Peace

True peace comes from the Prince of Peace.

His Birth Was A Miracle

His birth was a miracle, His love was a Gift Red poinsettias in a basket

Opened Ears

Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave-notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear. —Scott

God speaks through His Word to those who listen with their heart.

Directions

Ask God for directions because He knows the way.

Because of Love

Because of love God sent His Son
From heaven’s throne to earth
To rescue us from sin and death—
A Gift of priceless worth! —Sper

God’s gift to the world is the life-giving Savior.

Giving Part 2

Grant us, then, the grace for giving
With a spirit large and free,
That our life and all our living
We may consecrate to Thee. —Murray

You may give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.

Giving

We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.

One grace each child of God can show
Is giving from a willing heart;
Yet, if we wait till riches grow,
It may be that we’ll never start. —D. DeHaan

Instruction in Wisdom

This is for those who have had a difficult week.... instruction in wisdom.

(Psa 37:1) A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
(Psa 37:2) For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
(Psa 37:3) Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
(Psa 37:4) Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
(Psa 37:5) Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
(Psa 37:6) He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
(Psa 37:7) Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
(Psa 37:8) Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm.
(Psa 37:9) For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.
(Psa 37:10) For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.
(Psa 37:11) But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
(Psa 37:12) The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth.
(Psa 37:13) The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.
(Psa 37:14) The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct.
(Psa 37:15) Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.
(Psa 37:16) A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.
(Psa 37:17) For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the LORD upholds the righteous.
(Psa 37:18) The LORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever.
(Psa 37:19) They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
(Psa 37:20) But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.
(Psa 37:21) The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
(Psa 37:22) For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. (Psa 37:23) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
(Psa 37:24) Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
(Psa 37:25) I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
(Psa 37:26) He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.
(Psa 37:27) Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore.
(Psa 37:28) For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
(Psa 37:29) The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever.
(Psa 37:30) The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice.
(Psa 37:31) The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.
(Psa 37:32) The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him.
(Psa 37:33) The LORD will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged.
(Psa 37:34) Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
(Psa 37:35) I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. (Psa 37:36) Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
(Psa 37:37) Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. (Psa 37:38) But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
(Psa 37:39) But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble.
(Psa 37:40) And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.

God is Our Refuge

A beautiful view from Max Patch Road.... God is our refuge and strength. Psalm 46:1

Be Prepared

God’s time is now, for the days fly fast,
And swiftly the seasons roll;
Today is yours, it may be your last;
Choose life for your priceless soul! —Fithian

If death comes today, will you be prepared to meet God?

Drop Your Hands

Be still and know that He is God For pathways steep and rough; Not what He brings but who He is Will always be enough. —Anon.

When we put our problems in God’s hands, He puts His peace in our hearts.

Initial Point

Dear Lord, we are grateful for Your Book. In it
we learn of You and find guidance and direction
for our lives. Help us to learn to love Your Word
and to eagerly dig into its pages. Amen.

The Bible is like a compass: if followed, you’re going in the right direction.

For His Glory

Whenever life’s burdens oppress you
And trials are too much to face,
Remember God’s strength in your weakness;
He’ll give you His power and grace. —Sper

The increasing darkness of trials only makes the lamp of grace shine brighter.

Available Now

Thank You, Lord, for the Bible, Your Word to us. Give us wisdom as we read and study it. Make us sensitive to Your voice and give us hearts to obey. Amen.

God speaks through His Word—take time to listen.

Long Awaited Reunion

We’ll be reunited one day
With our loved ones who have died
If they know the Lord as Savior—
Then with Him we will abide. —Sper

God’s people never say goodbye for the last time.

Getting to Heaven

A Matter Of Faith
Jesus paid the penalty for your sins by His death. When
you admit you are a sinner and place your faith in Him
alone for forgiveness, you will be reconciled to God.

Believing Christ died—that’s history; believing Christ died for me—that’s salvation.

Unexpected

I know who holds the future,
And I know who holds my hand;
With God things don’t just happen—
Everything by Him is planned. —A. Smith

We may not know what the future holds, but we can trust the One who holds the future.

Just This Once

Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above. —Robinson

Temptations will knock at your door; don’t ask them to stay for dinner!

Salvation

I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus—
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free. —Havergal

If we could earn our salvation, Christ would not have died to provide it.

He Cannot Fail

He cannot fail, your faithful God;
He’ll guard you with His mighty power;
Then fear no ill though troubles rise,
His help is sure from hour to hour. —Bosch

With God behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead of you. —Ward

When No One Is Looking

Lord, help me to follow Jesus,
To obey Him day by day,
To be His faithful disciple
And please Him in every way. —Fitzhugh

Our character is measured by what we do when no one is looking.

Prepared for the Real Thing

Keep me praying, keep me trusting
Every step along life’s way!
Keep me waiting, keep me watching,
For He may return today! —Thiesen

Look for Christ’s return and you’ll live for Christ’s glory.

A Sense of History

Lord, teach us from the stories in Your Word.
We know You’ve put them there to guide us and
give us wisdom. Help us to make obedience
out of love for You our purpose. Amen.

Valuable lessons are learned from examining the lives of God’s people who’ve gone before.

Not What I Planned

As I walk along life’s pathway,
Though the way I cannot see,
I shall follow in His footsteps,
For He has a plan for me. —Thiesen

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. —Proverbs 16:9

Strength

When our hearts grow weary,
When our spirits dim,
He will go before us,
Leave it all to Him. —Anon.

When you’re weary in life’s struggles, find strength in the Lord.

Mother's Day

Lord, thank You for the influence our mothers and wives
have had on us. We too want to touch the lives of
others, to point them to You. We know we need Your
Spirit’s power to do that. Fill us and use us, we pray.

Good mothers not only tell us how to live— they show us.

Outside the Boat

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain? —Owens

We worship a God who is greater than our greatest problem.

Concern

If God ordained to give
One gift for all my days,
I’d want the way He loves
To permeate my ways. —Verway

The more we understand God’s love for us the more love we’ll show to others.

Apologies

Whenever you offend a friend,
Apologize and make things right;
For if you will admit your wrong,
You may avoid a needless fight. —Sper

The best way to get the last word is to apologize.

Our Daily Bread

I'm getting most of these devotions from Our Daily Bread.  Great place to sign up for their emails!

http://odb.org/

Before You Ask

We can trust the wisdom of His love. —Bill Crowder

My heart overflows—the grace He provides Is just what I need for my care; It’s all I could ask, whatever the task, Whatever the burden I bear. —Anon.

God’s timing is always right.

Lighthouse Scripture - North Carolina Photography - Jill Lang - Charlotte Skyline, Blue Ridge Mountains/Parkway, Lighthouses, Waterfalls, Lakes, Scripture Pictures, Old Barns

Lighthouse Scripture - North Carolina Photography - Jill Lang - Charlotte Skyline, Blue Ridge Mountains/Parkway, Lighthouses, Waterfalls, Lakes, Scripture Pictures, Old Barns

Search the Scriptures

Search the Scriptures’ precious store— As a miner digs for ore;
Search, and you will surely find Treasures to enrich the mind. —Anon.

The more you read the Bible, the more you’ll love its Author.

Jesus Understands

He took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us. —Isa_53:4

Jesus knows how you feel. You're under the gun at work? Jesus knows how you feel. You've got more to do than is humanly possible? So did he. People take more from you than they give? Jesus understands. Your teenagers won't listen? Your students won't try? Jesus knows how you feel.

You are precious to him. So precious that he became like you so that you would come to him.

When you struggle, he listens. When you yearn, he responds. When you question, he hears. He has been there.

In the Eye of the Storm Max Lucado

Gritting My Teeth

We learn to be victorious by surrendering our lives to God, not by gritting our teeth and trying harder.

God's Good Gifts

Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. —
Jas_1:17

Ever feel like you have nothing? Just look at the gifts [God] has given you:

He has sent his angels to care for you, his Holy Spirit to dwell in you, his church to encourage you, and his word to guide you…
Anytime you speak, he listens; make a request and he responds.
He will never let you be tempted too much or stumble too far.
Let a tear appear on your cheek, and he is there to wipe it.
Let a love sonnet appear on your lips, and he is there to hear it.
As much as you want to see him, he wants to see you more…
You have been chosen by Christ… He has claimed you as his beloved.
When Christ Comes - Max Lucado

Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down every idol throne,
Reign supreme and reign alone. —Reed

The Christian’s heart is the Spirit’s home.