Category: Daily Devotional

Scripture 1 Kings 16:33 And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

Observation: I look at the time we live in now and have to believe we are living in the time that we provoke the Lord more than any other time. We can see all that God has done, we have His word to follow and especially in America we are blessed beyond anywhere else, but we continue to become more and more ungodly every day. Besides setting up idols, blaspheming God, having more and more religions replacing our Lord, we are becoming a place where it’s not appropriate to mention Jesus, God or Christianity. We have made homosexuality a way of life instead of a perversion and if we say anything against it we are considered haters instead of lovers of or brothers and sisters.

Application: No matter what the pressure this world may put on me I need to preach the word of God as He desires. I need to live a life for my Lord and stand up against any opposition and I need to tell others about the love He has for them. I may not make much of a difference, but my responsibility is to honor God above all, to love Him with all of my heart, mind and soul. A time is coming when this world will pass away and a new earth will come and in both I’m here to serve my Lord.

Prayer: My Lord I write what I should do and live another way. I’m a sinner and need your guidance and the Holy Spirit to stand strong against the opposition of this world. Show me how to make a difference for you. I thank you for the gentleman you put in my path at Costco to tell me you used me to help him with depression, continue please to use this testimony and the gifts you have given me to glorify you.

Scripture 1 Kings 15:14 But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa’s heart was loyal to the LORD all his days.

Observation: Scriptures tell us that God does not look at men as we do, but God looks at the heart and Asa had a heart to be proud of. A loyal heart would not let anything evil into it and would be filled with the love for God. I do not have a loyal heart, as much as I want one, my heart and mind stray from God and what pleases Him. Prideful, lustful and evil can be found in my heart, not leaving enough room for God to reign in my life. I have my moments when God is first and He is pleased with me, but the moments are few and I’ll never be able to say my heart was loyal to God all the days of my life.

Application: I may not be able to say my heart was loyal all the days of my life, but that can’t stop me from being loyal from this point on. My God deserves better than I’ve been giving Him, He deserves all I have. I need to strive to be like Asa, having that loyal heart a heart that God can see and be pleased. I need to control my thoughts better filling them with whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.

Prayer: My Lord I’m so weak, help me give me a heart transplant. Transplant in me a loyal heart, a heart that glorifies you the rest of my life here and then for all eternity. I love you and I know you know that, because you can see my heart, but you also know you are not the first thing in my mind. Please help me change that so that you have your rightful place in my heart and mind where you belong.

Scripture 1 Kings 14:22 Now Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.

Observation: So why would God be jealous? He loves us and has done everything for us and yet we are constantly turning our back on Him. He wants us to love Him as He loves us, even though that can’t happen because we are incapable of that kind of love, but to deliberately seek other things to love, which don’t love us would be extremely hurtful. It is out of sure defiance and sin that when we turn our back on our Lord and the disasters that occur is not because God’s hand is against us, it’s because He lifts His hand of protection off of us.

Application: Each day my mind wanders and it wanders to negative and hateful thoughts for no reason. It seems I can’t be alone for more than a few minutes before hateful things come to mind. Sometimes I put my job, finances and my desires above God’s, will more than a few times, most of the time. I may not do it intentionally, but it still must be disappointing to God to see someone He has given so much to and has been so patient with to turn his back on Him.

Prayer: My Lord I love you, I do and I know you know my heart and I’m trying to be better. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and change me and draw me close to you that you are always on top of my thoughts and I see people through your eyes and not mine. I want to finish well and bring a smile to your face each day and no longer disappointment.

Scripture 1 Kings 13:18 He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (He was lying to him.)

Observation: Here a prophet claiming he was talking to the Lord, lied and convinced the prophet what he said was true. In this account it is the person who listened to the lie, instead of what he was told from God, that suffered the consequences. That is happening today with all of the false religions, men telling others that their religion is from God when it’s not. Even though I believe the liars will suffer more, the ones who believe the lie and not God will also suffer eternal punishment. We are responsible to seek the truth and not accept with others say. When the apostle Paul spoke to a church before they believed what he said they searched the scriptures to make sure what he said was true and we are also held to know the word of God and His commands.

Application: I talked to so many people and everyone has an opinion, including myself. I need to be accountable to God for this life so first when I say something I need to know that it is true or if it’s my opinion make sure that I say it is and not fact. When other talk to me I should listen and ask for discernment and search God’s word for the truth. I need to find those who have been lied to about what the Bible says and that follow misguided religions the truth that is in God’s word.

Prayer: My Lord the enemy has this world going around in circles with all the lies that are in it. Only your word holds the truth, help me spread your truth to this dying world and use me to touch somebody today. Guide me to only speak truth that I will not say things to make myself look wiser, but to always speak from my heart the things of you.

Scripture 1 Kings 12:24 ‘Thus says the LORD: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ‘ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD.

Observation: God will do things in our lives and we must be aware of them. God’s plan isn’t for everything in our life to go wonderful without any troubles or problems. Our rewards are in the times of difficulty to see what we will do. We are only here for a short time, a time to show God how much we love and trust Him. God gives us His Word to guide us and tells us what to do. When we are in dire straits and are not sure which way to turn, that’s when we turn to God to see what will honor Him.

Application: I need to keep my eyes set on my Lord at all times, especially the times when I don’t understand what is happening. I need to get in His word more, pray more and trust more in those times and get guidance. My goal is to glorify God with in every situation, so that should always be my focus, what would Jesus do? That needs to be the question I need to ask myself in every situation.

Prayer: My Lord you are worthy of all that I am. Help me through this life, open my eyes to your desires and show me how to get the rewards that You want me to have. Take my focus off of me and set it on the things you desire and make me a better servant each day. Increase my faith and give me the wisdom that I will need to make it through this life in a way that pleases you.

Scripture 1 Kings 11:4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.

Observation: What turns our hearts away from God. Wealth, self-interest, lust, popularity, pride or even laziness. Sometimes we get complacent and allow our hearts to stray, taking our focus off of God’s plan for us and focusing on what the world has to offer. See it takes strength and love to keep our heart near to God, because of all the distractions in this world and that’ Satan’s plan. Satan doesn’t care if our heart is on him, he just wants to make sure it isn’t on God and he’ll use whatever it takes to change our heart. We only have a short time left here on this earth before we go home and I want to go home to the words of my Lord, well done good and faithful servant.

Application: I wake up each morning starting my day off in prayer and even then I can get distracted by my own thoughts. Then as my day starts out there are obstacles, problems to solve and things to do in this world and my mind gets distracted and I forget about God and my heart turns to my false gods of pride, finances and self-perseverant in this life. I’ll catch myself from time to time, but my heart isn’t commented completely to my God. I need to catch myself as I drift and pull away my heart and go right into prayer asking forgiveness and strength to draw closer to my God.

Prayer: My Lord you have created me and you know my heart and sinful ways and yet you love me. Help me be more by giving you by complete heart. I need your strength, self discipline, wisdom and courage to do this. Please Lord I give you my heart mold it to please you.

Scripture 1 Kings 10:24 Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

Observation: We have a habit of taking credit for so many things. When people give us a compliment do we point to God? I know that was a very big problem in my life that I wanted all of the credit, but none of the blame. Even now walking with God seeing the miracles that He has done in my life and the countless blessings He has given me, I still don’t give Him the credit He so righteously deserves. I’ve spoken in front of people and the Holy Spirit has taken over putting words in my mouth and touching the hearts of others, I’ve been able to figure out tasks and do things that I couldn’t do without God and in my excitement I still didn’t give God the praise He deserved.

Application: I need to realize where my strength and wisdom comes from. I’ll be teaching a study soon on Heaven and I know I can’t do it alone, it is going to take another miracle from God. I need to present my petition to God and humbly let it go and trust God will do what He desires to do and when it is over I need to tell others that God made it happen and that He deserves all of the glory and praise.

Prayer: My Lord all that I am you created. Empty me out of my selfish pride and open my eyes to your glory. Show me how to live a life that glorifies you. Lord place in my heart the things I need to know to fulfill the purpose you have created me for. Help me trust you completely and depend on you daily.