The Upper Hand

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Mark Shields

To begin each day, it’s important to set aside time to study God’s Word and spend time with Him in prayer. This poem was written to spur us on toward these activities.

Mark Shields's avatarStep Ahead

Reach out and grab
The upper hand
By studying the Word,
Life can be so grand.

A daily prayer time;
The Lord by your side.
Unlimited potential
As your faith is applied.

Waking up so very early
To study His precious Word.
Receiving the true reward
As curiosity is spurred.

In God’s timing,
All is made right.
He is always for you
And helps in the fight.

Be always at peace
And never uptight
By trusting in Him
For the future is bright.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 11-03-2016
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His Words Remaining in You

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Mark Shields

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. – John 15:7-8

One of the main lessons gained from reading in Hosea 7-8 and writing in the post “Hitting the Target” is the warning of guarding our hearts against blindness to sin. The way to hit the target is to repent of our own sin, give up our pride, and work to improve our own character by developing ways to look for and store up lessons from the Bible.

I’ve found that having a dog is great for anyone that needs to wake up early and study God’s Word. My Dog gets hungry very early and wakes me up. Once up, I’m more inclined and have more time to read the Bible and other devotionals before I start my day.

As was the case with Israel during Hosea’s time, sometimes we have to be brought down to our knees. We may think we know what’s best but it is our Father in Heaven who really knows. Getting into His Word and working to make them stick in our hearts so they remain in us is what we should strive for.

So the aim is to get into God’s Word on a daily basis so this action rids us of our way and leads us to the best Way. Enjoy today’s inspiring video: Lead Me to the Cross – Hillsong.


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Hitting the Target

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Mark Shields

Israel was falling into moral decline because none of the leaders called the people back to God. Reading in Hosea 7-8, the nation missed the target and is portrayed as a cake not turned over. On one side, they were overdone which describes their religious activity. On the other side, they were not well done which describes their attitude and activity towards God.

Another metaphor used to describe Israel is a dove because the people were easily deceived and senseless (v. 11). This reveals how they were deceived by not turning to God for protection but senselessly turning to other nations; making alliances with Egypt and Assyria.

The metaphor of a bow that misses the intended target in verse 16 reveals that God wanted wonderful things for Israel but they didn’t give glory to Him. Instead, they took His blessings and used them for their own ends. They could not see their sin because of pride and they neglected God’s Way for their own way.

There is great freedom in obeying God’s Way because He cares for us more than we care for ourselves. He understands our needs more than we do. The only way we can guard against our own blindness to sin and hit the target is to repent of our own sin, give up our pride, and work to improve our own character by developing ways to look for and store up lessons from the Bible.

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Lord, we come to You today … hoping to store up lessons from Your Word and from life experiences. We pray that we share these lessons with others. Some of these lessons can make us look bad but they can be used for your glory if they help others to see You more clearly. Sometimes, we have to drop our pride. This can hurt in the short term but in the long term eternal blessings are gained. For this, we give You the glory. Amen.

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Making Your Path Straight

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Mark Shields

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

In the post “Seeking the Best Direction and Guidance”, shared was how spiritual decline led to God’s wrath being poured out on Israel. The Bible gives us a chance to learn from mistakes made in the past and provides a better understanding of the best way to live.

Only God can transform from the inside out; making intangibles like faith, hope, and love into tangible blessings. Today’s video emphasizes this transformation that God can make: Busted Heart – For King & Country.


Index of devotionals

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Seeking the Best Direction and Guidance

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Mark Shields

The charges God brings against Israel as listed in Hosea 5-6 included corruption, arrogance, unfaithfulness, and idol worship. The religious and political leaders were responsible for the spiritual decline as they promoted war instead of peace; worshiped idols rather than seeking direction and guidance from God.

The consequences of their lack of leadership were severe as God’s wrath was poured out. We are told that crops were destroyed from drought, wars broke out, and disease consumed the land. Ephraim turned to Assyria for help rather than repenting and seeking God’s help.

The Bible gives us some amazing information so we can learn from the mistakes made by others in the past. There are things we can learn from history that will help in making decisions in the future. If we can mix in old ways of doing life the proper way with new ways of doing life with God’s guidance, we have a better blue print for the best way to go for the future.

The problems we go through in life are not stop signs; they are guidelines and it is during tough times that God provides sure signs of a brighter future. It’s a lie to say that God is not in control. A lie the world tells us is to do things on your own without any help. But I say, work with others, accept the help God gives in Christ, and accept the obvious as truth.

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Lord, we humbly come to You today … thankful for Your Word that teaches us about how to best live life. Just as Israel neglected Your guidance, generation after generation in present times seem to fall into the same trap; being drawn in by the thoughts and ideas of this world rather than seeking Your perfect Way to live out our life. Only You can transform us from the inside out; making the unseen qualities like faith, hope, and love valuable treasures that bless us in this life and beyond. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

 

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