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Christian Devotional – July 28, 2016
Read 1 Kings chapter 6 VERSE: 1 Kings 6:12–“As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your Father.” TRUTH: Solomon got busy doing what his father had asked him to do. David had wanted to build a temple for the Lord, but Solomon was the one that God chose to od that instead. Still The Lord spoke to Solomon and reminded him that it wasn’t just about building this temple, but that he needed to be sure that he was obeying all of God’s…
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Christian Devotional – July 21, 2015
Read 1 Samuel chapter 15 VERSE: 1 Samuel 15:22–But Samuel replied, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” TRUTH: Saul had disobeyed God. God gave him specific instructions and Saul disobeyed them. Samuel came and when he pointed out Saul’s disobedience, Saul quickly tried to recover and give a pious sounding reason for his disobedience. He indicated that he was going to offer a sacrifice with the objects of his disobedience. Samuel responds with this verse. When God calls us to do…
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Christian Devotional – October 30, 2014
Read Hosea chapter 9 VERSE: Hosea 9:17–My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations. TRUTH: The people of Israel had turned away from God. They had called themselves the children of God, yet they had rejected God. Since the people rejected God, God was rejecting them. Our obedience to God is a demonstration of our love for Him. If we are not obeying Him, then we do not love Him. Do we love and obey God? Or, have we lost our identity and become wanderers through life? RESPONSE: Father, You are my God and I love You. I will obey…
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Christian Devotional – July 28, 2014
Read 1 John chapter 5 VERSE: 1 John 5:3–In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. TRUTH: What does it mean to love God? What does that look like? We show God that we love Him by obeying Him. Obedience is an act of love. God didn’t make it so that showing our love for Him would be drudgery or would be considered a noose around our necks; instead, God showed us that His commands come from His love and are easy to do when we are allowing Him to live and love through us. Are we joyfully showing God we…
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Christian Devotional – June 1, 2014
Read 1 John chapter 2 VERSE: 1 John 2:7–Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. TRUTH: They needed to be reminded of what they already knew. God had commanded them to love others, this was not new. However, they needed a reminder and a refresher. God had provided them a new example of love through Jesus Christ, which we’ll talk about tomorrow, but the command to love one another was old. Are we doing what we know to do and what we have been told to do, or…
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Christian Devotional – May 31, 2014
Read 1 John chapter 2 VERSE: 1 John 2:5-6–But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. TRUTH: As we obey God more, we love God more. This is a ratio that is constant. When we love God more, we will obey God more. As we obey God more, we will love God more. We can use this as a measure to know and understand how to live like Jesus did. When we are living each day fully obedient to God, we demonstrate love…
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Christian Devotional – March 28, 2014
Read Deuteronomy chapter 13 VERSE: Deuteronomy 13:4–It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. TRUTH: The last several verses and chapters have talked about the importance of obeying God and following Him, but this verse adds one more idea: hold fast to him. We are to cling to God, desperately, intently, whole-heartedly. We cannot hope to follow Him unless we are clinging to Him like a drowning man to a life-preserver. Do we hold fast to God through every circumstance that comes our way? RESPONSE: Father, life throws me ups and downs…
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Christian Devotional – March 27, 2014
Read Deuteronomy chapter 12 VERSE: Deuteronomy 12:4–You must not worship the Lord your God in this way. TRUTH: The other religious people had others ways to worship their gods. They would perform sacrifices and rituals to their gods, but they would include things that were despicable and sinful in their worship practices. God wants it understood that what we do matters as much as why we do it. If we are doing the wrong thing, no amount of saying that it is “for God” will make it right. We must do the things of God in His way as that is what brings Him glory. RESPONSE: Father, I will follow…
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Christian Devotional – March 20, 2014
Read Deuteronomy chapter 5 VERSE: Deuteronomy 5:32–so be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you, do not turn aside to the right or to the left. TRUTH: Satan really works to make the paths on the right and left look so appealing, but we are to keep on the path of obedience that God has for us. Are we being careful to only do what God commands us? If we are not focused and attentive, we will be distracted and turn aside. RESPONSE: Father, Your ways are perfect and You lead us in the way we should go. I will stay focused on Your will and…
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Christian Devotional – March 11, 2014
Read 2 John VERSE: 2 John 9–Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the truth of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. TRUTH: We love to run ahead. Even as little children we race ahead of our parents and have to be reminded to come back. So often, we do the same with God. We don’t want to wait or go His pace, so we race ahead, trying to find our way on our own. When we do that, we are not following Christ’s teachings or obeying God. We must learn to wait on Him and walk…