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Christian Devotional – January 29, 2014
Read Proverbs chapter 29 VERSE: Proverbs 29:17–Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delight you desire. TRUTH: At times, as parents, it can be difficult to discipline our kids. We want them to be happy and seeing them upset when they don’t get what they want can be hard. However, that is only for the moment. In the long term, providing rules and enforcing them gives children a solid base and foundation they can build on in order to grow into the kind and considerate people that God desires them to be. We must help train them for people are not naturally that…
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Christian Devotional – January 28, 2014
Read Proverbs chapter 28 VERSE: Proverbs 28:13–Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. TRUTH: We do not naturally think of humility and confession going together with prosperity, yet God’s word indicates that these are key ideas that lead to prosperity. If we are hiding our sins and not willing to confess them or to turn away from them, we will not be able to find mercy and forgiveness for the things we have done. The Lord desires that we confess our wrongs and reverse them so that He may show us mercy and restore our relationship with Him. RESPONSE: Father,…
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Christian Devotional – January 27, 2014
Read Proverbs Chapter 27 VERSE: Proverbs 27:19–As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. TRUTH: Our life: the actions we take, our priorities, everything that we do, it all reflects what is truly in our heart. We can say one thing, but if we are not truly living out what we say, others will be able to tell based on how we live our life. What does our heart reflect? RESPONSE: Father, my life and my heart will reflect the same thing. My heart belongs to You and as a result, my life is to demonstrate that everyday. Thank You for changing my heart so that…
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Christian Devotional – January 26, 2014
Read Proverbs chapter 26 VERSE: Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” TRUTH: Lying and being deceitful are not causes to joke. When we are tricking someone or lying to them, that can be as dangerous as a person who is blindly and wildly shooting arrows. No one knows who will be hit or when. Being a liar is not a joking matter. We must be careful to only speak in a way that is truthful. RESPONSE: Father, I praise You for being truthful! Help me to control my tongue and use it to heal and not…
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Christian Devotional – January 25, 2014
Read Proverbs chapter 25 VERSE: Proverbs 25:28–Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. TRUTH: The wall around the city was a crucial security feature of most cities that day. The wall kept out invaders and people who meant harm to the city. When we lack self-control in our lives, we become like a city with no walls and we are opening up ourselves to being invaded by anything and everything. We must guard ourselves from those things that would seek to invade our heart and mind and steer us away from God. We must have self-control. RESPONSE: Father, help me not to give in…
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Christian Devotional – January 24, 2014
Read Proverbs chapter 24 VERSE: Proverbs 24:17–Do not gloat when your enemy falls, when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice. TRUTH: How do we respond when we hear that something bad has happened to a person we don’t like? Do we get excited or happy about it This verse indicates that it is wrong to be happy when we see others fall. We are to desire that everyone turn from their wrong ways. That can be a difficult attitude to have sometimes with some people. Do we see others through our own eyes or through God’s eyes? God desires that all come to repentance. RESPONSE: Father, You are…
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Christian Devotional – January 23, 2014
Read Proverbs Chapter 23 VERSE: Proverbs 23:12–Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. TRUTH: Two questions to ask ourselves from this verse. First, do we seek out instruction and words of knowledge? Second, do we actually apply them to our life? It’s so easy to hear instruction and to think, “oh, that’s nice.” and not actually do anything more with the instruction. So often we don’t take that extra step and we fail to gain the benefits of what we learn. RESPONSE: Father, You have taught me several things and yet I don’t always apply them to the situations I encounter. Forgive me and help me…
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Christian Devotional – January 22, 2014
Read Proverbs chapter 22 VERSE: Proverbs 22:9–The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. TRUTH: Do we have a generous spirit? Do we seek for ways to be able to give? The Lord indicates that when people are generous, its not just the person who receives who is blessed, it is also the person who gives who is blessed. Are we willing to give or do we try to hoard all to ourselves? We can be truly blessed as we are willing to give to others. RESPONSE: Father, help me to have the attitude of giving that You have. I want to be called…
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Christian Devotional – January 21, 2014
Read Proverbs chapter 21 VERSE: Proverbs 21:3–To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. TRUTH: Some people think God is all about sacrifice, but He is not. God is all about the attitude of the heart. Our heart and our motivation for why we do what we do is vitally important. We show God we love Him by doing what is right. We don’t earn God’s favor by what we do, but because we love God we are obedient to what God has asked us to do. RESPONSE: Father, my actions are to flow from the attitude of my heart. I desire that…
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Christian Devotional – January 20, 2014
Read Proverbs chapter 20 VERSE: Proverbs 20:9–Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? TRUTH: The answer: none of us can say this. No one is able to truthfully claim that they have kept their heart pure and without sin. People have tried to claim this, but they are lying. Do we try to deceive ourselves into thinking that we’re not that bad? We are all sinners and have all fallen short of all that God desires. Have we accepted His forgiveness and are we allowing Him to live through us? RESPONSE: Father, I am not good on my own. I am nothing on…