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

Rock Solid Over Time

Posted on October 3, 2020 by Mark Shields

This day with God, be empowered to overcome obstacles and live out your purpose with courage. Take inspiration from today’s poem as you stick to God’s plan for you and bring Him glory!

Step Ahead

God is like a mountain
Standing rock solid
With pronounced wisdom
And vast knowledge.

Be confident,
Step ahead with passion
To do more than
Ever imagined.

A courageous vision
To make what was thought
Impossible
And give it a shot!

Things that may cause harm
No longer constrain
Since the Spirit inside
Stirs to attain.

With amazing purpose
And all hands on deck,
You have the power
To set sail on this trek.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 09-03-2020
Inspired by “This Day with God Devotional – Hebrews 2:14-18“ – Photo – Lake Lucerne Switzerland, July 1986

View original post

Posted in Poems | Tagged Courage, Faith, Grace, Love, Poetry, Prayer, Purpose | Leave a comment

Try and Try Again

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Mark Shields

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

This day with God will be amazing because if at first we do not succeed, we will try and try again. Just like what we learned in the post “Sticking To It” when the people were skeptical of Jesus in His hometown since He came from a modest upbringing and they couldn’t get in their mind that Jesus was the Savior.

It was a setback but Jesus kept pressing on. He took action by going to the other villages and getting help from His disciples. Like the song Almost Home by MercyMe the lesson is to keep pressing on.

Index of devotionals

Posted in Devotionals, Going Extra Mile | Tagged Dependability, Devotional, Endurance, Miracles, Music, Praise, Savior, Simplicity | Leave a comment

Sticking To It

Posted on October 1, 2020 by Mark Shields

This day with God, let us take in more of the Word as we focus in on Mark 6:1-13. Jesus had performed so many miracles in Capernaum; calming the sea, healing people, bringing people back to life but when He was in His hometown, the people were skeptical. They always knew Him as just an ordinary young man. A local carpenter and Mary’s son who was not highly educated. They knew his brothers James, Joseph, Judas and Simon who were ordinary people. They also knew his sisters who took offense at him (v. 3).

The hometown people had limited the power of Jesus because of their prejudged attitude toward Him. Then Jesus left His hometown and went to the surrounding villages. He started sending out the disciples. They didn’t have much; no food, money, or even a place to stay as they set out on their journey. They were just given the power from God which was all they needed to do amazing work for the mission.

To accomplish anything along this journey called life, it’s not always about ability but more about reliability in getting out there, going for it, and sticking to it. If we have something amazing like we do in the Good News from the gospel, there is no need to interfere. Just highlight what’s amazing and keep it simple.

Photo Credit – WorthyDevotions.com

This day, we’ve studied about Jesus while He was in His hometown. The local folks knew of His modest upbringing and could not believe He could be a Savior. Jesus took action by going to other places and getting help from His disciples.

This day with You God, we face setbacks like we learned from today’s passage. There are times that we feel down but we must keep pressing on. We are a part of Your team and have been given authority as disciples to go out two by two sharing our faith. Our greatest asset is Your liberating power received by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior; greater than education or money. We pray that we keep doing what is right and surround ourselves with people that sharpen us. People that spur us on along the journey knowing that You will provide for our needs. Amen.

Posted in Bible Study, Going Extra Mile | Tagged Bible Study, Dependability, Endurance, Miracles, Prayer, Savior, Simplicity | Leave a comment

Questions for Reflection for Study of Mark 6-7

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Mark Shields

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been reading the book of Mark and receiving a spark to take on the challenges we face.

As pointed out in the post “Plentiful Harvest”, our responsibility is to take in the word from above, share it, and let God do the rest. Then the harvest will be plentiful.

The spiritual principle illustrated in the post “Light in Darkness” is discovering the great strength we have in God’s assistance along our journey. He is like a lighthouse constantly there to provide the light to our destination.

In the post “Seed to Succeed”, explained is how seeds grow gradually into a harvest. In the same way, God’s Word provides seeds that eventually grow to help us succeed in life.

Some thoughts were posted at “Calming the Storm” about how fear can be overcome as we focus on the help of Christ and His unlimited power to calm the storms. Our fears can subside when we rely on this power to calm the storm and are prepared to take swift action with faith.

In the post “Spirit Aflame”, thoughts were shared about a man possessed by demons who was doomed but with the help of Jesus was changed. Transformed to the point that he enthusiastically became a follower and joyfully told others about what Jesus had done in his life.

The examples given in the post “The Power of Faith” help us realize that we have a power within that can give us a spark for each day as we go to Jesus for help and apply the faith principles taught. One is the woman in the crowd who decided to take care of her health issue by touching Jesus’s cloak. Another example is the church leader named Jairus who went to Jesus when his daughter was sick.

The reading plan below will be used to hold me accountable in sharing about God’s word over the next few weeks. As I share about my study, it’s important to have a plan. I’m thankful that Jesus is God’s plan for us and by accepting Christ as Savior; we have taken the steps necessary to make this day with God amazing!

Photo Credit : consultinggrad.com

Questions for Reflection

Mark 6:1-13
What amazing things has Jesus done so far in the book of Mark? Why are the hometown people skeptical? What course of action does Jesus follow? How successful are the disciples?

Mark 6:14-29
With whom is Jesus identified? What attitude does Herod have toward John? Are there times when you have acted hastily and later regretted your actions? What were the consequences? How can you avoid future conflicts brought on by similar action?

Mark 6:30-44
What is the pace of Jesus and His disciples? What happens to disrupt the day off? How does organization fit into the situation? Have you faced, or are you facing, a humanly impossible situation? How does this incident strengthen your convictions that Jesus is able to meet your needs?

Mark 6:45-56
In dismissing the crowd, how does Jesus meet the disciples? How does Jesus show His complete mastery over nature? Can you think of an experience you’ve gone through in which God did amazing things? How can this experience build your faith for present and future needs?

Mark 7:1-13
What insights do you gain concerning the Pharisees? What is their complaint? How does Jesus turn their attack back on them? What are you doing to use Scripture effectively and wisely?

Mark 7:14-30
Are there things that you take in that ultimately result in negatives that come out? What are you doing to curtail and get rid of these negatives? How does Jesus respond to the Gentile woman who had a daughter possessed by and evil spirit? What hints of future benefit to Gentiles? What do you discover in this passage about unseen qualities like faith, hope, and love that you can apply in life?

Mark 7:31-37

Why did Jesus leave the Decapolis the first time? How can Jesus return now to the Decapolis? In what ways are you astonished at the perfection of God’s creative acts? What effect does your obedience to Jesus have on others?

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 or to a Facebook page I’ve set up at this link: This Day With God.

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.

Posted in Bible Study, Devotionals, Questions for Reflection | Tagged Bible Study, Christ, Faith, God’s Plan, Holy Spirit, Hope, Leadership, Lessons, Life, Love, Prayer, Reflection, Scripture | Leave a comment

The Same Power that Lives in Us

Posted on September 29, 2020 by Mark Shields

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. – Psalm 145:18

I remember years ago when my daughter’s iPad would not work. The problem was it had lost its connection with the Wi-Fi. Sometimes we can have days where we just don’t feel connected spiritually. Being connected spiritually makes a big difference in our desire to have a good day rather than a bad one.

In the post, “The Power of Faith”, the woman in the crowd decided to take care of her health issue by touching Jesus’s cloak. The church leader named Jairus went to Jesus when his daughter was sick. In the same way today, our needs are met when we go to Jesus for help and apply the faith principles taught.

Jesus demonstrated control and authority over physics and even life. Because of Jesus, we become anchored to the power of faith that can handle any situation because there is courage, steadfastness, and the strength to bear adversity.

Take inspiration from the song The Same Power by Jeremy Camp and know that God is big enough to help us with this same power that rose Jesus from the grave. The same power that commands the dead to wake, that moves mountains when He speaks, and that calms a raging sea. The same power that lives in us.