On this Journey to a Brighter Day

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Mark Shields

As Israel’s history is reviewed in Joshua 24, emphasized is how God was involved in bringing the Israelites from the land of oppression in Egypt to the Promised Land. During each step on this journey to a brighter day, there was a choice to be made and a response. The choice is always to be devoted to the Lord and the acceptable response is always to serve Him with faithfulness. The verb “serve” is used sixteen times in this passage.

Sometimes our dreams may seem to not have a chance but then God opens a door. There is always hope for a brighter tomorrow when we are with God and He is with us. We have never been promised that life will be easy but even in hard times, we can have a joy that keeps us going even when down. Let us be inspired by what Jesus went through on the Cross. Let us remember those who have gone through tough times only to come out stronger on the other side.

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This day with You Lord, we have completed our study of the book of Joshua. Thank you for the example You have given us in the life of Joshua. His leadership and servant attitude had a lasting impact during his time and continues to impact us today. There is always hope when we are on this journey to a brighter day together. Amen.

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Ideas for Gaining Daily Victories

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Mark Shields

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13 

The lesson as laid out in the post “The ONE Who Won” was that the Lord fights for you. With Him, you can do so much more. He prepares a path for you by driving out obstacles in your way so love the Lord your God and step ahead.

Sometimes the greatest competition we face is within our own mind. We may have a major deadline at work or a major payment due. Our mind may keep telling us, “It’s too difficult … I can’t do this” but because of God we can have confidence to tell our mind, “Yes I can”.

One idea is to memorize scripture like the one at the top of this post when faced with pressure situations in life. Another idea may be to listen to music for inspiration. God has fought over the years for His people and He fights for you today.

The greatest historical victory ever was His Son Jesus Christ who died for all. Grace wins all the time to allow you to rise up to victory on a daily basis. Take a few minutes to be inspired by this song Grace Wins by Matthew West  because the victory is for all who belong to Christ Jesus.


Index of devotionals

 

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The ONE Who Won

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Mark Shields

Reading in Joshua 23, Joshua was near the end of his life and reminded the leaders of Israel that the Lord was the ONE who won the battles for them and will continue to fight for them if they love the Lord, walk in His ways, and serve Him with all their heart and soul.

As a spiritual leader, the main task is to help others be devoted to God and His ways. We are to work hard to keep the enemy out of our lives. As Joshua shared in this passage, God gave them the victories and today He can bless us with more victories than all the grains of sand on earth.

There may be times when the deadline is approaching on a project, bills are due, or a major exam is coming up. There is no need to be in panic mode because with God on your side, you can have confidence that the challenges in life will be handled victoriously on a regular bases. These victories will build momentum for future weeks, months, and years.

This day with You Lord, we have confidence that You will fight for each of us and together our devotion may seem like just a little thing but little things will lead to bigger things and before long we will be on a steady course which leads to victories on a daily basis. Lord, the victory is for all who belong to Christ Jesus. Amen.  

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Perfect Plan

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Mark Shields

This Good Friday, praise Him for the plan He has given You. Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

One plan is perfect;
God’s plan for everyone;
It is an amazing gift;
The gift of His Son.

His love for us is forever
And although there is sin,
Christ died for us
To renew us again.

God’s plan is perfect
Because He knows the past,
He knows the present;
In the future is steadfast.

We are saved by God’s grace;
A free gift that can’t be earned
But we are urged to carry out
All that has been learned.

Receiving Christ in our heart;
An act of faith with expedience
So the Holy Spirit becomes our guide
To live a life of faithful obedience.

Christ offers Himself to all;
A friend to everyone.
The Way, the Truth, the Life
How the victory is done!

Christ dwells in our heart
And fills it with precious treasures;
His love, His grace, His compassion
So we can carry out our endeavors.

Not only the routine;
Not only the humdrum
But major accomplishments
And even more yet to come.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 04-14-2017
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One summer, I led a small group in which we did a study on God’s plan for us. This poem was inspired by this study. You can also click on this link: God’s Plan for Us  to get the summary in a word document that can be read, downloaded and signed by anyone that would like to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

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Accept One Another Just as Christ Accepted You

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Mark Shields

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. – Romans 15:7 

We all have different strengths and weaknesses but God has made us all for a purpose so let us celebrate our diversity and understand each other.  According to Guinness World Records, the tallest man living is 8 ft. 3 inches. The shortest man living is 2 feet tall. A startling comparison is that if humans varied as much in height as dogs do, the smallest person would be 2 feet tall and the tallest person would stand 31 feet tall!

One thought from the post “Understanding Each Other” was that one group assumed another built an altar to rebel against God but after talking, they understood it was built to worship Him. Many times, we may not know the whole story but then are given the full picture. We then understand and can accept the actions of others.

As pointed out in the song Losing by Tenth Avenue North, we may feel like the one losing unless we appreciate God’s grace and accept one another just as Christ has accepted you.


Index of devotionals

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