In Devotions

Devotional Passage: Psalm 42:1-11  
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 42:11

A man was demonstrating his amazing skill with the yo-yo. With deft movements, he manipulated the string and made the toy continue its rapid spinning while he guided it through a number of loops and positions. It bounced along the ground, and then, with a flick of the man’s wrist, it soared high into the air.

Human emotions are much like a yo-yo. They can go from the ground to the sky, from depression and sadness to joy and delight. We have no idea what caused this psalmist’s battle with depression, and his yo-yoing between despair and hope. At one point he wrung his hands and wept in despair. Then he remembered God’s lovingkindness, sat himself down, and gave himself a good talking to. Like the soaring yo-yo, he emerged again with praises to his God.

Is your life like a yo-yo today? Hand God the string, and see what can happen!

Forgive me, Father, for trying to control my life through difficult times. 
My hope must ever be in You.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

Devotional Passage: Proverbs 28:12-18
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13

I shall never forget the day, as an 8-year-old child, when my father asked me if I had taken something that was not mine. I lied and denied the act. What I didn’t know was that my dad had seen me take the item. He already knew I was guilty. He wanted me to respond honestly and face up to my wrongdoing.

My punishment was nothing compared to the realization of the pain I had caused my dad.

In the same way, our Heavenly Father always knows about our sins. He wants to grant us mercy. The price for that blessing is to first acknowledge the wrong we did and ask forgiveness. The Bible says He not only forgives but forgets. We are then given a new beginning with a clean slate.

Do you have unconfessed sin in your life? The time to get right with God and any others you have wronged is today.

Father, thank You for forgiving and forgetting the wrongs I do. Help me to faithfully acknowledge my sins, seek forgiveness, and move forward with the gift of a new beginning.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

Devotional Passage: John 9:39-41
And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. John 9:39

Do you recall what it was like the first time you balanced and pedaled a bicycle at the same time? What had seemed impossible suddenly made sense. Remember fourth grade when the lights came on and suddenly the multiplication tables did not look like a foreign language? Have there been times when you were working on a project that wouldn’t come together? Perhaps in frustration you closed your eyes, regulated your breathing, and counted to 10; and in your darkness the lights came on. 

These experiences give us insight into what happens when Jesus enters the scene. He comes to bring judgment upon all that is untrue and unclear. When He enters, those who had been blind suddenly see and those who thought they could see are given the darkness necessary for personal examination. The Light of the World illuminates those who seek Him in darkness and blinds those whose spiritual eyes have played tricks on them.

Father, allow me the sight and the darkness necessary for clearly seeing Your truth.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

Devotional Passage: 2 Samuel 22:1-4
And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer. 2 Samuel 22:2

Dee-dee (Chinese for Little Brother) was born with a defective heart. Mama said he was called a “blue baby.” When he was 8 years old my missionary parents brought him down from the mountains into our home to get medical help in Kaohsiung. Dee-dee loved Daddy and called him “Pa.” He called Mama Je-je (Big Sister). One day Mama answered the front gate to find Dee-dee in his pajamas. He had escaped from the scary hospital to the only friends he knew in that place. “Je-je, Je-je,” he cried.

Some days we realize we are in the middle of enemy territory. Do we stand up and fight, sit tight and pray, or flee for safety? In each and every instance we can praise God, trusting by faith that He will save us. The battle is His.

Whether we need the Lord to give us battle plans or to be our secret hiding place, our song is a song of trust. And we know to whom we sing: “I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised.” That’s a song worth singing!

I sing to You, Father—my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

I was recently in a Bible Study where they shared these emergency numbers.  I thought it was a great quick reference guide so I thought I would share them with you.

 FEED YOUR FAITH, AND DOUBT WILL STARVE TO DEATH

When...
You are sad, phone John 14
You have sinned, phone Psalm 51
You are facing danger, phone Psalm 91
People have failed you, phone Psalm 27
It feels as though God is far from you, phone Psalm 139
Your faith needs stimulation, phone Hebrews 11
You are alone and scared, phone Psalm 23
You are worried, phone Matthew 8:19-34
You are hurt and critical, phone 1 Corinthians 13
You wonder about Christianity, phone 2 Corinthians 5:15-18
You feel like an outcast, phone Romans 8:31-39
You are seeking peace, phone Matthew 11:25-30
It feels as if the world is bigger than God, phone Psalm 90
You need Christ like insurance, phone Romans 8:1-30
You are leaving home for a trip , phone Psalm 121
You are praying for yourself, phone Psalm 87
You require courage for a task, phone Joshua 1
Inflation's and investments are hogging your thoughts, phone Mark 10:17-31
You are depressive, phone Psalm 27
Your bank account is empty, phone Psalm 37
You lose faith in mankind, phone 1 Corinthians 13
It looks like people are unfriendly, phone John 15
You are losing hope, phone Psalm 126
You feel the world is small compared to you, phone Psalm 19
You want to carry fruit, phone John 15
Paul's secret for happiness, phone Colossians 3:12-17
With big opportunity/ discovery, phone Isaiah 55
To get along with other people, phone Romans 12

ALTERNATE NUMBERS
For dealing with fear, call Psalm 47
For security, call Psalm 121:3
For assurance, call Mark 8:35
For reassurance, call Psalm 145:18

ALL THESE NUMBERS ARE DIRECT.
NO OPERATOR ASSISTANCE IS NECESSARY.
ALL NUMBERS ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY.

Devotional Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12  
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.  1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Steven was a quiet person, a young man of few words.  He came to the Lord in the highlands of Scotland in a small town where residents knew everything about one another. He had been a logger and had run with a rough crowd. Now he enjoyed, of all things, his job at a meat packing company.  He loved to read his Bible and spent hours alone in his bedroom studying. He invited his neighbors, his logging buddies, even the kids on the street to know his Lord and to attend his church. When someone needed help, Steven was there. No messing around, just business.

Living quietly means more than just being soft talkers or not being nosy. It involves doing our own business so others can depend on us to carry out jobs in a trustworthy manner. It means being true to what we know is right even when no one is watching. It means accepting the sufficiency of our position in Christ. When others respect us, they will be willing to listen as we talk about eternal things.

Father, help me as I try to serve you quietly and diligently in the place and role 
You have assigned me.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

Devotional Passage: Philippians 2:1-4 
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Philippians 2:4

Kenny, age 10, had been invited to play at a friend’s house. His 5-year-old brother, Kirby, wanted to go with him. Kenny agreed to let him go, and they left together on their bikes. A short time later they returned home. When asked why they were back so soon, Kenny explained that his friend wouldn’t let Kirby play: “He said, ‘No younger kids allowed,’ so I told him I wouldn’t stay, either. We got on our bikes and came home.”

This 10-year-old boy did what Paul urged the Philippians to do in today’s devotional passage. Recognizing that being self-centered is a normal part of human nature, Paul encouraged believers to follow the example and teachings of Jesus by humbly placing the interests of others before their own.

Those who have accepted God’s love and experienced new birth in Christ are enabled by the Spirit of God to become more Christlike in their relationships with others.

Father, help me make a difference in someone’s life today by extending a helping hand or an encouraging word in Your name.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

Be authentic; be real
Connect your heart with other people’s hearts. This is how people grow the best and that is a leader’s real work – to help people grow and develop.

Acknowledge and reward others; make them feel important
People will forget what you say, they may forget what you do, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Have a positive spirit
which is much more than just a positive attitude. A positive attitude comes from the head; a positive spirit from the heart! Your mood will affect your team more than you can ever imagine.

Be a good-finder
Learn to actively look for the good in every situation and in every person – all the time.

Reframe situations so you and others can see the advantages of a difficult situation
just like changing the frame and mounting around a print or painting can transform the painting, we can change the context of a communication or situation, and its meaning is transformed – just like the painting.

Know yourself
find out your purpose in life. Do “work” rather than just have a “job”.

Connect heart to heart
the door to your heart can only be opened from the inside; you will really touch others when you are able to connect heart to heart.

Do the right thing
Character is doing the right thing always – even when nobody else is watching.

Be careful how you are programming yourself
be aware of what you are saying to yourself, as what you say is programming your mind. The subconscious mind is very literal and if you tell it something repeatedly, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy!

Use judgment, don’t make judgments

Imagine that everyone you meet is wearing a banner across their forehead that says “make me feel special”I

Unwind before you arrive home
You need to give your family as much energy and caring, if not more, than you give those at work.

Be aware of your non-verbal communication

Encourage others
Give them courage and make them feel good about themselves

Tell people they make a difference to your life!

Celebrate the successes and big efforts of others!

Have fun – be joyful at work and home.

Devotional Passage: 1 John 2:21-25 
And this is the promise that he hath promised us: even eternal life. 1 John 2:25

Having shared my testimony and given evidence of my faith, a Brazilian student stepped up to the chalkboard and drew a wagon wheel. Accordingly, the center hub was God, the spokes were various ways people could get to God. He believed in universal salvation. All roads or religious expression lead to God.

I responded that only one person in history had direct access to God and could make the claim for eternal life. And that person was hung on a cross. 

Absolute truth is not accepted worldwide. People have the freedom to believe every wind of doctrine and religious expression. The Scripture is clear, however.  Jesus Christ kept His promise. There is no recorded passage that says Christ forfeited His promise. To us, keeping a promise takes commitment, fortitude, and decisiveness. Although a promise is easily expressed, keeping one takes work. Yet, to Christ, keeping the promise of eternal life was His nature. It was not an afterthought. It was fulfillment of Scripture. He was the promised One. Jesus died to verify His promise. He rose from the dead to authenticate His promise.

Thank You, Father, for keeping Your promise of eternal life.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

Devotional Passage: Matthew 22:34-40
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. … Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:37,39

We recently added a new person to our family. From his first days with us, he quickly won our hearts with his lovable personality. Although we’ve certainly spoiled him, he’s been quite a blessing to us. In some ways he’s the son I never had, but he’s a dog. We treat him like a child, and in many ways he behaves just like a child, but he will always be a dog (and in our case, live a dog’s life).

Jesus told us how to live well. Each of us was created to be a child of God. We may turn our backs on Him and go our own way, but that doesn’t change the fact that we were made for Him.

Dogs are pack animals, not meant to live alone. We were also designed to live in relationship with others. When we love God first, with all of our being, loving others becomes possible. Without God’s love, our love for others is at best unpredictable and conditional.

Father, increase my love for You and others that I may live well.

©Spring 2009 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines