Category: Daily Devotional

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. He has taken good care of me and is always watching over me, but is He pleased with me? I can’t see how. He has given me so much yet I bear so little fruit. He opens doors of opportunity for me, but I go through so few. When it is time to go home what words will I hear from my Father, “this is my son, whom I love? …”

Application: I know what I need to do to please God and that will take some dying to myself. All He desires is written in His word, God wasn’t trying to keep it a secret, He wants my obedience. He wants me to put Him first and then others as Jesus did. God showed us the example in Jesus what He wanted to see in us love and obedience. I need to put God before anything and that includes myself.

Prayer: Dear Father I do want to hear the words that you are pleased with me and I know how I have let you down in the past. Start me fresh now and guide me on how to honor and please you each day.

Scripture: Matthew 2: [22] But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,

Observation: All throughout God’s word he warns is children through dreams and prophecy. God is always watching out for His children even to this day. God has guided me in this life and has kept me from harm or I would have been dead 23 years ago. I’m so busy making decisions in my life and goals without God’s assistance, yet He is always there and wants to help me make the right decisions and to bless me. God is my map through this life and so many times I walk blinded and stumble each day.

Application: One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11 “the plans I have for you, declare the Lord…” God has the plan, not me and I need to ask each day His guidance to what He wants me to do. Most of the time I know what He wants because I avoid it because it is either difficult or against what I want to do. God guides me like a good Father would guide a child that he loves keeping them from danger and not giving them everything they want because it is not good for them.

Prayer: Dear Father I thank you for your constant protection and love in my life. I know you are guiding me through this life to get home with you and that you have some errands for me to do along the way and blessings to get. Speak to me in dreams or during the days so that I might understand clearly what You desire. I love you Dad.

Scripture: Matthew 1:22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Observation: When you read through the Bible God always fulfills his plans, and He does that in each one of us. It’s hard to believe the God of all would even care about us let alone have a specific plan for our life. Unfortunately because of free will we stray from God’s plan instead of letting God fulfill it in our life. I look back on my life and it’s amazing the lengths God went to make sure I came to Him. I shouldn’t be here, I should be burning in Hell instead of writing this, but God’s grace is amazing.

Application: I still have free will, which I wish I didn’t have and that God would should automatically guide my life. I need to die of myself so that I can see God’s plan more clearly. Last night when I got that email that someone needed my testimony to help them get on the path of God’s plan it helped me see more clearly God’s plan for me.

Prayer: Lord please take charge and fulfill your will in my life. Take the distractions away and open my eyes to what I should be doing for you. Take this self-centerness and laziness away and fulfill the plan you have for me.

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: I get so tied up in this world I forget that all this is temporary. Jesus will be coming soon and I’m not ready. My heart isn’t right, I’m caught up in this world most of my time is spent thinking of the things here and not where I’ll be for all eternity. Just a few minutes ago someone sent me an email needing my book about depression. I called to find out his wife is struggling with depression and he is going through what Teri and I have been going through with finances when I lost my job. God’s reminder to me He’s not done with me yet.

Application: I sent the book to him and now I need to follow up and start asking God for guidance on what He wants me to do, not what I think I should do. God has blessed me and I need to be ready when He comes back. He should find me busy helping others draw nearer to Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord thank you for that email and the reminder I can still be of use to you. Please open my eyes and guide me in what you want me to do next. I’m here to serve and I love you with all of my heart.

Scripture: Revelations 21: [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Observation: Heaven does sound great. Lately all I seem to feel is pain and I’m so overwhelmed at times that I start crying out of anxiety. The longer I’m here on this earth the less I feel I belong here. I can’t wait to get home.

Application: I need to start living for my new home. There are things God has designed for me to do and this is the time to be doing them. I should be building my treasures in heaven by obeying my master.

Prayer: My Lord there seems to be so little time and so much to do, yet I do so little. Help get me moving for your glory and be the man you desire of me. I can’t wait to be with you but show me how to live the life that I may hear so I may hear you say, “Well done.”

Scripture: Revelations 20:[12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

Observation: I know what I have done and I know the good does not outweigh the bad. I know of the good I have done, but I also know of the good I should have done, but didn’t. I wish I could say I was excited to hear what Jesus has written in the book of life about me. It would be great to hear one compliment after another as He reads about all the wonderful things I have done for His glory, but He is God and can’t lie.

Application: It’s not time to go home yet and I still have some time to make a difference in this life for the next. I need to focus on what God deserves from me, which is everything. My goal is to honor Him and not for prizes for myself, because I have the greatest prize ever, my salvation and eternal life with my Lord and Savior.

Prayer: Dear Lord I know the man I am and that each day my focus is on me and not on the things of you. You have renewed my mind and I ask that you continue to renew and change this servant of yours that righteous things might be written in the book of life.

Scripture: Revelations 19:8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

Observation: I wonder how much linen I will be able to produce for the bride. I also wonder if my evil ways minus any righteous acts I might do and if so I won’t have enough to make a handkerchief. I always want to do righteous things for my Lord, but most of the time I fall short or make excuses.

Application: I’ve been reading the In Touch magazine this week and it talks about setting goals for God and that is what I need to start doing, actually planning ahead to do righteous acts. I need to be setting myself up in advance to be doing things that glorify God instead of waiting for the opportunity to come my way I need to make those opportunities.

Prayer: Dear Lord you are worthy of all that I have and am. My desire is to please you and to do the things that honor you. Help me produce fine bright white linen for the bride.