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

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.

Posted in Bible Study, Physical and Mental Health | Tagged Cure, Faith, Health, Hope, Physician, Prayer | Leave a comment

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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Posted in Bible Study, Questions for Reflection | Tagged Bible Study, Christ, Faith, Future, God’s Plan, Hope, Leadership, Lessons, Life, Love, Prayer, Reflection, victory | Leave a comment

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.

Step 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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Posted in Devotionals, Poems | Tagged Bible Study, Faith, Future, Life, Peace, Prayer | 2 Comments

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.

Index of devotionals

Posted in Devotionals, Discipline | Tagged Bible Study, Blessings, Character, Devotional, Discipline, Praise, Prayer, Pride, Repent | Leave a comment

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.