Your Daily Crossroad
23
Jul '19
You’re Shining for Jesus Wherever You Are
23
Jul '19
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
The news headlines drifted in from the living room as I sat at my desk. The story of yet another tragedy contrasted so sharply with what I was writing that I stopped, sighed and leaned back in my chair. A sense of despair washed over me.
“Lord,” I silently prayed, “is there anything I can do about the darkness in this world? It seems so overwhelming.”
I sensed a gentle whisper within my heart replying, “The only way to get rid of the darkness is to add more light.”
Darkness is the absence of light. Trying to go after it directly is like chasing your shadow. You can’t bag it up and throw it away. Only light is powerful enough to make the darkness disappear. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear that we are the light of the world. We are called to shine. But the light we share is not our own.
From the very beginning of creation, God has been the source of light both spiritually and literally. Genesis 1:2b-3 says, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Imagine a world full of darkness. Then with four small words, light blazes forth. Every living thing in our world relies on light for its existence – plants, animals and people. The God who brought light to the world also brings it to our lives. As 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts”. . .
The best part of all is that we don’t have to be like the light bulb that said, “I have to find a way to shine!” The light bulb went to a self-help meeting to learn about its inner capacity for light. It read books about how to get brighter. Each morning the light bulb would get up and recite positive affirmations. “I am a light bulb. I believe in myself. I will shine!” But nothing happened.
Eventually the light bulb became weary and discouraged. It began to doubt who it was and what it could do. It almost burned out completely. Fortunately, one day the light bulb was carefully placed in a fixture. Light burst forth and filled the room. The light bulb finally understood. The key was not to try harder but to plug into the source.
Trying to shine on our own can be exhausting. Instead, we’re simply called to be closely connected to God and remain in Him. When we do, His light pours forth through us in powerful, brilliant ways that change the world. The ways we shine might not make the news, but they make even more of a difference than we can see.
Lord, thank You for being the light within us so we can shine brightly for the world around us. When it seems darkness is crowding in, use us to make a difference. We ask that You will help us share Your love, joy and peace. You are the hope we need and the One light that will never burn out, be overcome or fade away. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
After reading this I truly don’t know what more to add so I will leave you with this and pray it blesses and strengthens someone today who may be struggling to shine on there own. Be the light that helps others see. John 8:12 says, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Matthew 19:14
22
Jul '19
From Victory to Victory
22
Jul '19
Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. (Psalm 20:6)
“From” is a preposition—a qualifier of another word—and it can be used to specify a starting point in spatial movement or used to indicate a source or origin. Victory is both your starting point as you move toward seeking God, and your place of origin if you hold the right perspective.
Most of how you walk through life is based upon perspective. A pastor once said, “You get what you expect, so expect good things.” When you are facing circumstances with a lot of unknowns, you can be tempted to look at all the things that could go wrong. Or you can remember that Christ came so that you could have an abundant life.
The second part of that phrase says you are to trust God for the outcome. Trust is reliance on another, on their integrity, strength, ability, etc. If you’ve ever been hurt by someone before, trust can be a scary thing. God will never fail you. Even if what you wanted to happen didn’t, you can rest assured that God knows better and sees clearer and farther than you can.
Let go of your picture of perfection. Let God out of the box you’ve placed Him in. Seek God’s picture of perfection for your life.
After reading this devotion my prayer is that you will be encouraged to live victoriously. Pray for courage, comfort and strength as you continue to trust Him. I read a quote the other day that blessed me, it said, it’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think your not. Start where you are, use what you have and do what you can. You get what you expect, so start your day expecting good things, even if some days you have to try a little harder.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalms 119:11
19
Jul '19
Overcoming the Flesh
19
Jul '19
Romans 8:1-11
Sin is often frightfully deceptive. We can be diligently serving the Lord without realizing that we’re actually doing so for selfish reasons such as recognition, affirmation, or achieving our own goals. Or maybe our external behavior doesn’t match what’s really going on within our heart. We could be doing all the right things outwardly while at the same time holding a grudge, finding fault, or grumbling in our heart.
These problems flow from our flesh and its sinful desires, which are part of the condition in which we were born. The only cure for a self-focused life is what Galatians 5:16 calls “walking by the Spirit.”
First, we must realize that we cannot live a godly life apart from the Holy Spirit. Remember, the flesh cannot be changed or tamed but must be replaced with dependence on the Holy Spirit. He alone can overcome the pull of sin because His power is unlimited.
Second, we must surrender to the Holy Spirit rather than yield to our fleshly desires. In other words, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:14).
Third, we must trust the Lord. We can’t fully surrender to Him until we confidently believe both that His Word is true and that He keeps His promises. Then, as our thoughts, decisions, and actions align with the truths of Scripture, we are empowered to stand firm against temptation.
God wants you to live in the fullness of His Spirit. So lay your flesh down at the cross today, and let the Spirit lead you into a fruitful, abundant life.
I was blessed by this devotion when I read it and I felt we could all benefit from it, no matter who you are, no one is exempt. We all struggle with something from day to day but God has given us instruction to overcoming the flesh. He knows distinctly just what each and every one of us struggle with. As today’s devotion says, there is a cure for a self focused life and overcoming the flesh, surrender to The Holy Spirit and trust The Lord. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit (Galatians 8:5).
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Isaiah 41:10
18
Jul '19
We Know Love by This
18
Jul '19
“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down ourlives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)
I find it impossible to lose sight of the fact that Christ not only died for our sins, but He also endured everything we would have to endure so that we could never say that He didn’t understand our problems.
In the verse above, we see how Jesus shows His unconditional, undeserved love through His willingness to die for us in order to give us life. With this action on His part, He has every right to request that we offer the littlest portion of such a gesture for someone else. This verse doesn’t only talk about showing love by losing your physical life; but also about setting aside your own agenda in order to help, reach out to, and love others.
If you think there are no people on earth today that are willing to die for their fellow man, look again! All you have to do is take a look around your community—from the policemen, firemen, and emergency crews to members of the military.
We see that such a love for others is all around us. It doesn’t have to be as glamorous as the secret service in their dapper suits and earpiece communications to be a life-saving profession. We all witnessed countless heroes on 9/11 and during other tragedies who did their all to save the lives of others.
We see accounts of heroism on some level just about every night on the evening news. People are seen laying their own lives on the line for someone else. How much more should we be willing to lay down our lives for others since we have the example of Christ being sacrificed once for all men!
If you ask any of these people (servicemen and women, firemen, policemen, etc.) “why” they do what they do, they may not be able to tell you, it’s just something in them—a sense of duty that makes them willing. It’s the same with our faith! With the Holy Spirit in us, we will just be walking in the Spirit, willing to do what we should as we love each other.
The picture of love that Christ showed us is perfect. Love in its simplest form according to Christ is obedience. Christ was obedient to the Father and became the ultimate sacrifice, a greater example of love does not exist!
In John 14:15, we see Jesus give guidance on our relationship with Him, where He says,
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Obedience is a result of love and respect. When we love Jesus, we obey His requests. Jesus loved the Father and obeyed His commands.
We love God and others, and one way we show our love is through obeying God’s commands. Jesus clearly tells His people,
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35)
In this, we can see that loving one another Jesus’ way is more than “mushy gushy love talk” and a quick hug. It’s the real, lay down your life, pull together and help someone where they need you (even when it’s not easy) type gesture backed up by genuine, hard-working action. Love is the best when it is being “worked out” and actions are involved. Love is an action. It is not just a passing emotion that requires little more than brainpower and some smooth talk!
Jesus showed love to those He came into contact with during His earthly ministry by improving their situation. He impacted their lives in positive ways. He cast out demons, making the possessed emotionally whole. He healed physical conditions; He helped out at a wedding to bring honor to those hosting it. He changed lives. Jesus helped us all by giving us the hope of salvation.
I pray you are blessed and encouraged by this devotion today. When I read this devotion I felt it needed to be shared because we all need this reminder. Strive to impact someone’s life in a positive way today.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalm 119:7