Gift Of Obedience

Today's Devotional is from "Cross The Bridge" from Pastor David McGee

Hosea 1:2
When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: "Go; take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD."

We often hear Christians say things like, "The Lord just wants me to be happy" or "God wouldn't ask me to do anything that I can't handle." The truth is that God often asks His people to do what seems impossible. It is also clear that happiness rarely has anything to do with His commands. Hosea was told by God to take a wife that would cause him much pain. Abraham was told to sacrifice his only son, whom he called 'laughter' and loved dearly. Mary, who was called most blessed among women, was required to stand by and watch her son die on the cross. These three, and many others in the Bible, were asked by God to do what we would think impossible for them; things that would bring pain and suffering. They had different circumstances, and different struggles, but the one thing they shared was obedience.

Matthew 16:24-25 "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.'"

Jesus went through incredible suffering and pain to free us from the bondage of sin. He did not die just so we could be happy. He did not give His life so that we could simply pursue our own selfish desires. He died to set us free, and to give us the model of how to live free. He taught the disciples through His word and example that our calling is to lay down our own lives for the sake of others.

Life Lesson: Following Christ is hard, but it's the least we can offer Him for the price He paid.

The Lord Delivers Us, Even When We Are Not Aware

Today's Focus Scripture: Joshua 24:11-18

Don't lose perspective of what the Lord is doing in your life.

Joshua 24:11-18
11 You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your hand.
12 Then I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow.
13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’
14 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
16 The people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods;
17 for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs in our sight and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.
18 The Lord drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”


Just a thought:
Verse 12 makes us wonder if Joshua was really aware of the "Hornet" sent before them to drive out their enemies, if he were aware of it while the deliverance was occurring.

Influenced To Godliness Or Evil - What Influences You?

Today's Focus Scripture: 2 Kings 18:1; 21:1-7

2 Kings 18:1-6
1 Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king.
2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
3 He did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.
4 He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.
5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him.
6 For he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.

2 Kings 21:1-7
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah.
2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel.
3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
4 He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.”
5 For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.
6 He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord provoking Him to anger.
7 Then he set the carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the Lord said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.

Direction And Wisdom From Within Dreams

Today's Focus Scripture: 1 Kings 3:5-14

5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”
6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
8 Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted.
9 So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
10 It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice,
12 behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.
13 I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.
14 If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.”

Making Personal Application From The Teaching And Instruction Of The Lord

Today's Focus Scripture: John 18:10 (From "Cross The Bridge" eVotional)

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. ~ John 18:10 (NKJV)


Sometimes in life, we face challenging moments. This moment was a summons to contest for Peter. Even with all that Jesus had taught him and with all that he had learned, he still had to make personal application. In the heart of the matter, Peter had to learn how to do it God's way and not his own.

Do not lean to your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

I think that is something all of us have to learn. We would like to learn it all at once or all in one sitting, but that's not the way it happens. Most of us will have many opportunities, in some, we will succeed beautifully and in others, we will fail miserably. Each day that we awake, however, brings us the glorious chance for a fresh start and a new beginning. It is important to remember that and, in that process, please be careful of the ears.

Life Lesson: The Lord wants to direct us in our daily activities. 

Consecrated, Even Before Being In The Womb, To Speak God's Words

Today's Focus Scripture: Jeremiah 1:3-19

3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

And before you were born I consecrated you;

I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

6 Then I said, “Alas, Lord God!

Behold, I do not know how to speak,

Because I am a youth.”

7 But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’

Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,

And all that I command you, you shall speak.

8 “Do not be afraid of them,

For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.

9 Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,

“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

10 “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,

To pluck up and to break down,

To destroy and to overthrow,

To build and to plant.”

The Almond Rod and Boiling Pot

11 The word of the Lord came to me saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a rod of an almond tree.” 

12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.”

13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” 

14 Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. 

15 For, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the Lord; “and they will come and they will set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the cities of Judah. 

16 I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. 

17 Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them. 

18 Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. 

19 They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.

Not Only "Take Up" The Armor Of God - Use It

Today's Focus Scripture: Ephesians 6:13-24

13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
21 But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.
22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.