Daily Devotional

Scripture: Matthew 6: [34] Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Observation: I spend so much time worrying about what might happen, I don’t enjoy the present. Today was Easter service at the beach. I was running around worrying and complaining about things I almost missed the full moon glistening on the ocean, the people surrounding me and most important why I was there. I’m writing this worrying about next week.

Application: Trust in the Lord with all my heat, I need to make plans and preparations, but the rest is up to God. If I walk in His ways He will guide me through each day. Worrying takes me away from living the life that honors God.

Prayer: Dear Lord you are my Rock, my salvation and my friend. Take my eyes off my worries and place them on You.

Scripture: Matthew 5: [16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Observation: I need to let others see my good deeds, but not as if I was responsible for them. If I do things under my power (which I can’t) people would praise me and not God. My light is the power that comes from God and my desire to share that love with others in the Father’s name.

Application: So whatever good I do, God deserves the credit and others need to see that. I should be sharing what God has done in my life, what God desires to do in theirs and point others to Jesus as Lord and savior, that is my light. I need to get off my lazy butt and start doing more good deeds in glory and honor God.

Prayer: Dear Father you deserve all my love, praise, worship and obedience. May I live today showing someone my light that comes from you.

Scripture: Matthew 4: 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ”

Observation: Whenever I give in to a temptation, whenever I disobey God or whenever I hurt another person I’m serving Satan. I have one God, one Lord and one master my God and I’m called to live a life in obedience to him only.

Application: Everything I do is either obeying God or sinning. Each action has a consequence. I need to put forth more thought in what I’m doing and why. Am I honoring God or not should always be the question I ask before doing anything. To live a life in obedience to my heavenly Father should always be what I’m striving for.

Prayer: Dear Father I’m here to serve and worship you only. Help me through each day and tell me what you want me to do. At the end of each day may I bring a smile to your face and have demonstrated my love for you.

Scripture: Matthew 3: [17] And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Observation: I know God loves me and that I’m his child, but is He well pleased. There is no reason he should be. I don’t give him enough time or bear much fruit in his name or trust in him totally the way I should. So when I see him what will he say about me? This is my child with him, I put up with, saddened, disappointed, or just look at me and turn his head.

Application: This life is not over yet as long as God continues to give me more days I can still try to please him. I need to stop living for myself however and live as Jesus did for our heavenly Father. Living a life that will glorify God so when the time comes I will know that he is well pleased with me.

Prayer: Dear Father help me be the child you called me to be. Take this laziness away and guide me down the path that will honor you. I do love you even though at times I don’t show it draw me nearer and speak to me.

Scripture: Matthew 2: [8] He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Observation: Most of my life I was searching for something, something that would give me peace and make sense of my life. I didn’t realize until years later I should have been searching for Jesus, the author of this life and when I found him I was to worship him, not for what he has done for me, but because of who he is.

Application: Now that I have found the savior I should be spending most of my days worshiping him in the things that I do and the way that I act. He should get all the glory and honor in my life and my full attention and obedience. I started this life lost, but now that I found my Lord there is no excuse not to live this life holy and pleasing to him.

Prayer: Dear Lord I have found you and have no excuse not to live a life pleasing to you. Guide me each day to be this man you desire me to be, fulfilling the purpose you created me for.

Scripture: Mathew 1: [19] Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Observation: I should be a righteous man looking out for the well being of others instead of so focused on my own desires. That is what God has called me to be a righteous man and to serve him by serving others. God has been so righteous with me why is it so hard to be the man he calls me to be?

Application: I need to put God first in all I do. To strive to be that righteous man God calls me to be and to be focused on others more than myself. I don’t have to worry about taking care of me because God has been doing that and I know if I do His will he will continue to look out after me.

Prayer: Dear Lord show me the way to be righteous in your eyes. To be a man that cares for the needs of others above my own as you call me to be. Give me the heart and fill me with the Holy Spirit.

Scripture: Revelations 22: 12 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

Observation: What will I have accomplished when my time to meet Jesus comes? Will I still be sitting on the couch thinking of all the things I should be doing or or will I be doing them? Will my life represent service, obedience, praise and glory to God or a self centered, do what I want to do life? God is not silent in my life, but at times I chose not to listen.

Application: God has made it clear what He wants of me with small groups, lay counseling and using my gift of food management for the church. To use my testimony of depression and how God raised me up from that.

Prayer: Dear Lord I deserve no reward, but You deserve my all. May I present this life as a living sacrifice to you and my reward to know that I pleased You.