Christian Daily Devotionals

by Bethany Hayes

Have you ever asked the Lord to draw you closer to Himself -- then, found an overwhelming trial lying between you and that closeness?

The apostle Peter found himself in this position.  Caught in a storm, he saw Jesus in the distance, walking on the waves.  He wanted to be close to the Lord, but the storm lay between him and that closeness.

Suddenly Jesus spoke, telling Peter and the others not to be afraid.  The Lord was standing on the waves -- they were no longer an obstacle.  Granting his request to come closer, the Lord allowed Peter to walk on those same waves.

Not until Peter glanced at the storm did the pathway to Christ become an obstacle again.  The waves began to consume Peter instead of lead him to the closeness he initially desired.  Looking at the waves made walking on them impossible.

Crying out to the Lord, Peter instantly learned how close the Lord already was.  What at first seemed like an obstacle was in reality a pathway.  The waves simply revealed his overwhelming need for the strong arms that were already near.

Are you looking at the waves of life and finding them impossible to cross?

Look up.  And see Him standing on those same waves.

“He is not far from every one of us;
For in him we live, and move, and have our being.”
~ Acts 17:27,28

Father, Thank You for Your constant presence.  Thank You for the trials that show us our need for You.  Help us to acknowledge our need by looking to You daily and moment by moment.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

You can read the entire account of this storm in Matthew 14:22-33.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/01/26/bh_pathway/

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By Bethany Hayes
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Sometimes life’s most valuable lessons begin with failure.  Recently, I embarked on one of these lessons by allowing thoughtless words to fly unchecked.  Too late to retrieve them, I found myself in an acute state of unrest and basically dysfunctional.  I was the only one to blame for those words, and I needed a stern reproof.   After asking God’s forgiveness, I knew what else had to be done.  A phone call to the offended individual.  And the request, “Will you forgive me?�?  The response was unforgettable:  “Yes.  100%.�?

Struck with the finality of my accepted apology, I considered the forgiveness I had asked from the Lord.  God’s Word says forgiveness through Christ is guaranteed.  But how forgiven does “forgiven�? mean?  Do we need to ask 70 x 7 times for every offense?  Is faultless action required from now on in order for His forgiveness to take affect?

Opening my Bible to the book of Colossians, these words leaped from the pages of chapter 1:  “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.�? Colossians 1:21,22 (NKJV)

Our holy God Who is wronged numerous times by our actions and the state of our hearts knows we are often to blame and need reproof.  But Christ presents us to God with no stain on our record and no accusation against us.  We are far from being worthy of this standing, but it is ours through our union with Christ in His blameless life and perfect death in our place.

Is forgiveness through Christ final?

Yes.  100%.

Father, Thank You for this amazing truth.  May we never dishonor You by accepting our standing cheaply.  Cause our lives to grow into the likeness of our position in Your Son.  In His Name we ask. Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/09/15/bh_100/

by Bethany Hayes
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“The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.�?
Psalm 33:11 (NKJV)

Have you ever used this reply when asked about your future plans, “Well, nothing’s set in stone�??  This is the equivalent of saying, “Not yet.  But I have some ideas.�?  Or “I’ve started to make arrangements, but there’s still a lot to do.�?  This statement could even mean, “I’ve made some plans, but we’ll see what happens.�?  We can formulate our intentions and have a strategy, but to “set them in stone�? is another story.

Often, plans being formulated by those in authority are troublesome.  Some proposals aren’t set in stone.  But they are being devised, and it seems they are headed for stone.  Our thoughts can be overwhelmed by the upsetting news reports.  But turned to the rightful Ruler of the universe, we can find this comfort:  “The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.�?
(Psalm 33:10)

For centuries, man has laid down counsels.  He has mapped out intentions.  Some propositions he would have called, “set in stone.�?   But history confirms that, though plans are devised and carried out, eventually they are brought to nothing.  New counsels form.  But they also come and go, are worked out and defeated.  In fact, every nation that has ever existed has been involved in this same cycle:  plans devised, carried out, eventually foiled.

If the Lord thwarts the plans of nations, defeats counsels, sets up new governments, and puts down others, what about His own intentions?  “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.�? (Psalm 33:11)  When God made His plans, He set them in stone.  And that is where they have been for centuries.

Maybe that’s why Jesus said, “See that you are not troubled.�? (Matthew 24:6)

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/08/03/bh_stone/

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by Bethany Hayes
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“Be still, and know that I am God.�?  Psalm 46:10a

With summer here, the stormy winter and chilly evenings of recent months have quickly been forgotten.  One morning, however, my heart felt like a lingering storm.   Numerous needs – my own and others’ – were crashing in on me like an unexpected whirlwind. 

Casting these burdens on the Lord, I was suddenly awakened to a scene quietly unfolding outside my window.  Like a fitting backdrop, tall fir trees lining our neighbor’s fence stood motionless, being what they were created to be.  Without a word, early summer flowers were telling of their Creator’s faithfulness and love for beauty.   Soon, a sparrow entered to complete the picture, not planting seeds or gathering food into a barn, but happily discovering and enjoying what our heavenly Father had provided for him.  This hushed scene struck me with its peacefulness – a sharp contrast to my stormy heart.

Distracted by this stillness, my thoughts turned to a particular storm in the lives of the disciples – one in which their Maker slept on a pillow.  The disciples weren’t sleeping.  With an unexpected storm crashing in on them, their lives were in turmoil.  But when they woke Jesus, He commanded the stormy winds and waves to be still.  And they obeyed.

Creation busies itself by resting in its Creator’s authority and by obeying the same command given to us:  “Be still, and know that I am God.�?  (Psalm 46:10a)

He is God.  And that’s all we need to know to be still.

Father, Thank you for rest promised to those who remember that You are God.  Knowing who You are, we seek Your strength to be still.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/07/04/bh_stillness/