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

Resolute in Fulfilling a Purpose

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Mark Shields

Jesus was determined to reach as many people as He could as expressed in Luke 13:22-35 even when there was a growing group of enemies against what He was teaching, He was resolute tin fulfilling His purpose; healing the sick, driving out demons, and becoming the Savior.

He told the people to make every effort to enter the narrow door (v. 24). To be ready to enter the kingdom and not waste any opportunities because the consequences would be disastrous. He says in verse 28, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for those who see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but they themselves are thrown out.”

The key to entering through the door is to accept Christ as Savior. By accepting Christ, God will give insight into how we can play our part to do everything for the cause of Christ. Each day is amazing because of who He is and who we are: an important part of history and one of His children.

This day with God, let us pray that we love what God loves. Let us pray that we play our part by sharing with others any thoughts, pictures, videos, and ideas that encourage, energize, or inspire.

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Posted in Bible Study, Luke, Purpose | Tagged Encouragement, History, Inspiration, Jesus, Prayer, Purpose, Savior, Teacher | Leave a comment

Working On The Unproductive Things In Life

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Mark Shields

In the post Rise Up several parables are told by Jesus to inspire us to be productive. Like the man who still had hope in the unproductive fig tree, we can go the extra mile to work on the things in our life that are unproductive and need a little extra care.

We may not feel good at times but other times, we may feel lonely or we may feel inferior. Sometimes, we may just be physically worn out but these are the things that create resistance and ultimately make us stronger. Like the resistance when lifting weights to build our physical muscle, we can also build up our spiritual muscle.

Examples include the resistance of water as we swim laps to burn those extra calories or up a hill to the very top. Without resistance, the wings of a plane can’t produce lift to fly through the air. Without resistance to fear, there is no courage. Next time your day is filled with some resistance, smile at it, say thank You God, and keep going.

Remember, 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. This day with God, ask that He keeps making you stronger and receive inspiration from this video: Keep Making Me – Sidewalk Prophets.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. – Romans 5:3

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Posted in Devotionals, Going Extra Mile, Video | Tagged Eternal Life, Going Extra Mile, Holy Spirit, Inspiration, Jesus, Parables, Persistence, Power, Prayer, Productivity, Progress, Soul, Strength | Leave a comment

Rise Up

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Mark Shields

The basic question raised in reading Luke 13:1-21 is about degrees of sins. Are there certain sins in which the punishment is harsher? Jesus explains that all will face death sooner or later. Calamity and destruction will be faced if one does not repent but those who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The Holy Spirit sets us free like the woman that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. Like the fig tree that didn’t bear much fruit, we need nutrition or fertilizer and we receive this from the Holy Spirit which provides food for our soul. From a small seed grows a large tree and with a little bit of yeast mixed with flour, the bread rises. With God, we rise up from something small into something big.

There may be days we feel tired, confused, or kind of down but if we keep going and making some progress for that day, we can wake up the next day with some momentum and get back up to full speed. Lord, we pray for a day that produces much fruit. Give us an extra push today and the nutrition for our soul. We pray for progress; small things turning into something big because of Your power. Amen!

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Posted in Bible Study, Going Extra Mile, Luke | Tagged Eternal Life, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Power, Prayer, Progress, Soul | Leave a comment

The Humility of Abraham

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Mark Shields

Reading Genesis 23 in a study a while back, it was noted that Abraham demonstrated humility and this aroused a response of respect. He wanted to pay for a burial site for Sarah his wife rather than receive it as a gift. He shows us a humble independence that any leader should imitate. This poem was inspired by this display of humility from Abraham: Unlimited Ability with Humility.

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Posted in Devotionals, Genesis, Pleasing Personality, Poems | Tagged Abilities, God, Humility, Personality, Skills, Talent | Leave a comment

Feeding the Soul with Thoughts of a Believer

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Mark Shields

In the post Ready for His Return at all Times I wrote about the need to pay attention to our spiritual health; getting ready for each day by feeding our souls with healthy thoughts and using our abilities to glorify God. At the end of each day, we should reflect on the good or bad things of the day to draw lessons from which to share with others.

We should pay attention to get things in order, get pride out of the way, admit our faults, and accept Jesus as Savior. Like predicting the weather, use discernment to see what God is doing. Get ready, get settled with the Lord, and prepared for the battle ahead. Here is a video to feed our soul with thoughts of a believer: Fix My Eyes on You – King and Country.