accept His love and submit to the Holy Spirit's transforming work in order to be brought to spiritual health?

~from Dr. Charles Stanley's In Touch Ministries

John 4:7-27

The Woman of Samaria

7There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."

8For His (A)disciples had gone away into (B)the city to buy food.

9Therefore the (C)Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For (D)Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

10Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you (E)living water."

11She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that (F)living water?

12"You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who (G)gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?"

13Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;

14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him (H)shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to (I)eternal life."

15The woman said to Him, "Sir, (J)give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw."

16He said to her, "Go, call your husband and come here."

17The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have correctly said, 'I have no husband';

18for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly."

19The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are (K)a prophet.

20"(L)Our fathers worshiped in (M)this mountain, and you people say that (N)in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."

21Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, (O)an hour is coming when (P)neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

22"(Q)You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for (R)salvation is from the Jews.

23"But (S)an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father (T)in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

24"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship (U)in spirit and truth."

25The woman said to Him, "I know that (V)Messiah is coming ((W)He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us."

26Jesus said to her, "(X)I who speak to you am He."

27At this point His (Y)disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why do You speak with her?"

footnotes: BibleGateway.com