Devotional Reflections For January

Devotional Reflections
for
January
I dedicate this book to my son, Nason Schooler. In January he will
turn 35 years old (where have the years gone?). As he continues to
experiment with procedures to reduce the effects of aging, I pray
that he will grow in faith and in the knowledge of Christ.
W = X
All of the pictures in this book were taken by me. As much as

possible, I tried to include pictures that are typical of January
weather (at least in our neck of the woods).
©2009 – Croft Enterprises
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Table of Contents
January 1 On the Winning Side 1
January 2 Adorned with Jewels 3
January 3 Spiritual Restoration 5
January 4 Spiritual Understanding 7
January 5 Restore to Me the Joy 9
January 6 Peace to You! 11
January 7 Ask and Receive 13
January 8 On the Wings of the Wind 15
January 9 Defenses of Clay 17
January 10 In the Hand of God 19
January 11 Whose Law is Law? 22
January 12 God Speaks 24
January 13 God Preserves a Godly Line 26
January 14 A Mighty God 29
January 15 Effectual Fervent Prayer 31
January 16 You Will Find Rest for Your Souls 33
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January 17 Pray in Belief 35
January 18 Answered Prayers of Manasseh 37
January 19 Feed the Flock of God 39
January 20 Prayerlessness 41
January 21 Promises of Resurrection 43
January 22 Promise of Light 45
January 23 Miriam, the Prophetess 47
January 24 A Meek and Quiet Spirit 49
January 25 Final Spiritual Adornment 51
January 26 Restore Comforts 53
January 27 The Prodigal Son 55
January 28 The Face of An Angel 57
January 29 The Eye of A Needle 59
January 30 Blessed Ears and Eyes 61
January 31 One Flock, One Shepherd 63
About the Author 65
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January 1
On the Winning Side
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was
called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes
were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written
that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and
His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a
sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them
with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of
Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 19:11-16, NKJV
It is good for us to remember the end; remember that know matter what things look like
around us, we are on the winning side!
When Christ returns, there will be no doubt as to His strength and power. We often do a
great disservice by painting a picture of Christ being meek and helpless. Even during His
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time on this earth, Christ was never weak. He never feared man, and was quick to always
uphold the Word of Truth. When He found the money changers in the temple area on the
Sabbath, He, alone, physically threw them out!
When the end of the world draws near and it seems as though the church of God will be
lost forever, the heavens will open and Christ, the One who is Faithful and True, will
come riding out upon a white horse to make war against those who have persecuted His
people. It will not be a close battle. Followed by the armies in Heaven, also on white
horses, the battle will be swift and decisive. Evil will be put down forever more!
Following this great battle, Christ will judge all of the nations, both the living and the
dead. No one will escape this great Judgment Day when only the righteous, saved by the
blood of Christ the Lamb of God, will go on to live with Him forever in His eternal
kingdom.
Who is this Lamb of God? He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!
As you live this day, remember that you are on the winning side. Ask God to help you to
be faithful to Him in every thing you do and say, disregarding the sinful attitudes of those
around you.
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January 2
Adorned with Jewels
I delight greatly in the LORD;

my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10, NIV
Christ’s followers are His bride whom He has adorned with jewels! Think of the time and
money a bride spends in planning her wedding. Every detail is considered so that her
wedding day will be the most special day of her life. She must have the right dress, the
right veil, the right shoes, the right flowers, and the list goes on.
As the Bride of Christ, how are Christians adorned? Christ clothes His bride with
garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness! Notice that He is the One who does
the clothing, and that this clothing will last forever, not just one day. We spend so much
time trying to be spiritual that we forget that spiritual adornment is a gift from Christ.
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Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? Go to Christ. Are you overcome by the
difficulties of life? Go to Christ. Do you long for peace and joy in your life? Go to Christ.
Are you lonely or depressed? Go to Christ.
Christ is all we need; He alone clothes us with righteousness and by Him alone are we
adorned with jewels. As a matter of fact, by Him alone do we become His jewels. This
reminds me of the words of this song, penned by George Frederich Root in the mid
1800’s.
When He cometh, when He cometh

To make up His jewels,
All His jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and His own.
Chorus:
Like the stars of the morning,
His bright crown adorning,
They shall shine in their beauty,
Bright gems for His crown.
He will gather, He will gather

The gems for His kingdom,
All the pure ones, all the bright ones,
Little children, little children

Who love their Redeemer,
Are the jewels, precious jewels,
Are you a jewel of Christ?
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January 3
Spiritual Restoration
4 So Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from
Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD God of
their fathers. 5 Then he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of
Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, “Take heed to what you are doing, for you
do not judge for man but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. 7 Now
therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no
iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”
2 Chronicles 19:4-7, NKJV
Webster defines restoration as, a bringing back to a former position or condition. In this
devotion we will look at the life of one of the good kings of Judah, Jehoshaphat. His
reign was not perfect; as a matter of fact he grievously displeased God when he came to
the aid of Ahab, the wicked King of Israel. Yet, God saw that Jehoshaphat had prepared
his heart to seek God.
Jehoshaphat was a “hands on” king; he went out among the people seeking to bring them
back to the Lord. He put judges over the people, giving them this admonition,
“Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD, who is
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with you in the judgment. 7 Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take
care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, nor taking
of bribes.”
Isn’t it interesting that Jehoshaphat used the courts of law to bring the people back to
God. It does make one wonder what the true state of a nation is that makes laws
completely contrary to the commandments of God!
We are not saved by keeping the law of God, but the law of God gives us a true
understanding of what is or is not sin. Believers in Christ desire to be obedient to the
Lord; though they can not possibly keep the commandments of God perfectly, they go to
Him continually asking for help to be obedient to His Word.
During our life on this earth, we often find ourselves in need of spiritual restoration. Take
time today to ponder your spirituality before God and seek His help for spiritual
restoration in your own life.
Devotional Reflections from the Bible
presents
Devotions for Children
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January 4
Spiritual Understanding
1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the
son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit
of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of
workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in
cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.
Exodus 31:1-5, NKJV
I think this is a perfect Bible passage to begin a series of devotions on Spiritual

Understanding. I say that because sometimes we have a pretty narrow view of what it
means to have spiritual understanding, confining it to understanding the Word of God and
how it relates to our lives. While that is true, this passage shows us that God does not
limit this topic in that way.
In verse one, the Lord is speaking to Moses and informing him that He has filled Bezalel
with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of
workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting
jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.
Have you ever thought about the talents and abilities God has given you, to do the job He
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has called you to do, as being part of your own spiritual understanding? God does not
view our lives or this world in the same way we do! From the moment you become a
believer in Christ, you begin living your eternal life! Because God is not confined by
time, He has always seen you as a Christian with a task to perform for Him.
Neither does God see one vocation as a higher or better calling than another. I have been
told that preachers and other Christians in full-time Christian service are up on a pedestal
above all of the rest. My question, however, is: What true believer is not in full-time
Christian service? I love my pastor dearly and am so blessed by his ministry; I have dear
friends who are serving God on the mission field. But, what would our world be like if
every single Christian became a pastor or a missionary?
Who would reach those in the factories, on the farms, in the hospitals, at the office, on the
golf course, in the production studios, in the colleges and universities, and so on? God
equips each of His children to perform a specific purpose in spreading the Gospel and
advancing His kingdom here on earth. Everyone is important! Some are more visible, but
none are invisible to God!
Pray today for spiritual understanding to learn, perfect, and fulfill the life God has chosen
for you by giving you the interests, abilities, and talents you have. Praise God that He
uses the weak things of the world to confound the wise!
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January 5
Restore to Me the Joy
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Psalm 51:10-12, NKJV
A very dear college professor of mine said that one of the proofs of the Bible is that the
Bible reveals the sins of the people instead of just showing their good side. I think that is
truly a good point. In Psalm 51 we have the confession of King David after a very
grievous sin. Not only do we understand that King David wrestled with his sin just as we
do our own, but we also see that God not only gave forgiveness, but also a return of the
joy of his salvation.
No matter how hard we try, we can not make our hearts clean! We do not live one day
without putting black smudges all over our heart. Cleanness of heart can only be created
by God. Nothing we do deserves this miracle of God; it is truly a gift from Him with no
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strings attached.
Sin does, however, separate us from God. David felt this separation when he cried out to
God, Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from
me. We know from reading the Bible that God did forgive David, but David still had to
suffer the consequences of that sin.
Pray, today, with David, Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your
generous Spirit. That is a prayer that God will answer!
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January 6
Peace to You!
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were
shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in
the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He
showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the
Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also
send you.”
John 20:19-21, NKVJ
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.
Jesus had died and was buried in a tomb. What happened to His disciples, those who had
faithfully followed Him while He walked and ministered to the people? They had
assembled together behind closed doors, for fear of the Jews. The farthest thing from
their mind at that time was peace. Christ knew their hearts, and He knew their fear;
appearing to them in the room where they were assembled, He said, “Peace be with
you.”
Was this really Jesus, or were they just seeing a vision? Jesus showed them His hands
and His side, where the wounds were still visible. Yes, this was Jesus! They were truly
glad when they realized that this really was the Lord; Jesus then said again, “Peace to
You!”
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There is no true peace apart from Christ! We were born into a world torn apart by sin
where no peace could possibly exist, and yet Christ, with just three words, granted peace
to the disciples. Now we know from our Bibles that the disciples were persecuted
continually, and most of them were martyred for their faith. How, then, did they have
peace? God gave the disciples the ability to see beyond their surroundings and joyfully
live in peace, knowing that they were serving Christ.
This peace is available for all true Christians. For the Christian, God grants peace so that
we may live above the world, but not in the world. Yes, the things of this world are
stressful, and many times peace seems impossible to grasp, and yet the true believer
knows that his life is ordered by God. We are only passing through this valley of death to
a world where peace will exist forever more.
Pray, today, for the strength to walk in the spiritual peace given to you by God. Even as
Jesus spoke to the disciples, so does he speak to all Christians, “Peace to You!”
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January 7
Ask and Receive
5And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at
midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before
him?
7And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and
my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet
because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you.
10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened.
Luke 11:5-10, KJV
Rather than speaking of a specific person, Jesus tells a story to illustrate a truth. It is in
the middle of the night and you and your family are sound asleep. A friend of yours
comes knocking at your door asking for food. He just received word that he has company
coming at any minute and he has no food. You yell, “Go to Wal Mart and get your own
food.” Still your neighbor keeps knocking. Finally, just to get rid of him, you get up and
grab some food and give it to him.
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What is Jesus trying to illustrate to us? Does it seem to you that you pray and pray and
yet God doesn’t answer your prayers? Jesus said, “Keep asking!” God is a God who
answers prayer; it may not be the way we had hoped or thought He would, but He
answers exactly in the way that is the best for us!
What about the lost?
If you come before Christ, confessing your sin to Him, and crying out for salvation,
Christ will answer your prayer. Some of the most precious words in the Bible are found
in Luke 11:9 and 10:
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Jesus always responds to the sinners prayer by saying, “Ask and receive.”
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January_8
On the Wings of the Wind
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, 2 Who
cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His
chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4 Who makes His angels spirits, His
ministers a flame of fire.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in His works. 32
He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have
my being. 34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD. 35 May
sinners be consumed from the earth, and the wicked be no more.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
Psalm 104:1-4 and 31-35
This Psalm is filled with beautiful imagery! God covers himself with light, He stretches
the heavens like a curtain, He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, He
makes the clouds His chariots, and He walks on the wings of the wind. After a thorough
reading of the entire Psalm it becomes really obvious that everything in this world is kept
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by God. He created everything with a purpose; nothing came about haphazardly.
Is it no wonder that we can live in complete confidence and trust in such a God who
orders everything perfectly? When God looks upon the earth, it trembles! We humans
would do well to consider the reaction of all nature and animals to God! The animals do
not doubt the existence of God.
Pray today that you would be filled with praise to God when you consider His mighty
creation and the salvation that is ours through Him.
Teen Devotions
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January 9
Defenses of Clay
13 “With God are wisdom and might;

he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;
if he shuts a man in, none can open.
15 If he withholds the waters, they dry up;
if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him are strength and sound wisdom;
the deceived and the deceiver are his.
Job 12:13-16, ESV
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;

your defenses are defenses of clay. . . .
15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him.
Job 13:12 & 15, ESV
Unless we have been there, it is not easy to predict how we will respond in a crisis or a
prolonged, painful illness. In Job 10, Job, in total despair, pours out his heart to God for
help. He knows that whatever is happening to him is not a result of some gross, hidden
sin as his “friends” suspect. What do you do when it seems that even God does not listen?
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When Job’s friend, Zophar, speaks, in Job 10, he seems to be filled with contempt toward
Job. “Should a multitude of words go unanswered, and a man full of talk be judged right?
Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you?” He ends
his discourse in verse 30 with these words, “But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way
of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last.”
It is interesting to note that these friends of Job were not unbelievers; they had a great
understanding of who God is and how He deals with man. Their error does not lie in the
things they speak in reference to God; their error is that they do not understand that God
does allow the righteous to be tested. Job says to them, Your maxims are proverbs of
ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.
Job is simply beside himself; he does not understand what God is doing. Though we
know that no man is perfect, it is true that Job is an upright and Godly man. Even in the
midst of great suffering and taunts from his friends who are determined that he deserves
what is happening to him, Job proclaims, Though he slay me, I will hope in him.
What do we learn from this? What kind of friends are we? Would we respond as Job
when he said, Though he slay me, I will hope in him?
Remember, Christ is all! Everything else in this life is meaningless. As we walk before
God, we must pray that we will view all of our life as God views it, and realize that we
are a part of God’s eternal plan. When our friends are under times of great duress, we
must pray for them and let them know that we are there to support and encourage them.
Lastly we must pray that God would be gracious to us and keep us faithful to Him until
we reach the end of our days here upon this earth.
All things are possible in Christ!
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January 10
In the Hand of God
1 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your
brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and
your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3
But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the
land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and
bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts
of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my
hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”
17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the
staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into
blood.
Exodus 7:1-5 & 17
5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff
over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land
of Egypt!’”
17 . . . Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and
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there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the
land of Egypt.
24 And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh
and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by
the swarms of flies.
Exodus 8: 5, 17, & 24
6 And the next day the Lord did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but
not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died.
10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the
air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast.
23 Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and
hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
24 There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail,
such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail
struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and
beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the
field.
Exodus 9:6, 10, & 23-25
In today’s Scripture we read of the first seven plagues that God sent to the land of Egypt.
Some people have doubted that these things ever really took place, but if you will look
into Egyptian history, there is a time recorded when the land of Egypt was completely
destroyed. That Pharaoh died, and a new dynasty began to rule. There is much argument
about this, but according to some archeological researchers, the time of Moses was
during the 12th dynasty of Egypt and not the 18th, as some believe.
Everything written in the Bible concurs with a time at the end of the 12th dynasty of
Egypt. Egypt was the ruling nation in the world at that time; she paid a high price for her
unbelief!
What lesson are we to learn from this portion of Scripture? God is actively living and
ruling our world. As we look at natural catastrophes occurring all over the world (floods,
hurricanes, tsunamis, etc) we must not overlook the hand of God in these events. It is true
that Christians do suffer from these events as well as the unbelievers, but nothing
happens apart from the hand of God. Every lightening bolt strikes exactly where God has
intended it to strike.
We’re not used to thinking of God in this way, but think of how precious that is.
Christians do not need to fear natural disasters, because they know they are a work of
God. What comfort to know that we do not have to think in terms of chance, but rather
we are we know that the hand of God never leaves us.
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The world goes a long way to disprove the Bible, but it will never happen. The Bible is
God’s Book from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 21:27; though some things may seem unclear
to us, we remember that while here on earth we see through a glass darkly. In heaven
everything will be made clear!
What a blessing to live in the hand of God!
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January 11
Whose Law is Law?
1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for
an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that
he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, 3 but if the sun has risen on him, there
shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold
for his theft. 4 If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or
a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.
14 “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not
being with it, he shall make full restitution. 15 If the owner was with it, he shall not
make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee.
25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a
moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26 If ever you take your
neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for
that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep?
And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
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Exodus 22:1-4, 14-15, & 25-27
12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I
may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have
written for their instruction.”
Exodus 24:12
(All Scriptures are from the English Standard Version of the Bible.)
As I was reading through today’s Scripture I thought of the question, “Whose law is law?
It is an interesting question, and one with which we all must wrestle. God introduced the
Law in the form of the Ten Commandments, and then went on in the books of Exodus
and Leviticus to be more specific as to how the law was to be interpreted.
In today’s reading, one does not have to read very far to realize that many of God’s laws
contradict the laws of our own country. As a matter of fact, a person could be considered
a law breaker, subject to the judgments of our courts in their attempt to be obedient to the
laws of God. What does that mean?
I am certainly not advocating putting people to death as they did in the Old Testament
times; that power lies only within the courts. But, I do think we should take a serious look
at our own lives. Which law do we fear most? Do we fear the laws of our countries or the
laws of God? Many times when we obey one, we are also obeying the other. However,
there are certainly times that our courts would allow things that God’s Law does not. In
that case, whose law is law?
God charges us to obey the rulers and authorities He has put over us, but these rulers and
authorities are first subject to the laws of God. Is this true only if they are Christians?
God is the Creator and Ruler of Earth; no laws can supersede His own. He is the God of
all Gods and the Lord of all Lords.
Pray that as you ponder the question, “Whose law is law?”, you will, by the grace of God,
choose to be obedient to God’s Law in everything you do and say.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God,

a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
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January 12
God Speaks
1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Job 38:1-7, ESV
26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars

and spreads his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
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and makes his nest on high?
28 On the rock he dwells and makes his home,
on the rocky crag and stronghold.
29 From there he spies out the prey;
his eyes behold it from far away.
30 His young ones suck up blood,
and where the slain are, there is he.”
Job 39:26-30, ESV
God speaks, and all are put to silence! He presents His case to Job, and there is no answer
that Job can give to Him! He questions Job again and again, and yet there is no possible
response from Job.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
We know so much, do we not? We can forecast the weather and we have filled volumes
with our great understanding. And yet, who was there when God laid the foundation of
the earth? We study to no end just trying to understand how our world exists and lives,
trying to give our own assessment as to how this world came into being. Yet, will we
ever come to the knowledge of the truth apart from God?
Is God bound by our predictions? Our weather forecasters boldly proclaim the weather
that they give or bring to us. Yet, do they give or bring us anything? They base
everything they predict upon historical averages of what has happened in the past when
weather patterns have been similar. And yet, is God bound by these predictions?
Weather men can forecast storms, lightning, thunder, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. Yet, can
they control every single bolt of lightening and tell it exactly where to go?
We have learned much of the creatures upon our earth. But, does the hawk soar because
we have made it to do so? Does the eagle mount up its wings and fly, or build its nest
high upon the crags of the rock because we have commanded it to do so? No!
We, the creature, cannot speak or impose anything upon our Creator. As God addresses
Job and then his three friends, pray that by faith you, too, will understand this truth:
When God speaks we are put to silence!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
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January 13
God Preserves a Godly Line
13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the
waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and
looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the
twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah,
16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with
you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and
animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on
the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his
sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing,
and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some
of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord
smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the
ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither
will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth
remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall
not cease.”
Genesis 8:13-22, KJV
1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people
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migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3
And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.”
And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us
build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name
for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord
came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And
the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is
only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now
be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so
that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them
from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore
its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the
earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:1-9, KJV
In today’s reading we cover the flood subsiding, God’s covenant with Noah, Noah’s
descendants and the nations which came from him, the tower of Babel, and the genealogy
from Shem to Abram.
Can you imagine what it must have been like for the eight people left on the earth to
leave the ark and touch foot on the earth? What changes do you think took place from the
destruction of the flood?
Noah’s first act was to build an altar of praise to God who had saved them from the
destruction of the flood. God made a covenant with Noah that day that still continues to
this day.
“I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is
evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have
done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter,
day and night, shall not cease.”
Now that the wicked had been destroyed from the face of the earth, everything was
perfect, right? No, Satan immediately went to work with the eight survivors of the flood,
as we find in Genesis 9, and continued in his plan of destroying all of man through sin.
By the time we reach chapter 11, we learn of the many nations that descended from
Noah. Even though God had told them to disperse over the whole earth, they remained in
the fertile crescent, and all spoke the same language. As their sin and corruption
increased, they decided to build a tower that would reach to God.
We do the same thing today! We try to build our own towers of approach to God instead
of going through the means He provided through Christ.
But, what happened to the Godly line? Had Satan totally obliterated the Godly from the
face of the earth? The answer to that lies in tomorrow’s reading. Chapter 11 does give us
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a hint when it concludes with a list of the descendants from Shem to Terah, and then tells
us of Abram, the son of Terah. As we will read, God uses Abram (Abraham) to continue
the Godly line.
God cannot be thwarted; the Godly will never be removed from the face of the earth until
God takes them home to be with Him forever.
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January 14
Mighty in God
1 Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of
Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2
But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I
intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down
strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against
the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:1-5, NKJV
Continuing with the subject of the spiritual mind we will look at what Paul describes as
being Mighty in God. Verses 1 and 2 are shown to give you the proper context, but we
will concentrate on verses 3 through 5 shown above. This passage describes in a little
more detail what it means to have the mind of Christ.
Because the world walks according to the flesh, their perception of us is that we also
walk according to the flesh. Paul makes a distinction, however, by stating, For though we
walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. Just think about that for a
moment.
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Paul then goes on to describe our spiritual warfare. For the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. It is a good thing for us to
realize that we have the power of God within us. Think of how differently we would live
if that thought was preeminent in our minds.
We do this in two ways.
1. Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge
of God.
2. Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
This is our true purpose for being here on earth among those of the world. But, in order to
obey number 1, we must first obey number 2. Because of our sin, this is really quite
impossible for us to achieve on our own, but in Christ all things are possible. Pray today
that God would help you to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Satan has no problem with bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of him.
As a matter of fact, he is quite good at it; he already holds the minds of those in the
world, but, he would also like to hold the minds of the Christians as well.
We are truly in a war! We must, by the grace of God, conscientiously cast down
arguments and any other thing that exalts itself above God. First of all, this is true in our
own heart of hearts. Secondly, this is true of those around us. How quickly we are prone
to “wimp out” when those around us attack God or use His name in vain.
Pray for strength today to be mighty in God. Pray, first of all, for the strength to bring
every thought (EVERY THOUGHT), captive to Christ. Pray, secondly, for the strength to
cast down everything thing that exalts itself above God. Remember, we have the mind of
Christ.
Daily Bible Devotions
Daily Bible Devotions Blog
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January 15
Effectual Fervent Prayer
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias [Elijah] was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly
that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six
months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her
fruit.
James 5:16-18, KJV
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. As I was rereading the
passage above I noticed something in verse 16. Verse 16 does not begin with, The
effectual fervent prayer . . . but rather, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one
for another, that ye may be healed. Why is that significant?
It is always important that we understand the Bible in context. No good speech writer
appreciates it if a phrase of his speech is quoted out of context. Doing so could bring out
a totally different meaning than what the writer conveyed in the speech. We must always
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be careful that we do not do the same thing to the Bible. Many great errors have come
from just taking a few words out of context and giving them an entirely different
meaning. Therefore we must read the last sentence of verse 16 in the context of the first
sentence.
The first sentence of verse 16 gives us incite as to how our prayers can be effectual. We
must come to prayer with an attitude of forgiveness, making sure that we are not holding
a grudge against a fellow believer, or that we have no unconfessed sin toward another
believer. Remember, God looks upon the heart; He already knows the thoughts and
intents of our hearts.
Do your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling? What is your relationship to fellow
believers? Have you wronged a fellow believer, or has a fellow believer wronged you?
Go to God, confess your sins, and ask for a forgiving heart. Then pray for the believer
you have wronged, or the one who has wronged you. Go to them, asking for forgiveness;
then, come before God in prayer with a clean heart.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. You will then understand
the true meaning of verse 16; like Elijah, you will see the true effect your prayers have
before God. The most important thing to God is that you have a right spirit toward Him;
that you fellowship with Him on a daily basis. If sin blocks that fellowship, cry out to
God for help; He will come to your aid.
Devotions for Women
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January 16
You Will Find Rest for Your Souls
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV
You will find rest for your souls!
These are the words of Christ spoken to us in Matthew 11:29. Only in Christ will we ever
find rest for our souls. Oh, we try to find it some other way, but in the end, all of our
efforts are to no avail. We can never bridge the gap between the utter perfection and
holiness of a just and righteous God because our hearts are full of sin, even on our best
days!
In the above passage, Christ said, My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Why then do
Christians suffer? Do you remember what the Psalmist said in Psalm 73 (NIV) as he
struggled with this very question?
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2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills.
Now look at verses 16 and 17:
16 When I tried to understand all this,

it was oppressive to me
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
We live in a world contaminated by sin; we see the results everywhere we look. But what
is your destiny? Look at Psalm 73 again to see the Psalmist’s resolution of this matter.
23 Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Go to Christ and you will find rest for your souls!
Download other free devotional eBooks from my website.
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January 17
Pray in Belief
22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou
removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall
believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever
he saith.
24Therefore I say unto you, What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye
receive them, and ye shall have them.
25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father
also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your
trespasses.
Mark 11:22-26, KJV
Pray in Belief! Continuing these devotionals on Attitudes for Prayer, we come to this
passage in Mark 11. Here Jesus encourages His disciples to pray with faith; What things
so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
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Unfortunately, one of the greatest hindrances to answered prayer is lack of faith. Every
Christian faces this battle on a daily basis; but we are not alone! I am always reminded of
the story of Peter in prison in Acts 12. The saints are busy praying for Peter’s release
from prison; God, answering their prayers, frees Peter through miraculous means.
Finding himself being led through the empty streets by an angel of God, Peter realizes
that this is not just a vision as he had supposed, but was indeed happening.
Peter hurried to the house of Mary where many were praying for his release. Hearing his
knock on the door, Rhoda, a servant girl, goes to open the door. She was so surprised at
seeing Peter that she left him at the door and hurried in to tell the people that Peter was at
the door. How did the people respond?
And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so.
Then said they, It is his angel.
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they
were astonished. Acts 12:15-16
Do you understand, then, why we have such hope as a Christian? Unbelief is not only a
difficulty we face, but was even faced by the early church. Does it seem that lack of faith
is hindering your prayers, too? Go to God, confess your lack of faith and ask for His
grace to open your eyes and cause you to see. How great is God’s love for us!
Understanding our weaknesses and frailties, He is always ready to come to our aid.
My pastor made an interesting comment in last Sunday’s sermon. No matter what their
circumstances, each day for the Christian is better than the day before. Think of that! Do
you lack faith? Tomorrow your faith will be stronger than today, and tomorrow you will
be one day closer to eternity with Christ.
Go to God today and ask for help that you may pray in belief, knowing that, What things
so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Welcome to my website
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January 18
Answered Prayers of Manasseh
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five
years in Jerusalem:
2 But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of
the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
9 So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse
than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.
10 And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.
11 Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of
Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and
carried him to Babylon.
12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled
himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
13 And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and
brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the
LORD he was God.
15 And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and
all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in
Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.
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16 And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and
thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.15And he
took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the
altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and
cast them out of the city.
2 Chronicles 33:1-2, 9-13, & 15-16, KJV
The answered prayers of Manasseh provide us with an inside view of the power God has
on one of the most wicked kings of Judah. For those who struggle with the conception of
being too evil for God to save them, 2 Chronicles 33 offers hope that God alone has the
power to save even the most wicked.
Verses 3-8 of 2 Chronicles 33 give specific details of the sins of Manasseh which brought
upon him the wrath of God. Even though God spoke to Manasseh and his people, they
would not listen to His entreaties to change their ways. God then allowed the king of
Assyria to overpower Manasseh, bringing him to Babylon; in his captivity he finally
submitted himself to God, crying out to Him for help.
Because Manasseh humbled himself before God, he was again restored to his throne in
Jerusalem. It is not uncommon for us to call out to God for help when troubles seem to
overpower us, and then to forget our promises to God when everything returns to normal.
This, however, is not the case with Manasseh. Verses 15 and 16 reveal to us the change
of heart and life upon Manasseh when he humbled himself before God.
The answered prayers of Manasseh provide a wonderful lesson to us of the power of God
in the life of each person who humbles himself before God. Are we too wicked to ask for
salvation from God? No! Manasseh’s conversion was not just a simplistic means to get
out of trouble; it was a complete change of heart and life.
There is none righteous, no not one. (Romans 3:10) All have sinned and come short of the
glory of God. (Romans 3:23) None of us are more righteous than Manasseh; like
Manasseh the only way to God is by humbling ourselves before God, acknowledging our
total unworthiness, and accepting the payment for our sins by Christ through His death on
the cross.
Come to Christ today! Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while
he is near. Isaiah 55:6
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January 19
Feed the Flock of God
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the
sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by
constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that
fadeth not away.
1 Peter 5:1-4, KJV
1 Peter 5 begins with an exhortation by Peter to the elders to Feed the Flock of God.
Religion in our day has become quite an industry! The challenge for the believer is to
look beyond all of the trappings to find the real thing.
Peter tells the elders (the pastors): Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready
mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. The
faithfulness of the shepherd (the pastor) often times determines the faithfulness of the
flock.
Did you know that the burden of proof, so to speak, lies on the flock as well as the
pastor? Read and study your Bible; spend time each day in Bible reading and prayer. A
flock who understands the Bible will be able to discern the faithfulness of the shepherd.
Find a Bible believing church with a faithful pastor; your very soul is at stake!
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Pray for your pastor; encourage and support his faithful ministry. Resist the urge to
criticize and undermine his ministry. Remember, your pastor fights sin in his own life just
as you also do. Be understanding and gracious toward him and his family. As your pastor
is called to be an example of godliness before you, pray that you also will be an example
of godliness to him.
Pastors, feed the flock of God. Congregation, support your pastor in prayer and
faithfulness. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory
that fadeth not away.
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January 20
Prayerlessness
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots
because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not
look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!
Isaiah 31:1, NKJV
For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, and have not sought the LORD;
therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
Jeremiah 10:21, NKJV
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war.
Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
James 4:2, NKJV
I do not know whether there is a Christian alive who has not been guilty at one time or
another of the sin of prayerlessness. Surprisingly, prayerlessness creeps up when you
least expect it; when everything seems to be going very well and you feel the closest to
God!
Why is this true? We are very prideful creatures; as soon as things are going better we
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tend to lapse into trusting ourselves. Yet, there is no time, good or bad, when we
Christians should ever forget our prayer life. There is never a time when we do not need
the faithful hand of God leading and guiding our lives.
Many times after the Israelites left Egypt, they were tempted to turn back to the lives they
had in Egypt. Instead of trusting in God, they trusted in the horses and chariots (the
strength) of Egypt rather than God. In Isaiah 31, God pronounces woe (or a curse) unto
them. Our only help comes from the faithful and true God who never leaves or forsakes
us. As soon as we put our trust in someone or something other than God, everything will
begin to crumble around us.
Jeremiah 10 is speaking of the shepherds (pastors) of the flocks. How appropriate this
passage is for us today. It is no longer possible to go into any church and hear the Word
of God preached faithfully. Many pastors, like these in Jeremiah, have become dull-
hearted and do not trust the Lord. As soon as the leaders put their trust in anything or
anyone other than God, the flock will be scattered. Oh, they may remain in that church,
but their hearts and their understanding will be far away from God.
James 4 is speaking to all Christians. In the time of great prosperity, people become
discontent; they covet what they do not have, and are even willing to murder to obtain
their desires. Doesn’t that sound like our culture today? Contentment only comes from
God; no person or thing can bring you peace, joy, and contentment, because they are
found in God alone. Pray that you will be content like the Apostle Paul in Philippians
4:11-13 who stated,
I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I
know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to
be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.
Ask God to keep you from the sin of prayerlessness so that you, too, will be content in all things.
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January 21
Promises of Resurrection
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though
he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."
John 11:25-26a, NKJV
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and
the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible
must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this
corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall
be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?"
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who
gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57, NKJV
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an
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archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we
who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one
another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, NKJV
Throughout the Old and New Testaments there are many references to the promises of
Resurrection. The age old question, "Is there life after death?" is answered with finality in
the Word of God. As a matter of fact, the passages shown above give quite a bit of detail
concerning the resurrection.
First, John 11 tells us that Christ IS the resurrection. Therefore, those who believe in
Christ will, like Him, be resurrected from the dead to live eternally with Him.
1 Corinthians 15 declares the great victory over death that will occur when we are
resurrected. When the last trumpet sounds, the dead in Christ will rise first, and then in
just a twinkling of an eye, we shall be changed. Our corruptible bodies suddenly become
incorruptible; our mortal bodies suddenly become immortal. Death to the Christian is
only a sting, because at the last day Christ triumphs over the grave and grants immortality
to all of those who had trusted in Him as their Savior. It is God who gives us this victory
through the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 4 gives a different look at the same event. At the voice of the archangel
and at the trumpet of God, the dead will be raised first. Then, those Christians who are
still alive will be caught up together with the Lord in the sky - and so shall we ever be
with the Lord.
Is there life after death? Oh, yes! One of the great comforts for the Christian when a
loved one dies, is the knowledge that we will be with them again when we are resurrected
from the dead. However, this is only true if they were believers; those not in Christ will
face eternal punishment.
This is also the reason Christians can bear the sorrows and afflictions of this life. This life
is only a vapor compared to eternity to come. This world is not our true home; we are just
strangers passing through to our true eternal home in Heaven with the Lord.
Death is swallowed up in victory with the Promises of the Resurrection!
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January 22
Promise of Light
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the
full light of day.
Proverbs 4:18, NIV
Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be
your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.
Isaiah 60:20, NIV
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 8:12, NIV
Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him
stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the
darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
1 John 2:10-11, NIV
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) In God we have the promise
of light, because God is Light.
Light and darkness are part of the world we live in. We accept them and we
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accommodate them as a reality of life. The Bible tells us that God is light; in the New
Jerusalem there will be no need of sun and moon because God will be the Light.
But what about now? It gets dark every night, doesn't it? So, how can we walk in the light
when it is dark outside? John 8:12 tells us that whoever follows Christ will never walk in
darkness. Our sin blinds us from the truth of God's Word; when we walk without Christ,
every step we take is in spiritual blindness. Spiritual darkness is much more devastating
than night because it has eternal ramifications.
Did you notice that none of the verses above say anything about gray? We are pretty
comfortable with gray - not too bad, not too good. There is no gray in God! Our goal as
Christians is to walk in the light, not the darkness, not even the gray. Snow is beautiful
when it is white, but what happens when it begins to melt and mix in with the dirt. It
becomes a sloppy, ugly mess. So, too, does our Christian walk become a sloppy, ugly
mess when we try to live for Christ and yet still walk in sin.
Pray today that your life will be like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter until
the full light of day.
Site Build It! Is one of my Keys to Success
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January 23
Miriam, the Prophetess
His [Moses'] sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. . . . Then his
sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to
nurse the baby for you?” ‘Yes, go,’ she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's
mother."
Exodus 2:4 and 7
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the
women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.
Exodus 15:20
Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife. . . .
"Hasn't He [God] also spoken through us?"
Numbers 12:1a and 2b
The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, who was born to the
Levites in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron, Moses and their sister Miriam.
Numbers 26:59
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I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.
Micah 6:4
There are many Bible passages referring to Miriam, the Prophetess spanning much of the
Old Testament from Exodus through Micah. First we find Miriam babysitting her brother,
Moses, and then she is dancing in a victory celebration. Next she and her brother Aaron
are both grumbling against Moses, then she is listed in a genealogy, and last she is listed
by God as one of the leaders He sent to the Israelites.
Even as a child, God was already actively using Miriam to execute His plan for bringing
the Israelites out of Egypt. Sometimes we think that we are somehow exempt from
serving God because we are just a youth, or we don't think about God using our children
to advance His kingdom. Serving Christ does not begin when we reach adulthood; it
begins the moment we become a Christian!
Next we see Miriam leading a victory dance; note that all the women followed her. God's
call for leadership was not just to Moses, but also to Aaron and Miriam as well. This is
confirmed by God in Micah 6:4. God may not call us to be leaders, but He does call us
(men, women, and children) to serve Him faithfully all the days of our lives. Does that
mean we have to be perfect, and that our testimony is ruined when we sin?
Miriam and Aaron both sinned against Moses when jealousy over his role of being
number one took hold of them; they grumbled because of Moses' Cushite wife. Do you
think his wife was really the problem? How often do we do the same thing? Their real
problem was jealousy, not Moses' wife. God heard their grumbling and immediately took
action; Miriam became a leper for seven days. As our father, many times God does the
same thing to us; He gently reminds us that He notices when we sin against Him.
Ultimately Miriam and Aaron sinned against God. Did that sin take Miriam out of her
leadership role? No, otherwise no one would be able to serve God!
I find it interesting that in Numbers 26:59 Miriam is listed along with her brothers Moses
and Aaron in the genealogy of the Israelites. Very few times does God list women in
genealogies, so we should especially note the significance when He does.
Miriam, the Prophetess was a Godly woman used by God in a special role during the time
of Israel's slavery in Exodus and their years of wandering in the wilderness. Women are
not lesser creatures; God is very specific in the roles of men and women. This has
become a very sensitive issue in our world today because we assume that women are
lesser creatures when our husbands or fathers are appointed over us. Notice, however,
that in Christian cultures the women are serving right along with the men in whatever
capacity God has chosen for them.
Like Miriam, the Prophetess, serve God faithfully wherever He has placed you.
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January 24
A Meek and Quiet Spirit
1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the
word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of
wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God,
adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as
ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
1 Peter 3:1-6, KJV
What is one of the greatest gifts a woman can give to herself and to her family? A meek
and quiet spirit. Peter, in this passage, deals with the power a woman holds in her family
and elsewhere when she manifests a Godly spirit in her daily life. Men and women are
not alike; there are personality traits more common to each.
Often, when dealing with this Bible passage, women become so affronted by the word
"submit" that they fail to go any farther. Yet, God in His great wisdom, created the
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woman in such a way that she holds the most power and influence when exhibiting the
strengths that God has given specifically to her.
Our society cheapens women when exalting them because of their beauty or the
adornment they put on their bodies. God has given women intelligence and abilities to be
used greatly when their Godly spirit rules their lives and actions.
Don't be afraid of the word, "submit." Our society does everything to cloak the offense of
this word. In the work place, workers become partners, and yet the structure of
management still remains. In the home, however, we are not dealing with a boss-worker
type situation.
In the home, God has placed an order: the man is directly responsible to God for
everything that goes on in the family. No matter how it is cloaked, the man feels that
responsibility the greatest, and often is the first one chastised by God when there are
difficulties in the family. The woman, even though she is placed under the man in
authority, is still the man's partner, working by his side, and not under him.
I have to admit, that I struggled with this for years; I knew there were times when my
husband was simply wrong, so why did I have to do things his way? So, I didn't. After
more than a decade of marriage, I was challenged by God's Word to let my husband have
the final say and to do things as he wished when we disagreed. The results were
phenomenal! You see, we get so busy living our lives that we forget that God is at the
center of everything.
By submitting to my husband as the final authority before God, he began to feel pressure
he had not felt before. He was more careful in his decisions because he felt the weight of
making the right decision before God. My life, however, became easier! I had a great
weight lifted from me.
The greatest issue in my life at the time, was having to work in a job that was literally
destroying my body. I was afraid to submit to my husband because I knew he would
never let me quit that job. In a series of unusual circumstances, I was injured by a fall on
the ice and was never able to do that job again. The burden my husband then faced was
not only financial, but also the need for doing much of the housework I would have
ordinarily done. Do you think that was easy for him?
Today, I am so thankful to God for all He has done in our family. I am now home and
have the time and ability to do this devotional blog and my devotional website. In
addition, I am teaching piano lessons (one of my great loves) and am able to home school
my youngest son (an even greater love). Best of all, after almost 23 years of marriage, my
husband and I are more in love than ever-how wonderful it is to love and to be loved in
return.
Women, don't be afraid to obey God! Pray that God will give you a meek and quiet spirit
and a desire to give your husband the place in your family that God has ordained for him.
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January 25
Final Spiritual Adornment
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully
dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the
dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and
God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their
eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of
things has passed away."
5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said,
"Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the
End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water
of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my
son.
Revelation 21:1-7, NIV
We are creatures of time, and therefore expend most of our energies on our daily life. In
this devotion, however, we will consider our final spiritual adornment.
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Heaven remains pretty much a mystery to us all; a lot of conjecture has been made as to
what heaven will really be like. I prefer to stay with the things God has revealed to us in
His Word. Christ told us in John 14:2 (KJV) In my Father's house are many mansions: if
it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
What does John tell us in verses 1 and 2 shown above?
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her
husband.
We (Christians) are the bride of Christ; He is now preparing a new heaven and a new
earth especially for His bride! Though we don't know the details, we know that it will be
more beautiful and more glorious than anything we have ever seen. We know that is true,
because it will not be soiled by the sin of mankind.
Listen to the words of the voice John heard.
"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people,
and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their
eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of
Who is this God who is doing such a glorious thing for His people?
He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To
him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He
who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Every time I read these passages, all the things of this earth just fade away into
nothingness. The time will come when everything we are meant to do in this life is done.
That will come either at our death, or at the coming of the Lord for His people.
When Christ comes back for His church, God will say, "It is done! The old order of
Ponder that today as you go about your daily tasks. Never let these thoughts be far from
you. This world is not our home, we are just passing through!
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January 26
Restore Comforts
“ I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,

To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would fail before Me,
And the souls which I have made.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him;

I will also lead him,
And restore comforts to him.
Isaiah 57:15b-16 and 18a, NKJV
It is to God that we must continually go because He alone will restore comforts.
Often times we are afraid of God, and rightly so! Just a cursory reading of the Old
Testament reveals a God of righteousness, holiness, and justice. Many times sin was dealt
with immediately through plagues, the warring of enemies, and even having the earth
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open up and swallow the sinners alive. It is good for us to think of this, especially when
we remember His love. Sometimes, today, I think we get a little complacent before God
because we do not see His judgment upon our sins. Or, when God does send His
judgment, we do not recognize it for what it is.
God is truly a God of mercy; He knows our hearts and He knows that our spirits would
fail if we continually felt the blast of His fiery anger. Look at the words of God in verse
16,
For I will not contend forever,

Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would fail before Me,
And the souls which I have made.
Look at that last line, And the souls which I have made. Even here in the Old Testament
we understand that our salvation is totally of God; there is nothing we can do! Praise God
from whom all mercy flows.
Our hope lies in verse 18, I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him,
and restore comforts to him. Go to Christ today for He alone can restore comforts!
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January 27
The Prodigal Son
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his
father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his
livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together,
journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14
But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be
in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent
him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with
the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants
have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my
father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19
and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired
servants.”’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his
father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21
And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and
am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
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22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and
put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and
kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he
was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
Luke 15:11-23, NKJV
Jesus often illustrated spiritual truths by telling parables (stories). Upon closer
examination the above story of the Prodigal Son, has direct applications to our lives
today.
A father had two sons; the younger son asked his father for his inheritance. After
receiving the goods the young son traveled to a far country and wasted all of his
possessions with prodigal (wild) living. (Problems with teenagers is not a new thing!)
After losing all of his money, there was a famine in the land and the son had no money
for food. He became a servant of a citizen of that country and was sent to take care of the
swine. His hunger was so great that he would have been glad to eat the food given to the
pigs.
He began to think of his father's house where even the servants had plenty to eat. He
decided to go to his father in repentance, asking to be a servant of his father because he
was no longer worthy to be his son.
How did the father react when his son returned? When his son was still a far way off the
father ran to his son and kissed him and welcomed him home. Though his son was not
worthy, the father put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet and threw a great feast
in his honor.
We are the prodigal son! From the sin of Adam until now, all have sinned against God
and are not worthy to be called His sons. And yet, when we humbly fall before Him in
repentance, He welcomes us as His children who were once lost and now are found.
Before time began, God had planned to send a Redeemer, Christ the Lord, to make a way
for those who would come before Him in repentance, so that those who were dead could
be made alive.
A secondary lesson for us involves our attitude toward others. Peter asked the Lord,
"How often should I forgive another man." Christ responded, "Seventy times seven." In
other words, when we consider our great sin before God, we must always be willing to
forgive the minor sins that others do to us.
Remember the story of the Prodigal Son as you go about the duties of this day; only in
Christ is there true forgiveness. Only in Christ can we gain the desire and ability to
forgive others. Remember, also, to pray for your children; as long as there is life there is
hope.
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January 28
The Face of An Angel
54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at
him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and
Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens
opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out
with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast
him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the
feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud
voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell
asleep.
Acts 7:54-60, ESV
The church of Jesus Christ was growing by the thousands, sending the Jewish council
into a panic. What were they going to do to stop it? It seemed that everything they did
just caused the church to grow even more! Such was the case with Stephan in Acts 6 & 7.
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When brought before the council, Stephen boldly proclaimed the Word of God. Acts 6
ends with the words,
And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an
angel.
Acts 6:15
When false accusations were made against him, Stephen had the opportunity to preach
the Gospel to the council. Beginning with Abraham, he proclaimed both the hand of God
working through the historic events, as well as the Jewish "church" opposing the prophets
God sent, ending with the killing of the Lord Jesus Christ.
54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at
him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and
Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens
opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Stopping their ears at his words, the men of the council drug him out of the council
chambers and took him outside of the city and stoned him.
One of the most striking characteristics of the early church was their total dedication to
their duty of spreading the Gospel. I am not referring to just the apostles. As the Jewish
people became Christians, they sold all they had and brought it to the church and lived
together in one community.
I am not suggesting we follow that example today, but we must seriously take a look at
their total dedication to the Lord. Do we owe the Lord any less?
How important is our faith in Christ? What impact does our faith have on our lives,
especially our "every day" life?
No matter where God has put us, He demands, and rightly so, our all! Stephen was so
filled with the Spirit of God that when he stood before the council his face was as the face
of an angel, and he saw Jesus at the right hand of God. How would our life be different
today if, by the grace of God, we focused our thoughts on our Lord, sitting at the right
hand of God?
That does not exempt us from the normal daily duties of our life, but when we are doing
the dishes, cleaning the house, folding the laundry, or walking from one place to another
in our place of employment, we can take those moments to reflect upon the Lord. We can
also, as encouraged by Paul, pray without ceasing; bringing up those quick prayers of
thanks, pleas for help, etc. throughout our day.
Christ walks right along with us, no matter where we go. Think about that as you seek to
live for Him this day.
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January 29
The Eye of A Needle
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and
asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said
to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the
commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear
false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him,
“Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved
him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by
the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those
who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at
his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the
kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a
rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished,
and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With
man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:17-27
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In our Bible passage for today, we meet a young man who desired to follow Jesus. When
asking what he needed to do to receive eternal life, Jesus explained that he needed to
keep all of the commandments. This was good news to the young man because he
explained to Christ that he had kept all of the commandments from his youth.
Jesus replied, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and
you will
Those who believe they keep all of the commandments are those who believe they are
righteous, and need no Savior. Let's look at just two of the commandments and discuss
ways we all break them.
Thou shalt not kill. Do you ever feel hatred toward anyone? Do you ever speak badly of
someone behind their back? Do you ever eat things that are physically bad for you? This
commandment entails much more than just murder. We are to do everything to protect
and keep ourselves from destroying our own body, or that of another person, including
destroying their good name.
Thou shalt not steal. Do you cheat on tests? Do you take items from your place of work
(pencils, pens, etc.) home with you? Do you go back and give the cashier their money
when you get home and discover that they have given you $2.00 too much in change? Do
you borrow money from a friend (even if it is less than $1.00) and forget to pay it back?
have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Sadly, that was too much to ask, for the young man was quite wealthy. Was the young
man's problem only his great wealth? Did he truly keep all of the commandments from
his youth? Can anyone keep all of the commandments of God?
The point is that no one is perfect except Christ. We may view ourselves as being better
than someone else, but committing just one sin is enough to send us to eternity in Hell! If
we are Christians, does that mean we are better than those lost sinners out there who
break the commandments and then brag about it? No, it does not! Our righteousness is
only in Christ; anything good we ever say or do is by the grace of God and not of
ourselves.
As we ponder these things, we should ask ourselves one last question. How much do we
love God? Are we willing to go out and sell all that we have and just follow Him?
Ouch! That is a hard question is it not. Jesus said, It is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
How much do we love Christ? That is our question to ponder this day.
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January 30
Blessed Ears and Eyes
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more
will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what
he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing
they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in
their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I
say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not
see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Matthew 13:10-17
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Why did Jesus speak to the people in parables? That is exactly the same question that the
disciples asked Jesus. The answer is an important question for us to consider, because it
also gives us a better picture of the blindness of the blind all around us.
Can we save ourselves? Is there something that we can do to make ourselves acceptable
to Christ so that He will save us? Does God look down over eternity and choose the
"good" people to become Christians? All of these views are held by people in our culture
today, but what does the Bible say?
Look at the prophecy from Isaiah that Christ uses,
“‘You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
Salvation is all of Christ and none of us; before God we are dead. As dead people we
cannot suddenly choose to become alive. I have to admit, I do not really understand this
perfectly, but I know that Christ is all, and that He does all things right. As Christians,
there is nothing in which we can boast; rather we should humbly fall before God in
thankfulness that He has opened our eyes so that we may see and our ears so that we may
hear and understand.
The real issue is expressed in verses 16 & 17,
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I
say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not
see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Why did Christ come to this earth and suffer the torments of men and then die a cruel and
merciless death? Why did He choose to give up His life to save a people for Himself? I
do not know; but everyday I praise and thank Him for the peace and joy I am able to
experience through the salvation that He has granted.
Do you have blessed ears and eyes? Go to Christ. Do you have friends and loved ones
who do not understand the Gospel? Go to Christ. Christ who did all of the miracles
written in our Bibles still raises the dead to life again.
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January 31
One Flock, One Shepherd
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8
All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find
pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may
have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays
down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does
not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf
snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares
nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know
me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for
the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also,
and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this
reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it
down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my
Father.”
John 10:7-11, ESV
I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the
Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this
fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock,
one shepherd.
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John 10 is one of my favorite Bible passages because it so beautifully illustrates the
relationship of Christ to His children. As Christians, we are the sheep and Christ is our
Shepherd. There are two very significant points that Jesus makes in this passage that
relate directly to all Christians. The first is found in verses 17 and 18 of chapter 10.
I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down
of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up
again. This charge I have received from my Father.
Do you remember all of the times the Jews tried to kill Jesus, but He just seemed to
disappear into the crowd? Jesus lay down His own life for His sheep; when on the cross,
we are told that He gave up His life and died. Jesus was not a victim! He came to this life
for one reason, and when here He fulfilled that purpose. No one took His life from Him;
rather He gave it up for His sheep.
Secondly, look at John 10:16.
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will
listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Though it may have been a surprise to the disciples, after the resurrection of Christ that
they were sent to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews it was not an after thought to Christ.
From the beginning, He purposed that salvation would be offered to all men. Not only
was salvation to be offered to all men, but those who responded in faith would all be
members of one church with one Shepherd.
In our days of denominationalism, God's church is scattered among many denominations.

That does not negate the fact that in the eyes of Christ, they are all members of one
church--His church! That is an important distinction for us to make; remember that our
allegiance is to Christ and to His Holy Word, the Bible. To the degree that our own
particular church agrees with the Bible, we must also agree with our church. But as true
children of God, it is always our responsibility to read and study God's Word so that we
would know if we are being taught errors from our pastors or teachers.
That thought should never be offensive to pastors or teachers. Fortunate is the pastor who
has a flock that is well versed in the Scriptures.
Pray today that you would be faithful in your own personal Bible study and prayer time
with the Lord, because you are part of One Flock, and have One Shepherd, the Lord Jesus
Christ.
- 64 -
About the Author
Linda Croft is the author of several other devotional eBooks, has two blogs,
a devotional website, the author of a monthly holiday Ezine and a bi-
monthly devotional newsletter. (Links to many of these are found throughout
this eBook.) In addition she teaches piano lessons to over 40 students, and
home schools her high school son. In her spare time (yes, there is a little) she
enjoys reading, especially mystery and suspense novels.
She lives in Pella, Iowa, with her husband, David, their 15 year old son,
David, and their cat, Autumn. Linda became a Christian at the age of 13, and
has seen God’s faithfulness manifest to her in so many ways. She feels that
her greatest privilege has been to write devotionals for her website and
eBooks.
Her life verse is: Psalm 91:1.
He that dwelleth in the secret place

of the Most High, shall abide under
the shadow of the Almighty.
- 65 -

Devotional Reflections For January

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Devotional Reflections For January

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Devotional Reflections

All of the pictures in this book were taken by me. As much as

©2009 – Croft Enterprises

January 2 Adorned with Jewels 3

January 3 Spiritual Restoration 5

January 4 Spiritual Understanding 7

January 5 Restore to Me the Joy 9

January 6 Peace to You! 11

January 7 Ask and Receive 13

January 8 On the Wings of the Wind 15

January 9 Defenses of Clay 17

January 10 In the Hand of God 19

January 11 Whose Law is Law? 22

January 12 God Speaks 24

January 13 God Preserves a Godly Line 26

January 14 A Mighty God 29

January 15 Effectual Fervent Prayer 31

January 16 You Will Find Rest for Your Souls 33

January 18 Answered Prayers of Manasseh 37

January 19 Feed the Flock of God 39

January 21 Promises of Resurrection 43

January 22 Promise of Light 45

January 23 Miriam, the Prophetess 47

January 24 A Meek and Quiet Spirit 49

January 25 Final Spiritual Adornment 51

January 26 Restore Comforts 53

January 27 The Prodigal Son 55

January 28 The Face of An Angel 57

January 29 The Eye of A Needle 59

January 30 Blessed Ears and Eyes 61

January 31 One Flock, One Shepherd 63

About the Author 65

On the Winning Side

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:11-16, NKJV

Join my Five Pillar Club

Adorned with Jewels

I delight greatly in the LORD;

Isaiah 61:10, NIV

When He cometh, when He cometh

He will gather, He will gather

Little children, little children

Are you a jewel of Christ?

2 Chronicles 19:4-7, NKJV

Devotional Reflections from the Bible

Devotions for Children

I think this is a perfect Bible passage to begin a series of devotions on Spiritual

All Nature Sings

Is a blog which combines

My love of nature photography

And my love of writing Bible devotionals.

Restore to Me the Joy

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

Psalm 51:10-12, NKJV

Take this Quick Video Tour

To find out how you, too,

Can own a successful

Online Marketing Site

John 20:19-21, NKVJ

Check out this book, as well as others by

Devotional Reflections from the Bible

Ask and Receive

What about the lost?