God Knows Everything

Scripture Reading: Psalm 139

Focus Verse: Psalm 139:1-2  “O Lord, you have searched me and known me!  You know when I sit down and when I rise up, you discern my thoughts from afar.”

It’s comforting to know that God knows everything about us as David has shown us in Psalm 139.  Maybe it’s not so comforting to know that God even knows when you and I have sinned.  God even knows what sin we are going to commit in the future.  But it’s comforting to know He loves us anyway, and wants us to be more like His Son Jesus.

There is nothing that God does not know.  Nothing escapes the knowledge of God.  He created billions and trillions of stars in the universe.  The Bible tells us that God “counts the stars” and calls each one by name  Psalm 147:4.  God has created everything for a purpose.  Could it be that God made the universe so big so that we would know that God is big?  God made you for a purpose.  God made you so that you would glorify Him.

Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!”  What do you do when things are not going your way.  Sometimes I get upset when things don’t go the way I planned.  Let’s remember God is in control of everything.  Could it be that God allows something to not go our way so that something worse would not happen to us?  When the attacks happened in America in 2001 I remember hearing stories of some people being late to go to work that day.  If they had been on time for work they would have been in the twin tower buildings and would have been killed when they collapsed.  God caused them to be late for a reason, to save their lives.

Let’s live our lives today is such a way that we would not be embarrassed for God to know what we are doing or thinking so that we can bring Him honor.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

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

Do I Love God or Just Believe in Him?

Bible Reading: John 14

Focus Verse: "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12: 30-31

God first loved us and made possible redemption for our sins, through this love.  Maybe you have repented and accepted forgiveness through Jesus and you believe in God for this salvation.  Do you have love for God?  The Bible says that to love God is to obey him.  Jesus, himself, tells us that in John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." and again in verse 23, "Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them."  

As we look at what it is like to love God, we see in Mark 12:30 that we are to love God “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”.  This type of love will be focused and won't allow other loves to creep in to take affection away from God.  We can not love the worldly things and God at the same time.  1 John 2:15 tells us, " Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you." Therefore, we must ask God to help us put aside those things that distract from our love for God, that are against God's commandments and that are not in His will for us.  

If we love God, we will desire to spend time with Him and follow Him.  He doesn't want to control us, but that we become eager to choose His best for us.  God, our Creator, offers more than we can imagine  in a relationship with Him and the glorious riches of His Word (the Bible) and He holds our future.  We can not live the life that he offers without our yielding to Him in obeying His will and not our own will.  If you struggle to yield, it is something to take to God Himself. Ask God to reveal any way that you need to yield and then ask him to strengthen you to do it.  Be honest with God.  Even Jesus talked to the Father in the Garden about taking the "cup" and said, "not my will, but your will be done" Luke 22:42

by Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries