March 31, 2011 - Daily Encouragement - How Did I get To This Place?

5 A.M. - 

DEVOTION - PRAYER/ SONG "BE EXALTED"

EXERCISE - P90X - ARMS, TRICEPS, SHOULDERS

8:30 a.m. - Read Daily Devotion

March 28, 2011

How Did I Get To This Place?
Melanie Chitwood

"For by grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Ephesians 2:8, 9 (NAS)

Devotion:
One of the things I love to do is to recall the ways God has brought me to the place where I am in my relationship with Him. Have you ever done that? Have you ever reflected on the events and people God used in your past?
As I trace God's activity in my life, I recall important people and pivotal situations contributing to my love for God. I remember my mom and dad who made going to church a priority. My grandmother's gentle love spoke to me of the tenderness of God's love. I recall my Aunt Kathy who listened and cried with me through the tumultuous teen years. My youth leaders proved week after week, even when they knew my weekends were filled with more drinking than Bible study, they would not give up on me, and neither would God.
A week spent at Young Life camp Windy Gap opened my eyes and heart to God in a new way. Sitting on a rock with the dark sky and glittering stars above, I thought about some of the empty places in my life. I spent my days trying to be pretty, smart and popular. But no matter how hard I tried, I felt like I was "not enough" of any of these.
The only escape from these feelings was found in the thermos of wine I kept hidden in my bedroom closet. Enough sips and I'd be filled up enough to believe, at least momentarily, that I just might be all those things I longed to be.
While sitting on that rock at Windy Gap, I acknowledged that what I got from a drink was temporary and only a shadow of what I really desired. My longings for significance and love could only be found in Someone who loved me and accepted me unconditionally. I knew that someone was Jesus.
I prayed a prayer that went something like this: Jesus, I don't know everything about You, but I know enough to know You love me so much You died on a cross to take the punishment for my sin. Thank You for doing that. I want to be Your child, now and forever. Thank You for being my Lord, Savior, and Friend.
Remembering that defining moment and the steps which led me to Jesus fills my heart with gratitude. My love for Jesus is renewed, and I want to pursue Him once again as I remember the way He pursued me.
I encourage you to take time today or this week to remember the people and circumstances God placed in your life as He drew you to Himself. Will you pause at each place, thanking God for that person or situation? Thank Him that His love reached you and that His love will never fail.
Maybe as you read this devotion, you've remembered a time when you loved and followed God more wholeheartedly, but somewhere along the way you've pulled back or distanced yourself from Him. Will you pray today, recommitting your life to follow God?
I don't know what your story is, but I do know God is pursuing you. Isn't it amazing that even when we're not aware of God, He is aware of us? He's always working in our lives to draw us to His love.

Dear Lord, I am filled with thankfulness as I remember how You pursue me with Your love. Thank You for loving me first, even before I was aware of You. Thank You for each person and situation You put in my life that lead me to You. Reignite the fire of my love for You, causing it to grow stronger than ever. Let everything I am, do, and say point to Your unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

March 30, 2011 - Fearing the Unknown

March 30, 2011

Fearing the Unknown

Micca Campbell

"Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before."
Joshua 3:4a (NIV)

Devotion:

Do you ever fear the unknown? Perhaps it's your health or the uncertainty of your future. Maybe it's the decisions your children will make about following God or following their peers. Fearing the unknown can cause us to spend precious energy anticipating the worst-case scenario. There are two problems with this type of fear:
• The future is not here.
• The future is not ours.
While the future may be out of our hands, it is not out of the hands of our faithful trustworthy God. When we face a worrisome unknown situation, we can look to Joshua as an example of how to trust God in the face of uncertainty.
It's recorded in the first chapter of Joshua that before Moses died, God passed the baton of leadership to Joshua. The Israelites had been wandering in the desert for 40 years under the guidance of Moses. Now, their journey was almost over. Just beyond the Jordan River was their promised land -- the land that God had guaranteed to Abraham and his descendants.
Upon reaching the Jordan River, Joshua and the Israelites set up camp by the stream and awaited God's direction. Much like their meeting with the Red Sea, God had to make a way for them to cross over the river. On the third day, God told the officers to instruct the people that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant (where God's Presence abided) to follow it because they had "never passed this way before" (Joshua 3:4). In essence, God was saying: Follow Me and I'll see you through this unknown territory.
That's not all. The people were instructed on how closely they should follow the ark. Without this instruction, the people would have crowded the ark and God wanted every person to be able to see His presence faithfully leading them through the unknown valley. What greater encouragement could they have than this, that the Lord was their God, a God who was with them?
You see, friend, the Lord understands our fear of the unknown. He realizes that you may be in a situation that you've never passed through before and you're afraid. It may be the first time you've been without employment. Maybe you've just been diagnosed with an illness or your child is in rebellion. You've never been down this road before and you don't know which way to go or what to do. God will guide the way.
Joshua's life was unpredictable and full of unknowns much like yours and mine. Yet, he successfully resisted fear by keeping his focus on God rather than the events surrounding him. Just as God guided the Israelites through unknown territory, He will guide you and me, too.
As He promises in Isaiah 43, when we come to a place we've never passed through before, God is always present to help us. "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior" (v.2-3a, NIV).
Even though the children of Israel were not told how they would pass over the river, the people went forth in faith. We too can move forward in faith sharing in the promised presence of God leading the way through our unknown circumstances.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your promised presence. It comforts my heart to know that I am not alone. Lead me, Lord, through the unknowns in my life. Make Your path clear and I will follow it. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 – Daily Devotion – Men must not wear womens clothes, Women must not were mens cloths

Key verse:  Came across a scripture I never read before: I figured it was true, but it was just interesting to see it in the bible.  Kind of like reading a scripture in the bible that says if you take to much caffeine, you will be addicted and lose rest.. You can assume as much but if you read something like that ..it would make you say..hmmmm…LOL

Deuteronomy 22:5 KJV –

Deuteronomy 22:5 (King James Version)

 ⁵The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

NLT

Deuteronomy 22:5 (New Living Translation)

 ⁵ “A woman must not put on men’s clothing, and a man must not wear women’s clothing. Anyone who does this is detestable in the sight of the Lord your God.

A.M. – PRAYER, SONG “Your righteous mind”
                EXERCISE: P90X – PLYOMETRICS
P.M. – MEDIATION/SCRIPTURE (April 2 – reading, one year bible)

Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30;  Luke 9:51-10:12; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 12:11

*************************************************** 
Psalm 74:1-23

View commentary related to this passage

Psalm 74

A psalm^[a] of Asaph.

 ¹ O God, why have you rejected us so long?
      Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture?
 ² Remember that we are the people you chose long ago,
      the tribe you redeemed as your own special possession!
      And remember Jerusalem,^[b] your home here on earth.
 ³ Walk through the awful ruins of the city;
      see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary. ⁴ There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries;
      there they set up their battle standards.
 ⁵ They swung their axes
      like woodcutters in a forest.
 ⁶ With axes and picks,
      they smashed the carved paneling.
 ⁷ They burned your sanctuary to the ground.
      They defiled the place that bears your name.
 ⁸ Then they thought, “Let’s destroy everything!”
      So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped.
 ⁹ We no longer see your miraculous signs.
      All the prophets are gone,
      and no one can tell us when it will end.
 ¹⁰ How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you?
      Will you let them dishonor your name forever?
 ¹¹ Why do you hold back your strong right hand?
      Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them.
 ¹² You, O God, are my king from ages past,
      bringing salvation to the earth.
 ¹³ You split the sea by your strength
      and smashed the heads of the sea monsters.
 ¹⁴ You crushed the heads of Leviathan^[c]
      and let the desert animals eat him.
 ¹⁵ You caused the springs and streams to gush forth,
      and you dried up rivers that never run dry.
 ¹⁶ Both day and night belong to you;
      you made the starlight^[d] and the sun.
 ¹⁷ You set the boundaries of the earth,
      and you made both summer and winter.
 ¹⁸ See how these enemies insult you, Lord.
      A foolish nation has dishonored your name.
 ¹⁹ Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves.
      Don’t forget your suffering people forever.
 ²⁰ Remember your covenant promises,
      for the land is full of darkness and violence!
 ²¹ Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated again.
      Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name.
 ²² Arise, O God, and defend your cause.
      Remember how these fools insult you all day long.
 ²³ Don’t overlook what your enemies have said
      or their growing uproar.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 74:1 Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.
2. Psalm 74:2 Hebrew Mount Zion.
3. Psalm 74:14 The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature.
4. Psalm 74:16 Or moon; Hebrew reads light.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 12:11

View commentary related to this passage

 ¹¹ A hard worker has plenty of food,
      but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.

March 29, 2011 - Daily Encouragement - "Regarding Fasting"

7:00 a.m. - Meditation

7:10 a.m. - Prayer/Daily Encouragment

March 29, 2011

Waging Kana

T. Suzanne Eller

"And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, 'Why could we not cast it out'
So He said to them, 'This kind can come out by
nothing but prayer and fasting.'"
Mark 9:28-29 (NKJV)

Devotion:
I didn't know how to fix it or make it better. I felt helpless, really. Someone close to me was battling a serious illness. One morning I sat in the stillness, just me and my Bible and the sweet presence of God as I prayed for this person. As I did, I felt strongly compelled to fast.
The Hebrew word for fasting is Kana, and it means to subdue or to bring low. It is the scriptural word for either bringing down an enemy in combat or subduing your own soul in an action of humility. Fasting twice a week was a regular practice in the first century. There were minor fasts (from sunrise to sundown) and examples in both the Old and New Testaments of fasting for many meals and even days. Jesus Himself fasted in the wilderness for 40 days.
But how long should I fast? Her treatment was expected to take several months, and that created a dilemma. No one can go without food for that long, nor should they. My Heavenly Father wasn't calling me to be foolish, but to bring low the enemy by waging Kana.
As I dug deeper I discovered that in addition to abstaining from food, Kana was practiced in other ways. Some sat in the "low seats" in the tabernacle as they offered the "high seats" to others. Some gave up simple pleasures. As I studied, I realized that I could fast traditionally, but also creatively throughout my friend's treatment.
Aren't you supposed to be quiet about fasting (Matthew 6:16)? Are you boasting? You might be wondering.
I'm not sharing this to boast, but because I quickly discovered the power behind fasting. When I waged Kana the gaping holes, those where I lacked discipline, were revealed. Some of those discoveries were surprising. Giving up sugar? Not too hard. Giving up complaining? Not a big deal. Giving up TV? Such a struggle that it shocked me.
One week I felt compelled not to abstain from something, but instead to immerse myself in Scripture. As each week passed, I began to invite God in to show me how to fast, and to shine His love in the areas where I needed to abstain so that He could fill them up.
Kana taught me where my strengths lie, and where my weaknesses flourished. It wasn't a legalistic pointing of the heavenly index finger, but an opportunity to take an honest look at where I was bound, and how to grow.
My friend is ending treatment soon, but I have come to embrace the process of Kana. My prayer is that it brings low the enemy as my friend continues to heal, but I know that fasting not only touches Heaven for my friend; it can't help but touch me, too.

Dear Lord, help me hear You more clearly, to bring low the enemy of my soul, and to open the gaps in my life to Your touch. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - Daily Encouragement

7:30 a.m. Prayer
8:00 a.m. Meditation

Daily Encouragement

March 23, 2011
Stay
Amy Carroll
 “May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”
Psalm 33:22 (NIV)    
Devotion:
I failed my friend. Although I’d love to tell you how I stuck by her as an encouraging presence and practical helper through her darkest days, it simply wouldn’t be true. 
I didn’t understand her choices. I couldn’t endorse her actions. I struggled with the consequences of what she wanted to do, and so I left. I didn’t actually go anywhere physically, but I withdrew my availability and my openness. I tucked my heart into a safe, little box and walked away from her situation.
That was years ago, but I still look back on that time with regret and sorrow. Although I’ve made attempts since to reach out and reconcile, my friend is understandably cautious as she guards her still-hurting heart. I hope one day that our friendship will be fully restored, but until then I’ve tried to use the consequences of my choice to learn some things.  I desperately want to learn to stay.
Stay through conflict.
Stay through struggles.
Stay through suffering.
Stay through discomfort.
Stay through misunderstanding.
Mary Magdalene is a beautiful example of a constant heart. Because of her great love for Jesus, she stayed.
She stayed after He set her free.
She stayed as He traveled.
She stayed through His torture.
She stayed at the cross.
She stayed at His burial.
She stayed to pass on the news of His resurrection.
Mary Magdalene is a picture of steadfast faithfulness. But sometimes I have trouble staying.
When a church doesn't quite fit my desires, I long for a “happier” place. When a friend is going through a bad time because of choices I can't endorse, I tend to withdraw. When God does things I can't understand, I yearn to flee to a more comfortable setting. It seems easier and less painful.
Come Thou Fountis my favorite hymn, and I think it's because this verse resounds so loudly with me:
O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.
I want to leave sometimes, but I long to stay. I long to learn an abiding love for God, my family and my friends that extends a grace beyond my own strength —a strength from One who never leaves. The One who is teaching me to stay. 
Dear Lord, sometimes it’s not easy to stay when conflict, disagreements or differences get in the way. Would You give me the power to love people unconditionally and the wisdom to know how to love them well?  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Friday, March 18, 2012 - When I am Free

Friday, March 18, 2011 - Daily Encouragement

5:30 a.m. Pray
5:40 a.m. Daily Encouragement
6:00 a.m. Exercise

When I Am Free




Lynn Cowell



“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13 (NIV)



Devotion:

"Mom, the dog won't come! I think she has run away again."



Uggg....This was MY time. Why should I have to take care of the dog? I never wanted her any way! These were the stinky thoughts in my brain at 9:30 one evening after spending the day doing the "have to's." I was enjoying my few minutes of "want to's." I didn't want to be interrupted!



As I got up off the couch, my daughter asked, "What is wrong?" It felt as though the Holy Spirit Himself was asking me. What iswrong with you?



What was wrong with me was me.



Do you ever suffer from Me Syndrome? You know, that time of the day or the month when you feel that now is the time for me? I sure do; often in fact. If it doesn't help or benefit me, I don't want to do it! I guess that is why Galatians 5:13 jumped off the page when I read it recently.



"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." (NIV)



Ouch! That really hurt! Freedom is given so I can serve. Okay, Lord, so where do you want to free me so I can serve?



Here is the short list of what was downloaded to my heart in a mere two minutes of journaling my response to that question:



When I am free from ambition, I am free to serve with a joyful heart.



When I am free from selfishness, I am free from irritation.



When I am free from jealousy, I am free to rejoice in the good of another.



When I am free from judgment, I am free to pray from a pure heart.



When I am free from expectation, I am free to enjoy whatever comes.



When I am freed from controlling others, I am free to see the miraculous.



When I am truly free, I will see the Kingdom of God in my life.



That is what I want to see –the Kingdom of God come in my life. What is that going to take? It’s going to take tearing free from my own selfish thoughts and feelings. It’s going to take looking at things from God’s perspective. It’s going to take God’s help. In order to be free, I have to be free of me.



Do you want to be free too? Free to find total and utter completion in Jesus? What steps will you take this week to make that freedom a reality?



Father, when I don’t get my “to do” list done, I am irritated and frustrated. When I am tired and one more person needs me, I feel angry and annoyed. Only You can free me of me, Jesus. I give You permission to do it! In Your powerful Name, Amen.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 – Daily Encouragement

5:12 a.m. Prayer

5:45 a.m. Daily Scripture

5:55 a.m. Song – “Be Exalted”

6:00 a.m.  Exercise – Insanity

March 15, 2011
Secret Decoder Ring
Rachel Olsen
"You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not.” Matthew 13:11 (NLT)        
Devotion:
Did you catch that gem of a revelation in today’s key verse? Jesus said there are secrets in the Kingdom of God.
I don’t know about you but I have a hard time resisting secrets - especially God-sized secrets. So when I discovered this verse, I immediately wanted to know more. Don’t you?
What secrets might God share with me? What secrets will He reveal to you?
To be perfectly honest, for years much of the Bible seemed like a giant secret I wasn’t privy to.  I just didn’t get parts of it—many parts of it. Was I one of those “others” who hadn’t been permitted to understand? I wondered. I suspected maybe if I went to seminary or became a nun, I could get a secret decoder ring and suddenly my Bible would make sense to me.
I just wasn’t sure this average, everyday gal could ever figure it out all by herself. Turns out, I was partially right.
Today’s verse starts a passage every woman needs to hear:
"You have been permitted to understand the secretsof the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them. That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don't really see. They hear what I say, but they don't really hear, and they don't understand.” (Matthew 13:11-13, NLT)
According to Jesus, God grants us the ability to recognize Kingdom truths. Jesus promises if we are truly open to His teachings, He will help us understand spiritual realities. Therefore, it’s not up to you or me to figure out the mysteries of God or the deep truths of the Bible with our own perception. No need to spend your days in seclusion, or your money on an advanced degree. Jesus is our secret decoder ring!
And we can wear it proudly because no ring shines brighter than He does! Peter, James, and John, three of Jesus’ disciples, witnessed His astounding brilliance—His sparkling glory—when He took them to a secluded spot on a mountain top. “As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance changed, and his clothing became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly process could ever make it” (Mark 9:2-3, NLT). Suddenly a cloud came over them and “a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him’” (Mark 9:7, NLT).
God never hides truth from sincere seekers. In fact, He came to earth in the person of Jesus to ensure that we’d learn His secrets and understand His ways. Our task is to open ourselves—ears, eyes, and heart—and listen intently to Him. To concentrate and apply ourselves to the process of prayerfully reading the Bible.
So, when I don’t understand something I read in scripture, I look to Jesus. I ask Jesus to help me understand. I consider the example He set while here on earth - found in the gospels - and then I read the perplexing chapter or verses again in light of his example and character.  I ask His Holy Spirit to guide me into all spiritual truth. And I’ve been amazed by what I’ve found.
I won’t say that I now understand everything in my Bible cover-to-cover, but I have discovered some truly empowering secrets to life in God’s Kingdom.  And I trust more revelation is to come, simply because Jesus said it would. He promised an abundance of knowledge to those who listen to Him.
It’s easy to miss the full impact of the first dozen words of today’s key verse and zero in on the last four: "You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not.” Don’t make that mistake.  Don’t assume you’ll never “get it.”  If you are a follower of Christ, listening to Him with your heart, He will reveal to you victorious secrets for life in His Kingdom. Open your eyes to Him. Open your ears to Him. Open your heart to Him, and dig into His Word.  Pray for revelation and understanding. 
And be ready to record the amazing things He reveals as you do.                   
Dear Lord, I willingly and eagerly open my eyes, ears and heart to You today. Speak to me through Your Word, I pray. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.