DEVOTION - FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2011

FRIDAY,  MAY 20,  2011

“WINNING WALK RADIO”

BY

DR ED YOUNG

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
2 Peter 1:4

Siring means sharing. In fathering a child, a man passes on the essence of himself, while recognizing the child will have his distinct ways. All humans are created by God, but sin separated us from His character. In the salvation covenant through Christ, the Creator becomes Abba Father—“Dad.” The new birth means we participate in God’s very nature. The moment each of my sons came into the world, my home, food and resources were theirs. So when we are born into God’s Kingdom through Jesus Christ, all His promises are ours, by inheritance.

DEVOTION - THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2011

THURSDAY,  MAY 19,  2011

“LIVING THE ADVENTURE OF TRUST AND OBEDIENCE”

BY

JACK GRAHAM

Commit your way to the LORD;
            trust in him, and he will act.

Psalm 37:5

I remember how I used to wake up every morning and watch the sun rise over the ocean at our home in Florida. The church I pastored, which was right on the Atlantic Ocean, was a wonderful place with such wonderful people. It felt like Deb and I had been on a honeymoon throughout all our days there. We had no desire, no thought, and no contemplation of ever wanting to leave.

So when I first heard from a pastoral search committee in Texas, it was a call from out of nowhere. But as I began speaking with the committee chair, I sensed in my heart that God was in this. And after many conversations and much prayer, Deb and I came to a place where we had to say, “Lord, we’re simply going to trust you.”

It soon became abundantly clear that God was calling us to leave our Florida home for me to pastor a church in Texas. And today, that church has seen tremendous growth and is doing things for the Kingdom that I never could’ve imagined! But it took Deb and me years of trust and obedience for God to bring us to where we are today.

Maybe God’s calling you out of your comfort zone and into the unknown. No matter where he calls you, live each day in trust and obedience to him and he’ll take you places you’ve never imagined!

LIVE EACH DAY IN FULL TRUST AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND YOU’LL EXPERIENCE HIS POWER IN AMAZING WAYS!

DEV0TION - SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2011

SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2011

“TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS”

BY

ADRIAN ROGERS

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” Mark 11:22

I ask some Christians, “How are you doing?” They say, “Okay—under the circumstances.” How did you ever get there?

Circumstances are like a mattress. You’re supposed to be on it, not under it. Under the circumstances, you suffocate; on them you rest pretty well.

The only way you can run the race is to take your eyes off things or people around you and look to Jesus. He’s the author of the race. He’s the goal to which you run. If you look to Jesus to supply your every need for the race, you’ll find faith growing in your heart and in your life. You see, it’s not great faith in God; it is faith in a great God.

Do you have a hymnal in your home? Find the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” by Helen Lemmel and make it your anthem!

DEVOTION - FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2011

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2011

“KNOWING OUR NEED”

BY

BOB COY

READ GENESIS 2

Have you ever thought about this particular passage in God’s Word? Why did God bring the animals to Adam to name them? Couldn’t the Lord have named them Himself, just as He named Adam? Of course He could have—so why didn’t He?

When we read on, it becomes apparent that God created both a male and female of each animal (so they could reproduce), and that He brought both of them to Adam to be named. We can discern this because the very next verse tells us that through this process, Adam became aware of the fact that he had no “helper” or mate:

So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. (Genesis 2:20 NKJV)

How did he notice he didn’t have a companion? Because every bird and beast had a companion—but he was without. God put Adam in a position to see that he was alone. And in doing so, He gave Adam insight into a particular area of need in his life. Now he knew and understood that he needed a companion.

So how can we integrate this insight into our own lives? Oftentimes, it’s as we’re alone with the Lord that we’re able to identify our real needs. When our lives are inundated with human interaction, with the expectations and pressures they place on us, it’s very easy to lose sight of what our truest and deepest needs are.

But when we’re alone with God, as Adam was, we begin to see what matters most and are able to order our lives accordingly.

Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?

DEVOTION - THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011

THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011

“STRENGTH”

BY

DR ED YOUNG

He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. - Isaiah 40:29-31

Sometimes we experience soaring, excitement and hum-drum—all in one day! We’re up there with the eagles, then running with the sprinters, but later we fade to a wearied lope. What happens to the body need not occur in the soul, but what happens in the soul can energize the body. “Waiting on the Lord” is assuring His wings are under us before we leap into the sky. Running is dashing into the day with the anticipation of God’s faithfulness for all our challenges. If we wait on Him, soar on Him, run in Him, we will walk home at the end of the day energized for the next.