Daily Bread_January 13, 2015

Title: The Power of Being in His Presence

Text:

Psalm 139:7-8 (ESV)
⁷ Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

Observation:

I woke up this morning with the presence of God on my mind. However, the seed for this thought was something I read last night.

Exodus 33:14 (ESV)
And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

There is nothing that can exceed the presence of God in our life; there is no peace that is more comforting and no joy more uplifting than the presence of God.

Psalm 16:11 (ESV)
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

There are a lot of twists and turns in life; trees don't grow to the sky. We are sometimes up, and sometimes down, but God is good all the time. Think about this quote.

Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road. Switchback after switchback. And the point of biblical stories like Joseph and Job and Esther and Ruth is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns. God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the troubles with far-reaching purposes for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ."
― John Piper, A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God 

I am so thankful for the abiding presence of God in the lives of His people; that you are God on the mountain and in the valley.

Psalm 31:19-20 (ESV)
¹⁹ Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! ²⁰ In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I hunger and thirst for the peace and the joy that comes from living in Your presence. Father, I am so glad that you are God, and I am not; you are the vine, and your people are the branches. Father, draw us nearer to you is my plea. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

John 15:5 (ESV)
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 12, 2015

Title: What is the Good News?

Text:

Acts 26:17-18 (ESV)
¹⁷ delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you ¹⁸ to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

Romans 1:1 (ESV)
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

Romans 1:15-17 (ESV)
¹⁵ So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

Observation:

I read the first passage in a devotional on Saturday, and heard a sermon on the second passage Sunday morning. I had made a note to follow-up on the first passage, and Sunday's sermon was all I needed to get started, which I did Sunday afternoon. Here is a portion of what I found.

Paul was set apart to preach the gospel of God. What is the gospel?

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV)
³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

The gospel of God is Jesus.

John 3:16 (ESV)
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

The gospel is a gift of God, and it has to be received.

John 1:12 (ESV)
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

This is what happens to those who receive the gospel of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

How do you receive the gospel?

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Romans 10:9 (ESV)
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:13 (ESV)
For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I am so grateful for the gospel of God; for Jesus who became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

O Father, I pray that no one who hears this goodnews will refuse the gift of God; the righteousness of God in the person of Jesus the Messiah. I thank You Lord for doing for me what I could not do for myself. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

"There's room at the cross for you,

There's room at the cross for you,

Though millions have come, There's still room for one

Yes, there's room at the cross for you."  - Ira Stanphill

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 9, 2015

Title: Hope in Hard Times and Places

Text:

Romans 12:12 (HCSB)
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

Observation:

No matter how hard life gets in this world, and yes, life in the world is hard, but the good news is that God is good, and the best is yet to come. In fact, Christ followers should "Rejoice in hope".

Psalm 46:1 (NLT)
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

When things get hard in our life we can rest in the blessed assurance that, "God is our refuge and strength".

We are weak but our God is strong. When trouble knocks on your door, ask the Lord to answer the door; the battle is not yours, but the Lord's; and He is willing and able to help you.

1 Peter 5:7 (HCSB)
casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.

Jude 1:24-25 (HCSB)
²⁴ Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

Prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I acknowledge that I am weak, but you are strong. Father, I am grateful that the battle is yours, and not mines.

"Father, I stretch my hands to Thee;
No other help I know;
If Thou withdraw Thyself from me,
Ah, wither shall I go?"

So, I ask for your help; Father, with You as my protection, I can walk in the way that leads to victory over all the powers that oppose You and your people. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

John 16:33 (HCSB)
I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."

 

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 8, 2015

Title: Who do You Look to When the Way is Unclear?

Text:

Psalm 32:8-10 (HCSB)
⁸ I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with My eye on you, I will give counsel. ⁹ Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding, that must be controlled with bit and bridle or else it will not come near you. ¹⁰ Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him.

Observation:

Yesterday I wrote about worship, and shortly after I came across three verses that spoke into my heart, and caused me to smile. These were the two passages that leaped off the page and into my heart.

Psalm 146:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ Hallelujah! My soul, praise the Lord. ² I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I live.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (HCSB)
Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

With the topic of worship on my mind the Lord showed me that it is impossible to worship Him too much; that when I don't know what to do I can always find something to praise and thank God for. Then I thought about this scripture.

Psalm 22:3 (KJV)
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

O yes, now is the time for the true worshippers to worship the LORD; He inhabitest the praise of His people.

Psalm 95:6 (KJV)
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

When the way forward is unclear, we can always look to the one who knows the way because He is the way.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; ⁶ think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful that every child of God has the same access to Your throne room of grace and mercy. Father God, I'm begging for a mighty working of the Holy Spirit of God to draw Your believing people to a lifestyle of praise and thanksgiving to the God of our salvation in these last days. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

 

 

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 7, 2015

Title: Is Your Worship Pleasing to the Lord?

Text:

Isaiah 29:13 (HCSB)
The Lord said: Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service— yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship [consists of] man-made rules learned [by rote]—

Observation:

As I think about this topic the first thing that popped into my mind was this scripture. I am always interested in what the Bible says about a topic.

John 4:23-24 (HCSB)
²³ But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. ²⁴ God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

What got me thinking about this topic was when I read this verse in one of my daily bible reading plans; it spoke into my heart.

Genesis 12:8 (HCSB)
From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to Yahweh there, and he called on the name of Yahweh.

One of the things I never want to be guilty of is this.

Matthew 15:9 (HCSB)
They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men."

I want to number with those who pitch their tents where Abraham pitched his tent; between Bethel and Ai; between God and the world. God is looking for true worshippers.

John 4:23 (HCSB)
But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him.

Prayer:

Father God, I pray that you would form in your believing people a balance of worship, waiting, and work; help us to not neglect any of these disciplines. Father God, when we are balanced we experience the blessings of peace, patience and power in our life and in our service. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Romans 12:1 (NLT)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 6, 2015

Title: What Are You Going to Do in 2015?

Text:

Hebrews 11:8 (HCSB)
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going.

Observation:

When I read this verse a few days ago it struck a responsive chord in my heart. It reminded me of how in a much smaller fashion I have had this happen in my life over most of the course of my whole life. Then I read this in a recent Oswald Chambers devotional.

"In the beginning you may see clearly what God's will is." He then names several examples; but, you can supply your own here. Then he goes on to say, "That something you feel distinctly before God is His will for you to do, never do it on the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will end in making difficulties that will take years of time to put right. Wait for God's time to bring it round and He will do it without any heartbreak or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move."

The promise of the Word of God is that He rewards our faith rather than our feelings. We need to learn, and this comes from living in the presence of God daily, the value He places in the faith and obedience of His people. We need to learn to say when we can't see His hand that we can trust His love for us and His heart. I have found that we can also trust His timing; He is an on time God.

Hebrews 11:6 (HCSB)
Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

Prayer:

Father God, I believe in You; help thou my unbelief.  Father God, I don't know what I will do or what I will face, but I have faith in what You can do, and will do in me and through me when I live in Your presence, and wait for You to move. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Psalm 31:15a (ESV)
My times are in your hand.

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 5, 2015

Title: How to be Hopeful in Difficult Times

Text:

Philippians 1:20-21 (HCSB)
²⁰ My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

Observation:

I took a brief look in the rear view mirror as 2014 came to a close. I am so thankful for where the Lord has brought me from.

Ephesians 1:13 (KJV)
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

I am so thankful that I am able to sing this song with the blessed assurance that I belong to Jesus, and He belongs to me.

"Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no power of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul;
Now I belong to Him;" - - Norman Clayton

My hope is in a person, and that person is Jesus. This is His promise:

John 5:24 (HCSB)
"I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

This is my story and this is my song:

"All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live."

Link: https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/441

Prayer:

Father God, Sovereign Lord, my dear Father, I am so grateful that you are God, and I am not. Father, I bow low at your feet, and give you the glory and the praise that you alone deserve.

Father God, my earnest and eager expectation is that in this New Year I will surrender my all to You. By faith, I declare that, "I will ever love and trust You, and in Your presence daily live". Who will run with me to finish strong the race of life? In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

 

--

Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
⁴ But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/