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Devotional – September 22, 2011
VERSE: Psalm 88:13–But I, O Lord, have cried out to You for help, and in the morning my prayer comes before You. TRUTH: In the darkest times, in the pits of life, when we cannot possibly believe there is a way out, God is there. He still hears our cry even when we don’t feel like we’re being heard. Our prayers come before Him as He leads us to go through the valleys of life. RESPONSE: Lord, even in the pits of life, You are with me and hear my cries. You love me and no matter what I am walking through today, I know You are with me.
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Devotional – September 21, 2011
VERSE: Psalm 87:7–Then those who sing as well as those who play the flute shall say, “All my springs of joy are in You.” TRUTH: We are to rejoice and demonstrate our love for God and our joy in Him. The Lord is the one who gives joy in every circumstance we face. The Lord is over all. RESPONSE: Father, no matter what comes my way, all my springs of joy are in You. I praise You and ask that You help me share that joy with others today.
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Devotional – September 20, 2011
VERSE: Psalm 86:11–Teach me Your way O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. TRUTH: The Lord is the best teacher to show us how to walk in His way. I want to be an eager student to learn and do all that He has for me. I want whatever it takes for my heart to be united in it’s desire to fear and worship Him. Does this describe Your desires today? RESPONSE: Father, teach me so that I walk in Your truth. Join me to You. Help my heart to not be divided over the silly things of this world, but to…
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Book Review – Decision Points by George W. Bush
I picked up the book “Decision Points” by George W. Bush on the advice of someone who indicated that they had enjoyed it, but I really didn’t know what to expect. What I found was an intriguing look into the circumstances of the recent past through the eyes of the one who made many of the decisions on how we as a country would respond. Regardless of my personal views on any of the subjects he addressed, I really appreciated the honesty with which President Bush detailed his understanding of the situations and issues he faced and then laid out the reason behind why he made the decisions that he…
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Devotional – September 19, 2011
VERSE: Psalm 85:2–You forgave the iniquity of You people; You covered all their sins. TRUTH: When we mess up, God forgives us. He covers our sin. He longs to have us restored to Him. He doesn’t want us to stan in our sin. Do we sit and wallow in our own self-pity and guilt? Or do we accept God’s forgiveness and work to show Him we love Him by obeying Him from that point on? RESPONSE: Lord, I pray that You will rescue me out of sin and cover me. I am Yours and I want to display Your forgiveness for all people.
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Devotional – September 18, 2011
VERSE: Psalm 84:5–How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion! TRUTH: If we allow Christ to be our strength, then we will be blessed through Him. Even more than that, do we hold in our heart a desire and a way for the peace and the power of Christ to be displayed? In our heart of hearts is that our motivation? We need both the pathway and the strength in order to lead people in the way of Christ. RESPONSE: Father, You know my heart. You know my desire to lead others to a deeper relationship with You. Bless me with Your…
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Devotional – September 17, 2011
VERSE: Psalm 83:3–They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones. TRUTH: As followers of Jesus, people will not necessarily like us. In fact, we have an enemy, Satan, who will use people to stir up trouble and will plan evil to happen to us. God does not leave us alone and He will one day set things right. We are His treasured ones. We are to trust in Him no matter what anyone else does.RESPONSE: Father, I pray and lift up Your plans to You. Keep me focused on You no matter what shrewd and evil plan Satan brings against me.
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Devotional – September 16, 2011
VERSE: Psalm 82:4–Rescue the weak and needy, deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.TRUTH:Even when we feel the weakest and most alone, God is there. He is our delivered. He is our rescuer. He will take us out of the hand of whatever we are facing and will hold us in His hand.RESPONSE Lord, it doesn’t matter what I feel, You are my deliverer. I will trust in Your hand to hold me through everything.
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Devotional – September 15, 2011
VERSE: Psalm 81:13–Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways. TRUTH: God is speaking in this verse and sharing His longing and desire for His people. God longs for us to turn to Him. His heart aches for us to follow in His ways. He wants what is best for us, and He knows that is found in following His ways. RESPONSE: Lord, help me to long for You as much as You long for me. I pray You will help me listen to You and walk in Your ways because I love You.
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Devotional – September 14, 2011
VERSE: Psalm 80:19–O Lord God of hosts restore us; cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be blessed. TRUTH: We cannot fix ourselves. No matter what state we find ourselves in, we cannot bring about the change we need. Only God can affect lasting change and restoration in our lives. Stop trying to make things better yourself and start surrendering to the only One who can. RESPONSE: Lord, I can’t fix all the things in my life that are broken. Instead, today I give them to You. Restore me.