Special Days

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Mark Shields

This day with God, we can make offerings by enthusiastically living with a purpose, meeting together with eagerness, and being interested in and caring for others. This poem was written to restore power and enthusiasm into each day.

Mark Shields's avatarStep Ahead

Before Christ, offerings
Involved preparation
But now, there is
No hesitation.

By accepting Christ,
There is rest
And each day is special 
So offer God your best.

Enthusiastically 
Live with devotion, 
Spur each other on, 
And get in motion.

Have genuine 
Concern for each other,
Marvel at things nearby,
And things to discover.

Make everything count,
Worship with songs of praise, 
And find excitement
In all your days. 

Poem by Mark Shields – © 10-14-2021
Inspired by
“Special Days”
Photo – Taken on a special sunny day when we went downtown for an afternoon in my hometown of Waco Texas.  Many times we think the exciting things in life are far away but excitement might be right in your back yard. A sunset, a sunrise, wildlife, or birds in the sky.

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Trust in the Name of the Lord

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Mark Shields

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God – Psalm 20:7

An observation made in the post “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.

The song Battle Belongs by Phil Wickham tells us that nothing can stand against the power of God. He wins every battle so all we need to do is lay all the bad things in life down at the foot of the cross. When the Lord is for us, no one can be against us.

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Regard for the Lord

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Mark Shields

Just a click away are Christian blogs, uplifting music, and Sermons available from any place or any time that will help us step ahead to victory. That’s why we are taking in the Lord’s Word today in 1 Samuel 2:12-36.

We observe in the Word that Eli was the chief priest who had sons that helped their father. They had very little regard for the Lord as they were taking advantage of a practice of priests in which they would take for themselves the meat sacrifice offerings being brought by the people.

Another sin they were committing was sleeping with the women who served the sacrifices. The Lord’s people began to talk so the sinful actions of Eli’s sons were known by the people but Eli did very little to correct his sons.

The priesthood was losing the trust of the people. Even Samuel’s parents were worried about the bad environment Samuel was raised in but Samuel was dedicated to the Lord and Hannah continued to pray for her son. Eventually, the Lord brought judgment upon Eli and his sons but Samuel was then chosen by the Lord to take over the priestly functions.

A take away from today’s passage is that trying to please family or friends like Eli did is never enough. Especially when what they are doing goes against the Lord’s purpose in our own life. If things are wrong in our life, we must have regard for the Lord and seek solutions to getting back on track with the Lord’s standards. Rather than trying to rationalize away His standards, we are to be devoted to Him and follow His will.

This day, we have regard for You Lord. We are in alignment with Your Way that has proven to be the best Way now and brings hope to the future. We are in right standing with You and we believe we will have a great day stepping ahead in a powerful way to fulfilling Your purpose in our life. Amen.

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Shout for Joy

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Mark Shields

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. – Psalm 100:1-2

As pointed out in the song Shout to the Lord by Michael W. Smith, nothing compares to the promise we have in the Lord. Let us point out the wonders of His world. That the mountains bow down and the seas roar at the sound of His name.

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. 

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The Destiny of the Faithful

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Mark Shields

The photo was taken a while back when I was walking from the parking lot at work. The office building is up on a hill and Lake Waco is at the bottom of the hill. The rainbow stretched from one end of Lake Waco to the next.

These things of God reward our lives and we reward God by praising him. Each day with God is rewarding as we see a sunrise and a sunset. It is in God that we believe, we are thankful for His provision, and grateful for all we receive.

Reading today in 1 Samuel 2:1-11, we note that the destiny of those faithful to God are assured of a life filled with joy but the fate of those against God is one of unfulfilled need, brokenness, and sadness. For the Lord provides food for the hungry and prosperity for the poor. The barren have children and those in need are provided for.

The adversaries to the Truth are headed towards ruin for the wages of sin is death but the destinies of the faithful ones in Christ are assured. Meditate on the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). Invest in the Truth and earn an amazing return by receiving assurance of a destiny beyond the imagination.

Worship the Lord spontaneously like Hannah does in today’s passage because of grace, hope, and redemption. Each day, we get a new start because of grace and we can set out to capture more memories that reward our lives. At the same time, we reward God by praising him.

This day with You Lord, we get a new start. Some days we miss the mark but with grace, we receive a spark towards a better day today. Our destiny is assured and we meditate on Your Truth because it rewards us with many blessings along the way. Lord … You are in control and You never fail. Amen

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