 |
|
 |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
|
Devotional for January 26 -
By Faith “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11: 1 (NIV) Being a mother, one area that I truly learned to have faith was during the pregnancy process. From the beginning of the pregnancy of our third child, we would enter the office of our doctors only to listen to them prepare us for his passing. The doctors were sure that he would never make it. Each appointment they would gently place their hands on my knee, offer to console me, but never had faith to believe that it would come to pass. With each appointment, we held on to the faith of the words that God had spoken to us, knowing that this child would not only live but he would thrive. The pregnancy was a challenge to say the least. I spent innumerable visits in the emergency room for fainting, dehydration, among other issues. All of that was on top of 5 preterm labor incidents which eventually lead to me being put on bed rest. Then spending an entire month in the hospital confined to a hospital bed. Yet even in the midst of all this difficulty, I still had faith to know that our baby was going to be alright. Everything was out of my control, but it was all in God’s control. My choice was to choose to have faith in Him regardless to how the situation seemed. In many times, it can be easy to have faith when everything appears simple. The challenge is having faith when those around you are telling you to let it go. To have faith when others are saying it can’t be done. To have faith when above all odds it seems impossible. Yes! In those times, we each truly learn where and in whom our faith lies. When we place our faith in Christ, He is able to comfort us, strengthen us, and prepare us for what lies ahead even when we may not be able to see it in the natural. By placing our faith in Christ, we acknowledge that we are not in control and that He is. Having faith does not mean that things will go the way we want or the way that we plan. It does mean that in the end, regardless to how things turn out, it is all working toward our good. I cannot count the number of conversations that I had with Christ, the tears that I cried or how often I placed my fear in God’s hands. But I still continued to choose to have faith knowing that regardless of how it would work out, God was working everything to my good. So even though the doctors said that our son would not make it, God had a different plan. Born a month early, he entered this world with healthy. Even now as I watch each of my sons run around, I am reminded of my faith walk with God. Each one reminds me of the journey of faith that I had and still have with God.
Prayer Dear Heavenly Father, I am thankful that even when it seems hopeless to others You see life. Even when others see an impossible situation, You make it possible. Continue to help me to have faith in situations that seem impossible for me to understand. I pray that I may choose to trust you and to place my faith in your hands and not in the hands of man. Help me not to seek to control situations but to have peace in knowing you are in control of it all. I pray that I may be able to hold on to your words and that I may find comfort in your arms. Heal me where I hurt, help me where I doubt. In Jesus name, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday Hebrews 11: 1 Tuesday 2 Corinthians 5: 5-7 Wednesday Hebrews 3: 6 Thursday Hebrews Friday 2 Corinthians Saturday 1 Thessalonians 5: 8 Sunday Romans Application Have faith in Christ. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and exercise your faith along the journey by being doers of the Word of God. We walk by faith and not by sight . . . for without faith it is impossible to please God. About the author: As a wife, mother, educator, daughter, friend, I, Minister Mamie L. Pack, seek to be an accessible tool to the Lord. It is my desire to use my gifting of writing to reach the lost, encourage the believer, and teach the people through the Word of Jesus Christ. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com Click here to send to a friend. Click here to leave guest comments
Devotional for By Minister Mamie L. Pack
Called to obey “17) Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13: 17 NIV Being a leader is not always an easy task, especially when one is called to be the leader as a spiritual covering like the office of a pastor, elder or bishop. The responsibilities are many and the weight can be great. Just think of how often pastors have had to function as a referee to settle a spat between members of the church. Or have had to be the corrective father or mother, chastising members in love when they have strayed away from the Word of Christ. As our leaders, our pastors have innumerable roles. Yet, we, as the congregants, do have a large impact on our leaders. We have a responsibility to our leaders in multiple ways. We have a responsibility to obey and submit to the authority of our leaders. When we respect, obey and submit to those in authority over us, then we are not seeking to set our own agenda. We are dedicated to the vision and mission of the ministry through our actions and our words. This means that we are willing to serve, to give, and to be available. Obedience and submission to those in authority over us is also a direct reflection of our relationship with Christ. If we have difficulty being obedient to whom we can see, how obedient will we be with the one we cannot see? We can choose to cooperate with our leaders or we can choose to be disobedience. We can choose to help our leaders work be a joy or a burden. It is a joy to lead people who are cooperative, dedicated, and willing who are dedicated not to a man, but who are dedicated to God. You see, it is not just a man that we are being obedient to, but rather we are choosing to be obedient to Christ. When we serve, we are serving more than a man, we are serving Christ. We are not just building up our individual churches; we are building the Those that are called to leadership over us, they are held to a responsibility over how they lead others to Christ. They will be responsible for giving an account to God for how they taught the people, treated the people, and set an example for the people. Just as they are held to be responsible to Christ, so are we. We too will be held responsible for whether we choose to gossip about our leaders or if we choose to join in prayer for them. We will be held responsible if we choose to harbor bitterness, anger or unforgiveness in our hearts because we felt offended. We can pray for our leaders, offer our time for service, and support them when they travel to other ministries, or simply do our part in the ministry. Are you willing to do your part?
Prayer My Lord and Savior, I thank you for every man and woman of God that you have called and anointed to leadership all across this land. I pray that you may strengthen them mentally, physically and spiritually. Touch the hearts of the people, so that we all have a heart to serve and be obedient to those in authority so that it pleases you. Reveal to us those areas that hinder us from being obedient so that it may be purged. Direct us in the ways that we are to serve so that we may continue to build your kingdom. Forgive me for anything that I may have said, done, or felt in my heart about those in leadership positions that were not pleasing in your sight. In Jesus name, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday Hebrews Tuesday Isaiah 62: 6-7 Wednesday Ezekiel Thursday Acts Friday Hebrews 13: 7 Saturday 1 Corinthians Sunday Luke Application Take time to pray for the spiritual leaders of your church and other churches around the world. About the author: As a wife, mother, educator, daughter, friend, I, Minister Mamie L. Pack, seek to be an accessible tool to the Lord. It is my desire to use my gifting of writing to reach the lost, encourage the believer, and teach the people through the Word of Jesus Christ. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com Click here to send to a friend. Click here to leave guest comments
Devotional for By Minister Mamie L. Pack We are called to praise “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2) Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3) Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4) Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5) For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5 NIV Sometimes when I watch my youngest son, I am often amazed at what makes him happy. Anytime that he receives a toy, snack, or even a hug, it is quite common for him to do a little dance and shake. That is his way of showing he is thankful and happy. We don’t have to wait to figure out if he likes something, he simply does his little dance and we know right away that he is quite content. Although his mannerism may seem childish and simplistic in nature, it does stop to make me think how do I show God how thankful I am for all that He has done in my life? What do you do to show Christ that you are appreciative for the blessings and favor that He has bestowed upon you? Sometimes, although we are thankful, we get so caught up in living life that we don’t always take the time we ought to praise our wonderful father. But in this Psalm, all believers are directed with a call to praise God. Early in many cities, when the king would arrive, people from all over would join together to give out a loud cry for joy and for respect to let all other know that their king was there. We too are called to “shout for joy for the Lord” or proclaim His wonder before others. We are called to praise the Lord with gladness in our worship. Just think how often you have entered the church weighted with concerns, attitudes or circumstances which ultimately impacted your ability to worship the Lord with gladness. The gladness is not a pretense in which we act as if we are not bothered or have issues, but it is rather a choice in faith to worship God in spite of the circumstances, situations, or economy. But why? Why does the psalmist give a call to praise or offer thanksgivings to our Lord? Simple. He says that by simply knowing that Christ is God is more than enough to offer up praise. By knowing that Christ is God then we know that He is our creator, that we belong to Him, and that in all things He will direct us. In knowing Christ as Lord and Savior, we can rejoice and give praise because we know that there is a loving God who wants to heal the broken places in our hearts, who wants to guide us through the storms of life, who offers forgiveness even when every one else has turned away, who has created us with a purpose and plan. Praise Him because His mercy never ends, his love never fails, and His is always faithful.
Prayer Awesome Lord! I praise you with all that I have knowing that all things good and true come from you. Thank you Lord for every door you opened, every heart you have touched for my good, and for every person that you allowed to be in my life to help bring me closer to you. Thank you for continuing to love me even when I turned away from you in disobedience. Lord I pray that I may always have a heart of thanksgiving and always have a praise in my mouth for you Lord. In Jesus name, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday Psalm 100: 1-5 Tuesday Deuteronomy Wednesday Isaiah 40: 11 Thursday Ezekiel 34: 30 Friday Psalm 96:2 Saturday 1 Chronicles Sunday Psalm 95:2 Application Make a list of all the ways that God has blessed you then take time each day to praise God for all that He has done in your life. About the author: As a wife, mother, educator, daughter, friend, I, Minister Mamie L. Pack, seek to be an accessible tool to the Lord. It is my desire to use my gifting of writing to reach the lost, encourage the believer, and teach the people through the Word of Jesus Christ. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com Click here to send to a friend. Click here to leave guest comments
Devotional for By Minister Mamie L. Pack We are charged “14) And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15) Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 14-15 Working with people can be a challenge at times especially when we each have our own personalities, quirks, strengths, weakness, and preferences. The challenge comes into play when we are to work with others who seemingly work in ways that we would not work or those who seem to hit every pet peeve that we have. Even within the church, the body of believers is comprised of people with varying backgrounds, abilities, attitudes, work ethics, and so much more. Yet, we each are working toward building the body of Christ.
1. The idle: This group is comprised of individuals that are able to work, but have made a conscious choice not to do so. They have chosen to neglect their duties as believers and members of the church. They may choose not to read their Sunday School lesson, to not show up to help with the missionary work, or even choose to show up late on purpose to the service. This group may even be referred to as loafers. 2. The discouraged: This group is made up of individuals who are worried, fretful, or timid. The people in this group may view themselves with low self esteem or self worth. Some of these people may have become discouraged because of persecution, adverse circumstances from life, or from the loss of loved ones. 3. The weak: Those that are in this group are the individuals who struggle with abandoning their sin and obeying God’s will. Or more pointedly those who may be weak in faith. With each group of individuals, Paul assigns a specific role that the believer is to have. We are to warn, or admonish, those who are idle. This is particularly important to those who are in leadership roles. If you are the choir director and there are members who are consistently late or who do no follow directions on a regular basis, then we are guided to correct their behavior in love. We are not to correct others in a mean spirited manner, as that can hurt the body and cause more damage. Instead, we are to choose not to ignore the behavior but rather help them to mend their ways. He continues to guide us to encourage those who are discouraged. This could mean offering a kind word; send a card in the mail, or something simple as being available. When we have members who do not think they matter, we can help them by offering ways they can get involved in church. If you have a member who may be dealing with the loss of a job, a loved one, or suffering from post-partum depression, providing dinner or taking some groceries would be very helpful. Finally, we are to help the weak. This requires going the extra step in ministry. Sometimes being available to call the member or providing quiet time to talk with the member is helpful. Regardless to the varying groups in the church, he guides each of us as believers to be patient with everyone. Now, I will be the first to admit that at times, being patient is more than a challenge. When we are patient it requires us to not give in to short, quick tempers with sarcastic remarks but instead is kind. You see, we all have fallen into one of these categories as some point. The question is, how will you choose to help other believers?
Prayer My Heavenly Father, I am greatly for all the loving, patient individuals that you have placed in my life along the years. Thank you for placing them in my life so that I may grow up in my relationship with you to be a better servant in your kingdom. Please help and guide me so that I will be able to help build up those who are in church and with other believers. Grant me the patience and willingness to serve and an ear to listen. Uplift the leaders of our church so that they may continue to be strong in you. In Jesus name, Amen. Suggested Weekly Tuesday 1 Thessalonians Wednesday Romans 15:1 Thursday Matthew Friday Galatians Saturday Romans 14: 1 Sunday Isaiah 35: 4 Application Choose to be patient with others. About the author: As a wife, mother, educator, daughter, friend, I, Minister Mamie L. Pack, seek to be an accessible tool to the Lord. It is my desire to use my gifting of writing to reach the lost, encourage the believer, and teach the people through the Word of Jesus Christ. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com Click here to send to a friend.
Click here to leave guest comments
Devotional for By Minister Mamie L. Pack A New Way to Resolve “4) In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5) because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1: 4-6 NIV Here we are again! A new year and I have already begun to hear the conversations of people planning out their new year’s resolutions, but for some reason I began to be nudged by this. So, I set out to learn just what a resolution is. For so long, I believe that people have been making New Year’s resolutions without even realizing what it is resolution really means. According to Webster’s dictionary, resolution means to “finding a solution to a problem”, be “something settled”, or the act of “taking away such as doubt or fear”. When Christ came over 2,000 years ago, He came as a solution to the problem of sin that had entered the world. He was a precious gift that God offered to a sinful world so that we all would have not just eternal life but an abundant life. Then again, Jesus offered Himself to be a living sacrifice so that our salvation would be settled. Because of the shedding of His blood, we don’t have to be shaken by unstable economies, sickness, defiant children, doubts or insecurities. His choice to finish what was specifically assigned to Him, opened the door to a relationship with God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit so that we would not be bound to the cares of this world. His obedience took away our sin. With it, we don’t have to walk with our heads in shame, guilt or condemnation. He came so that all of that would be taken away. Ah, yes, Christ is the resolution. Even with that plan in place, God had/has a plan for our lives as well. He has fashioned for each of us certain tasks, relationships, and assignments. The path and purpose for our lives was created before there was an Earth, stars, or a sky. He knew moment of our conception, the tumbles, the tears, and the laughter. He knew the moment we would open our hearts to say “Yes, Lord here I am.” In the world’s system, New Year’s resolutions are our way of trying to fix what we see as being broken; our way of trying to start what we think we need to begin; or our way of holding on to old ways with the excuse of “I’ll let go next year”. But there are no New Year’s resolutions in Christ. Instead there is a plan He created specifically for your life. For me, there are no resolutions this year. Christ already did it all. My part is to do. Do what He assigned specifically to me. I am staying focused and committed to completing those tasks that have been made clear to me. This requires recognizing those distractions, knowing the difference between a good idea and a God idea, and moving in wisdom. We don’t need to wait until a new year to stay the course of the plan God has created for our lives. We can begin today. So I encourage each of you to lay aside your plans and choose to be committed to those relationships, assignments and tasks that God has revealed to you and lay everything else to the side. Choose to let Christ be your resolution. Prayer. My heavenly Father, I cannot thank you enough for choose to resolve my sin when you choose to take my place on the cross. I am thankful for the blood you choose to loose so that I may have life. My life has never been the same since you entered my heart. I am thankful for every door your opened, every door you closed, every life you blessed to cross my path, every moment that was used to your glory. Thank you for choosing me to be a tool to be used to your glory. I make my choice to complete the tasks you have assigned to me. Grant me the wisdom to recognize distractions and the wisdom to know how to handle them. Guide me so that I may be a wise steward over everything and everyone you have assigned to me. Lord I am excited about all you have done and all that you have yet to do in my life. I love you Lord, in Jesus name, Amen. Suggested Weekly Monday Philippians 1: 4-6 Tuesday 2 Timothy 4: 6-8 Wednesday John Thursday 2 Corinthians Friday 2 Chronicles Saturday Romans Sunday Philippians Application Write down the relationships, tasks, and assignments that you know Christ has assigned to you. Post it in an area where you are able to see it on regular basis.
About the author: As a wife, mother, educator, daughter, friend, I, Minister Mamie L. Pack, seek to be an accessible tool to the Lord. It is my desire to use my gifting of writing to reach the lost, encourage the believer, and teach the people through the Word of Jesus Christ. Click here for other writings available at the author's blog www.LifeINowLive.blogspot.com
|
 |
 |
|
| Site Map |