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

Come Back After a Set Back

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Mark Shields

For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. – Matthew 7:8

As written about in the post “Clean and Pure”, sin was the obstacle to meeting with God. In order to meet with God, there were laws and regulations to follow during Old Testament times. Because of Jesus and His death on the Cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin, we have available today complete access to God and His power. All we have to do is knock on the door.

There may be setbacks in life but with God’s help, there are no limitations to what can be accomplished. As the song Need You Now by Plumb emphasizes, let God take it on. Keep asking for help, keep seeking answers, and keep knocking on the door to enter into His presence.

Index of devotionals

Posted in Desire, Devotionals | Tagged Desire, Devotional, Faith, Grace, Music, Praise, Sacrifice | Leave a comment

Clean and Pure

Posted on December 4, 2019 by Mark Shields

Over the last few weeks, we’ve studied rules about being clean, eating what is clean, and rules for hygiene. Reading in Leviticus 22, a priest would be disqualified from taking part in the offering if unclean. Included were those who had a skin disease, had been near a dead body, or touched an unclean creature or person.

Nothing but perfect sacrifices could be offered to God in Old Testament times as a sacrifice for sin. In current times, we can be grateful that Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice to make us clean and pure. There is no need for anguish. Continue your desire to be faithful and find joy in your trust in Christ to make you acceptable before God.

There may be setbacks in life but with God’s help, there are no limitations to what can be accomplished. If there is a setback, remember that because of Jesus we have a clean slate. We can double down and come back at it from a different direction. Don’t let thoughts and actions keep you from coming into God’s presence.

Like the snow that covers the rough ground created from drought and erosion, God’s grace covers the rough spots along our journey.

This day with You Lord, we desire Your presence and we are grateful that You are available. Sometimes our thoughts and actions keep us going down the rough path. As we remember the past and face challenges ahead, we have set this time aside and have invited You into our heart. We trust that You will help us achieve these challenges because grace has covered the rough spots and obstacles for the journey ahead have been cleared.

Posted in Bible Study, Desire | Tagged Bible Study, Desire, Faith, Grace, Prayer, Sacrifice | 1 Comment

Wise Choices

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Mark Shields

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. – Psalm 111:10

As written about in the post “Harness the Power of the Holy Spirit”, the laws in the Old Testament provide wisdom but they are so strict that it was impossible to keep the demands required to be holy. That’s why Jesus died on the Cross. If we surrender all to Jesus, His sacrifice takes our sin away so we are blessed with wise choices.

We raise a white flag
And to our ways succumb
But lift the Cross high
And accept the love that has come.

Because of Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives the advantage of thinking outside the box when conflicting circumstances come up in our daily activities. Like the song White Flag by Chris Tomlin, we surrender all to Jesus and then have available the power of the Holy Spirit to make the right choices in all we do.

Index of devotionals

Posted in Devotionals, Good Common Sense | Tagged Cross, Decisions, Devotional, Holy Spirit, Music, Praise, Sacrifice, Wisdom | 1 Comment

Harness the Power of the Holy Spirit

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Mark Shields

Reading in Leviticus 21, the laws for purity were strict for priests. For example: a priest could not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who died (v. 2). They could not enter a place where there was a dead body except if the person who died was a close relative.

They could not shave their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or cut their bodies while mourning. The reason was that they were the ones chosen by God to offer sacrifices of food at the altar and must be holy (v. 6).

Priest could not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands (v. 7). Also, physical characteristics disqualified Aaron’s descendants from serving at the altar. No priest could be blind, lame, disfigured, or have a skin disease (v. 17-21).

The laws in the Old Testament were strict for priest and for the congregation. So much so that it was impossible to keep the demands required to be holy but with God, what is impossible becomes possible. That’s why Jesus died on the Cross. If we surrender all to Jesus, His sacrifice washes our sin away rather than depending on the Old Testament law.

Our daily activities may conflict with what God expect from us but the Holy Spirit gives the advantage of thinking outside the box when conflicting circumstances come up. The Christian uses the power of the Holy Spirit to make the right choices in all they do.

The photo below was taken on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. After graduating from college, I had a few weeks available to travel through Europe.

Instead of going against the wind in the journey through life, harness the power of the wind; the constant, calm, and cool breeze of the Holy Spirit providing power now and into the hereafter.

Lord, help us to make wise choices as we set sail on our activities today. Help us depend on the lessons we learn from Your Word, the Holy Spirit speaking to us deep in our hearts, and the life experiences we go through. We believe that if we use these tools on a daily basis that You will work out our future in an amazing way! Amen

Posted in Bible Study, Good Common Sense | Tagged Bible Study, Decisions, Holy, Holy Spirit, Photo, Prayer, Sacrifice, Switzerland, travel | 2 Comments

Treasure that Last Forever

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Mark Shields

Had you rather be dominated by the pursuit of worldly riches or freed by the treasures of the Bible which are useful now and forever? Inspired by 1 Timothy 6, this poem promotes being freed by the treasure that last forever and is beyond measure.

Step Ahead