Clean Food for the Soul

This poem is inspired from Leviticus 11 which lays out some dietary rules. These rules could also apply to the food we take in for our souls including what we read, watch, or think about.

Mark Shields's avatarStep Ahead

Taking care of the
Physical body
And spiritual body
By being Godly.

Daily praying
For miracles
By planting the seeds
Of God’s principles.

A negative thought
Is gone as we clear it
And are watered
With the Spirit.

Less of this world
But more of Jesus
With clean food for the soul
Filling with holiness.

Fear is gone from the mind
As we give it a boot
And the seeds of faith
Grow into fruit.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 03-19-2020
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Inspired by “This Day with God Devotional – Leviticus 11

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Discovering Our Place or Function in God’s Work

Each one should use whatever gift they have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. – 1 Peter 4:10

The post “Our Duty and Responsibility” pointed out the responsibilities of Moses, Aaron, and his sons. We can all learn from them as we discover our place or function in God’s work.

Through our battles, our heartbreak, and every circumstance, there is a greater power so take inspiration from today’s song The Way (New Horizon) by Housefires ft. Pat Barrett and keep on believing in the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

Index of devotionals

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Victory Assured

A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?

In the post “Organized for Victory”, we conclude that organization is important to God because it takes His people working together to carry out His plan for us.

Take inspiration from the song Till I Found You by Phil Wickham and know that His Way assures victory. Be a part of the body of Christ to fulfill an amazing purpose. 

Index of devotionals

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Our Duty and Responsibility

This day with God will be amazing because as we read Numbers 3, we are leaning from those who have attended to their spiritual responsibilities.  Just as Moses, Aaron, and the Levites, identified and attended to their spiritual responsibilities, we can do the same so that what seems impossible becomes possible by working together.

The function of the Levites was to assist Aaron and the priests. They were to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting. Aaron and his descendants were the only ones who could carry out the duties of the priests and approach God’s dwelling place.

Because of Christ our High Priest and our mediator with God, we can come into God’s presence at any time or any place through prayer. This gives us tremendous power to fulfill our duties as followers of Christ.

Moses, Aaron, and his sons had the responsibility of making sure the Israelites worshiped in the proper way. Today, we also have a responsibility to those new to the faith. So this day with God, let us discover our place or function in God’s work and concentrate on doing it well so the body of Christ grows stronger each day.

The body of Christ coalesce the diverse gifts of Christians. Through the Spirit, let us each discover our gifts for the express purpose of kingdom building. This photo was taken at my church. You can see in this photo many gifts being exhibited from the choir in front of the church to those behind the scenes doing technical, sound, and video presentation.

Lord, you are our strength. With You, there is a sure Way to great accomplishment because You are with us using our individual talents for Your glory. You are with us and Your Spirit abides in us so there is unlimited potential. Through prayer, we receive directions to meet each challenge. We are now speaking and listening to You for direction on this journey and we are thankful for the encouragement … the strength to take on each new challenge. Amen.

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Organized for Victory

Reading in Numbers 1 – 2, God commanded Moses to take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families. His brother Aaron would help along with one person chosen from each tribe.

The purpose of the census was to determine how many men twenty years old or more were able to serve in the army. The Levites were not counted because they would be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law.

In reflection, it seems organization is important to God because it takes His people working together to carry out His plan. In current times, organizations is also important to whatever company, organization, church, or group we are a part of because God’s people achieve their objectives with good teamwork, organization, and planning.

The place in which I live is a college city and we sometimes go to football games to watch Baylor University play. Below is a photo taken during one of those games.

Baylor vs TCU

Over the span of my career, I’ve noticed that sports teams and marching bands are extremely organized. Each individual has a specific task, they know what their role is, how to get lined up, and in place. A football player knows what position they play and they practice the plays that their position carries out. It’s the same with a marching band. Everyone practices their instrument and knows the instructions for the half time performance.

This day, we pray for the whole body of Christ to be organized to fulfill Your purpose. Like our playbook, help us to study Your word, practice together, and let the Holy Spirit help us apply what we are told to do. This day with You will be amazing because You care for us as Your people. You are the creator of over 100 billion galaxies with each galaxy having billions of stars but Your people are Your greatest creation of all and with a purpose, there is no limit to what can be done. Amen.

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