What are you reaping in your life?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
(Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV))

Have you ever heard someone say that they were just sowing their wild oats? Do you know of any instance where this produced something that was good?

If you plant corn, you get corn. If you plant wheat, you get wheat. If you plant sin, you get sin. If you plant trouble, you get trouble. It is not a difficult concept to understand. You get what you sow. Why does humanity have such a difficult time with that simple concept? Why do so many people think that they can sin all that they want and good things will happen to them?

What have you sown in your life? Be honest with yourself.

Have you been hateful or loving? Have you been joyful or sad? Have you been lustful or pure? Have you been greedy or generous? Have you craved power or have you longed to know Jesus? I could go on and on, but I don’t have to explain everything that the human mind can twist into sin.

What have you planted in your life?

What are you reaping in your life?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have you called out to God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
(Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV))

Do you like secrets?

Do you like knowing things that other people do not know? Do you like having insights into life that are beyond understanding? Do you like knowing the very heart of God?

What is it that you seek? What is the one thing that you desire the most? Are your desires the same as David’s, for he is known as a man after God’s own heart? Are your desires the same as Solomon’s, for he wanted wisdom and God granted it?

There is so much to gain when you earnestly seek God. You truly get to know the Creator of all things. You begin to understand His heart. You begin to understand His mind, and you begin to understand that His love is beyond measure. Of course, being human, we cannot fully understand all that God is, but we begin to see. Before we earnestly seek God, in our limited understanding we question whether or not if He is even real. As we call upon Him, we begin to see and to understand. The more we call, the more that He will answer. Each answer is a revelation of the majesty that is God. Each answer is something we never even imagined we would know or need to know, but as He answers, we begin to wonder how we existed without that knowledge.

Do you long for God to tell you great and unsearchable things?

Call out to God, and He will answer!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do we have a right to be angry at the world?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”
(John 2:15-16 (NIV))

Do you ever get mad at those who ridicule and mock God?

I can hear the wheels turning inside the heads of many people right about now. It is believed that if you follow Jesus that you are not supposed to get mad. It is believed that you are supposed to just let people run over you and your faith because that is what Jesus would do. After reading the passage above, do I need to remind you what Jesus would actually do?

As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
(Galatians 5:12 (NIV))

Did you ever read this passage that was written by Paul? He got mad at people twisting God’s word, too. He never went so far as to do what Jesus did, but he did get extremely mad. He got so angry that he wished that those people would emasculate themselves.

If Jesus, who is God’s only begotten Son, and Paul, who spread the Gospel to the Gentiles, could both get mad at those who abused God’s temple and His Word, why do we sit back and take what society sends our way? I am not saying that we should be violent, but what I am saying is that the events of this world should make us extremely angry. If they don’t make us angry, what does that actually say about our faith? Do we lack the faith to stand up to the world for what we know to be true? Do we simply look at the events of this world and say to ourselves that Jesus must be coming for us at any moment, so why do we bother? Have we been so conditioned by the world that we believe that we can’t do anything about it?

I will say this. The things that I see in this world do make me angry. They make my spirit groan. At what point do we, as the Body of Christ, fall to our knees in earnest prayer because the things of this world make us extremely angry?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Will you inherit the kingdom of God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV))

This list is rather long.

Did you see yourself in any of these sinful behaviors?

I realize that this question is one that we all want to avoid.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(Romans 3:23 (NIV))

It is human nature to be a sinner. We cannot help but live out the results of the fall from grace. We all have our own “pet sins” that we struggle with. On our own, we are lost to sin. On our own, we can do nothing that will save us from the consequences of our sin. It is for this very reason that our loving Father sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to save us from our sins. That salvation is not automatic. We cannot simply get to heaven because Jesus died for us. We cannot simply continue in our sin and get to heaven. There is a reciprocity. We must ask for forgiveness. We must accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, and we must repent of our sinful ways.

Repentance is not a one time occurrence. Once you accept Jesus, you will face things daily where you will need to ask for forgiveness. There will be days where you will be tempted, where you will feel hatred, and where you will feel jealousy and envy. Strive to overcome these through the power of the Blood of Jesus. Since we are only human, we will falter and when we do, ask for forgiveness and ask for the strength and wisdom to turn away from this in the future.

Priorities are an interesting thing. We all have them. We need to make sure that truly following Jesus is our top priority. To use an old saying, the rewards are out of this world!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Does your intelligence get in the way of wisdom?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(Proverbs 9:10 (NIV))

I honestly believe that a growing percentage of the world does not fear the Lord. How else do you explain the foolishness that is going on everywhere that you turn? Contrary to what the world may think, it is not wisdom. It is complete and utter garbage and the sad thing is that many people are believing the lies. The only ones that they are fooling are themselves.

I am asking this and I don’t want to offend anyone in the process, but what makes people think that what has been considered wise and true for the last several thousand years is now completely wrong? Do you think that because we have become technologically advanced we are wiser than those who came before us? Technology does not equal wisdom. Technology equals knowledge. It is possible to have all of the knowledge in the world and still not be wise. Wisdom is not knowing how to do something. Wisdom is understanding the reasons for doing something or following certain teachings and then doing it the way that wisdom dictates. I have seen some very intelligent people who did not have the wisdom to punch their way out of a wet paper bag. They could tell you about the physical properties of the bag and the tensile strength of the material in both the dry and wet states, but did not have the common sense or wisdom to know what to do.

Sadly, our world has confused knowledge and wisdom. In the process, many have rejected the Lord because anyone who believes is looked down upon as not intelligent.

I have something for you to consider. Do you think that Solomon could engineer an automobile? could he have written a software program? Could he have created a marketing campaign to sell the latest and greatest gadget? I believe that it is safe to say that he could not do any of these things, yet Solomon was the wisest man to ever live.

Our society has confused knowledge with wisdom and in the process, we have gained ways to increase our intelligence at the great cost of losing our wisdom.

Don’t allow your intelligence to keep you from the greatest wisdom that there is!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Who do you want to be friends with?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
(James 4:4 (NIV))

I just had a moment that I am still trying to comprehend and I am still waiting for the chills to go away! Every time that I think of the meaning of what i just realized, the chills come back and my eyes tear up out of sadness.

If you believe in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you are a part of the church. The church is called the bride of Christ. We are set aside for Jesus. We are to be a spotless bride. James writes words proclaiming an adulterous people. Adultery is defined as sex between a married person and someone who is not that person’s wife or husband. It is the ultimate betrayal of the relationship between a husband and a wife and James uses this word, this concept, to tell people that they have committed the ultimate betrayal to Jesus. They have accepted the world and it’s sin over the love and grace found in Jesus. The sad thing about this is that, like many people caught in adultery, they didn’t think that they would be caught or that it would matter. They were reluctant to leave behind what they claim to have left. They looked back and were seduced by the memories of the things of this world.

Do you long for the things of this world, or do you long for what Jesus has come to offer to those who will simply accept?

Grace is free, but it came with a heavy price that we do not have to pay. I honestly believe that because we did not pay that price, many don’t truly understand exactly what grace means. Humanity looks at the world and says that it can’t be bad, while God looks at the world and say that it is all evil. If we turn back to the world, what does that make us?

Stop for a moment and think about a true friend. Would you turn your back on them? Would you completely abandon them? If we don’t turn our backs to the things of this world, we are proclaiming that we are friends of the world. If we are friends of the world, we automatically become an enemy of God, for God calls the fallen world evil and our association with it makes us evil.

Is this a friendship that you wish to keep?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have you been cleansed and renewed?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
(Psalms 51:10 (KJV))

How many times have you heard this passage quoted or read this passage? If you are like me, you are probably well acquainted with the words contained in this short sentence.

Do you take them to heart?

Do you honestly desire to have a clean heart? Do you want God to search you and to cleanse you of anything that is less than righteous in His eyes? Take a look at your life. Take a look at your heart. What do you find yourself doing when you think that no one is looking or when you are by yourself? Do you need a clean heart?

What about your spirit? It is human nature to have a rebellious spirit. You can blame that on the fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. Do you truly wish to get rid of the spirit that was in you at birth? Do you wish to rid yourself of the very nature that has condemned you, along with all of humanity, to an eternity away from God? Hopefully, your answer is a resounding yes.

Let’s be honest. We all need a clean heart. We need to rid ourselves of the things in this life that distract us from what God has called us to be. We need to replace our sinful spirit with a right spirit. We need to focus on God and His Word. We can do that by surrendering our lives. We can do that by professing a faith in God’s Word made flesh. We can accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. We can earnestly seek after God’s own heart.

We never know what tomorrow may bring. It may be too late. With the state of the world, we never know what day may be our last, or when Jesus will come to remove those who earnestly seek to follow Him. Shouldn’t we turn Psalms 51:10 into a daily prayer for our own souls?

Do you want a clean heart and a right spirit?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Humility or pride? It is your choice!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.
(Proverbs 29:23 (NKJV))

There is that word again.

Humble.

In the eyes of society, humility implies low self esteem, inferiority, and even a low place in the eyes of man. Being humble before God does not imply any of these. Humility actually means that you are aware of your surroundings and that you realize you are NOT the center of the universe, and that the universe would continue just fine without you.

Humility is not an act of self abuse, but of elevation of others. A truly humble person will always think of others before he or she thinks of themself. It is our pride that tends to elevate us to the point in which we think we are the center of everything.

Humility is the God given trait that makes us realize that we are only a part of the creation and not the Creator. As a part of the creation, we must not let our pride place us as better than any other part of God’s creation, for when God created us, He created all of us to be of equal value in His eyes. We may have different roles to play within His creation, but each role is important and nothing is gained by one of us bragging or boasting. Rather, do the work of God with humility and respect.

Remember the saying, “At all times preach the Gospel. If you have to, use words.” This can only come from a humbleness of heart.

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Do you desire to exalt God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
(Psalms 46:10 (NIV))

Many of you know that the first part of this passage is one that I refer to often, and rightly so. There is so much wisdom contained in the eight words of the first line. It instructs us to be patient, to be still and wait, to cease striving in our own efforts, and realize that He is God and we are not. It prompts us to recognize our rightful place as creation and His rightful place as Creator. It instructs us to put all of our trust and hope in Him, for we are not capable of doing anything on our own. I could go on with several different reflections on these eight words, and every single reflection would come to the same conclusion and that is that no matter how hard we try, we are an imperfect, fallen and sinful creation and God is the perfect Creator.

Have you ever truly thought about the next two lines of this passage?

I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
(Psalms 46:10b (NIV))

Has it ever occurred to you that once we truly stop to know God, we will see Him for all of His majesty and splendor and we will desire to exalt Him?

Take another look at this passage from a different perspective. Look at it from an end times point of view. Was the psalmist telling us to know and to trust in God no matter what we may face, for when God’s timeline unfolds, He will be exalted and those who know Him will be by His side?

No matter what perspective you choose to use to understand this passage, there is one very clear message that we must never forget. We are to take the time to get to know God in all of His glory. We are to spend time in prayer. We are to spend time in God’s Word. We are to commit to knowing God the way that we commit to knowing anyone that we love. We should desire to know God’s very heart. We should desire to seek His presence. We should desire to see His will be done.

What do you desire?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you here for such a time as this?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”
(Esther 4:12-14 (NIV))

Do you ever feel that you are out of place? Do you ever feel that the events that are unfolding around you will leave you alone? Do you feel that if you just ignore the trouble in the world that it will simply go away? We live in what many consider to be interesting times. Still others believe that we are in the last days.

I wonder what Esther thought when everything was going on around her.

She saw God’s people persecuted. She saw a sinister plan start to unfold that would have made it legal in that society to kill all Jewish people and take their possessions. She saw what was beginning to happen and new what could have happened. She would have been safe, for the time being, but she realized that God had her exactly where she needed to be to right the wrong that was about to be done. She was there for “such a time as this.”

Do you identify with Esther in any way?

Maybe you feel that the trouble will miss you. Maybe you feel that it couldn’t truly happen the way that it appears. Maybe you realize that God has created you and placed you exactly where He wants you to fulfill His will in a way that it will impact the lives of those around you.

I have a very serious question to ask. This is a question that you need to pray about and listen for God’s answer. His answer may impact more people than just you.

Are you alive and in your current situation for such a time as this?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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