Below are all the devotionals readings from June 2014. Feel free to go back and re-read them! :) The Bible always has something new to tell us, even when you've read it cover to cover many times.
Week of June 29, 2014
Be Anxious For Nothing...
"God! My God! It’s you—
I search for you!
My whole being thirsts for you!
My body desires you
in a dry and tired land,
no water anywhere." — Psalm 63:1 {Common English Bible}
Honestly, every person I know, Christian or not, struggles with anxiety or worry to some degree. If you read my blog about the the garden of Gethsemane I discussed a bit about how it's not a sin to not want to go through something, but it's sinful when we want to insert our own will and desires in place of God's. I struggled with anxiety and panic attacks in my 20's. I learned that when I feel out of control, that's when I feel anxiety and panic. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I never worry, feel anxious, or ever panic since finding Christ. However, I will tell you that there is freedom in being able to release my grasp on feeling responsible for making all the pieces fit into place. That's not my job anymore, I relinquished that responsibility to my savior four years ago.
How do you handle anxiety? Read my favorite verse - Philippians 4:6
Philippians 4:6 (CEB) Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Talk to your creator, your savior, the author of your life and tell him why you are anxious. Be sure to thank him for all that he's already done for you and express your trust in him to continue to meet every single need. I'm telling you - it's that kind of perspective that can completely change your attitude! The world we live in certainly is a dry and tired land, no water anywhere. I'm thankful I drink from the water that Jesus gives because I will never be thirsty again. The water that Jesus gives will become in those who drink it a spring of water that bubbles up into eternal life. John 4:14 (CEB)
Readings for the week ahead:
- Monday: John 8:32; Philippians 2:13
- Tuesday: Psalm 48:9; Deuteronomy 33:12
- Wednesday: Psalm 5:2-3; Deuteronomy 33:27
- Thursday: Luke 6:37; Titus 3:5
- Friday: John 4:23-24; Psalm 100:4
- Saturday: Romans 8:38-39; Isaiah 43:19
Week of June 22, 2014
Thanking Him for Your Troubles
"To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord" — Psalm 116:17 {NASB}Thanking God in times of trouble will never come automatically, it is a learned response; a habit created when you do it over and over intentionally. When we lost Peanut and Blueberry, my responses were very different; but I learned to turn my eyes to God and rely on him completely. I am reminded of the message found in the gospels, especially those from Paul who was imprisoned and treated awful for the sake of the gospel. James, who was painfully aware of what his friend Paul was going through, wrote
James 1:2-8 Common English Bible (CEB)
My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing. But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. Whoever asks shouldn’t hesitate. They should ask in faith, without doubting. Whoever doubts is like the surf of the sea, tossed and turned by the wind. People like that should never imagine that they will receive anything from the Lord. They are double-minded, unstable in all their ways.
I have found, over and over, when I turn my eyes to God in my troubles and cry out to him - be it thanksgiving or in agony - he responds in abundance. When I try to endure my troubles alone or shoulder the burden by myself, I will falter and fail. God has not equipped us to walk our journeys on Earth alone, no matter what the world tells us. We are not self-empowered, we are meant to be spirit-empowered.
Readings for the week ahead:
- Monday: Deuteronomy 31:6; Ephesians 4:30
- Tuesday: Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 62:5-6
- Wednesday: Psalm 95:2; Zephaniah 3:17
- Thursday: Psalm 23:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
- Friday: Psalm 143:8; Genesis 28:15
- Saturday: Psalm 34:8; Isaiah 55:8-9
Week of June 15, 2014
Approaching the Lord
"I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope." — Psalm 130:5 {NASB}When you approach the Lord, are you demanding things, asking for signs, or expecting some sort of Old Testament holy act? Stop. The first thing you need to do is be still, open your heart, and be quiet. God's voice to you can come in many forms, but you need to be focused and quiet enough to allow His voice to be heard. A few minutes of quiet time each day is the best way to develop your relationship with God.
When you go to spend time with Him, first say a prayer and ask the Lord to allow you to hear him, to grant you the vision to see what He wants you to see that day. Then, spend a few minutes in his word, whether that's a verse or two, a chapter, or a book — that's up to you, and how much time you have that day. Thank Him for the blessings in your life, lift up those that need lifting, and ask for help in your own life where it's needed.
Readings for the week ahead:
- Monday: Ephesians 2:10; Micah 6:8
- Tuesday: Proverbs 31:25; Matthew 1:23
- Wednesday: Jeremiah 29:11; Ephesians 1:13-14
- Thursday: Psalm 5:11; Jude 24-25
- Friday: 1 Corinthians 6:19; Psalm 8:1-4
- Saturday: Revelation 1:8; Numbers 24-26
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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests to made known to God. — Philippians 4:6