Daily Devotions

Posts tagged “distressed

What You Dwell on Determines Your Hope

If we tend to look back and find ourselves distressed over expectancies and hopes that did not come to pass in our lives in the past year or we begin to consider what seem to be impossible/inevitable challenges of the future, why don’t we not dwell there but begin to make declarations like: I will not allow any person nor any adverse circumstance to determine the lifespan of the hope God originally put in me. Phil.1:6,Msg—“There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.”


Like Climbing a Mountain

The month of August is like climbing a mountain. It is a time for reassessing and rechecking our equipment and taking another good look at evaluating where we MountainClimbLook.jpgare in the climb and what it might possibly take to step into the next level of the climb. It is time to endure and cast aside any unnecessary weights that might cause us to stumble. We must be assured that the process of climbing is one step at a time and be determined to journey by faith, encouraging ourselves in the Lord. We know there is still a summit ahead and we aim for the summit and nothing less will suffice. 1Sam.30:6, KJV — ”And David was greatly distressed… but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” v.6, Msg — “David strengthened himself with trust in his God.”


No Troubled Hearts

Jesus needed the disciples to understand that they must not allow their hearts to be troubled (Jn.14:27) because, although they would be facing the world, its issues and needs without His physical presence and although they were launching into a LeaderFollowers2.jpglifestyle of ministering and facing opposition, they could not let their hearts be troubled. They were prepared and they would now be the ones who were 1.) dealing directly with religious opposition in all forms, 2.) dealing directly with devils in all forms and 3.) dealing directly with the great weight of human need. They would no longer be standing behind Him observing, listening as He authoritatively dealt with each person and each situation with acts of power. THEY are now the ones who will be speaking authoritatively and performing acts of power for, if they don’t, troubles will go uncontradicted and needs will continue unmet and unabated. Therefore, it is no wonder that their hearts were troubled, distressed, agitated. Therefore, it is now that they must realize there is no need for troubled hearts because “lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”. (Matt.28:20) Now is the time to let assurance of His presence and promises arise.