JMD Devotional 183 Malachi 2:14-17 Multiplicity of Guilt

And this you do with double guilt; you cover the altar of the Lord with tears [shed by your unoffending wives, divorced by you that you might take heathen wives], and with [your own] weeping and crying out because the Lord does not regard your offering any more or accept it with favor at your hand. Yet you ask, Why does He reject it? Because the Lord was witness [to the covenant made at your marriage] between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously and to whom you were faithless. Yet she is your companion and the wife of your covenant [made by your marriage vows]. And did not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not One make you and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God make you two] one? Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]. Therefore take heed to yourselves, and let no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I hate divorce and marital separation and him who covers his garment [his wife] with violence. Therefore keep a watch upon your spirit [that it may be controlled by My Spirit], that you deal not treacherously and faithlessly [with your marriage mate]. You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, In what way have we wearied Him? [You do it when by your actions] you say, Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and He delights in them. Or [by asking], Where is the God of justice?

God is invited to most every wedding; but not to a divorce. The Lord was witness to the covenant of marriage. When a person breaks that covenant there is a multitude of violations that cascade from that breach. Many souls are affected and it creates much confusion. But why isn't God invited to a divorce? Is it because He would say the obvious things, like "work through your problems," "chasing your fantasies and love affairs won't end well", "have you considered the impact on my kingdom and your community?", "you can do better than this," and "are you divorcing Me, too?"

Dear God,
I praise You Heavenly Father, because You brought me back from the brink of utter folly and mended my marriage. I was so sure it was all her fault; I was blind to my own depravity and negative influence. Thank You for exposing my falsehood and corruption; thank You for counseling and recovery. I am astonished that You bless sinners so; but I am so thankful that it is in Your nature to do so when they repent and turn to You. Please continue to bless my wife and our marriage; may I hold her in my highest esteem, next to You. Our marriage is a trinity and You are its center and Head.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 182 Malachi 3:13-18 The Less Obvious Test

Your words have been strong and hard against Me, says the Lord. Yet you say, What have we spoken against You? You have said, It is useless to serve God, and what profit is it if we keep His ordinances and walk gloomily and as if in mourning apparel before the Lord of hosts?
And now we consider the proud and arrogant to be happy and favored; evildoers are exalted and prosper; yes, and when they test God, they escape [unpunished].

God has ordained that this life will be full of tests of various kinds. People tend to just look at the surface of a situation and compare it to their past experiences and rubber-stamp it without investing very much thought into it; but that may be a gambit. Many times there are less obvious tests within tests; we sell ourselves and God short when we settle for a superficial resolution. The test here in Malachi makes it look like the wicked have it better and God's people restrain themselves for nothing. The deeper, more significant test of their character is to see if they will continue in righteousness for righteousness' own sake, for that is the quality of people God wants to be with Him in Heaven.

Vs 16 Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name. And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him.

Dear God,
Life is not what it seems to be on the surface; please train my eyes and my mind to look deeper; continue to give me spiritual insight. May I respond well to Your work in my life and be renewed in my thinking. Give me a godly perspective on the trials and tests of life. I do so want to be special to You.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 181 Amos 5:10,6:12 Unregenerate Attitudes

5:10 They hate him who reproves in the [city] gate [holding him as an abomination and rejecting his rebuke], and they abhor him who speaks uprightly.

6:12 Do horses run upon rocks? Do men plow the ocean with oxen? But you have turned justice into [the poison of] gall and the fruit of righteousness into [the bitterness of] wormwood--

In my mid twenties, when my wife and I were raising a family, I despised Dr. James Dobson and his ‘Focus on the Family’ organization just as a matter of personal taste. I thought I was above it all. Years later, when it was more than apparent that I had gotten most of parenting wrong, I developed a grudging respect for him and the principles he espoused. I hear the same sort of negative attitude from my kids when it comes to Dr. Phil, and the deja vu makes me shudder. Today I know it is arrogance and sin that shut my ears to good counsel, that provoked me to mock people and ministries rather than consider their content. Regardless of celebrity, each person at the very least merits respect as a being made in the image of God; and every person has a story, some bit of wisdom, something meant to contribute to the human race. When we find ourselves mocking Oprah, Martha Stewart and others we need to stop and take a moral inventory. If we have an attitude compatible with ‘Bevis and Butt-Head’, we need to repent.

Dear God,
Please forgive me for blocking your truth sometimes with my arrogant attitudes. I need your discernment for sure, for no earthly person is consistently right; but I do believe that You have distributed knowledge, and we should listen to the meek and lowly as well as the high and mighty, prayerfully considering what each person says on its own merit. Purge out the mocking and unregenerate attitudes when they crop up; please give me a winsome heart and countenance.
Thank You for there being just one truth, regardless of who carries each piece of it.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 180 2 Peter 1:3,4 Per diem Promises

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (NIV)

In the economy of Heaven, some things draw interest (like good deeds) and others do not (like promises). God's promises were not issued to be stored, they were given to be used and used often. He knows we lack the internal and external resources to do His will; but what He has commissioned He will be faithful to amply supply. It is like going on a business trip; the per diem is meant for real, daily expenses, to be used. What promises are you claiming for the challenges at hand? How can you be claiming them if you have to look them up to recite them?

Here's what I'm claiming: (See also Psalm 58:6-8)

Psalm 57:3 (Amp) He will send from heaven and save me from the slanders and reproaches of him who would trample me down or swallow me up, and He will put him to shame. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! God will send forth His mercy and loving-kindness and His truth and faithfulness.

Dear God,
I take so much for granted. Though You are Omniscient, I forget that You still desire for me to come to You with each burden, to engage You in prayer, to even 'wrestle' with You when I am troubled. My relationship skills need improvement! (Especially between us). You are so much better, more approachable and more gracious than my actions give You credit for. Help me to see Your heart more clearly as it concerns me and my situations. Thank You for caring and acting on my behalf as my advocate.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 179 Joel 2:25-27 Good and Gracious God

And I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten-- and you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame. And you shall know, understand, and realize that I am in the midst of Israel and that I the Lord am your God and there is none else. My people shall never be put to shame.

In the midst of divine judgment, God stops Himself and remembers His love for the land and His vision for His people, even though they rebel and incite His wrath. God is so good He cannot help but leave blessings in the wake of destruction, and pledges to rebuild and restore what He has, for discipline’s sake, laid waste for a time. One reason is that even rebellious children are still His children. God has called us to a relationship characterized by blessing. He is good to us even though we are evil to Him. He punishes us less than we deserve.

God considers His reputation, and restrains His rebuke: Vs 17b Why should they (the heathen) say among the peoples, Where is their God? Then was the Lord jealous for His land and had pity on His people. Yes, the Lord answered and said to His people, Behold, I am sending you grain and juice [of the grape] and oil, and you shall be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the [heathen] nations.

Vs 21Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!

Dear God,
What a blessing it is to be referred to as one of “Your People”; a treasured possession with a special place in your heart. It begins to dawn on me how loving anything else more than You is outrageous iniquity! You are worthy of my undivided loyalty and continuous allegiance. May my enlightenment progress so that You receive my utmost passion and devotion. In the best ways, help me to live like a child of greatest privilege and royalty who has no taste for beggarly fare.
Illuminate my darkened understanding so I recognize the blessings of your fellowship and the wretchedness of any other situation. May my lips oft confess your goodness.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 178 Joel 2:13-15 Public and Private Repentance

Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met]. Who knows but what He will turn, revoke your sentence [of evil], and leave a blessing behind Him [giving you the means with which to serve Him], even a cereal or meal offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; set apart a fast [a day of restraint and humility]; call a solemn assembly.

Being an impulsive guy, I have had many, many things to repent of. Being quick and clever, I am often wrong. Repentance is a turning in your heart and mind over your ways; a reversal of perspective that usually involves sorrow over sin. In my own self, I have had to repeatedly repent over a critical spirit, harsh words, a judgmental attitude, anger, resentment, obstinacy, lust… I could go on and on. Sometimes I have repented privately and left out any confession to the injured party; other times I have hypocritically uttered an apology that was not heart-felt. Sometimes it does cause more harm than good dredging up old business with some people; if you are unsure, ask a wise mentor for advice. Nevertheless, whether the best course is public or private make the repentance genuine. I was once part of a church congregation that met for seven straight evenings for a solemn assembly, to grieve over the collective sin that seemed to divide the fellowship and hold back God’s work through us. We were asked to refrain from idle chat and entertainment, it was very somber, much time spent in prayer and the books of the prophets. That week really ministered to my soul; to sustain that focus on God’s judgment and my sin. The last evening of the event I felt purified and refreshed and refocused, on mission again for God. However, a man in the pew next to me muttered under his breath, “what a colossal waste of time…”

Dear God,
The suffering You sent was good for me, for it caused me to pay attention to your law. Those You love, You rebuke, and Your children You chastise often. Never stop loving me so. I am confident that the trust I placed in You to safeguard my soul is well-founded; it is safe and secure because You are eternally faithful to Your Word. May I sow in tears so that, in the fullness of time I will reap in joy everlasting. I am banking on that.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 177 Joel 2:11b,12 Rushing Past Repentance

For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can endure it? Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored].

It is emotionally uncomfortable to be broken, and it is hard to bear the spectacle of other people genuinely anguished over their sins; but this important process must not be rushed through. If we too quickly extinguish the cleansing fire in a convert with ‘grace’, a person is not apt to fully appreciate and comprehend what they have been saved from. Believe me, grace is great! But even diamonds come in dark velvet-lined cases for contrast. Easy ‘grace’ does an injustice to the enormous personal cost God bled out for our salvation. Give true repentance time to break up the hard ground of the heart so the Word that is subsequently planted can take root.

Dear God,
Repentance has not been a one-time deal for me; it has been more like pealing an onion, I keep finding shades of deceit and iniquity that need to be dealt with. May I never minimize Your holiness and perfect righteousness. Decree that I not be wise in my own eyes that I might fear You and turn away from evil. May I spend the proper season to mourn over my sins so that when it is over true joy over Your salvation and grace may shine brightly on my countenance.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 176 Psalm 52:1-5 Boasting of Utter Depravity?

WHY BOAST you of mischief done against the loving-kindness of God [and the godly], O mighty [sinful] man, day after day? Your tongue devises wickedness; it is like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, and lying rather than to speak righteousness, justice, and right. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! You love all destroying and devouring words, O deceitful tongue. God will likewise break you down and destroy you forever; He will lay hold of you and pluck you out of your tent and uproot you from the land of the living. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

I have observed mostly (young) men boasting of things in bars or in the locker room that in any other context would be an admonition of guilt. Conquests, vulgarity, gluttony...who are they trying to impress? Worldly people tend to encourage this kind of banter. But if they only had a sober moment to review what they said and who they hurt; they might find the healthy shame to realize that their sin is chiefly against the God who created them to be holy and righteous, faithful to their spouse, a good citizen, a moral and decent person. The big picture is that God has abundantly blessed each of us with the health we have, our abilities, national greatness and natural resources, our earnings, and a legacy of truth and saints who have gone before us (and sacrificed greatly for our well-being). So would we respond to God's grace with mischief and expect to avoid just retribution?

Dear God,
It gives me pause to realize that 'every idle word' that I have spoken will be reviewed before You in Heaven's court one day. I confess ample evidence to convict me for saying inappropriate and hateful things. I have also failed to encourage people who needed to hear something good. Please help me to not spew words out carelessly; but to think soberly, and to respect the fragile spirit of others, and to fear You and turn away from evil so that I have nothing to fear at Judgment day. May Your Holy Spirit make up for my personal deficiencies and transform my heart and mind and character.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 175 Ezekiel 18 End Well!

Vs 4 Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sins, it shall die.
(God has the right to judge what He created).

Vs 21-24 But if the wicked man turns from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all My statutes and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of his transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for his righteousness which he has executed [for his moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation], he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord, and not rather that he should turn from his evil way and return [to his God] and live? But if the righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die. Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin and so shall they not be a stumbling block to you.

Vs 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions by which you have transgressed against Me, and make you a new mind and heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord God. Therefore turn (be converted) and live!

Dear God,
Please help me to end well, to progressively grow in righteousness and to stay on course. Help me to accept the accountability of Christian brothers (and sisters) knowing that my walk waxes and wanes, and at a low point I need somebody with a clear head and a right spirit to help keep my investment in You sure. Humble my independent spirit. May I be there for others as well, for Your kingdom and glory.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 174 Hosea 14:1-5 Positive Confession

O ISRAEL, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled and fallen, [visited by calamity] due to your iniquity. Take with you words and return to the Lord. Say to Him, Take away all our iniquity; accept what is good and receive us graciously; so will we render [our thanks] as bullocks [to be sacrificed] and pay the confession of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands [idols], You are our gods. For in You [O Lord] the fatherless find love, pity, and mercy. I will heal their faithlessness; I will love them freely, for My anger is turned away from [Israel]. I will be like the dew and the night mist to Israel; he shall grow and blossom like the lily and cast forth his roots like [the sturdy evergreens of] Lebanon.

After a lot of 'gloom and doom' prophecy to a rebellious Israel, God through Hosea invites the people to reconciliation. He gives them a positive confession that acknowledges their sin and God's graciousness. The heart of God is clearly revealed; He loves His wayward children and He longs to restore and to bless them. The next move is with you and me.

Dear God,
My problem today is not with total apostasy; but I have let some areas of my life slip. I try so hard, but I cannot juggle everything without letting things drop. I have broken relationships in blind self-righteousness; I have neglected to care for the needs of others in my self-absorption. Forgive my sins, though they are many and my misery is of my own making. Please show me what to let go of, and how to manage my life in Christ. I believe that You will heal me and restore my walk with You because You are good and gracious to sinners, and You will receive the broken hearted. Thank You, Lord God Almighty.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 173 Hosea 9:7 Resistance from Within (the Church)

The days of visitation and punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is [considered] a crazed fool and the man who is inspired is [treated as if] mad or a fanatic, because of the abundance of your iniquity and because the enmity, hostility, and persecution are great.

Death has been on my mind since I was three years old, when I saw a family pet run over. After that incident I literally dragged my mom across the street whenever we crossed to avoid giving another traffic accident a chance. Spiritual truth was relevant to me very young. The Gideons gave me my first New Testament Bible in the first grade, and I read it a 'zillion times by grade six. God gave me a sense of mission and a spirit of boldness; inspiration burns in my heart sometimes like the spirit of a prophet. When I was ten years old, I was writing my own gospel tracks and handing them out to all kinds of people at a popular lake near my home. Several times I was nearly grabbed by transients I was witnessing to. I have been cussed at, spit upon, and ridiculed many times; but I could take that knowing well in advance how the world treated the Jesus I served. However, what blew me out of the water and what did deter me was how other 'Christians' treated my desire to serve God. I was always an outsider because I was self-taught and found God without much human help. Instead of encouraging my enthusiasm they tried to make me tone down, stand down, conform and blend in. I was told countless times to 'stay away from the book of Revelation and from the prophets; to give a packaged and sanitized presentation of the 'Gospel' rather than speaking from my heart and passion, to not offend or be too bold. I responded to the call to preach at fourteen, and my parents scolded me, and told me I would starve, and only someone who wasn't good at anything 'useful' would be a preacher. Church leaders, more concerned with the status quo than nurture worked to suppress my zeal by fogging absolutes. Many of my early teachers majored on who and what groups to mistrust rather than focusing on understanding what was right. Church leadership, afraid of my fanaticism (because God REALLY MATTERED to me) pushed me into their programs and set up mediocre followers as 'examples'. They filled me up with materials composed of men's opinions and little Bible. Then I ran the gamut of facing every cult and variation of denomination trying to assimilate me by discrediting all of the others; which led to more confusion than a young man could take. I thrashed around; I went to a pastor for help; and was told to keep my doubts to myself because I might hurt someone else's faith. He said, 'either get with the program or get out!' He ultimately had me thrown out of the church. I was so bewildered. I could have dealt with any worldly persecution; but the church looked to me like a hateful monster! The churches I experienced were more like a well-orchestrated play than a pursuit of reality; a social function rather than a personal mission, and spiritual things were something to consider only in moderation as long as they didn't encroach on the 'rest of one's life' or materialism: all of which added up to me as false belief. I tried for the next seven years (of my early twenties) to convince myself that there was no God until I ran out of energy to deny the abundantly True. I am still trying to recover from the enigma of the church as I have experienced it. In many ways it was 'rabid faith'. I have often reacted badly to rejection by going astray myself in retaliation. Too many times I've blamed God. I know I came into the Church with a lot of personal problems; but the way I was handled by people was iniquity, enmity, and hostility: i.e. sin.

Dear God,
Am I a mistake? Are all of the people who want me to change wrong? Is even this a part of my training? I know that all Christians have need of change and growth; but may I take my basic bent as a given, something unique that You crafted in my soul because You wanted it there? Please affirm the part of me that is a gift that cannot and should not be changed so I can distinguish it from what does. Help me to fulfill my purpose. Help me to love the church even if I am to be rejected often. Am I a thorn or a heretic? What am I? I desire the Church to shine, to fulfill her mission, to be a place of healing and not hurt. You know I would rather be invisible than make a fuss of my own creation. By Your own power she will be what she's supposed to be at the proper time. Please help me to deal well with her here and now.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 172 Hosea 10:12-15 Patterns of Living

Some people look on their religion as an initiation that they pass in adolescence and then move on to be concerned with other matters. However, the purpose of Christianity is to restore a relationship; and that communion is either fed or starved by how one continuously lives. God does not want to be 'appeased'; we were not 'saved to serve'; but to become His children.

Pattern 1: His Way:
Vs 12 Sow for yourselves according to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God); reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you.

Pattern 2: Our Way:
Vs 13 You have plowed and plotted wickedness, you have reaped the [willful] injustice [of oppressors], you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your [own] way and your chariots, in the multitude of your mighty men, therefore shall a tumult arise against your people and all your fortresses shall be wasted and destroyed, as Shalmaneser wasted and destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle; the mother was dashed in pieces with her children.
So shall it be done to you at [idolatrous] Bethel because of your great wickedness; at daybreak shall the king of Israel be utterly cut off.

Dear God,
How do you put up with my distorted thinking? Sometimes I have felt trapped and unimportant; because of the methods some churches have used to manipulate my participation: once they had me under control as their 'conquest', I had no significance beyond being a 'worker drone.' Jesus has certainly left me with tasks to do; but I know I am wrong when I confuse my task and my purpose for being. My purpose for being is to know You and to enjoy You for eternity; my task is to build Your kingdom and to make disciples. May I separate the two in my mind. Help me to really believe in my heart that You love me not based upon my performance but because I am Your child so I can be free to do better for the right motives without bitterness. May I eagerly seek Your way as my own because I know and trust Your heart for me.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 171 Hosea 6:1-3 Third Day

Vs 1-3 COME AND let us return to the Lord, for He has torn so that He may heal us; He has stricken so that He may bind us up. After two days He will revive us (quicken us, give us life); on the third day He will raise us up that we may live before Him. Yes, let us know (recognize, be acquainted with, and understand) Him; let us be zealous to know the Lord [to appreciate, give heed to, and cherish Him]. His going forth is prepared and certain as the dawn, and He will come to us as the [heavy] rain, as the latter rain that waters the earth.

Anyone trapped in a sinful lifestyle sooner or later has a quiet moment of sober reflection. They know that their rebellion did not deliver the life they had hoped for. They live daily with the misery and frustration of chasing fantasies that never pan out in reality. I have listened to a candid round-table conversation between homosexual men who admitted if there was a pill they could take to change their orientation, they would take it in a heart-beat! They lamented all of the broken marriages, the hollow holidays, estrangement from family, the miserable cycle of imbalanced and co-dependent relationships driven by fear and jealousy. Nevertheless, they only want an instant fix, a ‘zap’ a miraculous transformation. However, God employs a process for reforming people, it takes time, it works in stages, and it principally involves a death to self. The prospect of self-denial is more than most people can face. It looks like a lifetime of austerity; but it is in fact the gateway to the abundant life. Dying to self really means putting God, who really cares for you, into your driver's seat. It means submitting to His ways even if you cannot see how they will work out (faith). The body and soul does morn Christian discipline initially, self-denial and the sacrifice of one's own will is hard; but if you endure the process, new resurrection life and joy await the dawn of the third day.

Dear God,
It is so hard to convey to people that while abandoning the world and coming to You is the hardest thing they'll ever do, it gets so much better under the Yoke of Christ Jesus. Many times in my growth I accused You of holding out on me, of not giving me 'the abundant life'; but in reality I was holding out on You, trying to keep one foot in the world and one on the altar. May your people truly die to the old self, to dead works, to futile living so that we can fully embrace the life we always wanted, which is really only to be found under your lordship and in your presence.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 170 Exekiel 14:6-14 God Has No Grandchildren (nor Hitchhikers!)

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. For anyone of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who separates himself from Me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity and guilt before his face, and [yet] comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of Me, I the Lord will answer him Myself! And I will set My face against that [false worshiper] and will make him a sign and a byword, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord. [The prophet has not been granted permission to give an answer to the hypocritical inquirer] but if the prophet does give the man the answer he desires [thus allowing himself to be a party to the inquirer's sin], I the Lord will see to it that the prophet is deceived in his answer, and I will stretch out My hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel. And they both shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the iniquity of the [presumptuous] prophet shall be the same as the iniquity of the [hypocritical] inquirer, That the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people, and I may be their God, says the Lord God. The word of the Lord came [again] to me, saying, Son of man, when a land sins against Me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out My hand against it and break its staff of bread and send famine upon it and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they would save but their own lives by their righteousness (their uprightness and right standing with Me), says the Lord God.

Why should we pay close attention to how God dealt with Israel? Was this not recorded for our instruction? Does God change or play favorites? It matters not if you are related to celebrity or clergy or what faith and standing your parents had; we are each judged by our works. We are saved by faith in Christ Jesus; but genuine faith is reflected in actions; life plays out what you really believe. Most people---by their actions---really believe that judgment will not come or that they are the exception. God is not mocked…

Dear God,
I confess that my good works are meager; my example inconsistent, my ‘righteousness’ is like filthy rags. Help us all to take heed to the consequences of rebellion; may we be instructed in holy fear as we contemplate the many nations that perished and the countless people upon whom Your judgment fell. May we not take the Age of Grace for granted; please grant us repentant hearts and restore us to perfect fellowship in Christ.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 169 Hosea 4:6-12 Over-Blessed

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you that you shall be no priest to Me; seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children. The more they increased and multiplied [in prosperity and power], the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.
They feed on the sin of My people and set their heart on their iniquity. And it shall be: Like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their doings.
For they shall eat and not have enough; they shall play the harlot and beget no increase, because they have forsaken the Lord for harlotry; harlotry and wine and new wine take away the heart and the mind and the spiritual understanding. My people [habitually] ask counsel of their [senseless] wood [idols], and their staff [of wood] gives them oracles and instructs them. For the spirit of harlotry has led them astray and they have played the harlot, withdrawing themselves from subjection to their God.

Who would imagine! The more God materially blessed the nation, the more distant the people departed from their faith and the more ways they found to be unfaithful. It is the trap of focusing on the gift rather than on the giver; of letting material things take prominence over the spiritual. But am I speaking of Israel or America? In many ways we shadow them: sooner or later judgment will come. One way God gets our attention is to raise the cost of living and diminishing our wages as the destroyer is unleashed to mold, tarnish and corrode what we most prized; so reveal its transience. The knowledge of God and our relationship to Him is what we should most cherish. Period.

Dear God,
I hunger for the knowledge of God, of knowing You, of understanding this life. I want to get at least one thing right: that is my relationship with You. Help me to live deliberately, to put important things first and to let go of trivial distractions. Forgive me for letting material things consume me, focusing on them only gives me anxiety. May I trust in You for my needs so I can seek Your kingdom as my primary vision.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 168 Ezekiel 11:17-21 Irreconcilable By Choice

Therefore say, Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.
And when they return there, they shall take away from it all traces of its detestable things and all its abominations (sex impurities and heathen religious practices). And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God], That they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose heart yearns for and goes after their detestable things and their loathsome abominations [associated with idolatry], I will repay their deeds upon their own heads, says the Lord God.

The scriptures were not given to reach 'perfect people'; but to aid chronic back-sliders, misguided and wayward sinners, to the ignorant and willful, to misfits, to apparent failures and outcasts. (Who we all are without God's influence). Regardless of how many times we fail and fall God offers reconciliation if we will but turn to Him. Don't minimize the critical importance of that 'turn' (repentance, changing your mind about your sinful path), for if you refuse God's program of change and transformation you have indeed cast off God and there is no other remedy for your condition. Like in a broken marriage; the relationship can be fixed if both parties are willing to work at it. God is willing...

Dear God,
Why do I push against the fence and try to escape when You care for my every need in your pasture; and only wolves and cliffs and poisonous plants are without? This dumb sheep always thinks the grass is greener; but the weeds make me sick. I long to be 'free'; but I end up stumbling in a blinding fog and falling on sharp stones. When I get away from your presence, I am harassed by biting flies: only the oil You pour on my head protects me and heals those wounds. Please transform my heart and mind so that I agree with your will and your way; may I cooperate rather than resist your grace. May I embrace your boundaries that are established for my welfare. Thank You for the goodness You long to share. Help me to trust You with everything, My Shepherd.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 167 Ezekiel 12 Bondage and Exile

Ezekiel 12:1-3 THE WORD of the Lord also came to me, saying, Son of man, you dwell in the midst of the house of the rebellious, who have eyes to see and see not, who have ears to hear and hear not, for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for removing and going into exile, and move out by day in their sight; and you shall remove from your place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider and perceive that they are a rebellious house.

On a national scale, God made Israel face the fruit of their rebellion and apostasy by being placed into bondage and exiled in Babylon. Like so many people today, they wanted to live any way they wanted to unfettered by God's Law. In their own minds they were a cosmopolitan people and too sophisticated for the time honored boundaries laid down by God concerning worship, marriage and business. But in claiming themselves to be wise they became fools; and pursuing sinful 'freedoms' resulted in physical and spiritual bondage and exile (from a right relationship with God, who is the source of our life and of every good thing). On a personal scale, God will also make us face the fruit of our rebellion through the self-correcting consequences of sin. Perhaps we take God's forgiveness for granted not realizing that forgiveness in no way diminishes the natural consequences of making bad choices and of disconnecting ourselves from His fellowship. (An adulterer can be 'forgiven' and still suffer the loss of his marriage, savings, home, reputation, work and potential for Christian service). Collectively, we may well indeed be seeing the beginning of judgment for generations of 'Christian' Americans' worldliness, compromise and of failing to acknowledge God's blessings on this nation. There has been a pattern of two kinds of conduct; one for church and one for the world, which is repugnant to Holiness (which does all things with an eye to God). In the place of invading armies we have CEOs outsourcing our livelihoods and futures; a declining economy; a youthful population out of control. This is really bitter fruit to swallow, and it is just the beginning of sorrows.

Vs 16-20 But I will leave a few survivors who will escape the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, that they may declare and confess all their [idolatrous] abominations among the nations to which they go, and [thus God's punishment of them will be justified before everyone and] they shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord. Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, eat your bread with shaking, and drink water with trembling and with fearfulness; And say to the people of the land, Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness and drink water with dismay, for their land will be stripped and plundered of all its fullness, because of the violence of all those who dwell in it. And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be deserted and become a desolation; and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord.

Dear God,
You are God, You are the Lord, and I am not the master of my destiny, I am not the captain of my soul: I am NOTHING without You. I praise Your name because in coming into my life You bring every good thing; the best of which is Your holy presence. Help me to guard my heart and life and conduct: keep me from perdition and iniquity. May I become completely loyal and obedient to You in every area of my life for Your pleasure and glory since it is You making all of the difference.
May the Christian people of this nation wake up to how far we have fallen from our first love; and remember to us our first (primary) works of repentance (seeing things Your way).
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 166 Psalm 41:1-4 Blessed Service

Psalm 41:1-4 BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is he who considers the weak and the poor; the Lord will deliver him in the time of evil and trouble. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive; he shall be called blessed in the land; and You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. The Lord will sustain, refresh, and strengthen him on his bed of languishing; all his bed You [O Lord] will turn, change, and transform in his illness. I said, Lord, be merciful and gracious to me; heal my inner self, for I have sinned against You.

What is the proper motivation for giving to and for helping the poor? I would say it is not for their gratitude; for I have served the ungrateful in soup kitchens; and it really tested my motives. Some people cover their shame for needing a handout with a false air of entitlement; which is really repugnant! Nothing we offered was good enough for one such individual---it blew me away. It also is not for gaining points with God; who will certainly have you encounter an offensive individual to reveal your hypocrisy. Might I suggest proper motivation finds its source in a proper regard for their Maker; acknowledging that God fashioned them makes any human being art of the highest caliber. People are worth caring for because they have been made in His image. And in caring for the unresponsive and the ungrateful you are following in your Heavenly Father's footsteps as a young apprentice learning Kingdom work. Being an imitator of Jesus is reason enough.

Dear God,
Sometimes I major on complex points of theology and I fail in simple charity. Help me to be a dispenser of unhindered grace and kindness under Your guidance and authority. Please set up divine appointments and make me aware of the needs of others. May my service to God and man transform my own inner languishing and forget my own troubles as I perform something constructive in Jesus’ Name.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 165 Revelation 14, Ezekiel 8 A Few Good Men

Revelation 14:1-5 THEN I looked, and behold, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 [men] who had His name and His Father's name inscribed on their foreheads.
And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of great waters and like the rumbling of mighty thunder; the voice I heard [seemed like the music] of harpists accompanying themselves on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne [of God] and before the four living creatures and before the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin]. No one could learn [to sing] that song except the 144,000 who had been ransomed (purchased, redeemed) from the earth. These are they who have not defiled themselves by relations with women, for they are [pure as] virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These are they who have been ransomed (purchased, redeemed) from among men as the first-fruits for God and the Lamb. No lie was found to be upon their lips, for they are blameless (spotless, untainted, without blemish) before the throne of God.

Where will God find 144,000 people of impeccable character and conduct? Will you find just one in the pew next to you? Can you see just one such person your own mirror?

Ezekiel 8:1-3, 12, 13
AND IN the sixth year [of the capitivity of King Jehoiachin], in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house [a captive of the Babylonians] with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. Then I beheld, and lo, a likeness of a Man with the appearance of fire; from His waist downward He was like fire, and from His waist upward He had the appearance of brightness like gleaming bronze. And He put forth the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the door of the inner [court] which faces toward the north, where was the seat of the idol (image) of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. Then said He to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his [secret] chambers of [idol] pictures? For they say, The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land. He also said to me, Yet again you shall see greater abominations which they are committing.

'Men of God' provoking God to jealousy by worshipping 'idol pictures' 2500 years before internet porn. Nothing is new under the sun; and the battleground is still the human heart. I cannot tell you where God will find 144,000 people of untarnished virtue because you and I are not made of that quality of stuff: only by God's divine power and by the imparted righteousness of Christ can we hope to stand in His presence. This is a proper place for shame for our common depravity; we have abundant reason to be humble.

Dear God,
Who am I to point a finger at anyone? Forgive my iniquity and idolatry. My heart aches at the missions You could not send me on because of my secret sins and divided loyalties and false piety that made me unfit for service: continue burning off the dross until I am a suitable servant of Jesus Christ! Forge integrity, consistency, perseverance, humility, faithfulness, purity and charity in my heart and life and conscience until all of this is REALLY ME. I am totally dependent upon You do create goodness in me; may this life bring You pleasure and glory due to your handiwork.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 164 Ezekiel 6:6,7 Lord In Deed and Truth

In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste and the high places shall be made desolate, that your altars may bear their guilt and be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and destroyed, your sun-images may be hewn down, and your handiworks may be wiped away and blotted out. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and you shall [a] know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord.

[a] Footnote (Verbatim), Amplified Bible:
"On the basis of the fact that God uses it more often than any other important word in the Bible, the word "Lord" becomes the most essential term in any language for the welfare of any person. It is not enough that one knows that God is God, and that He is, for only a fool would deny that (Ps. 53:1), but God demands of every person who is to be recognized by Him that he accepts Him as Lord of his life, his Sovereign Ruler, to Whom he yields implicit obedience. When Thomas was able to say of Jesus, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28), his doubts ceased to exist. Nothing short of that kind of expression of Christ's lordship meets God's demands. Watch for the word "Lord" in the Bible; it occurs around 5,000 times. Watch also for this phrase ("you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord") throughout the book of Ezekiel."

Dear God,
May I not be guilty of continuing to say, "Lord, lord" and not be doing the things that You ask me to do for You. May your lordship be evident in the large and small things in my life; even in my inner monolog. Restore a reverent fear of God in my heart and cultivate a winsome attitude and an enthusiastic response to your leadership in my life.
Be my exclusive Lord in deed and in truth.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 163 Psalm 36:5-10 Indirect Light

Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, extend to the skies, and Your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, Your judgments are like the great deep. O Lord, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They relish and feast on the abundance of Your house; and You cause them to drink of the stream of Your pleasures.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light. O continue Your loving-kindness to those who know You, Your righteousness (salvation) to the upright in heart.

Vs 9 For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light.

In total darkness, what is the fundamental difference between you and a blind person? Do you ever think about HOW you see? I look at the objects in my office, and I really don't see any of them; I actually see just the reflected light. On the whole Earth, there are only a few radioactive materials that glow of their own accord; everything else, if visible, is apparent via another light source. Light and life and water are all blended in Biblical metaphor because they all imply an indispensable source: God. In Him we live and move and have our being; He is the ultimate Truth behind all truth; He gives us the mental faculty to accept or reject His Lordship; in His presence is the paradise of Eden for all goodness is rooted and sustained in Himself. We all strive for the good things; but wisdom seeks after the source.

Dear God,
Light has come into the world; but men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Help me not to be so vision-impaired as to confuse shiny objects with light sources; to follow after transient beauty rather than after the artist who fashioned it all. Seeking You is not a choice between pleasure and austerity; it is accepting the process of maturity so that I will not corrupt that which is good through selfish lust. Your plan, Your way and Your rule is best for me at all times and in all situations. Father me.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

JMD Devotional 162 1 Timothy 6:6-10 Mark of Satanic Influence

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

My daughter Christine has been reading through Jerry Bridges, 'The Pursuit of Holiness' and recently brought up this point: "Discontentment is Satanic." It is a stunning thing to hear; but the more I contemplate it the more I believe it. Too bad Madison Avenue; the goal of so much advertising is to make us discontent with what we have so we desire something new. You might of woke up reasonably content; but after an encounter with a crafty pitch-man or ad everything you possess is now rubbish.

At different low points in my life; especially when I'm under a lot of stress; I find it all too easy to be dissatisfied with my life, my work, my marriage, my church, virtually everything around me. But being dissatisfied with life points an accusing finger at God. And when I catch myself wondering how I might of faired with another; what kind of spouse am I? (Unfaithful at heart!) Am I so conceited to really believe that if everyone at Church thought like me the world would be won and Christ could come home early? The reality is that if I am unhappy with virtually everything around me the problem is with me; my heart and passion have been displaced from an unfailing God-centered obedience to a self-willed and self-centered position of iniquity. We buy the Satanic lie because it agrees with our distorted ego. True joy is found in appreciating what you have as a gift from God, and letting God decide how much and when and where it is given.

Dear God,
I thank You for the witnesses you have placed into my life; especially for the apt word spoken by my daughter, Christine. You know how close I get to self-destruction; of wanting to throw in the towel: thank You for having mercy on my lame reasoning and for drawing me back from rocky cliffs. Renew my mind; help me to appreciate the little things and all the ways You bless me every day. May I render the praise fitting to your kindness to me.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 161 Psalm 36:1-4 Bi-Polar Playground

Vs 1 TRANSGRESSION [like an oracle] speaks to the wicked deep in his heart. There is no fear or dread of God before his eyes

In ancient times, an oracle was a pagan shrine to which people went to receive 'hidden' and occult knowledge. The 'priest' or "the man behind the curtain" would pretend to utter esoteric secrets leading to wealth, fame, or other worldly fulfillment and the seeker bought into it because it appealed to his ego and his base instincts. The 'priest' made his living off telling people what they wanted to hear. But the scriptures tell us that behind man-made idols are demons; and spiritual powers influence the heart of man. (Something was telling the 'priest' what he wanted to hear and influenced him as well).

How is transgression like an oracle? All choices are not equal and we do not make choices in a vacuum or from a purely rational context. At both positive and negative extremes is a kind of attraction, like magnetism, that help us to choose either better or worse than we would do left to our own devices. I believe that God permits evil to continue and that He keeps Satan on a long leash in order to polarize humanity into one of two camps. God wants to rid the earth of the 'ambiguous middle'; the lukewarm; mealy-mouthed uncommitted passive fence-sitters. In digital electronics, information is carried by high and low signals, typically five volts and zero volts. A three volt signal is meaningless and useless to that kind of logic; a device called a comparator cleans up degraded signals by setting a threshold and driving anything above that to the high rail and anything below it to the low rail: in a sense trials, tribulation and persecution function like that for people. The fear of God drives us to the high rail of the conduct scale. But when a person yields to the low rail regret is certain.

Vs 2-4 For he flatters and deceives himself in his own eyes that his iniquity will not be found out and be hated. The words of his mouth are wrong and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. He plans wrongdoing on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject or despise evil.

Dear God,
I don't spend much time in the middle; but I confess that I flip-flop a lot. I know I had to be run through Your comparator of pain and suffering to purge my signal of noise and double-mindedness. Please continue to amplify what is right in my mind to keep me from letting wayward impulses rule over me; may I live by Godly principles and be a man of integrity. May we all shun counsel that is contrary to Your will and way for humanity.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 160 Ezekiel 2 Unwelcome Message

The Apostle John was not the first to eat a little scroll in a vision. Around 590BC Ezekiel had a similar vision. Consider how 'successful' we would have judged his ministry, were we his contemporaries.

AND HE said to me [Ezekiel], Son of man, stand upon your feet and I will speak to you.
And the Spirit entered into me when He spoke to me and set me upon my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me. And He said to me, I send you, son of man, to the children of Israel, two rebellious nations that have rebelled against Me. They and their fathers have transgressed against Me even to this very day. And the children are impudent and hard of heart. I send you to them and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord God. And they, whether they will hear or refuse to hear--for they are a rebellious house--yet shall they know and realize that there has been a prophet among them. And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words; though briers and thorns are all around you and you dwell and sit among scorpions, be not afraid of their words nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
And you shall speak My words to them whether they will hear or refuse to hear, for they are most rebellious. As for you, son of man, hear what I say to you; be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you. And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. And He spread it before me and it was written within and on the back, and written on it were words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

Dear God,
Please recalibrate the Church's definition of 'success'; may we define it as being and doing and going according to Your will, and not by the response of the population. May success be based more on separation, righteousness and integrity than inclusiveness, compromise and worldly acceptance. May your people be given utterance, and wisdom and courage to say (appropriately) "Thus says the Lord!" regardless of who it offends. May we not pick and choose or selectively obey Your counsel; but may we whole-heartedly 'eat the whole scroll' that You have given us to consume and may our lives be consumed by doing Your will. May we be 'successful' in pleasing and serving You.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 159 Revelation 10 Bitter Truth

Vs 1-3 THEN I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, robed in a cloud, with a [halo like a] rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, and his feet (legs) were like columns of fire. He had a little book (scroll) open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he shouted with a loud voice like the roaring of a lion; and when he had shouted, the seven thunders gave voice and uttered their message in distinct words.
Vs 9-11 So I went up to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it and eat it. It will embitter your stomach, though in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.
So I took the little book from the angel's hand and ate and swallowed it; it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but once I had swallowed it, my stomach was embittered. Then they said to me, You are to make a fresh prophecy concerning many peoples and races and nations and languages and kings.

The Word of God, in its entirety, is bitter-sweet. The message of the Gospel that ushers in our salvation is sweet to our lips; but once we have digested the portrait God paints of the human race; of mankind's utter depravity and the certain and righteous damnation most people will suffer that makes us ill. Ray Comfort, a street evangelist, wrote a book, "All My Friends are Dying". As Solomon said, "with much knowledge is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow". How can I be happy when all of my friends (outside the Church) are dying? How can I be a 'care-free', 'happy-go-lucky' personality when I know that everything around me will melt from the fervent heat of God's divine wrath! (Maybe in my lifetime!) We have a message that is 'good news' to a select few who will receive it; most will respond with distain and disgust. It gives me indigestion, it sometimes results in sleepless nights, it makes me look like a fool. Brandishing a Bible puts me in the public perception of Jerry Falwell, Jim Jones and David Karesh; I am automatically a bigoted, unenlightened, naive relic of archaic fables, brain-washed, a Jehovah Witness, a hypocrite. I know 'Christians' who pick and choose which portions of scripture they will accept, they dismiss what contradicts their liberal bias. I have an aunt who has basically thrown out the entire Old Testament (without which the New Testament has no basis!)

Dear God,
You said, "eat the scroll, ALL OF IT", help your people to obey and accept your entire counsel to them. There is nothing between the covers that is not for me; not one Word is superfluous. Grant proper interpretation and understanding; may we take it to heart and respond appropriately. Make us faithful bearers of the Truth; give us winsome demeanors and boldness to warn the perishing.
May our lives be purified as we contemplate that even the angels that 'kept not their estate' were cast into everlasting darkness. Restore holy fear.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 158 Proverbs 4:23-27 Square One

23Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
24Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you.
25Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you.
26Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.
27Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil.

(NIV) Vs 26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.

(KJV) Vs 26Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

(The Message) 23Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts.
24Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
25Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions.
26Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
27Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.

God keeps bringing me back to this passage, particularly verse 26. There is a less-regenerate part of me that likes to keep options open, to live by situational ethics, to 'just wing it'; but God's counsel is to plan in advance to be a man of well-defined integrity. Every scene has multiple potential outcomes; play the director and roll several cuts through your mind; but keep rolling past the immediate gratification to the predictable outcome: all sin leads to death. Death of relationships, reputation, achievement and ultimately the body and soul. Be sure your sin will find you out!

Dear God,
Jesus was tempted in all ways and was yet without sin; Lord help me to overcome by Your presence and power in my life. Many things try to take over my heart; but You are the only gentleman who stands at the door and knocks. Help me to secure the windows, to change the locks, to give You the only Master Key. May I fully embrace what You are asking of me in this passage and obey from the heart.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 157 Lamentations 3 Well Thought-Out Suffering

What he had preached and prophesized about his whole life has come to pass. Jeremiah's world is destroyed; Jerusalem and the Temple are in ruins, death and misery are all around him. Rebellion and sin have taken their toll; even the prophet recognizes his own sins and just divine wrath.

1I AM [Jeremiah] the man who has seen affliction under the rod of His wrath.
2He has led me and brought me into darkness and not light.
3Surely He has turned away from me; His hand is against me all the day.
4My flesh and my skin has He worn out and made old; He has shattered my bones.
5He has built up [siege mounds] against me and surrounded me with bitterness, tribulation, and anguish.
6He has caused me to dwell in dark places like those long dead.

Note the expressions of man's helplessness under God's judgment marked by "*":

*7He walled me in so that I cannot get out; He has weighted down my chain.
*8Even when I cry and shout for help, He shuts out my prayer.
*9He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked.
*11He has turned me off my ways and pulled me in pieces; He has made me desolate.

It is futile to struggle and fight against the Almighty; what is man's case or right or power against Him? We have all sinned and have earned God's wrath. How we respond to the Holy God and Judge of all the Earth has so much to do with our outcome. Only an idiot argues with the judge at his sentencing when the evidence is overwhelmingly against the defendant and obvious to all.
God brings suffering; but we choose whether or not to repent; whether to harden our hearts or humble ourselves. God is sovereign but we are not mere puppets.

17And You have bereaved my soul and cast it off far from peace; I have forgotten what good and happiness are.
18And I say, Perished is my strength and my expectation from the Lord.
19[O Lord] remember [earnestly] my affliction and my misery, my wandering and my outcast state, the wormwood and the gall.
20My soul has them continually in remembrance and is bowed down within me. (Sober humility).

(This is the faith that saves:) 21But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation:
22It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.
23They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.
24The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.
25The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God's word].
26It is good that one should hope in and wait quietly for the salvation (the safety and ease) of the Lord.

(God does not casually interfere with our lives; He is a master surgeon who inflicts injuries to remove cancers, reset bones, to burn of diseases of the soul).

27It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke [of divine disciplinary dealings] in his youth.
28Let him sit alone uncomplaining and keeping silent [in hope], because [God] has laid [the yoke] upon him [for his benefit].
29Let him put his mouth in the dust [in abject recognition of his unworthiness]--there may yet be hope.

(Suffering is temporary medicine:) 31For the Lord will not cast off forever!
32But though He causes grief, yet will He be moved to compassion according to the multitude of His loving-kindness and tender mercy.
33For He does not willingly and from His heart afflict or grieve the children of men.
(God is not a 'cosmic sadist!) 34To trample and crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth,
35To turn aside and deprive a man of his rights before the face of the Most High or a superior [acting as God's representative],
36To subvert a man in his cause--[of these things] the Lord does not approve.
37Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, if the Lord has not authorized and commanded it?
38Is it not out of the mouth of the Most High that evil and good both proceed [adversity and prosperity, physical evil or misfortune and physical good or happiness]?
39Why does a living man sigh [one who is still in this life's school of discipline]? [And why does] a man complain for the punishment of his sins?
40Let us test and examine our ways, and let us return to the Lord!

(The humble prayer, "Save me, Lord," acknowledges His authority and your need and does save you).

54The waters ran down on my head; I said, I am gone.
55I called upon Your name, O Lord, out of the depths [of the mire] of the dungeon.
56You heard my voice [then]: [Oh] hide not Your ear [now] at my prayer for relief.
57You drew near on the day I called to You; You said, Fear not.
58O Lord, You have pleaded the causes of my soul [You have managed my affairs and You have protected my person and my rights]; You have rescued and redeemed my life!

Dear God,
You are righteous in all Your ways and holy in all Your works! Though I complained against You in my heart I am now mute; I have nothing to charge you with nor would I be qualified seeing I am the transgressor, and so utterly inferior, and ignorant of the big picture. Thank You for restraining Your judgment; thank You for making me cry out to You; thank You for figuring out how to give me a hope and a future in Christ.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/

JMD Devotional 156 Psalm 32:8-11 Trained on Our Terms

I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Be not like the horse or the mule, which lack understanding, which must have their mouths held firm with bit and bridle, or else they will not come with you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you who are upright and in right standing with Him]; shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

When I am stubborn, like a mule, I inadvertently choose to be trained like a mule (i.e. hit with a 2-by-4 on the head); how much easier I could make it on myself if I always listened to the counsel of the Word, if I reasoned with God rather than tried to get away with rebellion.

Jeremiah 10:24 (NIV) Correct me, LORD, but only with justice— not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.

As a parent, I have let my emotions get the best of me and have blown up and over-corrected in my disciplining of my children. If God did that, we would be atomized! Discipline in 'just measure' reflects godly self-control. We can count on God to discipline properly.

Jeremiah 46:28 (AMP) Fear not, O Jacob My servant, says the Lord, for I am with you. For I will make a full and complete end of all the nations to which I have driven you; yet I will not make a full end of you. But I will chasten and correct you in just measure, and I will not hold you guiltless by any means or leave you unpunished.

1 Corinthians 11:31, 32 (NIV) But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

Dear God,
Were I to yield to the sins that tempt me and fall prey to the illusions of this hedonistic society; how would I be distinguished from a Canaanite? How would I be different from the lost? I struggle with feeling short-changed, with envying the free-wheeling ways of wicked-but I know their end is total destruction and grief. I know better; why is it so hard to be a saint? I am full of "I"s; I want to feel this, I want that, my desires scream for expression; which all seems fair and just when all I think about is myself and not how my sins affect every other person; but mostly how sin grieves Your heart. You have to ask, "do I even love You anymore?" I forget that I am called to die to myself and to no longer live for my self but to live for the One who died for me and was raised again. Please forgive me for trying to climb over the safety railing; for hating my life; for disregarding Your counsel. Correct me, Lord. May You not have to deal with me as if I were a dumb animal; give me a tender heart that responds to Your rebuke.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.

More features:


http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com

http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/

http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/