Focused on the Awesome

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Mark Shields

Much of our life is directed by the low standards of this world rather than God’s higher standard. Success is defined by lofty incomes, nice cars, or an expensive house instead of vast spiritual assets like faith, hope, and love!

As we read 1 Kings 11:1-8 today, we will take in the lesson learned and pray. We will not be just going through the motions, giving lip service, or simply looking good on the outside but we will seek ways to internalize our faith, so it becomes a part of our character.

The main lesson today is Solomon’s spiritual decline. The major cause of his spiritual decline was his loss of focus. He was not devoted totally to the ONE true God because his wives turned his heart to their gods (v. 2). His kingdom was filled with disorder and future generations would see the kingdom be torn apart.

Solomon had strengths of wisdom and wealth during the first part of his reign but his major weakness was the alliances he made with nations that served idols. These bad habits caused him to lose focus. By paying attention to the world, disorder expands to fill the void of human failure. By paying attention to God, order fills the void with greatness.

So a daily time with God reading His word, prayer, and praise keeps us focused on what truly matters. By worshiping the ONE true God and thinking of ways to be a blessing to others, a good routine is developed. The activity is repeated over and over to become second nature and a part of who you are.

Think about your tendencies, weaknesses, or wrongdoings that need to be brought to God as you pray today. Do not limit what is possible. Ask for your deepest need praying for peace, for hope, and for healing. For revival, salvation, and victory knowing God is able to provide.

This Day, we put our attention on You Lord because You are the Way, the Truth, and the Light. With Your awesome wonder, we can prevail because You are bigger than all things that want to hold us back from a brighter future. With You are true blessings because You make the impossible possible through Your plan that brings peace and eternal bliss. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Photo – After college, I traveled for three weeks in Europe with a high school buddy and took this photo of the Swiss Alps.

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Praise Sparks Actions

Posted on July 2, 2023 by Mark Shields

A devotional thought from reading Psalm 65 is that a person’s praise of God is based on the wonders of His creation. The seas, the land, and the mountains which are worthy of praise. The crops of the land that are nourished with rain. Our praise to the Lord are words that spark our actions towards attainment of great feats for His glory. Each step of the way, momentum is gained until ultimate accomplishment.

Index of devotionals

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Poetry Friday 06-30-2023

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Mark Shields

A poem posted at my other blog Step Ahead is inspired by “Run the Race to the Finish Line”. Noted is that God and the Word are related because they were from the beginning and last forever. Let us set aside time each day to read, understand, and apply God’s Word. The event that gives confidence to our faith is the death of Christ on the Cross. Then the resurrection three days afterwards and the Holy Spirit adds to our confidence which continues to build daily. These resources are made available to us each day to help us boldly run the race to the finish line. 

This day with God, we will forever build a legacy with the people around us, practice being an encourager, and pass on the faith baton. Take inspiration from the song God Of All My Days by Casting Crowns. Sometimes we run away from God but we need to run towards God. Sometimes we get tired but we have others we can hand our faith off to so they can run the next leg of the race

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Arise and Synergize

Posted on June 29, 2023 by Mark Shields

His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not. – Jeremiah 20:9

Arise and synergize today with this thought received from the questions of reflection within “Enthusiasm Multiplies”. Once an individual or team sets out to fulfill a dream and it becomes reality, others will take an interest and enthusiastically join in. Enthusiasm and excitement multiplies as each new follower joins because of the synergy received.  

Inch by inch, everything is a cinch because you are energized with the Holy Spirit. Step ahead step by step on the path today with praise as you listen to the song He Is With Us by Love & The Outcome and synergize with other believers.

Index of devotionals

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Enthusiasm Multiplies

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Mark Shields

This day with God, let’s start living as a child of God with encouragement and enthusiasm! Live each day with passion and purpose because He is with us always. Let’s have faith in a future beyond what could be imagined with our Father.

Today, we are reading 1 Kings 10 and using the following questions for reflection to stimulate thought and offer ideas for applying biblical principles.

What types of activities does the queen of Sheba observe? To what extent can others tell that you love God by your ordinary actions as well as by your worship activities? How does Solomon use the gifts God gives him? How do you use God’s gifts to you?

In today’s passage, the queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon. She observed the spectacular beauty of Solomon’s palace, the food, and the wisdom coming from Solomon in their conversations. She was overwhelmed (v. 5)! Seeing Solomon’s achievements, wealth, and his wisdom first hand were even beyond the reports she had received.

It was evident that Solomon had taken action on the purposes God had given. He used his gift of wisdom and wealth to carry this purpose out. As long as Solomon and his kingdom gave honor to the ONE true God, there would be peace and prosperity. Otherwise, if there was idol worship, the outcome would be war and poverty.

In the same way, we need to use God’s gifts to us. To be thorough and keep working God’s plan for us so we finish effectively what we start. To apply our faith so we receive the reward. We need to refuse to quit and consistently improve by giving that little extra to accomplish the purpose God has for us. 

Once an individual or team sets out to fulfill a dream and it becomes reality, others will take an interest and enthusiastically join in. Enthusiasm and excitement multiplies as each new follower joins because of the synergy received.  

This day with You Lord, we are thankful that we can experience life as Your child. We are excited about this day. We reflect on Your Word and are thankful for the power of the Holy Spirit that helps us to see what is unseen. Our enthusiasm multiplies as we dream about the possibilities of the future, make every day count, and pray for each other as we step ahead on Your path. It is in Jesus’ name we pray … Amen!

Photo – Love & The Outcome in San Antonio at Sadie Robertson’s Live Original Concert

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