Ps. 145:18 "The Lord
is close to all who call on Him."
Prov. 30:5 "Every
word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection." NLT
THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE.
REJOICE.
June Devotionals
July 1 Psalm
118:1-4
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures
forever. Let the congregation of Israel repeat: "His faithful love endures
forever." Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: "His faithful love
endures forever." Let all who fear the LORD repeat: "His faithful love
endures forever."
GRATITUDE
Gratitude is a key element in our relationship with the Lord. I can do
nothing. Jesus is Lord and in Him I have all things. The trouble in our
journey begins when we begin to think we can do it.
July 2 Psalm
118:5
In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and rescued
me.
RESCUE
Satan is our adversary. The enemy is seeking whom he might devour. When we
face problems we have a savior. We cannot stand against the wiles of Satan
and we need rescuing. Jesus is able.
July 3 Psalm
118:6-7
The LORD is for me, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to
me? Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at
those who hate me.
FEAR
Fear destroys us. It grabs our sanity and causes us to do foolish things.
In Jesus we do not have to fear. In Jesus we have what we need for living
courageously. When Jesus reigns in our heart fear is kicked out.
July 4 Psalm
118:8-13
It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people. It is
better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in princes. Though hostile
nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD. Yes,
they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all in the name of the
LORD. They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a
roaring flame. But I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD. You did
your best to kill me, O my enemy, but the LORD helped me.
HELP
Call upon Jesus to help you and He will meet your need. When troubles come
call upon Jesus. We grow in Christ by giving Him every aspect of our
lives. Trust in the Lord and you will never be disappointed.
July 5 Psalm
118:14-18
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my victory. Songs of
joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of
the LORD has done glorious things! The strong right arm of the LORD is
raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious
things! I will not die, but I will live to tell what the LORD has done.
The LORD has punished me severely, but he has not handed me over to death.
VICTORY
Victory is a fact that we can live with every day. We are not pleading or
scrambling to live a victorious life. Living in Christ is the victorious
life. Victory is mine because I belong to the one who is the victory-Jesus
Christ.
July 6 Psalm
118:19-20
Open for me the gates where the righteous enter and I will go in and
thank the LORD. Those gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly
enter there.
ENTRY
We who are in Christ have the privilege of entry into the presence of the
Lord. We are given this right by Jesus. Great problem then talk with the
Lord. Small problem then take it to the Father. We have a relationship
with the Lord and as a result of this relationship we have friendship with
God.
July 7 Psalm
118:21-23
I thank you for answering my prayer and saving me! The stone rejected by
the builders has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and
it is marvelous to see.
ANSWERS
Jesus answers our prayers. The problem is not the answer the problem is our
knowledge. Now we know only a little but one day we will have full
knowledge. Dealing with life is a dynamic, interactive event. We can pray
with the confidence that the Lord is answering our prayers.
July 8 Psalm
118:24
This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
TODAY
We are now creatures. Now is the time for prayer. Now is the time for
victory. Now is the time that the Lord will help us. Pray for joy and
peace and live with the awareness that you have it.
July 9 Psalm
118:25-29
Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success.
Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the
house of the LORD. The LORD is God, shining upon us. Bring forward the
sacrifice and put it on the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is
good! His faithful love endures forever.
SAVE
The Lord is for us. He will save us as we face the challenges of life. He
has saved us in the past, He will save us in the future and He is busy at
work to save us right now. Now is the time that we live. Now is the time
we find the Lord. Ask Him to guide you on a successful path. Praise the
Lord.
July 10 Mark 1:1-4
Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. In
the book of the prophet Isaiah, God said, "Look, I am sending my messenger
before you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the
wilderness: 'Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming! Make a straight road
for him!' “This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness
and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had
turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
FORGIVEN
When we come to Jesus we are forgiven. This forgiveness is complete and
perfect. It is not based on my works or my standing. It is a gift from
God. His forgiveness equips us to be spiritually alive and partners with
Him in proclaiming Jesus.
July 11 Mark
1:5
People from Jerusalem and from all over Judea traveled out into the
wilderness to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he
baptized them in the Jordan River.
CONFESSION
The key element in our confession of our sin is change. I was following sin
and now I am following the Lord. When we confess our sin He forgives us.
When you are struggling to grow remember that change is critical in our
spiritual growth.
July 12 Mark
1:6-8
His clothes were woven from camel hair, and he wore a leather belt; his
food was locusts and wild honey. He announced: "Someone is coming soon who
is far greater than I am so
much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. I baptize you
with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!"
PROPHESY
The Holy Spirit is now here. He is able to lead, guide and direct your
path. Spend time with Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit change you. You will
find that His change is an equipping change that will enable you to have an
abundant life. Claim your spirit filled life by asking the Lord Jesus to
lead you.
July 13 Mark
1:9
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he was baptized by John
in the Jordan River.
OBEDIENCE
Who do you love? Do you love Jesus? Do what He says. Doing what He says
requires that we know Him and that we spend time with Him. Read the Word.
Pray to the Lord. Do what He says.
July 14 Mark
1:10-11
And when Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open
and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from
heaven saying, "You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you."
OBEDIENCE
The Father loves obedience more than sacrifice. We are seeking to please
Him with our lives and with our relationship. We do this when we are
obedient. Think for a moment, what has He told you to do? Please, go and
do it. In the act of obedience you will experience His “well done.”
July 15 Mark
1:12-13
Immediately the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness.
He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was out among the
wild animals, and angels took care of him.
OBEDIENCE
Obedience is always costly. We give up worldly ways and momentary sensation
to accomplish eternal goals. Living with eternity in mind will enable us to
deal with the perishable things the world offers. It will cost us but it is
an eternal investment.
July 16 Mark
1:14-15
Later on, after John was arrested by Herod Antipas, Jesus went to Galilee
to preach God's Good News. "At last the time has come!" he announced. "The
Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!"
GOOD NEWS
We can have forgiveness and peace with God. The Good News is that Jesus
saves us from our sin and gives us new life. This life is right now and
throughout eternity. Jesus gives us a life that counts with a relationship
that equips us to have friendship with God.
July 17 Mark
1:16-17
One day as Jesus was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he
saw Simon and his brother, Andrew, fishing with a net, for they were
commercial fishermen. Jesus called out to them, "Come, be my disciples, and
I will show you how to fish for people!"
DISCIPLESHIP
Jesus is calling you. He is calling you to change. Christ is calling you
to accept His as the focus of your life. You choose the way that you will
live. You will succeed or fail based on your choices. When we choose Jesus
as our focus we succeed. When we choose anything other than Jesus we fail.
July 18 Mark
1:18-20
And they left their nets at once and went with him. A little farther up
the shore Jesus saw Zebedee's sons, James and John, in a boat mending their
nets. He called them, too, and immediately they left their father, Zebedee,
in the boat with the hired men and went with him.
CHOICE
The right choice for life is to choose Jesus. He will reside in our
hearts. He will build a relationship, be our friend and equip us to
fellowship with Him. We each have inestimable value. Choose Jesus and
claim your position in eternity now.
July 19 Mark
1:21-22
Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum, and every Sabbath
day he went into the synagogue and taught the people. They were amazed at
his teaching, for he taught as one who had real authority quite unlike the
teachers of religious law.
AUTHORITY
We have authority in Christ. We do not belong to ourselves but instead put
ourselves into His hands and claim authority as His representative. He
gives us the authority to choose. We have the authority to lay down our
life for others. We can serve and willingly die to self. No man can claim
authority over us because we have died to self and are hidden in Christ with
God.
July 20 Mark
1:23-24
A man possessed by an evil spirit was in the synagogue, and he began
shouting, "Why are you bothering us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to
destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One sent from God!"
EVIL
The world is busy explaining away evil. It wants to make excuses for
murderers, liars, cheats and truly evil people. The truth is that evil
really exists and we are confronted by it everyday. Evil is seeking to
destroy us and pops up at the time when we are weak. We cannot fight evil
but Jesus can. When you find yourself facing evil turn from it and ask
Jesus what to do. He will not forsake you.
July 21 Mark
1:25-27
Jesus cut him short. "Be silent! Come out of the man." At that, the evil
spirit screamed and threw the man into a convulsion, but then he left him.
Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had
happened. "What sort of new teaching is this?" they asked excitedly. "It has
such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!"
GLORY
Jesus gives all glory to the Father who in turn magnifies Him. With a
simple word the Lord deals with evil. Imagine the kind of things that Jesus
could do in your life. Think of the difficulties, those that are evil and
those that are simply difficult, that you face each day. What power we have
been given to have Jesus alive in us. Ask Him to use you to magnify Him.
July 22 Mark
1:28-31
The news of what he had done spread quickly through that entire area of
Galilee.
After Jesus
and his disciples left the synagogue, they went over to Simon and Andrew's
home, and James and John were with them. Simon's mother-in-law was sick in
bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. He went to her
bedside, and as he took her by the hand and helped her to sit up, the fever
suddenly left, and she got up and prepared a meal for them.
HEALING
Jesus is the great healer. We can go to Him with our infirmities. Our goal
is to glorify Jesus and He will enable us to do that. We present ourselves
to Christ with absolute confidence of His love and His commitment to us and
we go forth to be the person we were created to be. As we do this we
glorify Him. His glory equips us to be and to do in the midst of the
ordinariness of our lives.
July 23 Mark
1:32-33
That evening at sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought
to Jesus. And a huge crowd of people from all over Capernaum gathered
outside the door to watch.
HOPE
Hope is a powerful tool in the Christian life. Once we see His love for us
and know that Jesus is on our side what can defeat us? We have hope in
Him. We are able to move forward in Jesus because of His present love and
our eternal relationship.
July 24 Mark
1:34
So Jesus healed great numbers of sick people who had many different kinds
of diseases, and he ordered many demons to come out of their victims. But
because they knew who he was, he refused to allow the demons to speak.
HOPE
What
has you down? What evil is telling you that you are not worthy of the
attention of the Creator of all? Be of good cheer, hope in Christ. Take a
moment where you are and in the condition you find yourself in to tell
yourself that Jesus is Lord. He is Lord of your life and He loves you.
Every thought that Jesus has towards you is a thought for good. Jesus the
Great Healer will heal you.
July 25 Mark
1:35
The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into
the wilderness to pray.
PRAY
Time with Jesus is time well spent. We are called to pray. Jesus shows us
the need for prayer. Our hearts cry out to spend time with Jesus. Organize
your day so that everyday you spend time with Jesus. Discipline yourself
for this joy. Life filled with Jesus is a life of abundance and joy.
July 26 Mark
1:36-38
Later Simon and the others went out to find him. They said, "Everyone is
asking for you." But he replied, "We must go on to other towns as well, and
I will preach to them, too, because that is why I came."
PROCLAMATION
Jesus has come and this is Good News. Jesus is here and available is
wonderful news. When we ask Christ into our heart and permit Him to have
Lordship of our daily life we will naturally share with others what Jesus is
doing in us.
July 27 Mark
1:39
So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the
synagogues and expelling demons from many people.
VICTORY
There is victory in our life when Jesus is in control of our life. The
things that trouble us and overwhelm us will be dealt with by the Lord. He
will give us the wisdom, mercy, grace and understanding we need to stand in
the hour of difficulty.
July 28 Mark
1:40-41
A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be
healed. "If you want to, you can make me well again," he said. Moved with
pity, Jesus touched him. "I want to," he said. "Be healed!"
HEALING
Jesus offers healing for our life. Go to Him with your needs and you will
come away with His resources. Jesus will never fail you nor will He
overlook you. Spend time with Him and He will shepherd your life.
July 29 Mark
1:42
Instantly the leprosy disappeared the man was healed.
HEALING
Healing is an act of God. It is His choice as to how He will heal us and it
is done His way. The Lord will heal us. Jesus loves us. Every thought He
has towards you is a thought for good. Discipline yourself to build a
relationship with Jesus and He will spend time with you.
July 30 Mark
1:43-44
Then Jesus sent him on his way and told him sternly, "Go right over to
the priest and let him examine you. Don't talk to anyone along the way. Take
along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been
healed of leprosy, so everyone will have proof of your healing."
MIRACLES
Miracles or what we call miracles are to magnify the Lord. Every day of our
life is a miracle. We are called to glorify Jesus. Identify His activity
in your life. Thank Him for it. An attitude of gratitude will enable us to
see the activity of the Lord in our life every day.
July 31 Mark
1:45
But as the man went on his way, he spread the news, telling everyone what
had happened to him. As a result, such crowds soon surrounded Jesus that he
couldn't enter a town anywhere publicly. He had to stay out in the secluded
places, and people from everywhere came to him there.
LOVE
Jesus loves you. His love is so great that He loves you in spite of your
disdain for Him. Today spend time thinking about His love. Think of the
wonderful blessings He has bestowed upon you. Think of your gratitude for
answered prayer and the way that prayers were answered. Thank Him from your
heart and let that gratitude fill your soul. Thank you Lord for your love
for us.
April
2007 Devotionals
May
2007 Devotionals
June
2007 Devotionals
contact Clay:
clay@lifesongs.com
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Scripture quotations are
taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright© 1996. Used by permission of
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
NASB Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New American
Standard Bible, copyright 1975. All rights
reserved by the Lockman Foundation.
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