God Speaks - Hear The Word of God

The Wisdom of the Proverbs:

Proverbs 23:24-26 (NLT) 

 The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise. 

 So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy. 

 O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways. 

The Encouragement of the Psalms:

Psalm 66:8-9 (NLT) 

 Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises. 

 Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling. 

The Hope of the Old Testament:

Isaiah 41:1 (NLT) 

 "Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case. 

The Gospel Message:

Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT) 

 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 

 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 

Observation:

Are you aware and appreciative of what God has done for those He delights to call children of God?

Let me count just a few of the ways God has provided for His people.

1 He has a purpose for our life.

2 He has a plan for our life.

3 He takes pleasure in His people.

4 He provides peace to His people.

5 He gives faith to His children to believe in Him.

6 He provides the Holy Spirit to enable us to do His will.

Are you a member of God's family? Are you one of His adopted daughters or sons? It is indescribable how much God loves you, and wants you to be a member of the family of God.

John 1:12-13 (NLT) 

 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 

 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 

Prayer:

Father God, hallowed be Your name. Father, we unite our hearts in saying back to you what you have said in your word to us and recorded by the Apostle Paul.

Ephesians 1:3 (NLT) 

 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening." 

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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God Speaks - Hear The Word of God

The Wisdom of the Proverbs:

Proverbs 23:24 (NLT) 

 The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise. 

The Encouragement of the Psalms:

Psalm 65:1-3 (NLT) 

What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, 

 for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you. 

 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. 

The Hope of the Old Testament:

Isaiah 38:4-5 (KJV) 

 Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, 

 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. 

The Gospel Message:

Galatians 6:7-8 (KJV) 

 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

Observation:

The portion of the scripture that speaks to my heart today is Galatians 6:7; The Law of the Harvest. Paul reminds us that we reap what we plant.

How we treat others matter. We need to take care of our own lives, but we should also be willing to lend a helping hand to others. It pays richly to be humble, kind and helpful to others.

Galatians 6:1-2 (NLT) 

 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 

 Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 

Then, the Apostle Paul gives this encouragement to the members of the church at Galatia.

Galatians 6:9 (NLT) 

 So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. 

Prayer:

Father God, we are so grateful that you are a God who forgives sinners. Father, we are so grateful for all that we have received from your loving heart and hands.

Father, we ask that you would give us sufficient grace that we will never get tired of doing good. 

Father, we are encouraged by knowing that at the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. Father, help us to never give up on you because we know that you will never give up on us.

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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God Speaks - Hear The Word of God

The Wisdom of the Proverbs:

 Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment. Proverbs 23:23 (NLT) 

The Encouragement of the Psalms:

 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. 

 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: Psalm 64:1-2 (KJV) 

The Hope of the Old Testament:

 O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. Isaiah 33:2 (KJV) 

The Gospel Message:

 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 

 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 

 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Galatians 5:13-15 (KJV) 

Observation:

If there was ever a time we needed God in our lives, we sure do need Him now. Who else can you depend on more than the Lord? Who is more faithful than the Lord? Who is more able to help you than the Lord? Who loves you more than the Lord?

The words of this gospel hymn of the church are ringing in my ears and blessing me deep down in my soul.

Refrain:

Leave it there, leave it there,

Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there;

If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out—

Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Author: Charles A. Tindley, 1916

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, we are so grateful that You are God, and that there is no one like You.

Father, we delight to live in Your presence and have the privilege of being called the children of God.

Father, keep us close to You in these trying and difficult days. Father, help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and to continue to walk in the Spirit of God all of the days of our life under the sun.

We unite our hearts together and say, Amen.

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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God Speaks - Hear The Word of God

The Wisdom of the Proverbs:

 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don't despise your mother when she is old. Proverbs 23:22 (NLT) 

The Encouragement of the Psalms:

 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 

 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Psalm 63:1-2 (NLT) 

The Hope of the Old Testament:

 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. 

 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left. Isaiah 30:20-21 (NLT) 

The Gospel Message:

 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 

 "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment with a promise: 

 If you honor your father and mother, "things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth." 

 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-4 (NLT) 

Observation:

O how we need to read and heed the Word of the Lord when God speaks about the family.

Notice God's Word to Fathers:

 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 (NLT) 

Notice God's Word to Children:

 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 

 "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment with a promise: 

 If you honor your father and mother, "things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth." Ephesians 6:1-3 (NLT) 

Children never get too old to listen to their parents. When your earthly parents don't know God or listen to Him, you can still listen to Your heavenly Father. You can always trust Him, and you should always listen to and obey Him.

Prayer:

Father God, I pray a prayer for favor over families today. Father, I pray for parents; fathers, and mothers, and I pray for children. Father, I pray that all of us would hear Your voice saying, "This is the way you should go."

 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 

 I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. Psalm 63:3-4 (NLT) 

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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God Speaks - Hear The Word of God

The Wisdom of the Proverbs:

 My child, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice! 

 Everything in me will celebrate when you speak what is right. Proverbs 23:15-16 (NLT) 

The Encouragement of the Psalms:

 But you have raised a banner for those who fear you— a rallying point in the face of attack. Interlude 

 Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power. Psalm 60:4-5 (NLT) 

The Hope of the Old Testament:

 I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. Isaiah 22:22 (NLT) 

The Gospel Message:

 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law." Galatians 2:16 (NLT) 

Observation:

I am so thankful that when God speaks, He is consistent. In the Psalms of the Old Testament, He says, "He rescues and saves us by His power."

In the New Testament, God says, in His holy and divine word, "We are made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law."

Is there anybody anywhere who feels like giving praise and thanksgiving and thanks-living to the Lord?

Prayer:

 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 

 Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. Psalm 107:1-2 (NLT) 

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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God Speaks - Hear The Word of God

The Wisdom of the Proverbs:

 Apply yourself to discipline and listen to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12 (HCSB) 

The Encouragement of the Psalms:

 But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. 

 O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. Psalm 59:16-17 (NLT) 

The Hope of the Old Testament:

 The Lord said to me, "Within a year, counting each day, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. 

 Only a few of its courageous archers will survive. I, the LORD, the God of Israel, have spoken!" Isaiah 21:16-17 (NLT) 

The Gospel Message:

 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 

 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:15-16 (ESV) 

Observation:

Do you have something to thank the Lord for today?

Do you have some pressing need in your life that you need to take to the Lord in prayer today?

God speaks to us in our pain and suffering. Jesus cares about you.  Why not accept His loving invitation to cast all of your cares upon Him?

 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) 

Prayer:

Father God, we enter Your presence today in awe and wonder as we sense Your presence in our hearts. Father, we identify with your servant David when he offered this prayer to You in his Psalm of praise and thanksgiving.

 O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. Psalm 59:17 (NLT) 

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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God Speaks - Hear The Word of God

The Wisdom of the Proverbs:

 Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12 (NLT) 

The Encouragement of the Psalms:

 The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. 

 Then at last everyone will say, "There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth." Psalm 58:10-11 (NLT) 

The Hope of the Old Testament:

 We have heard about proud Moab— about its pride and arrogance and rage. But all that boasting has disappeared. Isaiah 16:6 (NLT) 

The Gospel Message:

 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 

 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Galatians 1:6-7 (NLT) 

Observation:

The Old Testament focal passage for today reminds us of the consequences of pride. Allow this quote to speak into your heart.

"Pride is spiritual cancer; it eats the very possibility of love or contentment, or even common sense."

C.S. Lewis

Key Word Commentary: Thoughts on Every Chapter of the Bible.

Prayer:

Father God, we exalt and give praise and thanksgiving to You, and in Your presence, we bow our knees in the presence of Your holiness. Father, thank You for delivering us from the sin of pride, and for giving us the grace gift of humility.

But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 

 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:6-7 (HCSB) 

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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God Speaks - Hear The Word of God

The Wisdom of the Proverbs:

Proverbs 23:9 (MSG) 

9 Don't bother talking sense to fools; they'll only poke fun at your words. 

The Encouragement of the Psalms:

Psalm 57:1-2 (NLT) 

1  Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. 

2  I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. 

The Hope of the Old Testament:

Isaiah 12:5 (NLT) 

5  Sing to the LORD, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. 

The Gospel Message:

2 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT) 

11  Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. 

Observation:

How should believers in Christ live in the fallen world, and in these difficult days? My dear friends and fellow citizens of the planet earth, I urge you to consider the closing words that Paul gives to the church at Corinth.

• Be joyful

• Grow to maturity

• Encourage each other

• Live in harmony and peace.

Do what you can do and leave the rest in the hands of the Lord. And as Paul said, "Then the God of love and peace will be with you." 

My encouragement to you is to come to Christ Jesus and walk with Him all of the days of your life. He will see you through the troubles of the world. Jesus is the light of the world and the hope of the world.

Prayer:

Father God, I exalt Your name above every name and give You the praise, honor, and glory that You alone deserve.

Father, this is my hope and my prayer for all of the people in the earth; that they may know you and know Your power.

Romans 15:13 (NLT) 

13  I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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God Speaks - Hear The Word of God

The Wisdom of the Proverbs:

Proverbs 23:4-5 (NLT) 

4  Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. 

5  In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. 

The Encouragement of the Psalms:

Psalm 55:1-2 (NLT) 

1  Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! 

2  Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles. 

Psalm 55:22 (NLT) 

22  Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. 

The Hope of the Old Testament:

Isaiah 11:1-3 (NLT) 

1  Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. 

2  And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 

3  He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. 

The Gospel Message:

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) 

9  Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Observation:

A Quotable Quote:

"The great King, immortal, invisible, the divine person called the Holy Ghost, it is he that quickens the soul."

C.H. Spurgeon

Prayer:

Father God, we praise and thank You for who You are and for what You do for Your people.

Father, thank You for loving us with an everlasting love. We are so grateful for the Holy Spirit of God who quickens our soul and is the source of all we need to fulfill our purpose with passion.

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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God Speaks - Hear The Word of God

The Wisdom of the Proverbs:

Proverbs 22:29 (MSG) 

29  Observe people who are good at their work— skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don't take a back seat to anyone. 

The Encouragement of the Psalms:

Psalm 14:1 (NLT) 

1 Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! 

The Hope of the Old Testament:

Isaiah 3:1 (NLT) 

1  The Lord, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water, 

Isaiah 4:2 (NLT) 

2  But in that day, the branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of all who survive in Israel. 

Isaiah 5:20-21 (NLT) 

20  What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. 

21  What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever. 

The Gospel Message:

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NLT) 

13  These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. 

14  But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 

15  So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve. 

Observation:

God created each of us for a purpose. There is nothing more gratifying or rewarding than doing that purpose with passion and persistence. To do that you need a compelling why. Notice that the Apostle Paul had a powerful why that drove his passion for knowing and doing the will of God.

2 Corinthians 11:10-11 (NLT) 

10  As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, no one in all of Greece will ever stop me from boasting about this. 

11  Why? Because I don't love you? God knows that I do. 

Prayer:

Father God, these are difficult days and hard times for many. However, we know that You love us with an everlasting love.

Father, when troubles, trials, and temptations knock at the door of our lives, we know what to do, and where to go. We will accept the invitation of Jesus, and run into His loving arms of protection and provisions. We are so grateful that we can find rest in a weary land, and shelter in the season of storms.

Matthew 11:28 (NLT) 

28  Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 

--

1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)
¹⁰  And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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