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
DECEMBER 12
"The LORD shall utter his voice before his army."- Joel 2:11
God uses people as his ‘army’ to carry out his purposes. Many of them are unaware, as they set out their own life’s scenes, that God is using them in a much larger drama. Sometimes we hear of the "Force."- It is reassuring to know there is a force working for good, and that force is God’s power which will eventually triumph over evil. Joel 2:21
December 12
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)
IT...behooves the Lord's consecrated people...to carefully strain out the impurities, and see that they do not enter into our hearts, our thoughts, realizing that with them in, the result will be to work to our defilement, to a greater or less degree. Whoever maintains purity of thought will have comparatively little effort in maintaining purity of word and of action. Whether the impurity come from one direction or another-- from the world or the flesh or the devil--its attack must first of all be upon the mind; and if repelled there the victory is won; if not repelled we cannot know what the consequences might be, as the Apostle James declares: "Lust [selfish desire of any kind], when it has conceived [in the mind] bringeth forth sin [develops sinful words or deeds], and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death."
December 12
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. Proverbs 3:3
FOR one to keep the principles of truth and of righteousness before his own mind is to be a thoroughly upright man or woman, one in whom truth,purity, goodness, will be in control. But a person who has merely these principles in control should cultivate more and more the quality of mercy. We should bind these about our neck. The thought is that of a necklace, or ornamental band. As a man puts around his neck a cravat, with a jewel in it as an ornament, placed where it will be displayed, so these qualities of character are jewels. Give them a prominent place; for they will help to make you better, help to make you more acceptable to the Lord. The preferable place for the display of a jewel is the neck. There a jewel is especially conspicuous and ornamental. So we should fasten these noble qualities of character where they will be manifest in all the affairs of life. Whether we buy or sell, or whatever we do, we should wear these ornaments. They will show what is the character of the man or woman--right on the outside, in the very front. They should be seen as we meet others. There should be nothing mean, nothing contemptible, nothing niggardly about us.
Devotional Books
Exceeding Great and Precious Promises
