Your Daily Crossroad
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May '18
The Land of Far Distances
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May '18
Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. (Isaiah 33:17)
Amy Carmichael (1867–1951) is known for her work of rescuing orphaned girls in India and giving them a new life. In the midst of this exhausting work there were times she called “moments of vision.” In her book Gold by Moonlight, she wrote, “In the midst of a crowded day we are given almost a glimpse of ‘the land of far distances,’ and we stand still, arrested on the road.”
The prophet Isaiah spoke of a time when God’s rebellious people would turn back to Him. “Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off” (Isaiah 33:17). To view this “land that is very far off” is to be lifted above the circumstances of the immediate present and to gain an eternal perspective. During difficult times, the Lord enables us to see our lives from His viewpoint and regain hope. “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us” (v. 22).
Each day, we can choose to look down in discouragement or lift our eyes to “the land that is very far off,” to “the glorious Lord who will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams” (v. 21).
Amy Carmichael spent more than fifty years in India helping young women in great need. How did she do it? Each day she fixed her eyes on Jesus and placed her life in His care. And so can we.
Lord, today we lift our eyes from the circumstances that discourage us to see You in Your splendor, and find peace. Amen.
This devotion is just what I needed and I pray it blesses you today. I am reminded of a beautiful hymn, Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace. No matter what we face we can choose to focus on the circumstances that discourage us or lift our eyes to see His splendor and find peace. It’s our choice, which will you choose today? Fix your eyes on Jesus!
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is 2 Chronicles 7:14
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May '18
Rich Fulfillment
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May '18
O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. (Psalm 66:8-12)
Sometimes we have the misconception that being a Christian should be all about riches, fulfillment and abundance. As Christians, we know the Lord personally and have been given everything we need for life and godliness. We are the children of the King. What else could we possibly need that He has not already given to us? But why do we face such hard trials in life?
The Psalmist explains the real life version of receiving fulfillment. “For You, O God, have tested us,” God tests the hearts and intents of His people. He allows trying circumstances to squeeze us: As if we are “in a net”; we carry affliction “on our backs”, often while submitting to others whose motives and intentions are wrong. God brings us through terribly trying situations to test and grow our faith in Him.
These trials are confusing and difficult. But we can we see God’s love and care through them because when we have come through the fires of this life, and walked through the tests and trials, the crown of eternal life awaits us. Fulfillment and abundance have to do with the victory in overcoming the most terrible trials. That satisfaction comes when we know that we are still with the Lord regardless of the circumstances. There is a place of rich fulfillment and abundance on the other side of the tests. All the riches of the world cannot be compared with the love, joy and peace we get from God. Read through Psalm 66 and really praise the Lord for the trials of life. Praise and worship brings the greatest fulfillment and abundance of them all.
When I read this today it blessed me. No matter what we face we must truly believe, God’s got this! Don’t allow the circumstances to overwhelm you or dictate your victory. Commit every situation to God and trust Him for the outcome.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is 2 Timothy 3:16-17
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May '18
God Makes Things Right
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May '18
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Have you ever wished you could take back something you just said? Or, have you ever thought “If only I had known then what I know now, I would have done things differently?” More than once in my life, I have wished I could go back and do something over to make it right. Even with our best intentions and motives, there are times when our words come out the wrong way and we find ourselves feeling badly. We usually know it immediately. I have learned from my own experiences that the Holy Spirit will convict and impress upon me that I should have handled a situation differently. One of the Greek definitions of the word “conviction” means to bring to light, to cause shame, or to show one’s fault. One of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to convict us when we say or do things outside of God’s will. This includes speaking when we should have been listening or speaking from our own wisdom instead of the Lord’s.
When I find myself in a situation where I feel badly about what I have just said or done, I start praying. I begin by confessing my sin and asking for forgiveness. The Lord promises that He will forgive us our sins if we confess them (1 John 1:9). Repentance is definitely the next step because we need to acknowledge that we do not want to continue sinning against Him or others in this way. Next, we have a responsibility not only to pray for ourselves but also to pray for the person(s) involved because our sins do affect others. And that is one of the reasons I love Romans 8:28. I pray this verse to the Lord when I know I have made a mess of something. I start asking the Lord to work it together for good despite what I have done or said.
I can honestly say that the Lord has always been faithful to these prayers. You see, we are going to say and do things that we wish we could take back. We are going to hurt others, even when our intentions are good. We will fail and fall short; we need a Savior. We are sinners saved by grace. So today, put the responsibility back on our Savior and Lord. Ask the Lord to work “all things” together for good and apply this verse to those times when you know you have just made a mistake. Ask forgiveness, and then start praying for God to make it right. Only He can make things right. God’s love, mercy and grace cover us every moment of our lives and He gives us His Word to help guide us. Memorize this verse today and ask the Lord to bring it to your mind in times of trouble.
When I read this I felt it applied to every single one of us at one time or another. But God! He is incredible, He is forgiving and He can take what the enemy meant for evil and make it good. So today, no matter what you may have said or done, listen to the Holy Spirit’s conviction, go to God, seek His face and pray. Only God can mend brokenness but you have to be willing to allow Him to. Look to God, repent and forgive. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin . . . (2 Chronicles 7:14). God makes things right!
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalms 115:14-15
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May '18
Miracles in the Everyday
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May '18
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)
There are many times that I just want to quit. There is no real reason but I just don’t feel like continuing on the same path. I want to see new things, do new things, feel new things and think on new things. I look for the miracles to come and, at times, I seem to end up more miserable than when I started. Sounds like moments of a mid-life crisis, doesn’t it? Maybe some of you deal with similar feelings at times. Wouldn’t it be great to have a relationship that changes from being filled with tension to all of a sudden being filled with those loving feelings? Wouldn’t it be great to suddenly wake up every morning early, bright-eyed to spend an hour with the Lord and to hear Him answer you? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to eat whatever you want without worrying about gaining weight or needing to exercise? That would cause a whole new way of thinking and feeling and doing and even living. Those miracles can happen–and do. I have seen the Lord do those things, which is why I look for those kinds of miracles every day. But I have come to realize that God uses the boundaries in our lives to teach us victories in entirely new ways. I hate to admit it, but I have come to learn that the victories in life come mostly in the everyday things.
I was reading the book of Zechariah along with the book of Revelation and cross-referencing similar passages. I knew that the Lord was speaking through them to me. I got this great feeling that He was going to be doing something great in my life that day. As time went by, I was looking for the miracle. And God is so faithful; I realized that He did do a miracle that day. There was something I have dreaded to do every week, but all of a sudden, I was excited to go and participate. It was a miracle. I didn’t have any of those feelings of dread or insecurity, just excitement. Why did God choose to reveal His blessing to me in this way? Because He values our everyday lives and wants to have us enjoy His blessings in them. That new thing may seem so small but it yielded so much peace. God is in the business of granting peace. Look for the Lord in the little things. He wants your revelation of His works to become bigger as you look for Him in the every day. And believe me, living on the same path but now with peace is living in the miraculous.
When I read this I couldn’t help but think how we all go through things in life like this devotion expresses but we must look for The Lord in the little things. Don’t loose faith or trust just because He didn’t answer your prayer the way you felt it should be answered. Look for him today and every day in the small things, for you will realize they were so great. Allow Him as today’s devotion says, to teach you victories in entirely new ways. When you do, it will open up an entirely new perspective on finding peace in your life.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Hebrews 12:2