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

Actions to Take Now for the Good Life

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Mark Shields

There are two manifestations of God’s nature described in Amos 5-6. The first is the nature of judgment and destruction. The second is the nature of justice and providing instructions for the way to a good life. Also within today’s passage are a list of Israel’s sins; a few include the oppression of the innocent, taking bribes, depriving the poor of justice, and idol worship.

We are told in this passage that what God wants in the lives of His people are just the opposite from what they were doing! The phrase “Seek the Lord and live” is repeated in the passage. He wants His people to have integrity and uphold justice. He wants His people to seek every good thing and glorify His name.

The actions we can take now may include giving praise to the ONE who made this amazing universe; seeking Him by reading, studying, and applying the Word so that good is in our heart and soul. Then we can use this good as a shield that blocks out evil and lets in His light of goodness. Learning is a life-long process so take every opportunity to ask questions, seek answers, and share with others.

We can get ready for the challenge of each day by going to the ONE who created it all and passionately stirring each other up to boldly step ahead. This day with You Lord, we humbly seek You by reading, studying, and applying Your instruction in how to live. Your Word is good for our heart and soul; useful to block out any negatives in our life but allowing Your light to shine within to foster a healthy soul. In Jesus name. Amen.

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Questions for Reflection for Study of Amos 5-9

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Mark Shields

I’ve posted over the last few weeks about the study of Amos 1-4. The poem below titled The ONE to Look To was inspired by this study.

The world can be a difficult place
But we all can win the race
If we turn to the Lord
And get on board.

Acknowledge He paid the price;
Then pray for His solid advice;
Accumulate knowledge from His Word
And the future will no longer be blurred.

The path to the future is unimpeded
If we confidently do what is needed;
Constantly being filled with elation
And built on a firm foundation.

Study the Holy Scripture
And get a clearer picture
By always being steadfast
To learning lessons of the past.

Because of Jesus there is grace
To help us keep up the pace.
Our sins are cleaned as with soap
So our future is full of hope.

Gaining wisdom on a daily basis
To meet the challenges that face us.
Living the way life is meant
By following the ONE God has sent.

Our growing faith will never be taken away
So we are confident things will be okay
For the Gospel message is beautiful,
Refreshing, simple, and useful.

The Gospel message sets us free
And as each day we get on our knees
We are thankful to receive the crown
For the message will never let us down.

The plan God has laid out for us
By accepting His Son is thus
The only path to sure victory;
Everything else is contradictory.

So listen and know His plan;
Making adjustments if you can.
Taking action on doing the right thing;
Knowing that He is King.

With God there is power
And no reason to cower
So plan out the right things
And soar on eagles’ wings.

Everything will fall in place
For an amazing day full of His grace
If we desire to daily return to the ONE
And focus on what He’s already done.

The ONE who formed the mountains;
Creator of the inspiring surroundings
Continues to reveal His designs
And how to live by His guidelines.

So make sure you feel empowered;
Uplifted and daily inspired.
Focused on going the Way
That He directs to go today.

Embrace the power of the Holy Spirit
To take on a challenge and smear it.
Making what seems impossible … possible
By being dependable and methodical.

Be willing to accept His correction
By asking in prayer for direction
And when making a list of what to do,
Know the Lord is the ONE to look to.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 09-29-2016

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. I will continue this objective with a study in the book of Amos 5-9 over the next few weeks. 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 over the next few weeks as I 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.

Amos 5-6
What will be the consequences of Israel’s sins (See 5:16, 27; 6:7)? What does God want in the lives of His people? How can you take action now to seek what God has for you?

Amos 7
What three visions are given to Amos in verses 1-9? Whom do you usually heed – God’s message and messenger or accepted experts? As a follower of Jesus Christ, do you have a tool like a plumb line in which you can evaluate your life?

Amos 8
What does the vision of summer fruit illustrate? Is the word of God daily food to your life? How has the study of Amos nourished your soul?

Amos 9
What does the vision reveal about the judgment of God? What will happen after the forthcoming judgment (vv. 11-15)? What is your hope beyond the destructions of this life?

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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Posted in Bible Study, Questions for Reflection | Tagged Bible Study, Christ, Faith, Freedom, God’s Plan, Good News, Grace, Holy Spirit, Hope, Inspiration, Leadership, Lessons, Love, Prayer, Reflection, Scripture, victory | Leave a comment

Smoothing Out the Bumpy Road of the Journey

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Mark Shields

A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? – Proverbs 20:24

The journey of life without God can prove to be one big bumpy road. That’s why we should all have a passion to return to the ONE who has formed the mountains, created the wind, and reveals His thoughts to us daily. Then the bumps along the journey will not be as troublesome.

In the post “The Way to Assuring a Great Day” are some thoughts/ideas on what can be done to live the way God advises in His Word. Here is a video poem that I produced with these thoughts in mind: This Day with God.

Index of devotionals

Posted in Devotionals, Video | Tagged Advice, Bible Study, Holy Spirit, Inspiration, Journey, Judgment, Lord, Prayer | Leave a comment

The Way to Assuring a Great Day

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Mark Shields

Reading in Amos 4, we are told of the impending destruction of cities and homes within Israel as God’s judgment is carried out. The people are being warned before God acts in judgment. He gave the people a chance to get things right but they no longer knew how and the more they rejected God, the more difficult it was to get going down the right path.

The people of Israel were warned that they would face the same wrath of the past like famine, drought, insects, and plagues (verses 6-11). They needed a correction, redirection, and a return to the Lord. The same warning still applies to us today.

The journey of life without God can prove to be one big bumpy road. Instead, the path could be smooth if each of us would desire a return to the ONE who formed the mountains, created the wind, and continues to reveal His thoughts to us.

Below are some thoughts/ideas on what can be done. Here are four steps to the Way to assuring a great day. Imagine a world in which 80% of the people practiced this on a daily basis.

Focus on tasks that God would have you to do today
Embrace the power of the Holy Spirit to give you the ability to make what seems impossible … possible
Make sure you are inspired and uplifted as you start each day
Ask in prayer for direction on the three to five things you need to get done

Father God, we are grateful for Your lessons of the past in which we can apply to our present and future. What You give to us is a plan for life which is a treasure and the more we lose ourselves in this plan, the more passion we will have. We have faith that it will be an amazing day because we are focused on the tasks You would have us do, we have embraced Your power, we are starting this day with inspiration, and we are now setting out to get a few things done that will glorify Your name. Amen.

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Correction and Redirection

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Mark Shields

A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? – Proverbs 20:24

In the post, “Doing the Right Thing”, written about was how Israel was heading down the wrong path and that God’s judgment would come upon that nation. In many ways, the world today is not that different than during the time of Amos.

A lesson learned is that we need to listen, know God’s plan for us, make adjustments in life if necessary, and take action on doing the right thing. Here’s a video that highlights these thoughts and inspires us to do the right thing: Come Let Us Return to the Lord – Matt Redman.