DEVOTIONS

Monday, October 9 – “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:10) Notice that this verse doesn’t mention your mind.  For faith in Jesus has little to do with your mind.  Faith in Jesus isn’t about what you think or how you can analytically prove anything.  Your faith in Jesus is about who you are.  Your heart is the source of your faith.  And your mouth will always follow your heart.  You won’t always speak your mind.  But you will always speak from your heart.  For your heart represents who you are and your mind merely represents what you think, at a particular point in time. 

Tuesday, October 10 – “I have seen something under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) How do you deal with “time and chance” that happens to everyone?  How do you deal with the sure thing, not being so sure?  How do you deal with the unlucky bounce?  How do you deal with tough breaks?  How do you deal with things not turning out the way you planned?  For this is life.  And all of us must deal with it, in some way, shape or form.  This is the very reason why we are all people of faith.  For faith in something or someone is the only thing that will help you, in the face of “time and chance”.  The question for you is this:  Into what or who are you placing your faith?

Wednesday, October 11 – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26) This is good old-fashioned transformation, from the inside out.  And this is Old Testament transformation, some 600 years before Pentecost.  God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God has always been in the business of transforming people, from the inside out.  Transforming people’s hearts, means transforming who they are.  Thus, when someone is different, their actions will be different.  Always has been and always will be. 

Thursday, October 12 – “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” (Psalm 46:10) “Exalted” means to be “placed at a high or powerful level; held in high regard”.  You can read this verse two ways: (1) “Be still, and know that I am God.”  Thus, God will be “exalted among the nations” and “exalted in the earth”.  For you (and all people) are still and know that God is God.  Or (2) God will be “exalted among the nations” and “exalted in the earth”.  So, “Be still, and know that I am God.”  Because God has already won.  The former puts a great deal of pressure on you.  The latter allows you to actually “Be still and know that I am God”.  

Friday, October 13 – “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23) Do you know this?  When you read those words, what did you feel?  What did you think?  What was your first reaction?  Our world paints a very different picture.  A picture of the individual above the community.  “It’s all about me!” seems to be our world’s rallying cry.  As a follower of Jesus, who lives in this world of the individual over the community, how do you handle it?  Are you willing to accept and confess that your life isn’t your own?  Are you willing to accept and confess that it’s not for you to direct your steps? 

Saturday, October 14 – “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3) This weekend, your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to “Let love and faithfulness never leave you.”  What can you do in order to be constantly reminded of “love and faithfulness”?  How can you live out “love and faithfulness” in your everyday life?  How can you be “love and faithfulness”?  Over and above simply doing things that express “love and faithfulness”?