Do Right

Proverbs 16:2-4a  All a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion, but the LORD evaluates the motives. Commit your works to the LORD, and your plans will be established. The LORD has worked everything for his own ends—

            Often what the LORD lays on my heart and what I share with you is actually something which I, myself, need to read. Today’s devotional is such a time. All too often we are tempted—specifically, I am tempted—to plod along through life, checking things off my “to do” list as I get them done; deciding from day to day what I’ll do next. A passage like today reminds me that what I want to do is not as important as what God wants me to do and if I am wise, I will seek God before creating my own plans and agendas. Now to be clear, sometimes I am faithful in this, but many times I am forgetful.

            The same is true of things I believe to be right in my opinion. Many times I barge forward with an idea “to be helpful,” when later I find my efforts were not that helpful in the long run. Perhaps if I had paused to seek God’s wisdom, my heart would have found peace, and the course of my actions would have been more in line with God’s will and plan and not so focused on self. I understand times like this happen to most of us;  I truly know the feeling of not being as useful as I thought I might have been because the plan was mine and not in line with what God had planned. Yet I am blessed because there are many times my Heavenly Father presents me with opportunities to serve him in many ways; I only need to pay attention to His leading.

            If I want to focus on doing what is right, then I will focus on remembering to seek my Heavenly Father’s wisdom and guidance first before plodding along with my own agenda.

Today’s Prayer Suggestion:  Seek wisdom and guidance from your Heavenly Father as you plan your daily schedule. Ask Him what he has in store for you to accomplish each day, then follow through on what He lays on your heart. Be prepared to lay aside your will and agenda for His.

 

The devotional Do Right appeared first on Write From My Heart at 

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible^® http://netbible.com copyright © 1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

 

 

Do

James 1:22-25   But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.  For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror.  For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was.  But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he will be blessed in what he does.

            When used as a main verb, the small two-letter word do carries the weight of significant action. It includes performance of an action as well as finishing or bringing an action to completion. It is the concept of continuation until fulfillment. When I look at the James passage, I find the idea that while we are to listen to God’s Word; proof of listening is found in the action—living it out throughout all the days of our lives. It’s not intended as a once-in-a-while or when-it’s-convenient option. Living out God’s message of salvation and love is our daily mission.

            Jesus included the emphasis on the continued action do in his teachings:

Luke 6:46-49   Why do you call me “Lord, Lord,” and don’t do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice—I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came , the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the person who hears and does not put my words into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against that house, it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed!

            What is the message? And what are we to do throughout our lives?

Micah 6:8  He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the LORD really wants from you; He wants you to carry out justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.

Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Thank our Heavenly Father for the provision of the written Word. Ask for wisdom and guidance as you read. Ask for faithfulness to live daily as an example of God’s message.

 

The devotional Do appeared first on Write From My Heart at 

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible^® http://netbible.com copyright © 1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

God's Spirit Within Us

Dear Readers:

              In the past I have quoted scripture from the New International Version (NIV) and from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. This year, I will be trying out something new and will use the New English Translation (NET) version of the Bible as a standard for Write From My Heart devotionals. Once again, all scripture texts quoted will be NET unless otherwise noted. It is my hope that NET will provide the modern language preferred by most folk while still maintaining the true intent of scriptural interpretation from the original text.  It is important to me not to rely on popular paraphrases available today, but rather to maintain the integrity of scriptures through the use of  authorized translations. Thank you for your continued readership support.

This notice will be posted for the entire first week of transition from NIV to NET.

 

John 14:16-17 and 26 ¹⁶Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—¹⁷the Spirit of truth, who the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you.  …  ²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.

            When Christ completed his earthly mission—was crucified for our sins, was resurrected, and returned to the Father—he did not abandon us. God provided the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who believe in Him. The Holy Spirit is the divine presence in our lives. He comforts us. He advocates for us. He brings to our memory the teachings of Christ and provides understanding.

            The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is not a complicated process. Despite what some fellowships would have you believe, the gift of the Holy Spirit is free and doesn’t require special rituals or ceremonies. The simple truth is that the Holy Spirit is available to all who would receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. Salvation is the only prerequisite.

Acts 2:38  Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Today’s Prayer Suggestion:  Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s wisdom in providing us with the presence of his divine Spirit. We are not abandoned. We have the Spirit within us to guide, comfort, and advocate for us. We are never alone.

 

The devotional God’s Spirit Within Us appeared first on Write From My Heart at 

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible^® http://netbible.com copyright © 1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.