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.
Jan 1 Psalm
52:1-9
You call yourself a hero, do you? Why boast about this crime of yours,
you who have disgraced God's people? All day long you plot destruction.
Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you're an expert at telling lies. You
love evil more than good and lies more than truth. You love to say things
that harm others, you liar! But God will strike you down once and for all.
He will pull you from your home and drag you from the land of the living.
The righteous will see it and be amazed. They will laugh and say, "Look
what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their
wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness." But I am
like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I trust in God's unfailing
love forever and ever. I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have
done. I will wait for your mercies in the presence of your people.
CHALLENGE
We are constantly pulled to live and do the way the world does. Today is
the day of opportunity and success: Claim Jesus as Lord and live like it.
Jan 2 II
Corinthians 1:1
This letter is from Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ
Jesus, and from our dear brother Timothy. We are writing to God's church in
Corinth and to all the Christians throughout Greece. May God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ give you his grace and peace. All praise to the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and
the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can
comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the
same comfort God has given us.
GRACE
Jesus will meet your needs. When our needs are met we will be quick to help
someone else. As our needs are met and we face a challenge successfully in
the Lord He will use us to help someone else that is struggling just like we
did. God is able to help us and He will use us to help others.
Jan 3 1John
2:7
Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment, for it is an old one
you have always had, right from the beginning. This commandment – to love
one another – is the same message you heard before.
LOVE
Love is a requirement for those who are members of the Kingdom of God.
Think about this as our new year begins. Think about this as you pray. Let
Jesus change the way that you interact with others. Love one another.
Jan 4 2John
1:5
And now I want to urge you, dear lady, that we should love one another.
This is not a new commandment, but one we had from the beginning.
LOVE
Too many Christians forget that love is a key element of the Christian
life. Hard feelings towards others, mistreating those who offend us are
both the wrong way for us to live. Pray for those who mistreat you.
Intercede for those who are suffering from hate. Be sure you put aside hate
and love one another.
Jan 5
Romans 8:23
And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a
foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and
suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our
full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
NEW DAY
We are looking forward to that day with deep yearning and a hope that
overcomes the ravages of this world. Remember as you look forward to being
with Jesus that you grow in your ability to love those you are still with.
Jan 6
2Corinthians 5:2
We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long for the day when we will
put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.
WEARY
We tire from failure, disease and so many other things. We seek the Lord’s
face so that He can comfort us in the midst of our weary lives. That day of
victory will be awesome. Today we have that victory. In Jesus we have
everything we need especially those things that we need to live and walk in
love. Love one another.
Jan 7 II
Corinthians 1:5-9
You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will
shower us with his comfort through Christ. So when we are weighed down with
troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation! For when God comforts us, it
is so that we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you. Then you can
patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you
share in suffering, you will also share God's comfort. I think you ought to
know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the
province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought
we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a
result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the
dead.
POWER
The world strives for power. People think that money is the key catalyst
for power. You and I know the real power and that is Jesus Christ. He is
Lord of all and He loves us. We can have his power that equips us to love
like He loves. Just ask and He will give you the power to love.
Jan 8 II
Corinthians 1:10-14
And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he
will continue to deliver us. He will rescue us because you are helping by
praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many
people's prayers for our safety have been answered. We can say with
confidence and a clear conscience that we have been honest and sincere in
all our dealings. We have depended on God's grace, not on our own earthly
wisdom. That is how we have acted toward everyone, and especially toward
you. My letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written
between the lines and nothing you can't understand. I hope someday you will
fully understand us, even if you don't fully understand us now. Then on the
day when our Lord Jesus comes back again, you will be proud of us in the
same way we are proud of you.
DELIVERANCE
What
are you struggling with that you cannot overcome? Give it to Jesus. Ask
Him to deliver you from this mortal danger that is constantly tripping you
up. Claim His deliverance and He will deliver you.
Jan 9 II
Corinthians 1:15-20
Since I was so sure of your understanding and trust, I wanted to give you
a double blessing. I wanted to stop and see you on my way to Macedonia and
again on my return trip. Then you could send me on my way to Judea. You may
be asking why I changed my plan. Hadn't I made up my mind yet? Or am I like
people of the world who say yes when they really mean no? As surely as God
is true, I am not that sort of person. My yes means yes because Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, never wavers between yes and no. He is the one whom
Timothy, Silas, and I preached to you, and he is the divine Yes – God's
affirmation. For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in him. That is
why we say "Amen" when we give glory to God through Christ.
AFFIRMATION
We are often looking for affirmation from others when we complete a job. In
Christ we find affirmation all the time. Jesus loves us and cares for us.
He loves us so much that He came into our world and died for us. Jesus the
Lord loves you and me.
Jan 10
II Corinthians 1:21-24
It is God who gives us, along with you, the ability to stand firm for
Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by
placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything
he will give us. Now I call upon God as my witness that I am telling the
truth. The reason I didn't return to Corinth was to spare you from a severe
rebuke. But that does not mean we want to tell you exactly how to put your
faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full
of joy as you stand firm in your faith.
FAITH
Faith in Christ is the activity of living a Christian life. It is not an
empty thought or a thoughtless activity; it is focused on and following
Jesus moment by moment. When we believe in Jesus we live like it.
Jan 11 II
Corinthians 2:1
So I said to myself, "No, I won't do it. I won't make them unhappy with
another painful visit." For if I cause you pain and make you sad, who is
going to make me glad? That is why I wrote as I did in my last letter, so
that when I do come, I will not be made sad by the very ones who ought to
give me the greatest joy. Surely you know that my happiness depends on your
happiness. How painful it was to write that letter! Heartbroken, I cried
over it. I didn't want to hurt you, but I wanted you to know how very much I
love you.
GIVING
We give of our self to Christ. I must willingly bend the knee to Jesus and
listen to Him as He gives me wisdom and guidance for living. When I give of
myself to Jesus it becomes normal for me to give to others. Christ loves
each one of us. We are His partners together in bringing the Good News to
the World.
Jan 12 II
Corinthians 2:5-11
I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the
trouble hurt your entire church more than he hurt me. He was punished
enough when most of you were united in your judgment against him. Now it is
time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged
that he won't be able to recover. 8 Now show him that you still love him. I
wrote to you as I did to find out how far you would go in obeying me. When
you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive him (for
whatever is to be forgiven), I do so with Christ's authority for your
benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with
his evil schemes.
WORLD
Call it what you will, the world is against the cause of Christ. Satan will
do everything in his power to throw you off track. Today the greatest
problem for those in the ministry is discouragement. We can do two things.
First, when we are discouraged, go to Jesus and ask Him to encourage us and
to help us stand in the face of assault. Second we can make sure that we
are encouragers.
Jan 13 II
Corinthians 2:12-14
Well, when I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ,
the Lord gave me tremendous opportunities. But I couldn't rest because my
dear brother Titus hadn't yet arrived with a report from you. So I said
good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him. But thanks be to God, who
made us his captives and leads us along in Christ's triumphal procession.
Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread
the Good News like a sweet perfume.
AROMA
We can be a force for good if we let Jesus lead us. When we are filled with
Jesus everything we do is different. We talk differently. Our attitude is
different. Our mind and heart are different. We respond to the world as a
child of Christ.
Jan 14 II
Corinthians 2:15-17
Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. But this fragrance
is perceived differently by those being saved and by those perishing. To
those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to
those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate
for such a task as this? You see, we are not like those hucksters – and
there are many of them – who preach just to make money. We preach God's
message with sincerity and with Christ's authority. And we know that the God
who sent us is watching us.
LIFE
We live
our life in the presence of the Lord. He is the audience. What we do we do
for Him. This is a critical element in a daily Christian walk. Not a works
salvation but a salvation that equips us and enables us to serve. Jesus is
Lord and if we will surrender ourselves to Him He will be Lord of our life.
Jan 15 II
Corinthians 3:1-2
Are we beginning again to tell you how good we are? Some people need to
bring letters of recommendation with them or ask you to write letters of
recommendation for them. But the only letter of recommendation we need is
you yourselves! Your lives are a letter written in our hearts, and everyone
can read it and recognize our good work among you.
LIFE
We do want to do good things and we do want to be recognized as valuable.
We must remember that our life is changed by our focus on Jesus and doing
what He says. Christ changes us. Others know it and see it. Jesus is the
foundation and facilitator of our Christian life.
Jan 16 II
Corinthians 3:3-4
Clearly, you are a letter from Christ prepared by us. It is written not
with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on
stone, but on human hearts. We are confident of all this because of our
great trust in God through Christ.
KNOWING
When we know Jesus we know the Father. We have a new heart and a new life.
Change becomes part of our daily existence. My life is no longer controlled
by me but by Jesus. I study His Word and let His Word grow in me so that I
know Him better.
Jan 17 II
Corinthians 3:5
It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves.
Our only power and success come from God.
JESUS
The Christian life is all about Jesus. It isn’t about me and what I can
do. It is about Jesus and what He has done and is doing. A surrendered
life is a life of activity. This activity is directed by the Lord in an
atmosphere of peace and joy. Jesus is Lord.
Jan 18 II
Corinthians 3:6
He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant. This is a
covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death;
in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life.
LIFE
Our new Life in Christ is given freely as a gift by the Father through the
Holy Spirit. We are new creatures in Christ. The Holy Spirit resides in us
equipping us with a spirit filled life. Jesus is Lord and we can build by
His strength a strong daily Christian walk. Not because of what we do but
because of what Jesus did and is now doing in us.
Jan 19 II
Corinthians 3:7
That old system of law etched in stone led to death, yet it began with
such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses' face.
For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was
already fading away.
WORKS
People
understand works. We can select the things we do and deny the things we
disdain and still rate ourselves pretty good. Look what I did is the human
cry. There is nothing in us that commends us to God. Jesus died on the
cross to pay the price for our sin because we couldn’t pay it ourselves.
Salvation is a gift-the free gift of God. The ground at the cross is level;
every one of us comes into the family of God the same way-through Jesus.
Jan 20 II
Corinthians 3:8-11
Shouldn't we expect far greater glory when the Holy Spirit is giving
life? If the old covenant, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how
much more glorious is the new covenant, which makes us right with God! In
fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the
overwhelming glory of the new covenant. So if the old covenant, which has
been set aside, was full of glory, then the new covenant, which remains
forever, has far greater glory.
JESUS
A life in Christ is forever. It is beyond our ability to comprehend forever
but that doesn’t change the fact that Jesus saves us for today, tomorrow and
forever. We can greet every problem with the fact that it will not last but
we will.
Jan 21 II
Corinthians 3:12-14
Since this new covenant gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel
would not see the glory fading away. But the people's minds were hardened,
and even to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, a veil covers
their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be
removed only by believing in Christ.
JESUS
Jesus gives us wisdom, mercy and grace so that we can live each day with
confidence. Jesus takes away all of our sorrow and comforts us when we are
overwhelmed by the world.
Jan 22 II
Corinthians 3:15-18
Yes, even today when they read Moses' writings, their hearts are covered
with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever anyone turns to
the Lord, then the veil is taken away. Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and
wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. And all of us have
had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the
glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become
more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.
JESUS
Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. We spend time with Him. We
let Him mold and shape us. We study the Word to know Jesus better. The
result of spending time with Jesus is that we become like Him. His likeness
will show through us in the way we live and the things we do.
Jan 23 II
Corinthians 4:1-2
And so, since God in his mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we
never give up. We reject all shameful and underhanded methods. We do not
try to trick anyone, and we do not distort the word of God. We tell the
truth before God, and all who are honest know that.
WORLD
The world uses trickery. We are called to open, honest and kind. We don’t
use half-truths or subterfuge to bilk others. We represent Jesus. When we
deal with others we are to treat them as Jesus would treat them. Jesus
loves each one of us as if there were no other and expects us to do the
same.
Jan 24 II
Corinthians 4:3-4
If the Good News we preach is veiled from anyone, it is a sign that they
are perishing. Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of
those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the
Good News that is shining upon them. They don't understand the message we
preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
TESTIMONY
We represent Jesus. We represent Jesus to everyone we meet. Not everyone
will understand or listen to us. We are not to judge, force or criticize
others. We are to be the light of Christ to the world. This is hard
sometimes. Someone we really love may refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Lord
or they may even criticize us. We are still called to share Christ by word
and deed. Be about the business of the kingdom-sharing Christ with a lost
world.
Jan 25 II
Corinthians 4:5
We don't go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the
Lord. All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants because of
what Jesus has done for us. For God, who said, "Let there be light in the
darkness," has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the
glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
JESUS
We need to speak and live in such a way that we honor and glorify Jesus.
Remember that God is love. Our love and faithfulness to Jesus will fill us
with love for others so that we mirror Christ in all we do. People count
with Jesus and they must count with us.
Jan 26 II
Corinthians 4:7
But this precious treasure – this light and power that now shine within
us – is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So
everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.
GOSPEL
Jesus is strong when we are weak. We focus our life on Christ and live as
His servant before a watching world. It is never do as I say but instead it
is always how may I serve you? We are servants and not overseers.
Jan 27 II
Corinthians 4:8-9
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and
broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted
down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again
and keep going.
ETERNAL
We are eternal creatures in Christ. We are sojourners in this world just
passing through. The world will abuse us but Jesus is always with us. We
may be at the end of our rope but Jesus will be holding on to us. His power
is perfected in our weakness. Jesus never wastes hurt. We are never out of
His sight or out of His hand.
Jan 28 II
Corinthians 4:10-11
Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of
Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we
live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life
of Jesus will be obvious in our dying bodies.
OVERCOME
We shall indeed overcome. Nothing in this world can destroy us. Jesus will
be with us forever. Our home is in heaven where we have a house not made
with hands that is ready for us upon our arrival. Our day of death will be
a day of homecoming with the Lord. Rejoice, whatever the world means for
our harm will be overcome by Jesus. He is alive and well and lives in those
of us that claim Him as Lord and Savior. He lives.
Jan 29 II
Corinthians 4:12-13
So we live in the face of death, but it has resulted in eternal life for
you. But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the
psalmist had when he said, "I believed in God, and so I speak."
FAITH
Faith is a focus on Jesus and a life that exemplifies that focus. We are
not blown about by every wind of life but instead are steadied by the
Creator of life. Jesus is worthy of all of our attention. Faith isn’t a
thought nor is it something we summon up, it is an activity with Jesus as
its source.
Jan 30 II
Corinthians 4:14-15
We know that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us
with Jesus and present us to himself along with you. All of these things
are for your benefit. And as God's grace brings more and more people to
Christ, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more
glory.
FAITH
We believe in the resurrection because of the Spirit within us that
testifies to the truth of the Word of God. We live with faith in Jesus
because we know Him. His presence is a now presence. We know Him now and
His strength is for now. Do not fear for we live in the presence of the
Lord.
Jan 31 II
Corinthians 4:16
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits
are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and
won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory
that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right
now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles
we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.
ETERNITY
Day by
day we trust Jesus for the moment. Day by day we face the trials and
tribulations of life. Day by day we can know for sure that Jesus has made
provision for us for eternity because we know Him. His Word bears testimony
of His Lordship and the Spirit bears testimony in our spirit that this is
true. As we get to know Jesus this truth blossoms within our heart and we
know Him better. One day we will be with Jesus for eternity.
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR ME!
April
2007 Devotionals
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2007 Devotionals
June
2007 Devotionals
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2007 Devotionals
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September 2007 Devotionals
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December 2007 Devotionals
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clay@lifesongs.com
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