Christian Daily Devotionals

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 Terry Stead

Life is so full of joy, dear God, in the laughter of children, the smiles of strangers and the beautiful colors of flowers.  Joy can be found anywhere and yet so often we can only see the darkness of despair.   Sometimes the frowns on our faces seem to be there all day and we don’t want to look around and see the joy that surrounds us.

The Bible talks a lot about joy, particularly when we are following the way of life that Jesus wants us to follow.  We need to transfer the joy that Paul talks about for instance and carry it into our everyday workplaces and homes.  Here is what he says:

Philippians 1:24-26
“But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.”

Do we hang in there when things get tough?  Do our bad moods or our despair transfer onto others that we meet each day?  Our promise to ourselves each morning should be that we will take joy with us and so our joy will overflow and touch all we meet.  Now I do not mean to go around with a silly grin pasted to our faces, but just have that inner joy that Paul and others speak of and believe me it will embrace all those around.

Read these passages that mention joy and take on the joy they are speaking about and I’m sure your life, and the lives of those around you, will change.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
“For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.”

Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Prayer
Loving Jesus, when we follow your way and love others we become animated and alive and our joy radiates from us.  We are filled with a wonderful joy and expectation which brings hope, and yet often we spend so much time living a way that is comfortable and safe that we lose our animation.  We do not want to be flat and one dimensional.  Please help us to realise our full potential so that our hearts can dance with joy. Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/01/11/ts_joy/

by Vonette Bright

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name."
Psalm 100:4

Bob Lepine is co-host of the radio program Family Life Today.
He and his family have a special Thanksgiving tradition.
They make “hard tack�? and then eat it during their Thanksgiving meal.
Hard tack was unleavened bread used on long voyages because it lasted for months.
Bob reminds his family of the hardships the Pilgrims endured to come to this country.
Then Bob tells them about the escaping Israelites who ate the manna God provided daily.
It’s a great reminder of how God supplies our daily needs.

Dear friend, Thanksgiving can easily get lost in fellowship, food and football.
This year, make this holiday a holy-day.

Remember how God has provided for you this year even through tough times.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/11/26/vb_practical/

by Dr. Bill Bright

"God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more, so that there will not only be enough for your own needs, but plenty left over to give joyfully to others" 2 Corinthians 9:8

One of the greatest discoveries that I have ever made in the Christian life is the law of sowing and reaping. Paul explains, beginning in his second letter to the Corinthians with the sixth verse of Chapter 9, "If you give little, you'll get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will harvest only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much. Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don't force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes"
(2 Corinthians 9:6,7).

I have several friends and colleagues who have joined with me in claiming this marvelous promise of God and in every case the blessings are abundant. People with modest incomes are able not only to give large sums of money, but also enjoy a life-style that one could hardly expect even from individuals whose salaries were much more than theirs. It is a "loaves and fishes" kind of demonstration of God's faithfulness. You cannot outgive God. As someone put it, "I give to God by the spoonsful and He returns to me shovelsful."

Most believers have never discovered the joy and excitement of Christian stewardship. Always remember that God's graces are bestowed upon us, not that we may hoard them, but that we may pass them on to others.

The same principle of giving also applies to the giving of our time and our talent to the proclamation of the gospel. The more we give, the more we receive. Was God giving you an extra portion of love today, of joy, of patience, of encouragement, or peace? Pass it on. Has something happened to you? He may have given that extra supply for you to pass it on to others in need. By the same token, if your supply in any of these things is lacking, you need only ask. With your motivation of wanting to share with others, God will not delay in responding to your request.

Bible Reading: 2  Corinthians 9:6-11

TODAY'S ACTION POINT: In order to be a faithful steward of that which God has entrusted to me, I shall seek to share with others a generous portion of all that He gives to me, with special emphasis on the good news concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and the supernatural life which He gives.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/11/26/bb_more/