Daily Devotions
"I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:2-3 NLT
JANUARY 20
"The peace of God, which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."- Philippians 4:7
By our belief in his Son we become precious to God, and his watch- care and keeping are greater than that of any other power or person. Knowing the Almighty Creator is with us, protecting us when we have need, is a comfort. This peace is in our hearts, and comes from leaning not on ourselves, but on God. It keeps us free from worry and fear. Isaiah 26:3
January 20
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? (Hebrews 12:7)
CHARACTER cannot be developed wholly without trial. It is like a plant: at first it is very tender; it needs an abundance of the sunshine of God's love; frequent watering with the showers of His grace; much cultivating through the applied knowledge of His character as a good foundation for faith and inspiration to obedience; and then when thus developed under these favorable conditions, it is ready for the pruning hand of discipline, and is also able to endure some hardness. And, little by little, as strength of character is developed, the tests applied to it serve only to develop more strength, beauty and grace, until it is finally fixed, developed, established, perfected--through suffering.
January 20
If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. 1 Peter 4:16
THE apostle was not ashamed of his sufferings, because he realized that they were endured for Christ's sake. Any man or woman would feel and should feel deeply pained at a public arrest and imprisonment as a felon, as a violator of the law. But when these things are experienced, and we can realize that they are coming to us because of our faithfulness to the Lord, in following in his footsteps, we may rejoice in ignominy, rejoice in things which otherwise would be shameful and detestable. If, therefore, in the Lord's providence, arrest or imprisonment or scourging should come to any who read this article, and if they can directly or indirectly trace their tribulation to faithfulness to the Lord and his truth, let them not be ashamed; let them glorify God on this behalf, rejoicing that they are accounted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ, and remembering that even thus also it was with our Lord Jesus. He was placed under arrest; he was bound; he was scourged; he was publicly insulted; he was even crucified as a blasphemer against God.
Devotional Books
Exceeding Great and Precious Promises
