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

There Is No Debate That He Is Great

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Mark Shields

In the post “Worship the ONE True God”, written about was that the people of Lystra believed in many gods. Barnabas and Paul wanted the people to put all their attention on the ONE true God who provides for all our needs and lives in our heart.

God’s principles never change. A daily devotional time using “This Day with God” internalizes His guiding principles so they become an instrument which pushes us to focus on Him in every activity throughout our day.

Even the activity of watching TV can help us focus more on Him. A few years ago on the TV show “The Voice”, Holly Tucker sang a song that puts our focus on how great our God is.

Holly is from the community in which I live and I’ve had the opportunity to hear her in local concerts. Enjoy today’s inspiring video How Great Thou Art – Holly Tucker.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. – Colossians 3:2

Index of devotionals

Posted in Devotionals | Tagged Faith, Idols, Life, Soul, Truth, World, Worship | Leave a comment

Worship the ONE True God

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Mark Shields

Reading in Acts 14:8-28, the people of Lystra believed in many gods. Upon arriving in the city, Paul healed a crippled man and the people believed the gods had come down to earth in human form. They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes but Paul tried to explain to them about the ONE true God who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them (v. 15).

In our world today, society makes gods out of leaders, sports heroes, entertainers, the rich, or famous. Idol worship is rampant as people worship expensive cars, houses, and other items that take our attention away from God. We are told that God’s not real many choose to worship things of this world rather than the ONE true God.

Paul faced hardship for sharing the Good News. He was stoned and dragged outside the city (v. 19). The disciples prayed for Paul and the next day, he was ready to continue the mission. This time, Paul decided to follow-up on the message by returning to the cities they had been to before.

Those that do not fit into this world thinking sometimes face hardship just like Paul did. Life sometimes hits us right in the face hard. It’s kind of like those games we played as a kid like “Dodge Ball”. You have to be on your toes and hopefully do not get smashed in the face. Like Paul, we must stay alert, follow-up, and find ways to make our calling even better than before.

As we go through each day with You Lord; taking walks, feeling the fresh breeze hitting our face, and hearing the sounds of night that sooths our soul, help us to understand that the world is telling a lie and You are telling us what is accurate. That You are the ONE who created the breeze, the unique music of the night, and the ONE who tells us the truth. Amen.

Image Source

Posted in Bible Study | Tagged Idols, Life, Soul, Truth, World, Worship | Leave a comment

He Is In Our Midst so Persist

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Mark Shields

There are days we may be tired, confused, or kind of down but if we keep going and make some progress for that day, we can wake up the next day with some momentum that eventually gets us back up to full speed. This day with God can be amazing because of our faith in the possibilities He gives.

Persistence like a stream of water eventually cuts into a rock and if we remain persistent at focusing on the possibilities God gives, we can cut into and go through any obstacle in our way.

With God, we have something amazing and there is no need to add anything extra; just highlight the amazing and keep it simple. That’s what I like about this song: Press On – Building 429

So you must be brave. Don’t give up! God will honor you for obeying him. – 2 Chronicles 15:7

Posted in Devotionals | Tagged Courage, Faith, Miracles, Momentum, Persistence, Prayer, Strength | 1 Comment

Dawn Is the Time to Press On

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Mark Shields

Like their reception at Antioch, the reception of Paul and Barnabas at Iconium as described in Acts 14:1-7 was positive at first. As usual, they went into a Jewish synagogue to speak and great numbers of Jews and Greeks believed (v. 1). Some of the Jews refused to believe and they kept things stirred up.

Paul and Barnabas spent a considerable amount of time at Iconium as God enabled them to perform signs and wonders (v. 3). The city was split between those who believed and those who did not and among the non-believers a plot was developed. They began to mistreat Paul and Barnabas to the point of threatening to cause harm so Paul and Barnabas set out to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe (v. 6).

When faced with opposition, continue to stay positive because God will equip for the task. When God raises us up, we can expect those against us to try and bring us down but like Paul and Barnabas, we must persist even when we feel like giving up.

Many were for Paul and Barnabas but many were against them. Those against them even plotted to stone them. It takes courage to make a stand for the Lord and even in today’s world, people can try to destroy our future but kneeling in prayer is what gives us strength.

When we stand in faith and trust, we should expect miracles. Father God, we come to You in prayer today. The forces of evil tried to bring down Paul and Barnabas but with courage they persisted. Help us today to persist in standing strong for You. We pray today for Your strength, for Your protection, and for our trust in You for a brighter future. In Jesus name. Amen.

Image Source