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

The New in You

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Mark Shields

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

You were wonderfully made and as the post “Being True to the Best in You” points out, the power of God is inside. By accepting Christ as Savior, you can be all that God made you to be.

Jesus makes you qualified to be a conqueror so take inspiration from the song Confidence by Sanctus Real and have faith like Daniel in the lion’s Den, hope like Moses in the wilderness, a heart like David with the a great defense, and face your giants with confidence.

Index of devotionals

Posted in Devotionals, Faith | Tagged Devotional, Faith, Life, Music, Praise, Relationship | Leave a comment

Being True to the Best in You

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Mark Shields

This day with God, we are reading in Hebrews 1:1-4. God communicates to all who follow the new Way. God’s Plan for Us redeems us from the empty way and rescues us through Christ who became the temple, altar, sacrifice, and all that is needed to be in a right relationship with our Creator.

The Son of God demonstrates His deity through the Word, through our experiences, through other people and their testimony. The Word tells us that He is the heir of all things, Creator of the universe, the radiance of God’s glory, and God in the flesh. He purged our sins as the ultimate Sacrifice and is sitting at the right hand of God upon the throne of Deity.

The Word records the actions of the Son and His nature reveals the Father to us. Christ is greater than the prophets, any divine truth communicated in the Old Testament, and even superior to the angels (vv. 4-7).

Our faith is built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ and a life built on this foundation will provide the support we need to absorb the shakeups faced in life. So be true to the best in you and hold onto your dreams because the power of God is in you. Christ sits at the right hand of God, purging our sins and guiding us with limitless authority that is even greater than angels.

This day with You Lord, we come to you admitting that we have fallen short in the past but believing in Your power inside to make us into who we need to be. Help us to grow so we can reach the expectations You have for us. We are each wonderfully made to do amazing things and we pray today that we follow the Way by studying the Word and living out our faith. We look to You for the power to make it happen. Amen.

Posted in Bible Study, Faith | Tagged Bible Study, Faith, Life, Prayer, Relationship | 1 Comment

Questions for Reflection for Study of Hebrews 1 – 2

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Mark Shields

I would like take this time to thank all of you my readers. This blog started from a life transformation group several years ago with just a few followers and now has grown to over 1,850 followers. I’ve found it to be a great tool in my journey through the Bible and you, my readers are keeping me accountable to daily Bible reading and study.

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. Questions for Reflection will stimulate thought and offer ideas for applying biblical principles at work, at home, and in all we do.

Here is a link to all the devotionals done so far

Index of devotionals

Anyone can join in as we journey together.

Also, the concepts presented in God’s Perfect Timing offer ideas for using our time wisely and the lessons of God’s Plan for Us gives a method towards making an impact in the world in which we live.

The reading plan below will be used to hold me accountable to sharing about God’s word. As I share about my study of the book of Leviticus over the next few weeks, 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 amazing!

Questions for Reflection

Hebrews 1:1-4
Through whom has God communicated? In what ways does the Son demonstrate His deity? How does the Son’s nature reveal the Father to you? How can we grow so we are who God made us to be?

Hebrews 1:5-14
What is the purpose for angels? How does this passage convince you of Christ’s supremacy? In what ways is it important to understand that Christ is superior to angels?

Hebrews 2:1-4
What is the result if we drift away or neglect the truths of the gospel? How can you protect against this? Why should you protect against drifting away or neglecting the truths of the gospel?

Hebrews 2:5-13
For what high destiny does God create us? What is the purpose for Jesus becoming fully human? How does our relationship to Christ affect our daily living?

Hebrews 2:14-18
What reason are given here for Christ’s becoming a man, for His death, and suffering? To what extent are you free from bondage, fear, and death? How does Christ’s common lot with humanity in suffering and temptation help you?

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. <https://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 | Tagged Bible Study, Christ, Faith, God’s Plan, Holy Spirit, Hope, Leadership, Lessons, Life, Love, Prayer, Reflection, Scripture | 1 Comment

Redeemed from the Empty Way

Posted on January 3, 2020 by Mark Shields

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. – 1 Peter 1:18-19

As explained in the post “The Way of the Gospel”, the law was intended to maintain Israel’s justified relationship to God but the easier Way of the Gospel is Good News for all.

Be blessed today with the song Rescue by Lauren Daigle and be inspired for the day ahead. God’s Plan for Us redeems us from the empty way and rescues us through Christ who became the temple, altar, sacrifice, and all that is needed to be in a right relationship with our Creator.

Index of devotionals

Posted in Devotionals | Tagged Accomplishments, Devotional, Expectations, Good News, Gospel, Holiness, Music, Praise, Sacrifice | Leave a comment

The Way of the Gospel

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Mark Shields

Over the last few months, we’ve journeyed through the book of Leviticus which documents specific laws and principles for the priests and people of Israel. These laws and principles were given to Moses while at Mount Sinai for the purpose of instruction to meet God’s highest standard of holiness for His chosen nation.

Reading in Leviticus 27, a person, animal, or property could be dedicated to the Lord by vow but some things belonged to the Lord outright. A first born animal belonged to the Lord, a tithe of everything from the land including the grain or fruit, and every tenth animal.

These promises to the Lord were meant to maintain Israel’s holiness because there needed to be a sacrifice for sin but the people were not able to follow these specific laws and principles. The law was intended to maintain Israel’s justified relationship to God but the easier Way of the gospel is Good News for all. Christ became the temple, altar, sacrifice, and all that was needed to be in a right relationship with God.

Christ became the ultimate sacrifice to meet our every need. This made things easier so we don’t have to follow complicated laws, rules, and regulations but simply accept the invitation to follow the path laid down by Christ. This day with God, determine what steps to start taking and step ahead with boldness.

This day with You Lord, we step ahead going steadily forward with great expectancy. We can accomplish so many things in life but the most important accomplishment is the acceptance of You in our heart. On the journey from here to there, we need a life transforming relationship with You because You take our strengths and liabilities and turn them into more than we can imagine. Amen.