What Do You Delight In?

Bible Reading: Psalm 1

Focus verse: Psalm 1:1-2 "Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers"

And the Good News Bible version interprets it: 

"Happy are those
    who reject the advice of evil people,
    who do not follow the example of sinners
    or join those who have no use for God."

There are just two paths presented here in Psalm 1.  You are either on God's path or the world's path.  Look around you and see who you are walking with. Who are you looking to, texting, calling and visiting for advice in your life?  Where do you find delight? 

Walking in God’s ways and under godly counsel is the way to being blessed.  Is your heart blessed with true peace and joy? Reading and listening to God's Word is foundational ...Meditating on God’s Word day and night is like a tree planted by water.  Just as water is to a tree, God’s word will ensure your life-sustaining supply of the Living Water. Continue walking in prayer, obedience, and godly counsel and you will find spiritual growth and blessings of delight in the Lord.

Have you been walking your own way without the input of God?  Do you ever walk in the counsel of the ungodly because you have been with these people more than with God and God's people?  Maybe you have been delighting in the ways of the world.  These ways are a temporary thrill that will be "like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind" and be condemned. Worldly ways have no place with the godly.   We can learn the wisdom of, "Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined;  whoever hates correction will die." Proverbs 15:10

You can die to sin's hold on you and you don't have to do it alone.  Walk with the wise council of the godly and rely on the Holy Spirit.  Romans 6: 6-12 tells us that those who are in Christ are no longer a slave to sin, but empowered to righteousness through Christ.   Each person plans what they will do today and there is a path they will take.  What is your path today?   If you are God's child, do not uproot yourself to follow worldly desires.  Follow and delight in the Lord with joy and peace!

Page Johnson

 

Are You Hungry?

Bible Reading: Genesis 25:27-34

Vocus Verse: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

"Are you hungry?" Three words that we all use quite often.  When I was a boy, my parents occasionally took me on a long car ride between North Carolina and New Jersey where I was born.  After riding for a few hours the question would always come up, "Are you hungry yet?"  As a young teenage boy, the answer was always "yes". 

Esau in our Bible reading Genesis 25: 27-34, made a very foolish decision when he was hungry.  He came home one day very hungry from hunting and sold his birthright (his wealthy father's inheritance) to his brother Jacob for just a bowl of food.  

There are many types of hunger.  To want good food to help our bodies grow strong is definitely a good hunger.  Unfortunately there is also a bad hunger for things that will not help us.  Some people have a hunger for foods that will not nourish our physical bodies or minds, such as harmful drugs, sex outside of marriage, or even eating too much food.

And what can we know about spiritual hunger?  Jesus said in Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled."  Let us all ask ourselves when we get up each morning "Am I really hungry for what God has in His Word for me today?  Are we really hungry to know more about Him and feed on His love letter to us... the Bible?

Rev. Bob Johnson, Jr

Retired Director New Life Camp

God is Enough

Bible Reading: John 1:1-13

Focus Verse: "The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone." John 1:4

We learn in the book of John that Christ is the eternal Word. Christ was with God and was God and was existing in the beginning with God.  Through Him all things were made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  We know that in Genesis, in the Garden of Eden, that God breathed life into Adam.  God then provides everything that we need for life.  God is enough.  

There are a few things that many people agree that we need for life.  If we have air, water, food, shelter and sunlight then we can survive. The Bible tells us that all of those things are available in a spiritual way as well!  Let's look at them.  Air: Genesis 2:7 tells us that God is the breath of life". Water: Jeremiah 17:13 says that the Lord is the fountain of living water.  Food: John 6:35 shows Jesus saying that He is the bread of life.  Shelter: Proverbs 18:10 tells us that the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe. Sunlight: John 8:12 Jesus said that He is the light of the world and if you follow Him, you will have the light that leads to life.

If we believe, accept and give our lives to follow Him, He gives us the right to be called children of God. (John 1:12) We are reborn into a spiritual birth that comes from God.  (vs 13)  God doesn't leave us as orphans, but sustains us as Psalm 54:4 says, "Behold, God is my helper; the upholder of my life." Life itself begins with God and ends with God, but also is sustained by God.  "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1:17  You can trust that God is enough for your life.

Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

What Weakens our Witness

What Weakens our Witness

Bible Reading: Ephesians 6

Focus Verse: "Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm."  Ephesians 6:13

Someone has defined integrity as what you are when no one is looking. We may come off a certain way in public, but what are we like when we’re alone, when no one is in the room with us?

That speaks of our integrity—or lack thereof.

Foremost in our Christian experience, we need truth. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be what we say we are, both privately and publicly. When the apostle Paul wrote about putting on the armor of God, he began with the belt of truth.

He said, “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth” (Ephesians 6:14 NLT). We could call it the utility belt of truth. This represents a life and mind that are pulled together and ready to serve for the glory of God. It speaks of integrity.

The opposite of integrity is duplicity. Duplicity is hypocrisy. It’s trying to live a double life.

This is what weakens so many Christians today. James says, “You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God” (4:4 NLT). Trying to live in two worlds just doesn’t work.

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we join God’s army, so to speak. We’re no longer civilians; we’re under the command of the captain of our salvation, Jesus Christ. Of course, we have given up certain privileges, but we have gained far more.

If we haven’t put on the belt of truth, then all other pieces of spiritual armor will become somewhat irrelevant. We will be worthless and immobilized.

Duplicity and hypocrisy weaken our witness to a watching world. We need the belt of truth. We need integrity before God.

 written by Greg Laurie, Harvest Ministries

To read more, visit https://harvest.org/resources/devotions

To Be Joyful, Be Holy

Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:1-8

Focus Verse: Psalm 119:1  “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord."

The world is searching for happiness, but they are searching in all the wrong places.  This is because they are searching outside of God.  Maybe they are searching for happiness in money, but they discover they can never quite get enough to bring lasting happiness.  They are searching for happiness in sex outside of marriage.  The Bible says yes there is pleasure in sin for a season.  But they discover that the sexual experience doesn’t satisfy so the search continues.  They think power will bring happiness.  So they have stepped on all their friends to get to the top only to discover that it’s a lonely place. There are many other pursuits that can't lead to the happiness they seek.

Obedience to God is what brings happiness.  If you want to be joyful, follow God.  If you want to be miserable, follow the world.  King David’s son Solomon knew all about this firsthand.  He chased after everything this world had to offer.  He had more money than you could imagine.  He had more power than you could imagine.  He had more women than you could imagine.  After he had indulged in all that the world had to offer this is his conclusion at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes.  Solomon writes, “Everything is meaningless, completely meaningless.  Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands.”

Outside of God we can never know true happiness because what the devil offers is just a cheap counterfeit for happiness.  Psalm 119: 2-8 says, "Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths. You have charged us to keep Your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect Your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with Your commands. As I learn Your righteous regulations, I will thank You by living as I should! I will obey Your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!"

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries