Good Shepherd

I love this little devotional and I found encouragement in it's word's that I wanted to share the wealth with you.

May you find encouragement in the devotional as I have.

God Bless.

Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me," (NLT) -John 10:14

These words came straight from Jesus' mouth. If you ever wonder whether Jesus cares for you or loves you, this is your verse. He knows you so well, even the cry of your heart. He is a good shepherd who has sacrificed Himself for you. If you are wondering where God is in your life or if He cares for you, this is your message. These are His words speaking directly to you.

Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevotion/

Hear Me

Advise overlord written below. May this little devotional be encouragement as I have found it to be.

God Bless.

Hear Me

O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. (NLT) -Psalm 5:1

Do you ever struggle with feeling like you aren't heard by others or worse misunderstood? It's never a good feeling when a trusted friend fails to listen or hear you. Rather than getting upset and mad at them recognize their limitations. Accept them for who they are and don't try to change them. Turn to God to be heard and understood. He is always waiting for you to turn your heart to Him. Have your needs met by God.

Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevotion/

Quote Of The Day - Start Believing

Some great advice written below. 

Be encouraged.

God Bless.

Quote of the Day -Joyce Meyer

“Start believing the Word of God over our feelings. The truth always overrides our feelings. Find the truth in the scriptures.” 

– Joyce Meyer

Chaos

Truth bomb below!!!

Be encouraged.

God Bless.

Chaos

The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God's voice thunders, and the earth melts! (NLT) -Psalm 46:6

No matter what is going on around the world, be it rioting, political upheaval, or stock market instability, there is a greater power. We have a Heavenly Father who was, is, and always will be. Presidents and leaders may fall, but our God is eternally powerful. Do not let yourself fall into despair when uncertainty surrounds you. Seek the Lord for confidence in your circumstances. Ask Him to provide comfort and ease your anxiety.

Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevotion/

Remind God Of His Promises

Remind God of His Promises

Some food for thought...

God Bless.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said, “Put the Lord in remembrance of His promises, keep not silence” (Isaiah 62:6). God invites you—yes, commands you—to remind him of his promises. Find a promise that fits your problem, and build your prayer around it! These prayers of faith touch the heart of God and miracles are set in motion!

Today's Challenge: Remind God of His Promises

Prayer:

Lord, your strength and authority are without limits. You cast out all fear, and you fill your people with boldness and power.

Help me, Lord, not to be gripped and controlled by fear and worry. Sometimes it feels like life is out of control and I am alone in my challenges, but you have said you will be with me always. Set my eyes and my heart on your promise that you will never leave me or forsake me. Help me trust you with every aspect of my life so I can live in the promise of your peace.

Thank you for being with me today and every day. In your Son's holy name, amen.*

*Prayer adapted from Start with Prayer: 250 Prayers for Hope and Strength

The Dark Moments In Our Lives

We all have them. It is what we do with those dark moments that defines us.

Be encouraged and keep fighting for in the end, those moments will be the ones worth going through.

God Bless.

The Dark Moments in Our Lives

The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us.

If you want God’s best for your life and desire to be used by Him, at some point you’ll have to travel the road of adversity. This means that God can and will use adversity in your life for a good purpose—and yet, sadly, many people view adversity as only negative and defeating. But you don’t have to be among them.

God has designed adversity, regardless of its source, to become a turning point from which you take your greatest leaps forward in spiritual growth. He allows adversity to remain in your life only until He accomplishes His purpose in you. He will not keep it in your life one second longer than is necessary.

Right now, right where you are, remember this: God has put a limit on all adversity. Because you are a child of God, the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, and He knows how much you can bear. The psalmist said: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Ps. 34:19). And, “Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust” (Ps. 103:13-14).

Through adversity, God is molding you into a mature and effective servant. When you know Christ as your Savior, God sees you as a saint—sometimes struggling, sometimes falling, but justified, redeemed, forgiven, and reconciled to Him. He sees a person full of His unconditional love, indwelt by His presence, sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, whose name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. He also sees all of your potential—all the good you could accomplish for His kingdom. So take comfort—adversity won’t take up permanent residence in your life. But when it’s present, it can develop good things if you’re willing to trust Him. Therefore, no matter what dark moments you may walk through, be confident He’s going to bring you into the light. And when He does, it will certainly be worth it.

-Author Unknown 

God Will Show You His Will

There is a lot to digest in this little devotional but taking time to ready read what is written will be worth while.

This is one little devotional that has a lot of food for thought and will be of encouragement when all is said and done.

God Bless.

God Will Show You His Will

If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will.

God always wants the best for us, and He’s committed to showing us how to follow the specific plan He’s designed for each of our lives. And when we begin to wander from the course God has set for us, He’ll take all kinds of measures to capture our attention and protect us from harm.

He has a wide variety of ways to help us take notice, among them:

1. A Restless Spirit

Sometimes God gets our attention by making us restless (Est. 6). If you experience restlessness deep within—something you cannot quite identify—stop and pray, “Lord, are You trying to say something to me?”

2. A Spoken Word

God also gets our attention by using the words of others. If several people in a short span of time begin telling you the same thing, ask the Lord if He’s trying to speak to you through them.

3. An Unusual Blessing

God may bless us in an unusual way to gain our attention.

4. Unanswered Prayer

Sometimes God will answer a prayer with “no.” He may remain silent to our prayers as a way of prompting us to examine ourselves.

5. Disappointment

The Lord may allow setbacks in our lives to keep us from charting our own course.

6. Extraordinary Circumstances

Sometimes God will use extraordinary circumstances to get us to stop and listen. Learn to look for the presence of God in every circumstance of life; He leaves His footprints and handiwork all around us (Ex. 3).

7. Defeat

God may use defeat to show us the truth. But even this can prove to be a great stepping-stone to success (Josh. 7).

8. Financial Troubles

The nation of Israel fell into idolatry and disobedience in the time of the Judges when “every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6). Only when God took away every material belonging did they cry out to Him (Judg. 6:3-6). The Lord knew exactly what it would take to get their attention. The same is true for us.

9. Tragedy, Sickness, and Affliction

When King Hezekiah became prideful, God used illness to alert him to the problem (2 Chr. 32:24). When Saul of Tarsus persecuted Christians, God struck him with blindness—a tactic that certainly got his attention (Acts 9:1-19). We should regard our tragedies and afflictions as reasons to inquire of the Lord, “What are You trying to say?”

The Father always knows exactly where you are in your journey of faith and precisely what it will take to get your attention. Take notice if any of these divine methods are occurring—or recurring—in your life. If they are, ask Him what He wants to tell you, and then listen ... not simply to hear, but to obey.

-Author Unknown 

God Is Pleased And Delighted

Thankful for this insight.

Be encouraged.

God Bless.

God Is Pleased and Delighted with You

by Joyce Meyer

He brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me. 
—Psalm 18:19

You are so valuable to God! You’re worth celebrating and worth taking good care of. You are awesome and there are great possibilities ahead for your life. God has invested Himself in you and given you talents and abilities that equip you to do certain things. You are part of His amazing plan and purpose.

Have you ever taken time to think about what you think about yourself? God thinks you are special and He celebrates you all the time. He doesn’t mention your past sins, and He rejoices over you with singing (see Zephaniah 3:14, 17).

According to Scripture, King David, who wrote our verse for today, was far from perfect, but he believed God was pleased and with him. He made the same statement again in 2 Samuel 22:20. David really knew God’s pleasure and delight in him.

I hope you also know how pleased and delighted God is with you. Can you imagine walking around your house or driving around in your car singing, “God is pleased with me and He delights in me!” Many people would not have that kind of confidence, but we should. We should believe what God says in His Word about how He feels toward us. If you have the courage to begin speaking over yourself that God is pleased and delighted in you, you may feel embarrassed at first, but soon you will begin to walk in new levels of confidence, power, peace and joy.

God may not be pleased with all our behavior, but He is pleased with us if we love Him and want to make progress. When we make positive confessions like the ones I’m suggesting today, we are agreeing with God’s word.

Love Yourself Today: God is not mad at you and He loves you. He’s smiling over you and singing over you because He is pleased and delighted with you.

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From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2011 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Let Not

Pray. And pray often with the knowledge the Lord is with you, not against you.

God Bless.

Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. – Matt 6:3

The Master said His disciples ought not to wish to be seen of men when they do good things. They are to think only of pleasing the Father. If they seek human notice and praise, they will receive no other reward. But if they work only for the eye of God, they will have a heavenly reward.

Prayer is to be for God’s ear, not men’s. This does not mean that we are never to pray in public nor confess Christ in public. The meaning is that we are to live all our life for the eye of God, that we are never to perform religious acts to make an impression on others. In praying we are to seek first God’s honor before we think of our own needs.

Our prayers must be unselfish – asking for others as well as for ourselves. We must forgive those who have wronged us when we ask God to forgive us. God does not care for appearances; He looks into our hearts and counts only what He sees there.

-Author Unknown 

With Respect

Respect. Do we really understand what that entails?

Hopefully this little devotional will help in our search for what respect is all about.

God Bless.

With Respect

Dave Branon

Ezra 5:6-17

If it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus . . . issue[d] a decree.

Ezra 5:17

The citizens of Israel were having some trouble with the government. It was the late 500s bc, and the Jewish people were eager to complete their temple that had been destroyed in 586 bc by Babylon. However, the governor of their region was not sure they should be doing that, so he sent a note to King Darius (Ezra 5:6-17). In the letter, the governor says he found the Jews working on the temple and asks the king if they had permission to do so. The letter also records the Jews’ respectful response that they had indeed been given permission by an earlier king (Cyrus) to rebuild. When the king checked out their story, he found it to be true: King Cyrus had said they could build the temple. So Darius not only gave them permission to rebuild, but he also paid for it! (see 6:1-12). After the Jews finished building the temple, they “celebrated with joy” because they knew God had “[changed] the attitude of the king” (6:22). When we see a situation that needs to be addressed, we honor God when we plead our case in a respectful way, trust that He is in control of every situation, and express gratitude for the outcome.

Lord, help us to respond respectfully to situations around us. We need Your wisdom for this. May we always honor, trust, and praise You.

Respect for authority brings glory to God.

Deuteronomy 3–4; Mark 10:32-52

Use Your Words

Interesting little devotional. Wanted to pass it along to uplift and encourage

God Bless.

Use Your Words to Succeed at Being Yourself

Never say or think negative things about yourself, such as, "I never do anything right. I'll never change. I'm ugly. I look terrible. I'm dumb. Who could ever love me?" Matthew 12:37 says, "By your words you will be justified...and by your words you will be condemned." Proverbs 23:7 (KJV) says, "As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he." In other words, the way we talk and think about ourselves reveals how we feel about ourselves and affects our lives.

You need to speak good things about yourself (as private confessions) in line with what the Word says about you. For example: "I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am made acceptable in the Beloved. God created me and formed me with His own hands, and God doesn't make mistakes."

I like starting the day declaring positive, biblical confessions. You can do this while you're driving to work or cleaning house. I also encourage you to look in the mirror and say out loud, "God loves and accepts me, and so do I." When you start to speak good, positive truth about yourself, you can succeed at being yourself, just the way God created you to be.

Prayer Starter: God, I'm done with speaking negative things about myself. I declare the truth that You love me and accept me. I can be all that You created me to be.

-Author Unknown 

And God Said

Yeah, what she said...

God Bless.

And God Said . . . And It Was So

by Joyce Meyer

And God said, Let us make man in our image. . . . So God created man in his own image. 
—Genesis1:26 –27 KJV

According to Genesis, God created everything we see with words! He called them into being:

“And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. . . .

“And God said, Let there be a firmament [the expanse of the sky] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters [below] from the waters [above]. . . .

“And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be collected into one place [of standing], and let the dry land appear. And it was so” (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9).

Everything God said came to pass, and you are created in God’s image, and your words also have power. Your words can call things into being, so use them wisely! Speak in agreement with and believe in God’s plan for your life, and you will see it come to pass.

Power Thought: My words have the power to create my reality.

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From the book the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2013 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

By The Word Of The Lord

Overwhelming doesn't even begin to explain how big God is. I can't find words but I am glad he's in my corner. 

May we never get tired of being overwhelmed by Him and His goodness.

God Bless

Psalm 33:6-7 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. 

It is a bit overwhelming to think about the Lord gathering the sea into a jar, but as large as the seas are, God is just that much larger and powerful. When God speaks things are created, and our world and the heavens are here because God decided to speak. What are we that God sent His Son Jesus to rescue us!? Lord God, thank you! Teach me to love You and to worship You in Spirit and in truth. Let my life be a song that pleases You and brings You glory and honor! 

Verse courtesy of 'Psalm-A-Day' android app. http://www.idelata.com/apps/psalm-a-day/

Walking In Obedience

Every once in awhile I need encouragement to keep fighting the good fight and doing what He tells me to do.

And with this little devotional, I have found the word's encouraging to keep fighting. May you find the encouragement you need as well.

God Bless.

Walking in Obedience

I testify to Satan personally as to what the Word says the blood of Jesus does for me.

In the Passover ceremony, the blood of lambs was collected in basins. Once the blood was transferred from the basins to the Israelites’ dwelling places, they were safe, on one condition: they had to stay inside their houses.

This truth is very important: the blood protects only the obedient. You are safe while you obey. Let’s look at 1 Peter 1:2. Peter was greeting the “pilgrims of the Dispersion [in Greek, diaspora]” (verse 1). He was specifically addressing the Jews outside the land of Israel, who were “elect [or chosen] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.”

Notice that obedience comes before sprinkling. The blood is not sprinkled on the disobedient. The blood does not protect those who go out of the house. It protects only those who are behind the blood or covered by it. So, bear in mind, although there is perfect protection in the blood, it is for the obedient alone.

Thank You, Lord, for the blood of Jesus. I proclaim this day that I will walk in obedience to You. I testify to Satan personally as to what the Word says the blood of Jesus does for me. Amen. 

-Author Unknown 

No Form Nor Comeliness

Insight, food for thought, encouragement, and maybe even a little bit of wisdom below.

God Bless

“No Form Nor Comeliness”

Let us go forth to Him outside the camp.

Isaiah 53:2 gives a prophetic description of Jesus’ early years on earth: “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” From youth to adulthood, Jesus grew up like a sturdy plant, upright and God-fearing in all His ways. This fact is also described in Luke 2:40: “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” At the same time, Jesus was “a root out of dry ground.” He came forth as God’s messenger to Israel at a period of prolonged spiritual poverty. Israel had not received any prophetic revelation for nearly three hundred years. This prophetic silence was broken only by John the Baptist, then Jesus Himself, who both proclaimed the coming of God’s kingdom.

Jesus had no special outward splendor that would reveal His true identity to people. They saw in Him nothing more than the son of Joseph the carpenter. (See Matthew 13:54– 55.) When Peter acknowledged Him as the Messiah and Son of God, Jesus said that this revelation came not through Peter’s natural senses; rather, it was given to him by God the Father. (See Matthew 16:17.) The prophecy continues, “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows [pains] and acquainted with grief [disease]. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus did not seek the favor of the wealthy. Instead, He devoted Himself tirelessly to helping the poor and the suffering. He faced pain and disease, eventually taking upon Himself the pain and disease of the whole human race. Hanging on the cross in shame and agony, He became “like one from whom men hide their face” (Isaiah 53:3 NASB).

Thank You, Lord, that You are  calling me to leave this world behind. I proclaim that although Jesus was despised and rejected by men, I receive Him and esteem Him as Messiah, the Son of God. I shall go forth to Him outside the camp. Amen.

-Author Unknown 

 

Dealing With Emotions

Grieving is something I would rather pass on but unfortunately life has different plans.

I found this little devotional helpful when I am overwhelmed with grief. May you find encouragement as well.

God Bless.

Dealing with Emotions While Grieving

People experiencing tragedy often go through stages of emotional expressions of sobbing and hysteria. These may come and go when least expected. Confusion, disorientation and fear are also common. Depression and waves of overwhelming feelings are experienced by many. In times like these, I believe it's wise to look at King David.

The Bible talks of how King David was feeling depressed but he resisted it. He didn't sink into it or get into the pit of despair. He described how he felt, but he made a decision not to live by his feelings. He praised and trusted in God.

Most of us go through emotionally difficult times when tragic loss occurs. Those who are walking in faith come out of it, and they come out of it better than when they went in.

If you are hurting right now due to a loss in your life, I want to tell you that a new beginning is in front of you. Trust and praise God like David did. What Satan intends for your harm, God can turn around for your good!

Prayer Starter: Lord, even when I'm grieving and depressed, I will choose to praise and trust in You. I believe that You can and will make everything work out for my good.

Today I am reading day 248 of Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily Devotional: http://bible.com/r/3D

Harvest

Some food for thought written below. 

God Bless.

Harvest

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. (NLT) -Galatians 6:7

What things are you sowing into in your life? Are you planting seeds of life? God is a just God and while His grace is abundant; His word also warns us that our actions still matter. Be a person who grows godly things around them and plants good seeds with your life.  

Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevotion/

The Advocate Counselor

This little devotional just goes to show just how much we need the Holy Spirit. 

God Bless.

The Advocate, Counselor

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.”

—  John 14:16-17

Sharing a last meal with his disciples just hours before his betrayal and death, Jesus drops a bombshell. He tells his disciples that he will soon be leaving them. Jesus assures his followers, though, that he will give them an “advocate to help” and counsel and comfort them.

The original Greek word here for “advocate” (parakletos) refers to someone like a lawyer who provides counsel in ­legal matters. Our Bibles today translate this word using “advocate,” “counselor,” “comforter,” and other terms. When we say, with the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” we are taking comfort that the Spirit is our advocate and counselor.

Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit offers us great comfort. We are not alone. Though he is not physically present with us, Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to counsel and comfort us, leading us into truth. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son to live in us, helping us to serve the Lord each day. Jesus provides the Holy Spirit to his followers, saying, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. . . .”

Are you obeying the teaching of Jesus? If not, repent and turn to him, and the Holy Spirit will comfort and guide you. Lean on him, rest in him, and be guided by him in your walk with Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit. May he work in our lives as our counselor and comforter, as we seek to follow you today and always. Amen.

http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevotion/

You Can Change Your Mind

Amen!

God Bless.

You can change your life by letting the Word of God change your mind!

Joyce Myers 

Created For Purpose

Love this little devotional. May we all be encouraged to find our purpose in this life.

God Bless.

Created for Purpose

Each of us was born to fulfill a specific purpose in this world. Even though we might not choose to acknowledge it, or have it figured out yet, God designed every single person with an incredibly unique combination of gifts that He wants to use to grow His Church. Thankfully, God has placed clues in our hearts and, through the Holy Spirit, guides us to discover our purpose.

As children, we have such big imaginations. We create characters and whole worlds where we see ourselves as capable of anything. The sky's the limit! We haven’t learned what to fear or been told we can’t. We’re not yet confined by life’s harsh realities or worried about status. We’re confident in who we are and free to play out our dreams.

I can remember playing in the front yard in my superhero pajamas with the matching top and bottom. I was Wonder Woman, rescuing the world from danger! I’d stand guard on the porch with my hands on my hips, and at the first sign of trouble, I would jump in to save the day. Even after playing all day long, I wouldn’t get tired of it.

When I got older, I wondered why I’d had that particular desire when I was little. It became clear to me that even as a child, I wanted to help those who couldn’t help themselves. As a pastor, that’s exactly what I get to do today. I work tirelessly to rescue people from the gates of hell by leading them to The Rescuer. I know God put me on this earth to help save people. He put that desire in me from the beginning.

Maybe you didn’t want to be a superhero. Instead, you followed a nightly bedtime routine for all your dolls, or set up a class of stuffed animals to teach. Maybe you pretended to heal the sick, report the news, or explore new worlds. Whatever dreams you had as a child, they weren’t in your heart by coincidence. God placed them there for a purpose. Even though the world may have convinced you to dismiss them as imaginary, they’re still there—woven into the fabric of who He made you to be.

If you’re unsure of God’s purpose for you, look at what you’ve dreamed. Consider the things that draw you to tears, pull on your heart strings, get you fired up, and bring you to a righteous anger. He put those things in you, uniquely creating you for a purpose that only you can fulfill. 

God, thank you for creating me with a specific purpose in mind. Thank you for believing in me and giving me exactly what I need to fulfill your calling on my life. Reveal to me the passions, hopes, and desires you’ve placed in my heart, and clearly show me how to use them for your Kingdom Lord. Help me to live in your will and bring you glory with everything I say and do. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.

-Author Unknown

Don't Give Up

Truth bomb!

Thank you, Lord.

God Bless.

Do not give up your faith. God will not fail you!

-Joyce Myers