JMD Devotional 232 Romans 10:1-4 Zeal without Knowledge

BRETHREN, [with all] my heart's desire and goodwill for [Israel], I long and pray to God that they may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a [certain] zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to [correct and vital] knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes [which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought, and deed] and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him.

I have always admired (in a limited context) Jehovah Witnesses for their commitment, the quality of their printed material (the illustrations, paper and printing, not the content) and their taking their unpopular message door-to-door. Mormons have the best commercials. They excel at family values and in getting their young men to take their faith seriously by taking it to the road on bicycle for two years as a ‘missionary’. Then there are groups that scare me, like the IRA and the al Qaeda. What these all have in common is a certain zeal for God without the knowledge of His will for mankind and the specific salvation provided exclusively through Christ Jesus. They have an axe to grind, another agenda, an alternative path. There is God’s way and man’s ways; it appeals to sinful pride to work out your own salvation rather than accepting what is freely given; to hold to ‘secret knowledge’ that places one in an exclusive ‘club’. They believe in what they are doing; but never mistake ‘sincerity’ for truth and righteousness.

Dear God,
Counterfeits abound in this land of confusion. Please keep us safe and secure in the light of Your truth. Help us to clearly understand how and why Israel failed as a nation to embrace the salvation You provided. Show us the limitations of legalistic rules and laws and human will-power and the necessity of trusting You to work out in us what we cannot do for ourselves. Demonstrate the superiority of walking in Your Spirit over working and relying on our own flesh. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world, even our own self-destructiveness. Impart to us the full knowledge of salvation.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
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**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)

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JMD Devotional 231 Romans 9:27-33 The Compound Interest of Faith

And Isaiah calls out (solemnly cries aloud) over Israel: Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant (a small part of them) will be saved [from perdition, condemnation, judgment]! For the Lord will execute His sentence upon the earth [He will conclude and close His account with men completely and without delay], rigorously cutting it short in His justice. It is as Isaiah predicted, If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed [from which to propagate descendants], we [Israel] would have fared like Sodom and have been made like Gomorrah. What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not follow after righteousness [who did not seek salvation by right relationship to God] have attained it by faith [a righteousness imputed by God, based on and produced by faith], Whereas Israel, though ever in pursuit of a law [for the securing] of righteousness (right standing with God), actually did not succeed in fulfilling the Law.
For what reason? Because [they pursued it] not through faith, relying [instead] on the merit of their works [they did not depend on faith but on what they could do]. They have stumbled over the Stumbling Stone. As it is written, Behold I am laying in Zion a Stone that will make men stumble, a Rock that will make them fall; but he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in his expectations.

In the Douglas Adams’ science fiction parody/trilogy, ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ there is a ‘Restaurant at the End of the Universe,’ suspended in hyperspace, that provides a spectacular view in fast-forward of everything from the Big Bang to the final implosion of all matter. The cost of providing this ‘last meal’ is outrageously expensive, but it is provided ‘free’ to each patron. Since the proprietors are in a time warp, they simply deposit a penny in each person’s account when the first bank opens and they withdraw a fortune just before the implosion (isn’t compound interest wonderful!) It is said that our faith is more precious than gold. We deposit so little, (mere mustard seeds), and yet God does so much with it. He reforms and regenerates us, pardons our sins, grants us eternal life, and makes us ‘royalty’ that will rule and reign with Him in eternity. We need to ponder this blessing, and how fortunate we are to belong to Him.

Dear God,
I do so look forward to the Wedding Feast with the Lamb of God. I expect to look back on the sorrows and losses of this life and wear them as badges of honor in Your Kingdom; perhaps I’ll have more brass on my chest than Fidel Castro! Thank You for clearly promising that my faith and endurance and allegiance will be massively rewarded in Heaven. There are also more subtle rewards that I enjoy even now as You cultivate the maturity to appreciate the finer things of spiritual life. I already have one hundred times anything I had to give up to come to You; and the best is yet to come! People of faith, praise God! Thank You for being so good to us!
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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*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)

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JMD Devotional 230 Romans 8:12-17 How I Know that I Know

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Many times I’ve been accused of being ‘brain-washed’, a naïve follower of man-made religious teachings. My failures and hypocrisy has been pointed out as ‘proof’ that there are flaws in my beliefs. I am asked how can I know my God is the right one without ‘trying out’ every other ‘god’ contender? Oh, how these critics miss the point. I am drawn to God not because I’m holy but because He has made me aware of my unholiness: my sins and depravity and my spiritual poverty. I know my experience with God is real because at one time I did not care about righteousness; and now I am very concerned, in the most personal ways, about pleasing Him. This is so much more than following a creed, this is a relationship. I imperfectly follow in my Father’s footsteps; but I am following MY FATHER. He will perfect me. I do not need to keep looking because His Holy Spirit lives in me; I am not alone. I know He lives in me because I care about pleasing Him and it grieves me when I fail.

1 John 2:3-6 (NIV) We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Dear God,
If anyone reading this lacks assurance of their salvation, please make it known to them whether they belong to You or not. May there be no doubt. Make it clear if they are trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice to atone for their sins, if He is their Lord and Master. Dad, I don’t believe that any of Your children are second-class citizens of Heaven: indelibly mark us as Your treasured possession, as family, as adopted sons and daughters in Christ Jesus. If nothing else is clear, please make this a rock-solid fact in our lives. Abba Father.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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*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)

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JMD Devotional 229 Romans 8:5-9 We Ask too Little

For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit. Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot. So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him. But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God].

One of Dr. Phil’s favorite sayings is, “You never get more than you ask for.” Of our selves, and in the Church, we ask for too little. We ask people to be nice and socially acceptable when God tells us to “be holy”. We ask people to try their best; but Jesus says, “Be perfect.” We plead with people to make a little room in their lives for God; but Romans 12:1,2 call for a living sacrifice (your whole life, not just a bit of it). Is perfection, holiness and consecration reasonable? In one sense, trying to exercise any of these virtues in our own (fleshly) human resources is impossible, and often comes out in a critical, judgmental and elitist spirit. But that misses the mark farther than not trying at all. God is after something else. By asking for what is impossible for the organic human He provokes reliance on the spiritual and relationship with Himself. There is no other way for us to be ‘good’ apart from holy union. We were never meant to live independently of God; that is the essence of sin. Faith is expressed by approaching these virtues and relying on God to fill our deficits in real time.

Dear God,
I come to You woefully short on grace, love, compassion and patience; but I’m surrounded by people with desperate needs. I’m supposed to be an ‘Ambassador for Christ’; but I confess unbecoming behavior and an inconsistent witness. In my own self I meet none of the requirements of a Disciple of Christ Jesus; I need You to express these virtues through my frame. May my message be centered on You and not myself. Help my ego to disappear from the equation. I need Your holy influence to saturate my life. Firm up my resolve to quit reverting to my old self-reliance and dead works. May my life and expression be all about “US”, You in me. Fully yielded, totally dependent on, and completely committed to You. May You manifest the Character of Christ in my life and all the fruit of Your Holy Spirit so people know its not just me.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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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)

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JMD Devotional 228 Psalm 142 My Chief Persecutor

I CRY to the Lord with my voice; with my voice to the Lord do I make supplication. I pour out my complaint before Him; I tell before Him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed and fainted [throwing all its weight] upon me, then You knew my path. In the way where I walk they have hidden a snare for me. Look on the right hand [the point of attack] and see; for there is no man who knows me [to appear for me]. Refuge has failed me and I have no way to flee; no man cares for my life or my welfare. I cried to You, O Lord; I said, You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Attend to my loud cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring my life out of prison, that I may confess, praise, and give thanks to Your name; the righteous will surround me and crown themselves because of me, for You will deal bountifully with me.

I don’t make friends easily, and when I do I tend to drive them away. I am a mix of melancholy, hypercritical, over-driven-ness and intensity. Intelligence is a blessing and a curse; my mind darts off leaving others wondering when the conversation shifted from the familiar to the metaphysical. I tend to complicate and analyze everything. I don’t know how to relax. You can sum it up in, “I’m just too much.” It leaves me lonely. And when things don’t work out; I am the first to beat myself up as if I was responsible for the outcome of all things (like God); I am too hard on myself. David wrote that Psalm from a cave, being hunted down by King Saul: I am in a pit I dug myself. Either way, God is our first and sometimes only refuge, our deliverer, even from ourselves.

Dear God,
I hurt and I don’t know why. Even when I try to do the right thing I try too hard, mucking it up. I am finding it so hard just to be. What is easy and taken for granted (apparently) by other people is insurmountable for me. I am such an odd duck! A misfit. An outcast. Why can’t I fit in anywhere? I really feel like I don’t belong. I am my own worst enemy; but I’m stuck with me. Please throw me a life preserver, and pull me into safety and wholeness. I am so needy I despise myself. Only You can heal my mind and emotions; impart a right spirit and attitude. Help me to see hope and value and goodness in my mirror; to love myself. Teach me how to be a friend to myself and others. Oh God, bear my anguish.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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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)

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Christian, devotional, recovery, addiction, purity, faithfulness, integrity

JMD Devotional 227 Psalm 140:8-13 Divine Roadblock

Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; further not their wicked plot and device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Those who are fencing me in raise their heads; may the mischief of their own lips and the very things they desire for me come upon them.
Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, into floods of water or deep water pits, from which they shall not rise. Let not a man of slanderous tongue be established in the earth; let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him [let calamity follow his evildoings]. I know and rest in confidence upon it that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will secure justice for the poor and needy [of His believing children]. Surely the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall give thanks to Your name; the upright shall dwell in Your presence (before Your very face).

My pastor, Dan Hendley, has some pithy sayings that you have to be quick to capture the meaning of or they will just zip by. For example,
“To prosper in your sin is the greatest tragedy that can happen to a man this side of eternity. It blinds you to your fate.”

He also has a benediction that took me back the first time I heard it,
“May God grant you restlessness until you come to find your peace in Him alone.”

Dear God,
I confess resenting the many roadblocks to my personal plans, not knowing that my way led to death and only Your path to life. I have been blessed by failure. Thank You that I didn’t travel further using a faulty map and a broken compass and an evil guide. Help those of us who regret wasting so much of our lives in futile pursuits take comfort in Your grace and Your guiding hand, that takes us from where we are and sets us on the right path. It is not too late to set our sites on righteousness; to seek Your will for our lives.
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)

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JMD Devotional 226 Psalm 139:8 Bed in Hell

If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there.

Many committed sinners take a false comfort in the delusion that they can make a last-minute confession and go to Heaven. The problem is that people are creatures of habit. God has always been beside us, calling us to Himself. If a person has always resisted God’s grace, and ingrained an indifference to spiritual things, they would not be apt to even ring the doorbell on the pearly gates because they have no taste for the divine. We daily (at least in a figurative sense) make the bed we will sleep in for all eternity. On the flip side, ‘Enoch walked with God, and was not, for God took him..’ oh, what a glorious hope!

Dear God,
Thank You for breaking through my indifference and rebellion and for drawing me to Yourself with irresistible grace. Election and free-will are mysteries that I accept on faith; I’m just glad to know that I know that I am incomplete any moment now without You as well as in the future. You are my life, my joy, my hope and my inexplicable longing set in eternity. You are my inheritance that I can enjoy today. Abide with me my Lord. Always. You transform the mundane into spectacular holiness. May God be praised for His comprehensive salvation! I can always count on You being there.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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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)

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JMD Devotional 225 Psalm 138 Tesseract to Wholeness

Vs 6-8 For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him]; but the proud and haughty He knows and recognizes [only] at a distance. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever--forsake not the works of Your own hands.

In the book, “A Wrinkle In Time” By Madeleine L'Engle there was an unusual form of travel called a terreract that made it possible to cover any cosmic distance instantly. Common wisdom asserts that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points. A tesseract is a shortcut between those points. It simply involved removing the distance between where you are and where you want to be. If you are far from God you will wear yourself out trying to cross the distance yourself: humble yourself and ask Him to come to you. He not only can remove the distance; He yearns to.

Dear God,
(Vs 1-3) “I WILL confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praises to You. I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name! In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.”
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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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)

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JMD Devotional 224 James 5:16 Breaking Sin’s Grip

Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

I am a man recovering from porn addiction. Like an ex-alcoholic, I am just ‘one drink away’ from debauchery. My life requires constant vigilance. When I do slip, it becomes ten times easier to slip again, and the secrecy of the sin protects itself by withdrawing me from the accountability of others. If I pridefully cling to the delusion that ‘I can handle it’, I ultimately loose all spiritual traction. No, the Biblical prescription is to confess my sins to another. “You are only as sick as your secrets.” Picking up the phone and calling a trusted mentor and confessing my slip breaks the power of sin in my life and restores obedience to God’s Word. We were never meant to go it alone.

Dear God,
What a paradox! When I try to be strong (in my own self-will), I become weak and quickly defeated by my sinful heart. When I admit defeat and humbly seek help, I become more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus, I become a ‘champion!’ In my own flesh I can do nothing; only by Your Spirit working in me can I overcome. You have ordained the Church, the Body of Christ, to work together as caretakers of each and every redeemed soul. Help me to stay connected to You and Your Kingdom.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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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)

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JMD Devotional 223 Romans 8:19-21 Blessed Frustration

For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God's sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship]. For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it--[yet] with the hope that nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God's children.

I remember the epiphany that seized me as a teenager when I first read Romans 8:20 in a modern translation. The words, “for the creation was subjected to frustration,” stuck hard in my mind. I was frustrated and disappointed with the world I saw: the pain and dysfunction, the hypocrisy of adults, the obvious traps associated with every alluring temptation be it sex, drugs, stealing or gaining the admiration of my peers by being bad. I knew incredibly intelligent people who were dumb and blind when it came to spiritual things, and I saw apparently ungifted ministers earning a paycheck. My intuitive leap was that EVERYTHING short of God Himself would disappoint and fail to fulfill my deepest longings. Depravity inclines us to try everything else under the sun when only God will satisfy. Sensing frustration is a gift just as hunger is a blessing when it drives us to seek the essentials.

Dear God,
In my ignorance I have wished not to feel anything unpleasant; but pain does me a favor by telling me something’s wrong. Sorrow tells me I lost something. Loneliness tells me that I am not being a friend to others. Frustration and anger are clues that I am going about the business of life in the wrong way or with the wrong attitude. Ignorance is not bliss---thank You for giving me the truth, even when it is hard to bear. The way that seems right to this (and every other) man leads to death: please keep challenging me with Your Way. I am sorry for resenting it when You show me that my way doesn’t work. I am depending on You to bring goodness and to bless me through all of life’s disappointments and frustrations, because You are my God, my Redeemer, ‘the lifter of my head’, my Friend.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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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)

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JMD Devotional 222 Psalm 128 Value Exchange

BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who fears, reveres, and worships the Lord, who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments. For you shall eat [the fruit] of the labor of your hands; happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) shall you be, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house; your children shall be like olive plants round about your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you out of Zion [His sanctuary], and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life; Yes, may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!

God does not promise us earthly wealth, health or happiness; but here he does promise something very significant. For the one who fears Him and walks in His ways, and lives according to His commandments, ‘it shall be well with you.’ If you seek the Lord, your values will change. What God gives freely is despised by a lost world; but cherished by the elect. We could not ask for more.

Dear God,
I used to strive to be recognized, to gain worldly success, to amount to something by man’s standards---but I was just chasing the wind. Thank You for gradually refining my goals and desires; please continue to do so as I sometimes slip back to futile thinking. May it be well with me and my loved ones, may You bless my household as we revere You and respect Your ways. Make me aware of my transgressions; lead me in righteousness. Help me to value what You value and to hate what You hate. You are my grand prize; You are my inheritance that I so long for in this life and the next. You are my joy. Abba Father.
Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
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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)

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JMD Devotional 221 Romans 6:16-18 Slaves No More

Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)? But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. And having been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action).

I have a lot of respect for Twelve-Step Programs. They work because they are based on Biblical principles. They are really an outgrowth of the Church, and the Church needs to remember some of what it has given away. The prominent truths I see at work in them are:
A. Universal sin and dysfunction of humanity: we are all sick to some degree. We have hurt ourselves and others, we live in denial, we are not honest even with ourselves.
B. We need to take ownership of our sins and compulsive behaviors and acknowledge our finiteness and limitations (helplessness) so we can give up on our own (useless) resources.
C. We cannot fix or heal ourselves; we need to turn to a spiritual power greater than ourselves (i.e. God).
D. We need connection to other people who are also committed to recovery for encouragement, support, teaching, and accountability (hence, Church and/or support group).
E. As we progress, we have an obligation as our brother’s keeper to stick with the program and help others grow toward wholeness using our experience.
F. Salvation, recovery, wholeness, holiness is never a one-shot prospect; one must live the on-going process and revisit all of the steps again and again like climbing a spiral staircase. If you slip, you begin again where you are and continue climbing.

Check out the Hazelden Meditation series. “Keep it Simple”, “Touchstones”, “Answers in the Heart” make great daily meditations. www.hazelden.org

Dear God,
I am a debtor to many people who have courageously fought for recovery and have left a legacy of hope. They did it without the resources available today; but I thank You for these resources. Help me to not let pride keep me isolated and disconnected from other struggling people; help us to come together and manifest the wholeness that only comes from Your being in the center. May You receive glory from changed lives and redeemed people and successful living.
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)

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JMD Devotional 220 Psalm 25:1-5 Antidote for Shame

UNTO YOU, O Lord, do I bring my life. O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on, and am confident in You. Let me not be put to shame or [my hope in You] be disappointed; let not my enemies triumph over me. Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed; let them be ashamed who forsake the right or deal treacherously without cause.
Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long.

Shame comes from poor choices and misplaced trust. You try something out of the ordinary and it back-fires due to unanticipated consequences. Shame exposes our ignorance, our appetites, our foolishness and depravity. Shame is such an unpleasant emotion we often mask it with anger. Shame makes us small in the eyes of others. In the beginning of my recovery, when I was overwhelmed by a mountain of shame stretching back to my childhood, with grief and regret greater than I could bear, I desperately sought for one choice I could make that would not add to my shame and reproach. I needed one principle to hang on to that would not betray me, one goal that would not prove unworthy, one relationship that was healthy, one commitment to keep even if all others slipped from my grasp. I chose to trust God. I held to it like a drowning man to a life jacket. It became a steel point that pierced the mental fog and focused my energies. I “reminded” God constantly that He said that “no one who trusts in You shall be put to shame.” This promise has carried me through Hell. Trusting God is the one thing I will never be ashamed of, the one choice I will never regret!

Dear God,
Your promise is so precious to me. To You I give my life. I invest it with all of my equity. You are worthy of my trust; You alone are faithful in a treacherous world. Committing to You is the one thing that I have certainly got right in my life. Of that; I am not ashamed. Thank 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)

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JMD Devotional 219 Romans 8:1 Positive Feedback

THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

Let me wax technical for a moment. How many of us have listened to a speaker or musician who moved around and got his microphone too close to a speaker making the system howl? Amplifiers are good as long as they do not get too much feedback; too much turns amplifiers into oscillators. A typical application for a loud oscillator is a siren, which carries the message “get out of my way,” but beyond that carries no intelligence. Our minds are capable of amplifying details in order to get greater resolution. This is one reason why quirkiness follows intelligence; it is hard to discriminate which details to amplify and which ones to attenuate (and we usually get it wrong). Many of us have an overly sensitive conscience. It only took our parents over reacting once to a minor offense to impress our guilt for life. We also play an inner monologue to ourselves that repeat destructive messages. I get nervous every time I see a cop as if I had an outstanding warrant. The only way to get our minds to quit oscillating is to reverse the feedback and practice telling yourself the truth (constantly). The next time you feel guilty or condemned for no reason, or due to past, confessed sins, emphatically say “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Dear God,
I beat myself up and resent You for doing it---please forgive my folly! I hate myself for being a broken misfit and project that critical attitude on You as well when You really are gentle and forgiving and merciful and caring. I am so sorry for thrashing about so. You are a good dad. You are a good dad. You are a good dad. Help me, through Your Holy Spirit, to speak the truth to myself and to reject negative self-talk; because I am loved, I am loved, I am loved.
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:


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