Category: Daily Devotional

Scripture Psalms 36:5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Observation: All throughout the Bible it tells of God’s great mercy and faithfulness. I read about it each day and in my own life I’ve witnessed it and a day doesn’t go by that I doubt it. It has nothing to do with God, but only my lack of faith. If I had the faith to trust God completely my life would be so different. I wouldn’t waste so much time worrying and doubting, but be more focused on God’s plans for my life. My anxiety would be gone, because I would rest in the Lord and not my own understanding.

Application: I need to try harder in trusting God and His mercy and faithfulness. I need to spend more time in prayer and remembering all that He has done for me already. As soon as doubt comes into my mind, I need to run to my Lord for help to remove it. I have the choice whether to trust my God or not and if I choose wisely God will do the rest. Trust is a very big part of love and if I don’t trust my Lord, I’m telling Him I don’t love Him completely.

Prayer: My Lord you know my heart and my desire to honor and love you. I can’t do it in my flesh and only by the Holy Spirit can it be done. So please Lord fill me with the Holy Spirit and take charge of your servant that I will trust in your faithfulness and show you that I love you completely

Scripture Psalms 35:28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.

Observation: I don’t speak very often about God to others. I will when someone brings God up, but I don’t go out of my way to say righteous things about my Lord and Master. So how will others now if I don’t speak up? They won’t, at least from me. Most of the day I have a happy exterior, but not joyful. I’ll kid around with others, but they would have no idea that my life is full of joy, because I decide to focus on others things, things that don’t give me joy or happiness. When I do speak of my God and praise Him that makes me feel joyful, but so often it’s not all day long, but just a moment or short times during a day.

Application: I need to live in a way that others can see me praising God. I should be so joyful, because Jesus rules my life that others want to ask me what brings me joy. I need to have my focus on God and not on my daily problems that I make bigger than Him. I know I have only one purpose in life and that is to fulfill God’s purpose for me and I’m missing the big opportunity to find out what that is by not praising Him all day long.

Prayer: My Lord you are worthy of all of my love praise and worship, but I give you so little. Humble me before you and draw me close to you. Take this anxiety from my spirit and open my eyes to your desires. You are my Master and I love you. Command your servant to do what you desire my Lord.

Scripture Psalms 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Observation: I know that the Lord is good and I need to trust Him to make this life work out, but why is it so hard for me. My Lord has never failed me and has watched over me all of my life, yet a day doesn’t go by that I lose my faith. I worry all of the time about the dumbest things and occupy my thoughts most of the day and end up anxious. I can’t seem to keep my focus on my God for any period of time even though I know that will be my salvation from all of this worrying.

Application: I need to make trusting in my Lord a top priority every day. I need to fill these empty thoughts with prayer to my God and have Him direct my path. This journey I’m on is God’s plan for me and I need to consult with Him during the day to stay on this path. Only my Lord can get me through this life and show me my purpose and I need to trust that He will do that.

Prayer: My Lord increase my faith. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and show me how to trust you with all of my heart and not lean on my own understanding, but in all of my ways acknowledge you and let you make my paths straight. I love and trust you my Lord, keep me on the path.

Scripture Psalms 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

Observation: This world does everything but stand in awe of God. We come up with fairy tales to diminish God’s creation. This world has made up so many different religions to avoid the true and awesome God. I can’t believe He doesn’t destroy this evil place. So many Christians don’t even stand up for their belief, we make such a little difference in this fallen world. I’m not sure we as believers stand in fear of our almighty God. We seem to be blending more and more into the world instead of bringing this sinful place closer to God.

Application: I’m no better than most Christians satisfied to stand on the sideline while the few play and listen to our coach. I need to get into the game, I need to make a play or two for my Master. Each day I need to stand in awe of my creator and point others to Him. There is not much time left in the game and I’m in my fourth quarter. I need to give it all I got and stop being so lazy. I need to fear God and be afraid if I’m not obeying Him. Players get cut all of the time or if they are not that good, they spend their time on the bench. These players get the lowest pay and little reward. I don’t want to be one of those players any more.

Prayer: My Lord and my Master. You have created all things, help me tell others of you. Show me what You desire of me, tell me what to do and give me strength and courage to do it. I don’t want to sit by the side any longer I want to give it the best I have for as long as you have me here. I love you and want to make you proud.

Scripture Psalms 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Observation: I keep wanting to make my own way and chart my own course and every time I do I get lost. God already knows where He wants me and when I arrive He blesses me. Yesterday Teri and I did a luncheon for the women’s ministry, because that is where God guided us to go. It’s easy to distinguish where God wants you and where you go off on your own. I was tired and would have loved to sleep in and I worried about doing this for some time before the event and couldn’t wait until it was over, not an attitude that honors God. Everything went smooth. The women were blessed and thanked us for a wonderful lunch. During the serving time 2 women came up to me one took my depression class. Her and her husband weren’t getting along well and she told me how the two of them are getting along great because they take the focus off of themselves. The other woman simply told me that my book saved her life. I was on the path God guided me on.

Application: I need to let God take full control of my life, it’s His anyway. I’m so tired of messing up and feeling the anxiety that comes from making wrong decisions. I know the results when I’m on God’s path and when I stray off of it. I need to take this self pleasing desire I have, because it doesn’t work and make it a God pleasing desire.

Prayer: My Lord help calm my spirit and take this constant anxiety from my spirit. Put me on the path you want me on and keep me there please. I feel so lost and just want to come home most of the times, but I know I’m only here because it is your will. Show me how to fulfill the purpose you have created me for each day. I love and trust you, my Lord.

Scripture Psalms 31:24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.

Observation: I wish I had good courage. It seems I’m always afraid, worrying about what might happen and what I’ve done wrong. My courage needs to come from God and not my own strength, because I have none. Maybe my problem is that I don’t hope in the Lord and I depend too much on my own abilities. I know God has watched over me my whole life, but the devil sways me so easy because my hope isn’t in the Lord, because I feel I’m hopeless most of the time. My heart melts and I feel as if I have no strength left, maybe because I never had any on my own and I need to come before the Father and ask Him to strengthen my heart and to give me courage to win this battle I have each day.

Application: I need to spend more time with my God. I start off in the morning and then loss contact right away. I need to depend on Him with everything that goes on in my life and be obedient to His commands and walk in His light. I need to realize I can’t win this fight, only God can free me from this anguish I have each day. I need to be in good courage knowing that God is fighting the battle and not me. I need to rely on the Lord each day.

Prayer: Dear Lord I need you every day and every moment in each day. I need your strength, mercy and guidance to make it through this life. Please never let go, strengthen my heart and get me through each day in a way that glorifies you.

Scripture Psalms 30:11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

Observation: Most of my life I’ve been in mourning because of my depression. A day didn’t go by that I hoped it would be my last one. When Teri and I were watching over her dad as he was sick and dying, she told me how her mom and dad liked to dance. Her mom who had already passed before I ever met her, sounded like an awesome woman who loved God and her family. When Teri’s dad passed, I got up to speak at his service and repeated this scripture that God turns our mourning into dancing and that the two of them were most likely dancing with the Lord that day. Then I looked at my own life when each morning brought pain and sadness and how the Lord filled it with hope, telling this worthless man that I have a purpose and fulfilling that purpose will make me a great dancer.

Application: I need to take more dance lessons. I need to remove these negative thoughts and feelings from my life by replacing them with thoughts about my God. When I’m thinking of Him or doing His will my life is full of joy, only when I stray and think of myself or this world does the dancing stop.

Prayer: My Lord, thank you coming into my life when you did and how you have stayed throughout all of these years. Take this negative thinking from me and the feeling of mourning I sometimes have and change me. Renew my mind and direct me in the things you desire of me. I want to be a better servant and I want to draw closer to you. I love you and desire to dance.