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Christian Devotional – January 4, 2017
What good are plans? As we continue to look at purpose, read Jeremiah chapter 29. God is giving the people of Israel some idea of what is going to happen to them in the future. They have been taken away into captivity and they dont see how any of this could possibly be God’s will for them. Jeremiah receives a word from God that is to help them and encourage them. We are going to focus on verses 10 – 14. God tells Jeremiah that He has plans for the people. God wants the people to know that there is a plan in everything that is going on. God has…
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Christian Devotional – January 3, 3017
Today as we start on our journey to look at purpose, I decided to start back at the beginning. Take a few minutes and read Genesis chapters 1 and 2. We see God, the One who has always existed and always been, and then we see that He gets busy creating. God is our Creator and He had purpose as He went through the steps to speak into existance everything that we see and don’t see around us. The Spirit of God hovered around and we see the Spirit of God moving directly with all that God has and is doing. In Genesis 1:26, God talks about the discussion that…
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Christian Devotional – January 2, 2017
Welcome to 2017!! Today I wanted to take a couple of minutes and talk about this coming year. This past year has been a difficult one for me for a number of reasons. I have seen God do great and amazing things, but not all of those have been easy or pleasant to go through. I am more convinced than ever that God has great plans and that He is going to receive the glory for anything and everything that He does, but I have struggled with knowing exactly what I am supposed to be doing through all this. I’ve seen a lot of internal change in this last year…
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Christian Devotional – December 31, 2016
Read Job chapter 42 VERSE: Job 42:3–You asked, “Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?” Surely I spoke if things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. TRUTH: Job hears all that God has to say. He hears all the amazing things that God is in control of and all the ways that he is not. Job has nothing else to say other than this. God has reminded Job that Job doesn’t not understand as God understands. Go sees the total picture and that is why we can trust Him and why He allows certain things that we don’t understand because He does understand…
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Christian Devotional – December 30, 2016
Read Job chapter 41 VERSE: Job 41:11–Who has a claim against me that I must pay. Everything under heaven belongs to me. TRUTH: God doesn’t owe us anything. There’s nothing we can go to God with and say, “Hey, You owe me this.” Everything under heaven is owned by God. He is the One who has all things and anything that we have access to in our life is simply a blessing that He has allowed us to use for the time being. Do we look at our lives and our things with this knowledge. Or, do we start to think that because of what we’ve done or not done,…
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Christian Devotional – December 28, 3016
Read Job chapter 40 VERSE: Job 40:4–“I am unworthy — how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.” TRUTH: God continues to share with Job, but He gives Job a brief chance to reply. Job quickly realizes that he has nothing to say. He is not worthy to reply to the questions that God is asking Him. He begins to see how vast and powerful God is compared to his own puny understanding of life. This is where we all need to get to. We all need to come to the place where we understand all that God is and does is far beyond our…
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Christian Devotional – December 26, 2016
Read Job chapter 39 VERSE: Job 39:27–Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high? TRUTH: God is continuing to speak to Job and question him. God is explaining all the things that He knows and asking Job if Job knows those things, too. When God is listing all these questions throughout this chapter, it is always amazing to me how many of these things I’ve never really thought about. I’ve never really considered that the eagle might start to fly at someone’s command. Or that it might even matter when and where an eagle flies. Yet, it matter to God. There is plan and purpose…
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Christian Devotional – December 24, 2016
Read Job chapter 38 VERSE: Job 38:3–Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. TRUTH: God responds. After all the debate and the questions and the back and forth between Job and his friends, God finally steps in and has His say. God starts out by saying, in essence, “You think you know so much. Fine. I’ve got some questions for you.” There have been many times when I have gone to God thinking that I had everything all figured out and if God would just listen to me, then everything would be great. God has had to have this same conversation with me. We…
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Christian Devotional – December 23, 2016
Read Job chapter 37 VERSE: Job 37:23–The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. TRUTH: Elihu is coming to the end of his speech to Job. He gives his reason for why Job is experiencing the difficulties that he is. Elihu states so many things that God does that Job cannot know or understand. He basically tells Job, “Look, God is so amazing and so powerful and so mysterious, we can’t possibly know why He’s done what He’s done.” While that is partially true, we’ll see God’s actual response to Job starting tomorrow. God is amazing and God…
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Christian Devotional – December 22, 2016
Read Job chapter 36 VERSE: Job 36:26–How great is God–beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. TRUTH: How long has it been since we marveled at the wonder of God? God is amazing and marvelous and truly beyond our understanding. He has control of so much and yet He is so generous and kind. Do we truly marvel and wonder about all that God is and then do we praise Him for it? RESPONSE: Father, You are great an amazing! I do not take enough time to truly marvel in all that You are and today, I pray that You will show me more ways…