Your Daily Crossroad
15
Apr '19
The Power of Trusting The Lord with All Your Heart
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Apr '19
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
If the future feels uncertain right now, and worry keeps occupying too much room in your heart, in your mind, remember this: God is already in all of our tomorrows. He knows our way, and He has a plan. And we can be assured it’s always the best one for us.
God never asks us to figure it all out on our own. He just asks us to trust Him, to recognize His leadership and Sovereignty in our lives. And He promises to make our pathways straight.
– “Trust (be confident in, be bold, be secure)
– in the Lord with all thine heart (seat of emotions, inclinations, mind, soul),
– and lean not (trust, support)
– unto thine own understanding (discernment).
– In all thy ways acknowledge him (know, recognize),
– and he shall direct thy paths (pleasing, right, smooth).” Proverbs 3:5-6
We may not always see what’s ahead, but He does.
There’s great power in trusting Him. For it clears the way for our security to be based solely on Him, not on our circumstances, or other people, not on ourselves, or our own ways of thinking.
He is faithful to lead us and He sees the big picture. He brings clarity and light through foggy times. He knows what’s around the other side of the bend where we can’t fully see. His timing is perfect even when we start to feel like we’ve been forgotten. No matter how we feel or what our current situation may be, we can be confident that God’s Presence will go before us, paving out pathways, guiding and guarding our steps.
Keep choosing trust. Let go of worry, hold on to Him.
What do you need to trust God with today? Ask Him to help you guard and protect your heart from worry or trying to figure out everything on our own. Pray for His Spirit to fill you afresh and give you wisdom to hold on to His Truth.
I was blessed by this devotion today. I pray there are others who needed to be reminded of this scripture today as well. Have confidence in God, trust Him with ALL your heart! He will never fail you.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Proverbs 3:5-6
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Apr '19
Talk to Your Tears
12
Apr '19
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:5-6)
There is nothing sad about sowing seed. It takes no more work than reaping. The days can be beautiful. There can be great hope of harvest.
Yet the psalm speaks of sowing “in tears.” It says that someone “goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed.” So, why are they weeping?
I think the reason is not that sowing is sad, or that sowing is hard. I think the reason has nothing to do with sowing. Sowing is simply the work that has to be done, even when there are things in life that make us cry.
The crops won’t wait while we finish our grief or solve all our problems. If we are going to eat next winter, we must get out in the field and sow the seed, whether we are crying or not.
If you do that, the promise of the psalm is that you will “come again with rejoicing.” You will “doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his (your) sheaves with him (you).” Not because the tears of sowing produce the joy of reaping, but because the sheer sowing produces the reaping, and you need to remember this even when your tears tempt you to give up sowing.
So, here’s the lesson: When there are simple, straightforward jobs to be done, and you are full of sadness, and tears are flowing easily, go ahead and do the jobs with tears. Be realistic. Say to your tears, “Tears, I feel you. You make me want to quit life. But there is a field to be sown (dishes to be washed, car to be fixed, sermon to be written).”
Then say, on the basis of God’s word, “Tears, I know that you will not stay forever. The very fact that I just do my work (tears and all) will in the end bring a harvest of blessing. So, go ahead and flow if you must. But I believe — though I do not yet see it or feel it fully — I believe that the simple work of my sowing will bring sheaves of harvest. And my tears will be turned to joy.”
I needed to be reminded of this today. I pray it encourages someone today to rise, put your hand to the plow, even with tears, and say with confidence, my tears will be turned to joy and keep moving forward. Be encouraged today. He is always faithful. What an incredible father He is.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalms 126:5
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Apr '19
Take Another Look at Jesus
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Apr '19
But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Hebrews 3:6)
If there ever was a faithful person, it was Brother Justice. He was committed to his marriage, dedicated to his job as a postal worker, and each Sunday stood at his post as a leader in our local church. I visited my childhood church recently, and perched on the upright piano was the same bell that Brother Justice rang to notify us that the time for Bible study was about to end. The bell has endured the test of time. And although Brother Justice has been with the Lord for years, his legacy of faithfulness also endures.
Hebrews 3 brings a faithful servant and a faithful Son to the readers’ attention. Though the faithfulness of Moses as God’s “servant” is undeniable, Jesus is the one believers are taught to focus on. “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters . . . fix your thoughts on Jesus” (v. 1). Such was the encouragement to all who face temptation (2:18). Their legacy could come only from following Jesus, the faithful One.
What do you do when the winds of temptation are swirling all around you? When you are weary and worn and want to quit? The text invites us to, as one paraphrase renders it, “Take a good hard look at Jesus” (3:1 The Message). Look at Him again—and again and again. As we reexamine Jesus, we find the trustworthy Son of God who gives us courage to live in His family.
Father, through Your Spirit, empower us to courageously love, honor, and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
This devotion blessed me. Looking to Jesus can give us courage to face the challenges in our lives. No matter what your facing, remember to take another look at Jesus.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Romans 1:16
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Apr '19
In the Moment
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Apr '19
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life. . . No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself . . . (John 10:17-18)
The ambulance door was about to close—with me on the inside. Outside, my son was on the phone to my wife. From my concussed fog, I called his name. As he recalls the moment, I slowly said, “Tell your mom I love her very much.”
Apparently I thought this might be goodbye, and I wanted those to be my parting words. In the moment, that’s what mattered most to me.
As Jesus endured His darkest moment, He didn’t merely tell us He loved us; He showed it in specific ways. He showed it to the mocking soldiers who had just nailed Him to a cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). He gave hope to a criminal crucified with Him: “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (v. 43). Nearing the end, He looked at His mother. “Behold thy son,” He said to her, and to His close friend John He said, “Behold thy mother” (John 19:26–27). Then, as His life slipped from Him, Jesus’s last act of love was to trust His Father: “Into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
Jesus purposefully chose the cross in order to show His obedience to His Father—and the depth of His love for us. To the very end, He showed us His relentless love.
When I read this devotion it depicted a very real image of what Christ went through for you and I, why, because He loves us, before we were even born, He chose to die for me, for you. What an example to follow knowing that every word of Jesus was spoken in love. I am reminded of James 1:29, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. May we ponder these questions today, What matters most to you? How do love and obedience fit together?
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalms 51:1-2