Christian Daily Devotionals

By Dr. Bill Bright

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears"
Psalm 34:4 (KJV)

Susie seemed outwardly to be a well-poised, lovely young wife and mother with everything under control. She was active in her church and attended other Christian gatherings during the week. But secretly she was filled with fear from which psychologists and psychiatrists with whom she consulted were unable to set her free.

She became very discouraged and depressed. "What can I do"? she asked through her tears. "I have everything to live for and no real reason to be afraid, but my days are consumed with worry and dread and fear, as I anticipate all kinds of evil things happening to me, to my husband , to my children".

"Do you believe that God in heaven has the power to remove your fears, Susie"? I asked.

"Yes, of course," she replied.

"Do you believe He loves you"?

"Yes, I believe that."

"Do you believe He wants to remove that fear from you?" And I read her the above passage.

We turned together to 1 John 5:14, 15: "If we ask anything according to God's will, He hears and answers." This is the promise that every believer can claim whenever there is a command or another promise. I asked her if she would like to join with me in a prayer of faith that God would deliver her according to this promise.

Together we prayed, and though there was no immediate, dramatic deliverance, with the passing of days God set her free. Day after day she claimed by faith this and other promises from God's holy, inspired Word.

Are you plagued with fears? Are your days consumed with worry? Saturate your mind with God's truth - God's supernatural promises - and begin to claim by faith this supernatural life which is your heritage in Christ.

Bible Reading: Psalm 34:1-7

Today's Action Point: At the first sign of a fear in my life, I will commit it to the Lord and trust Him for deliverance, and I will seek to help others whose hearts are filled with fear. I will seek to introduce them to the Prince of Peace - the God of all comfort.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/03/13/bb_deliverance

by Dr. Bill Bright

"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" Proverbs 4:18 (KJV)

I had just finished giving a message, challenging students and young executives to commit their lives to helping to fulfill the Great Commission when Steve approached me with words that shocked me. I had known him for a long time and believed his life to be totally committed to Christ.

"If I were to respond to your challenge to take what I have to the rest of the world," he said, "I'm afraid not much would be accomplished, because my brand of Christianity -quite frankly - is not that attractive, exciting or fruitful."

He went on to share how he was not experiencing the joy of the resurrection in his life. The study of the Word of God had no appeal, his prayer life was nil and it had been a long time since he had introduced anyone to Christ. His outward evidence of being a man of God was just a facade, by his own admission.

What about you? Is your brand of Christianity truly the revolutionary, first-century kind that helped turn the world upside down and that changed the course of history? If not, it can be - and that is what this daily devotional guide is all about.

Every Christian needs to echo daily the sentiments of an unknown poet:

My life shall touch a dozen lives
Before this day is done,
Leave countless marks of good or ill,
Ere sets the evening sun.
This, the wish I always wish,
The prayer I always pray;
Lord, may my life help other lives
It touches by the way.

That goal should reign supreme during my waking hours - to touch lives for eternity. For if the all-powerful God, in the Person of His Holy Spirit, truly lives and reigns and triumphs, surely I can tap into that supernatural power and give evidence of it in my life.

Bible Reading: Proverbs 4:14-19

Today's Action Point: Knowing that this dark world desperately needs light, I will trust God to let His light shine through me today. I pray that my life will be so radiant, joyful, attractive and fruitful for Christ that it will demonstrate the kind of Christianity that can be exported to others, to members of my family, neighbors and friends, as well as to people in other countries.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/03/08/bb_worth-sharing
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by Dr. Bill Bright

“For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for Me shall find it again” Matthew 16:25

From all outward appearances Tom and Mary were the ideal couple. They lived in a beautiful mansion. They possessed several fine cars – more than they needed. Both of them dressed elegantly and they entertained lavishly. They were the life of the party and everything seemed too good to be true. And it was.

Beneath the facade they were miserable creatures, though outwardly they seemed to be loving and considerate of each other. I soon learned that they had great resentments and deep-seated antagonisms toward each other. Their quarrels had become more frequent, sometimes exploding into temper tantrums, and sometimes resulting in physical abuse. They had tried in a number of ways to find happiness and fulfillment, including several around-the-world trips. But the harder they had tried, the more miserable they had become.

It was in this context that I shared with them the importance of surrendering their lives to Christ and inviting Him to be their Savior. I counseled them to lose themselves, as His representatives, in bringing happiness into the lives of others.

Receiving Christ was not so hard for them to do. They both realized they were sinners and needed as Savior. But they had lived such selfish lives for so long that it was not easy for them to begin to consider others as the Scripture admonishes. After a time they did begin to work with elderly people in convalescent homes and with prisoners through the ministry of the local church. On occasion, they gave their testimony at the skid row mission.

With the passing of time, the miracle happened and that illusive goal of happiness, fulfillment and satisfaction became a reality. In losing their lives they truly found them in service to others in the name of Christ. They found the abundant life which He promised and for which they had sought so long.

God’s loyalty has been proven over and over again. In reviewing my own experiences, and in observing the lives of many others, I have become aware that the individual who seeks happiness never finds it, but the one who is committed to taking happiness to others always finds it. And he also finds meaning, purpose, joy and peace in the process.

Bible Reading: Matthew 16:24-27

Today’s Action Point: I am determined to experience the reality of this promise by surrendering the control of my life to Him and demonstrating my commitment through serving others.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/02/27/bb_find/

By Dr. Bill Bright

"......the joy of the Lord is your strength" Nehemiah 8:10b, (KJV)

At a London train station one day, a woman was stopped by an elderly man.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he said, "but I want to thank you for something."

"Thank me!" the woman exclaimed.

"Yes'm, I used to be the ticket collector, and whenever you went by you always gave me a cheerful smile and a 'good mornin'." You don't know what a difference it made to me.

"Wet weather or dry, it was always the same, and I thought to myself, "Wonder where she gets her smile from; one can't always be happy, yet she seems to.' I knew that smile must come from inside somehow."

"Then one morning you came by and you had a little Bible in your hand. I said to myself, 'Perhaps that's where she gets her smile from.' So on my way home that night I bought a Bible, and I've been reading it, and I've found Christ. Now I can smile, too, and I want to thank you."

As you and I seek to be God's witnesses today, in dependence on the supernatural power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we should be mindful constantly of the fact that the joy of the Lord can indeed be our strength. That joy inevitably will shine on our faces, regardless of circumstances.

In the words of an anonymous poem:

"If you live close to God
And His infinite grace,
You don't have to tell;
It shows on your face."

Bible Reading: Psalm 16:6-11

Today's Action Point: I will make a conscious effort to reflect the joy of my indwelling Lord in such a way that it will glow on my very countenance. While it is true that joy is a fruit of the Spirit, it is also true that the reflection of that joy is my responsibility. But I will go a step further. I will tell everyone who will listen about the one who is the source of my joy.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/02/16/bb_strength/