Faith and fear do not go together!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?
(Mark 4:40 (RSV))

What do you face in your life that makes you afraid?

To some people, their fear is of a horrible death. To others, their fear is financial failure. Some people fear being alone, while others fear being with people.

The fears that people have are as unique and varied as the people who have them.

Think about the questions presented in Mark 4:40. Is there really anything that you have to fear if you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? His very words tell us:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33 (NIV))

If we place our faith in Jesus, then we truly have nothing to fear, for whatever the world may throw at us, He has overcome. It is true that we may have our faith tested by Satan, for he will attempt to use our old fears to get us to deny Jesus, but do not abandon your faith. Fear only thrives where there is no hope. Hope thrives where Jesus is. Faith thrives were there is hope.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
(Hebrews 11:1 (NIV))

Firmly place your faith in Jesus!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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How well do you follow these instructions?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
(1 Chronicles 16:8 (NIV))

Pretty straight forward instructions, but how well do we follow them?

Let’s run through a quick checklist.

How often do we give thanks to the Lord? Do we take things for granted when we should be thankful for what we have been given?

How often do we call upon His name? It is common to say things every once in a while such as “Lord, help me,” but do we really cry to out to God? Do we open up our hearts and tell Him our inner most desires?

How often do we make God known among the nations? This is probably the one where we fail the most. If you stop and think about these three points, giving thanks is probably the easiest. Calling upon His name is a little more difficult since we like to think that we can handle things ourselves, and proclaiming God to the nations is the most difficult. It is with this point where we must verbalize, where we must get outside of our comfort zone and loudly profess our faith in God and proclaim what He has done.

If you had to fill out a check list, or rate these three points on a scale of 1 to 10, how well would each of us do at the end of each day? Would we find that we have responded as we should or would we find that a majority of events during the day would go completely unrecorded? Do we miss opportunities in our daily lives to give thanks, to call upon God’s name, and to proclaim Him to the world?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Is your faith mature enough to place others as a priority?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
(Colossians 1:9 (NIV))

Do we, as the modern church, follow this example?

I know that the Body of Christ prays, but what do we honestly pray for?

Have you ever noticed that prayer comes in levels. Someone new in their faith will pray for things that directly effect them. A little maturity shifts the focus and slightly enlarges the circle of inclusion. As maturity increases, prayers are offered up for those who we don’t personally know.

Where are you in the process? How mature is your faith? Do you pray for those whom you do not know? Are you like Paul and willing to pray for those that you hear about even though you may never meet them? Paul was willing to pray for those whom he heard about. He was also willing to go to these very people and give them more than his prayers. He was willing to take his time to go and share the gospel with people whom he had never met.

Are you willing to do what Paul did? Are you willing to go as well as pray?

Is your faith mature enough to place others as a priority?

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

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
(1 Chronicles 16:34 (NIV))

I am going to keep this nice and simple and short.

On this national day of Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for? Where is that thanks directed?

Always keep your perspective and your priorities focused on Jesus!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you truly thankful for Jesus?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
(Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV))

Thanksgiving is just a day away. Families and friends all across this country will gather together. Many will simply see it as a time to put up with family that they don’t get along with, while others will see it as a reason to over eat and watch football. We, as the Body of Christ, must never lose sight of the fact that we have something so fantastic to be thankful for!

Be sure that you invite Jesus to be a part of your day and be sure to give thanks where thanks are due.

Too many people give thanks for worldly things. We know that moth and rust can destroy these. Many people give thanks for family and friends. That is a wonderful reason to be thankful. We must never forget the ultimate reason to be thankful.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
(John 3:16-18 (NIV))

Are you thankful for Jesus?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What type of giver are you?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NIV))

It is a Biblical principal that whatever you give, if given with the proper attitude, will return to you far greater than the gift.

It is important to remember that it is what is inside your heart when giving that really matters. If you give when you do not really wish to give, God sees your heart and will treat your gift accordingly. If you give with a cheerful heart, then it is truly a “GIFT” and will be treated as a true gift from the heart. After all, it is from the heart that all gifts should come. The ultimate gift from God came from His heart: the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

Do you give cheerfully, and have you accepted God’s gift to you?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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There is no greater gift!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
(2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV))

Short, sweet and to the point!

This passage gives us a very concise reason why we should praise God.

Another translation states it as follows.

Thank God for his Son—a gift too wonderful for words!
(2 Corinthians 9:15 (NLT))

Either way you translate the original words, it boils down to a very definable and unwavering declaration.

Thank God for Jesus!

Even if you have nothing else in this world to be thankful for, your salvation was purchased by Jesus when He died on that cross to pay the price for your sins.

Even if you have everything in the world, your salvation was purchased by Jesus when He died on that cross to pay the price for your sins.

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

The amazing gift that Jesus willingly gave is readily available to any and all who will simply receive. No matter your status in the world, no matter your financial resources, no matter how sinful, Jesus paid the price that brings the only way to redemption from our sins.

There is no greater gift!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What can and will your God do?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.
(Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV))

He is mighty to save!

Think about that simple, yet powerful statement.

Would your faith be any different if this were not true? Would you even possess a faith if this were not true? We proclaim that our God is mighty to save, yet, all too often we don’t live like we believe it. It is the very foundation of our faith, for without believing that God can save us, we would not even be able to rest assured in the grace and mercy freely given to us at the cross. Without believing that God is mighty to save, Jesus’ death on the cross would be meaningless. If you don’t believe that our God is mighty to save, then you probably doubt that the resurrection ever took place even though thousands of people witnessed Jesus back among the living.

Why do we put limits on God? Why do we try to put Him in a box that is bounded by our limited understanding?

Stop for a moment and closely examine your understanding and comprehension of God’s abilities. Are you guilty of limiting Him because you can’t see beyond your own limitations?

Is your God might to save?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you take the time to be still with God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

“Be still, and know that I am God;
(Psalms 46:10a (NIV))

With all that has been happening recently, the Body of Christ needs to remember to take time to be still in God’s presence. We need to earnestly seek His face. We need to remember that in spite of what is going on in the world, we have a place to turn to for refuge.

Are you at peace with what is happening in this nation and in the world?

I don’t want you to answer that based on how the events anger you or sadden you. I want you to answer based on your faith. Are you at peace with what is happening? Do you trust God to fulfill his promises?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:28 (NIV))

There is so much going on in the world right now. Many people are angry. Many are afraid. In other parts of the world, many are losing their lives. No matter what may happen to us as individuals, we must realize that we are not in control. We must draw closer to the one who will one day say that it is time for His plan to come to fruition.

Are you spending enough time in God’s Word, with God through prayer, and with God in praise to truly know His heart? Do you trust in His plans for you, the Body of Christ, and for this world? Do you even know what His plans are?

Seek Him in scripture. Seek Him in prayer and seek Him in praise and you will get to know God. You will get to know His heart!

When was the last time that you were seriously still in God’s presence?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do we have trouble forgetting what is behind us?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV))

With all of the writings that are attributed to Paul, there is a major theme running through them that would make many of today’s mental health professionals say that Paul suffered from low self esteem.

We, as the Body of Christ, know better!

Paul, after his Damascus Road experience, simply knew his place and his relationship with His God in Jesus Christ. Paul knew that he fell drastically short of what God calls us to be. He knew that he was lost in sin and, on his own, could do absolutely nothing about it. He knew with certainty that Jesus was the Messiah. He knew, through his Damascus Road experience, that the one whom he had persecuted was the only way to the Father. He also knew that he needed to press on toward becoming the person that Jesus was calling him to be.

He would forever be on a journey toward that calling.

Barring the occasional yearning for regained youth, do you ever look back at the person you used to be and long to be that person once again? Paul did not long to be the person he used to be. He had been lost in sin and was guilty of persecution of Jesus and His followers. He longed to forget that version of himself and longed to be the person that Jesus was maturing him to be. He did not want to look back because he did not like what he saw.

Do you like what you see when you look at your former self?

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