Grace Wins Every Time

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Mark Shields

For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. – Colossians 1:13-14

Many people, organizations, and nations have great potential but one issue can get them off track. In the post “Step Ahead with Confidence”, written were some thoughts from the study of Hosea 10 and how Israel got off track with negative reactions to certain challenges. It is the same with us in our life today as we react to issues. What we have to do is keep working to stay on track.

With good habits, we can step ahead and maximize the potential God has given us. The Bible gives us great advice and we can have confidence because victory is assured through Jesus Christ. We can let the past go and know the future is bright because grace wins every time. Take inspiration from today’s video: Grace Wins – Matthew West. 


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Step Ahead with Confidence

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Mark Shields

img_0643Reading in Hosea 10, Israel became prosperous under King Jeroboam but their reaction to this prosperity was to spend money on altars for idol worship. They also reacted to other life conditions in a negative way rather than step ahead with confidence. They lost their king but reacted with apathy; they mourned because their worthless idols were destroyed, and they lost all hope for military strength because they knew that God was not with them.

Unlike Israel who did not repent and decided to use their prosperity to give more glory to their idols, let us admit our wrongdoing and work at creating a trusting relationship with our Lord by using our blessings to glorify Him. We are never 100% prepared for everything in life but we can step ahead with confidence because of our faith in God who can pull us through.

Lord, this day help us to use Your blessings to glorify You and not to buy bigger houses, nicer cars, and expensive clothes. Let us humbly accept Christ as Savior and plant the seeds of Your principles into our soul. Let us use Your resources and just as rain along with sunshine produces food for our bodies, may your Holy Spirit produce spiritual fruit for our souls so we can share with others. Amen.

 

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Healing

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Mark Shields

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. – Psalm 147:3

As shared in the post “Need for Great Physician”, sin created a serious condition for Israel. The quality of life would be in terrible shape with unclean food, children having difficulties, and insecurity.

But there is always hope because of the great gift we have in Jesus. God has provided the Great Physician who has the cure and His Word provides the nourishment needed. Step into the light of grace and enjoy today’s video: Tell Your Heart to Beat Again – Danny Gokey. 


Index of devotionals

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Need For Great Physician

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Mark Shields

A society that rejects God, faces serious issues where the quality of life goes in a negative direction. In today’s passage, we are told of the crops failing and that Israel would be taken captive by neighboring nations.

God wanted to bless Israel but as explained in Hosea 9, the people moved away from His way; worshiping idols instead. The future would not be a good one because God’s judgment would bring sickness, drought, and homelessness.

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This day with You Lord, we are grateful for the gift of Your Son who wipes away sin. The world faces much difficulty just like Israel faced during the time of Hosea. Insecurity and difficulties persist but with Christ we have hope. You are the Great Physician that provides the cure. Amen.

 

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Questions for Reflection for Study of Hosea 9-14

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Mark Shields

I’ve posted over the last few weeks about my journey through the book of Hosea 1-8. I’ve shared that there is unlimited potential with God and the lesson for us is to reach out and grab the upper hand by setting aside time to study the Word and spending time in prayer.

Our true reward in life is not nice houses, cars, and cloths. Rather it is waking up early with God, studying the Word, praying, and knowing that He is for us. There is peace and focus when we believe God is by our side throughout our day.

We can focus on a bright future knowing that in His timing, all past disappointments will be made right. Sure there are challenges we all face but God has provided a sure way to victory. Our attention can be on obtaining the lessons of life both through the study of the Word and the experiences we go through.

We can seek the best direction and guidance through the Bible which gives us a chance to learn from the mistakes made by others in the past. We can understand that only God transforms from the inside out; making intangibles like faith, hope, and love into tangible blessings.

The objective of any Bible study should be to not only learn the main principles of the Word but to keep the Word in our thoughts in order to apply them in our life. To improve our character by storing up lessons from God and using them in situations we face in life.

I will continue this objective over the next few weeks with the study in the book of Hosea 9-14. The aim is to plant the seeds of faith, hope, and love in order to yield fruit that nourishes others. I invite you to join me as we step ahead using the questions below to inspire thoughts and ideas. God will give us the upper hand by producing in us the heart of a champion.

Hosea 9
What forms will God’s judgment take? How will the people be affected? What do you learn about the seriousness of sin?

Hosea 10
Describe the reaction of Israel to each of the following national conditions: prosperity, loss of their king, destruction of their idols, military might.  How can we be trusted with affluence? How can we remain true to our promises to other people and to God?

Hosea 11-12
How do the people respond to the actions of God toward them? How should our knowledge of God affect our acts of confession of sin? How can we make God big and our situations small?

Hosea 13
Trace the spiritual decline in Israel and why the nation was falling into such corruption? What lessons can nations and individuals learn from this passage? What errors should be avoided?

Hosea 14
What are some characteristics of the repentance to which Hosea calls Israel? Why is there a hesitancy to return to God in repentance? 

The above reading plan will be used as I share over the next few posts. It’s important to have a plan. I’m thankful that Jesus is God’s plan for us and by accepting Him as Savior; we have taken the steps necessary to make this day with Him amazing! At this link: God’s Plan for Us, is a post about accepting God’s plan or reaffirming our “YES” for Christ.

When we accept Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit is our companion and it’s exciting to think about what the future holds. Last week, we celebrated the birthday of Jesus and now we will continue the celebration throughout upcoming year because of the gift God has given us.

With God, we can get through anything, we can patiently grind it out during difficulties or give Him credit when the impossible is made possible. Beyond that, we can celebrate because of the victory we will always have with Him.

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. Downer Grove Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1978
First United Methodist Waco Podcast
Christ Notes
Family Times
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