This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey | Share The Word

Negative Influences

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Mark Shields

Read this poem knowing that God is on your side today to help fight any negatives that try to confine your progress.

Photo – Taken while going up Mt. Haleakala on the island of Maui. It’s a dormant volcano now but when it was active, the lava from volcanic eruptions formed more than 75% of the island.  Deep inside the earth, there is all this built up energy that is released through volcanos. Like the paradise of the Hawaiian Islands, God can turn our intense difficulties into something positive and His power can cause simplicities to emerge into an eternal paradise.

Thinking is going In the wrong direction Causing me to lose my edge And I need a correction. Hit with so many Negative influences On a daily basis Lowers my chances. But like a volcano With built up energy, Out of intense negatives Can emerge a synergy. Knowing God is on my side To help fight the negatives That confine my progress, I write new narratives. As my thoughts turn to…

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Posted in Poems | Tagged Anxiety, Bible, Optimism, Photo, Poetry, Prayer, Thoughts | Leave a comment

The Power that Works Within Us

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Mark Shields

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us – Ephesians 3:20

The thought shared in the post “Planning for What’s Possible” is that we worship and serve just one God. An awesome God providing victory in a person named Jesus who influences how we think and act. He’s also given us the Holy Spirit to set us on a path with ideas, hopes, and aspirations. We should respond by listening to His Word, using the instructions, and following through by applying them in our life.

As the song He is With Us by Love & The Outcome says, God is with us giving purpose and meaning in everything we do. The good news is that He’s never going to leave

Index of devotionals

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Planning for What’s Possible

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Mark Shields

The photo was taken at a concert of Love & The Outcome as they performed one of their worship songs. We have a good, good Father and His plans make the impossible, possible. Our part is to start by accepting the gift of Jesus who has made possible the freedom we feel. Then, we start planning what’s possible but eventually the impossible is being done as God sets up things for an amazing future. Our desire is then to worship our good, good Father even more.

Today as we read 1 Samuel 5, we note that the people of Israel were unfaithful to God and were worshiped idols so He allowed the Philistines to defeat them. The arc was then captured and taken to the house of Dagon which was one of the gods they worshiped. The city was Ashdod which was located about thirty miles west of Jerusalem. It was there that God brought devastation on the people around the city and afflicted them with tumors (v. 6).

The rulers of the Philistines then took the ark of God to another city but each time they moved it, God was against the people of that city and afflicted the people with an outbreak of tumors (v. 9). Finally, the Philistines demanded that the arc of God be put back in its original place.

The take-away in today’s reading is the need to worship and serve just one God. An awesome God providing victory in a person named Jesus who influences how we think and act. He’s also given us the Holy Spirit to set us on a path to victory with ideas, hopes, and aspirations. We should respond by listening to His Word, using the instructions, and following through by applying them in our life.

Good, Good Father, we praise You because there was at one time an obstacle to meeting with You and being the best we can be but then Jesus became the perfect sacrifice and we now have complete access to You and Your power. We are now ordinary people doing extraordinary things because of saying “yes” to Your plan. Now we can plan for what’s possible knowing that You can take our plans to an even higher level. Christ is in our heart and we are blessed beyond measure with a very great power inside that will transform our ordinary plans into an extraordinary destiny You have promised for us. Amen.

Posted in Bible Study, Make Impossible Possible | Tagged Aspirations, Bible Study, Holy Spirit, Hope, Make Impossible Possible, Photo, Praise, Prayer, victory, Worship | 3 Comments

Questions for Reflection for Study of 1 Samuel 5 through 10

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Mark Shields

We live in a busy world with busy schedules and being able to share some thoughts about this journey with others across this world through the Internet is truly a blessing. The below Questions for Reflection will stimulate thought and offer ideas for applying biblical principles at work, at home, and in all we do.

1 Samuel 5 – What is the situation in Israel before and after the Philistine capture of the ark (see Ps 78:56-64)? What happened when the arc is in the house of Dagon? How has God shown you His power recently? How have you responded?

1 Samuel 6:1-18 – What do the priests recommend to do with the arc of the Lord? According to the priests, what does the guilt offering accomplish (See Lev 6:6-7 and Lev 7:1-7)? How is your guilt removed? How do verses 9 and 12 show God’s graciousness and desire that men will realize his power and come to him?

1 Samuel 6:18 through 7:14 – Why does God kill men who have just worshiped Him? How does the passage describe wholeheartedness toward God? Why does the Philistine attack fail? Do you pray when you are afraid? Why?

1 Samuel 7:15 through 8:22 – What are some of the reasons Samuel’s sons do not walk in his ways? Why did the elders want Samuel to appoint a king? How would the king break up family life and treat the people? Would you rather be led by God or by a worldly king? Which form of leadership benefits the most people in a superior way?

1 Samuel 9 – What starts the chain of events which results in Saul becoming king of Israel? Can you determine what events in your life are important? Do you recognize your limited understanding of yourself, others, circumstances, and the future and trust God’s sovereignty?

1 Samuel 10 – What happens to Saul after he leaves Samuel? What has God done for the people of Israel? What have the people of Israel done to God? Do you place people in a godlike position (v. 19)?

Feel free to respond with a short note or a comment about any of the questions above. Also, I welcome any other thoughts or ideas, favorite inspirational videos, photos, or favorite Bible verses. Just add them to the comments.

Resources and Supplementary Helps Used in Posts

Adeney, Carol. This Morning with God: A Daily Study Guide to the Entire Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1978. Print.

“Sermons.” Sermons | FUMC Waco. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://fumcwaco.org/resources/sermons/>.

“Bible.” The Bible – The Word of God – ChristNotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 2017. <http://www.christianity.com/bible/>.

Nicholes, Lou. “Recent Commentaries.” Family-Times.net – Devotional Commentary Index. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.family-times.net/commentary/>.

“Bing.” Microsoft. N.p., n.d. Web. Images >.

“BibleGateway.” BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 150 Versions and 50 Languages. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.biblegateway.com/>.

To store up thoughts that are good for the soul, listen to a sermon. Download the free app in the App Store or on Google Play. Look for First Waco.

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Spiritual Journey through 1 Samuel 1 through 4

Posted on October 25, 2021 by Mark Shields

Photo Source – “Bing.” Microsoft. N.p., n.d. Web. Images >.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been looking at ways to apply the word found in 1 Samuel 1-5 and sharing some thoughts that not only can benefit you now but also help the next generation too! The greatest of all possessions one can hand off to future generations are the guiding principles taught by Christ Jesus.

Written about in “Accomplish the Victory” is the need to keep praying on a regular basis about your aspirations in life so that they are in alignment with God’s will. Once they are aligned with God’s will, things will begin to start working so your plans can be carried out and reality will affirm continual pursuit of your dreams.

Within the post “Destiny of the Faithful”, those who are the faithful ones in Christ are assured of a destiny beyond what could be imagined but the adversaries are headed towards ruin so let us meditate on the Truth and seek ways to share with others the reward for those who are faithful to the Lord.

An observation made in “Regard for the Lord” is that if things are wrong in our life, we are to seek solutions to getting back on track by following the Lord’s Way. Rather than trying to rationalize away His standards, trust and follow His Way.

Shared in “Grow to Know” was how Samuel listened to the Lord. In the same way, we can listen to the Lord by reading and reflecting on the Word. We can grow to know the instructions and be ready to apply them in our life.

A take-away from reading God’s Word as described in “Useful Faith” is that faith is not the only quality we need. The Israelites demonstrated that they had no advantage in religious ceremonial observances. What they needed was to internalize the qualities taught in God’s Word so that their heart and mind would be aligned for action.

Keep up with my spiritual journey over the next few weeks either through following this blog or the Facebook page I’ve set up at this link: This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey. Let’s share thoughts or ideas about applying our faith so we step ahead along the path to victory.