Daily Devotion from Ryan's devotional book series, Thoughts

Thought 157

Idols

         Anything that you put above God an idol. And those things cause you to miss more marks of living rightly every day are hinderances. That video game that you put above God and run to escape God’s conviction is sin. When that game is played you become desensitized like a drunken man. You “forget” your problems and use the game as an addictive drug. How do I know? Because I’ve been that video game crazed guy. Watching that movie you KNOW that you should not watch is sin. The soda, candy, girlfriend, etc . . . that you turn to when you want to sooth your conviction is a sin. Adultery, homosexuality, immorality, abortion, etc . . . are sin. Gossip, lying, cheating, stealing something “little”, etc . . . are all sin. Must I go on? When we put something above our omnipotent God we are making an idol of it. We truly need God’s forgiveness, and we need to repent.

Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines repentance as:

1.     . . . sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God . . . . This is called evangelical repentance, and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life.

Encouragement:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Daily Devotion from Ryan's devotional series, Thoughts

Thought 156

My Comforter

 

Lord, thou hast known me from my making,

In my mothers’ womb You knit me.

And You gave me whispers of Your Word

To strengthen my developing soul.

Praise be to You for what You

Have made!

ME!!!

Consider the meaning of this poem and check out Job 10:8-12, Jeremiah 1:4-5, & Psalm 139:13.

Daily Devotion from Ryan's devotional book series, Thoughts

Thought 154

Make a Purity Creed

         Making a purity creed for yourself helps to steer your in the right direction. This is especially beneficial to men because of the battle against lust. Still, I believe that women can gain a benefit from developing their own purity creed as well. To give you an idea of what I mean, here is my personal purity creed:

#1 I will guard my purity in all situations and do my best to avoid potentially dangerous circumstances.

#2 I commit to guarding my eyes and Job 31:1 is my battle cry.

#3 Since my body isn’t my own, but God’s, why should I endanger it whether spiritually or physically?

#4 I turn to God for the strength to resist every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).

#5 I choose guard myself from TV programs which display purity, sex, and using women as a mere ‘device’ and not a sin.

#6 I believe that God will guide me to the woman I am to marry. {Isaiah 40:31 KJV, Isaiah 48:17 NIV, Genesis 24, and Isaiah 30:21 NIV}

#7 I commit not to kiss the woman I will marry (and no one else) until my wedding day.

      Whether you agree with this creed or not, having your own creed will help you to “stay on track.” Just getting something down on paper and reviewing it does a lot to help you stick to what you wrote. Please taking the time to live it out.

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Daily Devotion from Ryan's devotional series, Thoughts

Thought 153

Trusting God in Finances

        This topic is one that many Christians struggle in. But if we can believe Christ has forgiven us, then I ask, “why do we not have faith that God will take care of our needs?”

Examine your heart before you start:

         Do you ‘love’ money for what it buys you or do you look gratefully to God and thank Him for what He has given you?

(If you are angry or feel convicted when you read the question above, get quiet before the Lord and ask Him why you feel that way.)

     For "the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it" 1 Corinthians 10:26 NIV1984

   This verse (1 Cor. 10:26) gives us a powerful principle: money exists in the world; therefore it is ALL God’s and He gives it to whom He chooses. The Scriptures are clear that if you give, you will receive back (Luke 6:38). That fact principle is applied by many of the world’s ranks and they are being blessed for it. Why do you think that humanitarian efforts are succeeding? Because they have the blessing of God? Because they are giving? Multitudes are feed, clothed, and given drink by people who give selflessly, but that isn’t the amazing part. The astounding aspect is that many of those who give so greatly do not have Christ in their lives. They are modeling an aspect of life that we Christians should be living. This principle of blessing is not just monetary, but I think we sure grasp the concept when it’s in dollar terminology.

  Are you stingy in giving?

My friends, Christ gave His very life. . . . Really think about that . . . .

      Are you investing in things that aren’t a necessity like cable, the internet, cell phones, ect…? Do you pay your cable bill before you tithe and then say that you can’t afford to pay a Tithe because you’ve spent it on temporary entertainment? Maybe you don’t need an increased paycheck, rather a decrease in “comfort” spending.  Please do not misunderstand me, the internet, cell phones, and ‘toys’ are fun, but sometimes, they are a hindrance because they are a addiction that we use as an excuse to not give.

“Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.”—2 Timothy 2:7 NIV1984