Daily Devotional

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1 [5] The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.:

Observation: I do try to love others And Jesus commands, but I have a very difficult time doing it. This scripture sheds some light on why I do. I don’t have a pure heart even though it is purer after Jesus came into my life, I still have problems with my conscience and my faith is less then sincere at times. I know these are things I need to work on and I’ll be working on them till the day I go home to the Lord.

Application: I need to always remember the love my Lord has for me. Even when I was a sinner God loved me and wanted me to draw close to Him. There was nothing about me to love yet God found it in His heart to show me mercy and draw me close to Him. It’s my turn to look at others as God looked at me with a loving heart, no judgments, and a love that can only come from God.

Prayer: Dear Father give me a loving heart and sincere motives to love those you put in my path. Touch my conscience so I know when I stray and not obedient to you. Increase my faith that there will never be a doubt of how much I love you and care for others.

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3 [13] And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.

Observation: My problem is I’m tired and make excuses why I don’t need to do anything. There is so much more that I can do but I get so lazy and try to justify it with excuses. I wake up tired and go through each day with so many thoughts on my mind that I tire myself out even more. I know what is right and even yesterday I went with the church to clean up the beach and evangelize. I stayed about 3 hours and went home, but I should have stayed. God places me in situations for a reason and I wonder if I hadn’t left if there was someone He wanted to put in my path.

Application: My day should be full of things to do that are right and honoring to God. I need to be planning to do things like this Sunday we will do a BBQ for the Harvest Fest at church and I should be getting things together to do the Depression Class again this fall. So how much more should I be doing that is right. More than I can imagine. Most of my time should be doing things that honor God and I have a long way to go.

Prayer: My Lord I do want to serve you will all of my heart, but my flesh is always tired or self-centered. Help me accomplish the things of you. Give me the energy and will power to do what is right and that I will never tire of doing good.

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,

Observation: My encouragement must not come from the words of others but by my Lord’s grace. There are so many motivational speakers trying to encourage us by this world And hope to get rich, but my hope must lie in the Lord that one day I will be with Him. I continue to hope for things in this world whether security, money or happiness and all of that is futile.

Application: Today I got up and joined some of my church family at the beach to help clean it up. I felt led and I picked up trash and talked to my Lord and even sang, “I Love You Lord” as I went along. I continued to think why I was there and tried to figure it out asking God what He wanted me to do. I grabbed some of the books I wrote and was going to pass them out, but only passed out a couple to people that went to church. I’m not sure I accomplished what I went there for, but at least I obeyed today and did what He asked of me. God is my hope and encouragement and I need to stay focused on that.

Prayer: Dear Lord I thank you for your grace and that I am saved and that you have touched my heart and mind that I don’t think or act the way I use to. Help guide me and give me hope that I will accomplish all that you desire of me and that you would give me strength so that I don’t quit. I love you so much help me run this race that I would please you.

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

Observation: I keep thinking I’m doing things by my power and then I realize apart from God I can’t do anything. I don’t know how God can see me worthy, but His mercy goes well beyond what I can understand. I know God has a purpose for me and He has given me so much and I do need His power and guidance to fulfill any purpose He desires of me.

Application: A key factor in this is my faith, which is weak at best. God has proven himself faithful time and time again and I need to trust Him that He will complete this good work He has begun in me. I need to live a life worthy of God I know He knows I’m not perfect, but if I try and put Him first in my life I know that will honor Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord help me be the man you desire. I want to live a life worthy of You and I need your guidance and direction each day. Open doors for me to share what you have done in my life to bring others closer to you.

Scripture: 1Thessolonians 5 [14] And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Observation: I have no problem telling those who are idle to get busy, I’m not even a bad encourager, I enjoy helping others, but when it comes to patience I really miss the mark. I seem to always think the negative about people and then I dwell on it. Even when I’m serving on the line at work it kills me to wait for someone to make up their mind. I hurry them and will even make a sarcastic comment. I have so little patience even when it comes to my wife, whom I love more than anyone my patience always runs thin and I may say something that will hurt her feelings.

Application: I need to work on being patient and be aware of all the times when I’m not. I need to realize things don’t have to be done instantly and think of some of the instances God has made me wait and how it always turned out for the best. If God wasn’t patient with me I would be burning in hell instead of writing this journal.

Prayer: Dear Lord I’m afraid to ask for patience, because I feel I know what you will do to give me some. Help me not be in such a hurry for everything and give me that loving heart of your Son that I may wait patiently for others and help them wherever I can.

Scripture: 1Thessolonians 4:1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.

Observation: I’ve been torn lately because I haven’t been doing anything for God. We went to church last Saturday for the first time in a month, We are supposed to go to Bible study tonight but I don’t want to, I don’t even get up early and pray while I walk Noah. I sleep, go to work, come home, have dinner, watch television and go to bed. This is not a life that is pleasing to God. I do have my moments, but that is all they are brief moments in a life that God blesses.

Application: I really want to live my life in glory to God that when it is time to go home I will be welcomed with open arms. This Saturday the church will be at the pier to clean up and evangelize and I need to go. I need to start my class again on depression and find others ways to please God with the time He has given me.

Prayer: Dear Lord it’s your lazy servant again. I know my daily routines don’t please you and I’m having a hard time doing what I should be doing. I need you, I need your help to guide me to live this life so it is pleasing to you. Please take this laziness away a get me on the path you desire of me. I do want to please you and show you that I do love you.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3: [7] Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.

Observation: Does my faith encourage others? I believe there are moments that my faith does, but for the most part I talk about troubles I’m having or anger I’m feeling which is not faith. Yesterday I talked to someone about when we lost our house because I lost my job. I told her we weren’t worried there must be a reason for it and that God would get us through. Then I told her how He blessed us with a beautiful home that we could afford and how He was always there. That faith helped someone knowing that God wants to work the good in all things.

Application: God has given me every reason to have a great faith, but I choose not to most of the time. I need to feed my faith and look at how God has already worked in my life. I need to share that faith with others and encourage them the same way God encourages me so that they can see God in their situation. I’m here to be a light I need to shine so much brighter.

Prayer: Dear Lord increase my faith, strengthen me in all that I do and draw me near. Use me whenever you desire and guide me through this life touching the hearts of others as I go through.