Devotional Passages for Week of October 31 - November 6

Sunday:  Lamentations 4:1-5:22, Hebrews 2:1-18, Psalm 103:1-22, and Proverbs 26:23

Monday: Ezekiel 1:1 - 3:15, Hebrews 3:1-19, Psalm 104:1-23, and Proverbs 26:24-26

Tuesday:  Ezekiel 3:16-6:14, Hebrews 4:1-16, Psalm 104:24-35, and Proverbs 26:27

Wednesday:  Ezekiel 7:1-9:11, Hebrews 5:1-14, Psalm 105:1-15, and Proverbs 26:28

Thursday:  Ezekiel 10:1-11:25, Hebrews 6:1-20, Psalm 105:16-36, and Proverbs 27:1-2

Friday:  Ezekiel 12:1 - 14:11, Hebrews 7:1-17, Psalm 105:37-45, and Proverbs 27:3

Saturday:  Ezekiel 14:12-16:42, Hebrews 7:18-28, Psalm 106:1-12, and Proverbs 27:4-6

A Land of Images

Devotional Thought on Jeremiah 50:38

"For it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols."

Does this not describe us.  TVimages, computer images, movie images, facebook photos, etc.  Are we a land that overvalues images?  What are the idols of our culture?  I think it is worth some real thinking and assessment of our own lives.  What images do I expose my mind to on a daily basis?  What impact are those images having on who I am?  Have you ever considered fasting from a type of images for a day, a couple of days, etc.?  Why might we do this?  What benefits might result?

I'm committing today to fasting from images and feasting upon thoughts of Jesus Christ today.  Will you join me?

Devo 1 for Week of October 24

Sunday Reading:  Psalm 94:18-19 (read this passage)

I have a two year old son...who is prone to falling.  There are plenty of times when I have been close enough to him to prevent some falls that would have not only hurt a lot, but caused significant injury.  The amazing thing about our heavenly Father is that He is always watching over us.  While He certainly does not keep us from hard and difficult things in our lives, He walks beside us in them.  As His children we are loved by Him and so He often protects our foot from slipping, so that we do not fall.  He holds us up, not just physically, but emotionally. When the "cares of [our] heart are many" and it seems like they will overwhelm us, God's promises cheer our heart.  They remind us that he loves us and that whatever hard things we are encountering will not overwhelm Him.  They will not overwhelm us either. Why? Because "the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge" (v.22).  He is watching out for us.

Devotional Passages for Week of October 24-30

Sunday:  Jeremiah 44:24-47:7,  2 Timothy 2:22-3:17,  Psalm 94:1-23,  and Proverbs 26:6-8


Monday:  Jeremiah 48:1-49:22, 2 Timothy 4:1-22,  Psalm 95:1-96:13,  and Proverbs 26:9-12


Tuesday:  Jeremiah 49:23-50:46, Titus 1:1-16,  Psalm 97:1-98:9, and Proverbs 26: 13-16


Wednesday:  Jeremiah 51:1-53, Titus 2:1-15, Psalm 99:1-9, and Proverbs 26:17


Thursday:  Jeremiah 51:54 -52:34, Titus 3:1-15, Psalm 100:1-5, and Proverbs 26:18-19

Friday:  Lamentations 1:1-2:19, Philemon 1-25, Psalm 101:1-8, and Proverbs 26:20

Saturday:  Lamentations 2:20-3:66, Hebrews 1:1-14, Psalm 102:1-28, Proverbs 26:21-22

First Devo

Devo:  Psalm 90:14

This is an example devotional from a passage from this past week's reading.  

             In Psalm 90:14 the psalmist asks God to “satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love.”  First, it is important to note that this happens in the morning.  We are meant to connect with our creator every morning.  This should be our habit, to wake up and to seek out time with our Lord.  Why?  Because only he can satisfy us.  Only he can set our hearts right to begin the day. 

We are meant to start our day satisfied in him so that our hearts will not so easily pursue being satisfied in lesser things.  Think of the idols in our lives that so easily become what satisfied us first each day.  Perhaps you are tempted to turn on the tv every morning first thing.  Is it satisfying?  Sure at some level watching tv first thing in the morning can bring us an element of satisfaction, but it is a fleeting and empty satisfaction.  It does nothing to prepare our heart to withstand the trials and troubles of the day. 

Alternatively if we have sought in the morning to have our heart satisfied in God and his steadfast love then our heart will be far more prepared for what lies ahead that day.  All of us want to be loved.  It is an essential need.  If each morning that need to feel loved, approved, affirmed, etc. is met in Jesus Christ’s steadfast love then we will not be slaves to seeking our approval and affirmation from our peers.  What a wonderful thing to be free of feeling the need to seek peer approval.  How freeing to be able to stand strong in our knowledge of God’s steadfast love and be able to refuse to bow to the pressures from peers to do things that we know are not good for us.