Don’t look at the world!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
     neither are your ways my ways,”
         declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
     so are my ways higher than your ways
     and my thoughts than your thoughts.
(Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV))

Do you truly trust in the Lord? Then why do we, as the Body of Christ, pay so much attention to the things of this world? How can we understand what God is doing when we are focusing on the world instead of focusing on Him. Instead of worrying about the current state of this nation and the world, we should be praising the Lord for the promises that He has given, for we know that the promises will be kept. We need to focus our eyes not on the things of this world, for they are fleeting. We should be focusing our eyes elsewhere.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
(‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:18 (NIV))

When we fix our eyes on something, it becomes clearly focused and everything else becomes unimportant. Everything else loses focus. Everything else becomes blurry. Everything else is not seen clearly. It is our human nature that makes it so difficult to focus on the unseen when what is seen is so distracting to our sinful, fallen natures. How can we even begin to know God’s heart and His ways if we focus on the world? With everything that is going on in the world, we need to keep our eyes focused on the One who will give us peace in the midst of the troubles. We need to make the Lord our priority.

We are not capable of the thoughts that the Lord has. We are not capable of the ways of the Lord. We are too easily distracted. Only the Lord can keep everything in focus at all times. Only the Lord can manage an eternity and make it work as He desires. Only the Lord can make history unfold to achieve His purpose. When we see things unfolding in this world that we do not understand, we need to relinquish our thoughts and ways. We need to stop looking at the world and look to Him, for everything is working according to His plan.

We must learn to completely trust His thoughts and His ways, and no matter what we may see in this world, we must always look to Him.

Don’t look at the world!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Trust in Jesus to give you rest!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28 (NIV))

Sometimes it seems that I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.

How about you?

Do you ever feel that you bear more than it seems possible to manage?

Life in this world is full of burdens. Every day presents each of us with troubles and pressures that seem to grow bigger and bigger as time goes on. It seems that we have no escape from what the world sends our way.

Fortunately, we have someone to turn to. We have someone who understands the burdens and will walk with us through them.

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))

Jesus told us to come to Him and bring all of our burdens and troubles with us. He will make our path more joyful. He will make our path have a light that guides us. He will make our path to have a destination that is truly restful as we rest in the presence of God.

The next time that you feel overwhelmed, remember that Jesus bore the weight of the world for our sins when He was sin free. Can you imagine how weary He was during this ordeal – the physical weight of the cross and the emotional weight of all of the sins of all time?

Are you struggling under your own power, or are you resting in the assurance that Jesus will do as He says He will do?

Trust in Jesus to give you rest!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Don’t wait until the next generation!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
(Matthew 24:32-34 (NIV))

Have you ever truly studied this parable of the fig tree?

I want to start by making a statement that any time a fig tree is mentioned in the Bible, it represents Israel. If you look at Mark 11, you read about a fig tree that was cursed by Jesus because it was not time for it to bear fruit. At His first coming, Israel rejected Jesus. After His crucifixion, the people of Israel were scattered. This passage in Matthew tells of a time when Israel would be gathered back to their homeland. In 1948, the twigs were tender, for Israel was a small group of people back in the land. Many scholars believe that the leaves came out in 1967 and that the nation has grown stronger ever since that time.

This puts a whole new meaning into the last sentence of the passage from Matthew.

Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
(Matthew 24:34 (NIV))

We have all heard this passage many times before, but I want you to actually think about this passage in relation to the average life span of a person. I want you to think about this passage in relation to the implications that it contains. With that said, does this mean that people who were alive to see Israel become a nation again will be alive to see the return of Jesus? Think about that! 1948 was seventy-three years ago. 1967 was fifty-four years ago. I honestly believe that we need to look at 1948 as the starting point, but even if it is 1967, we have to seriously face reality. Both of these are rapidly approaching the length of a human life! We also have to take into account that the return of Jesus is at the end of the seven year tribulation. I realize that if God wanted to, He could have a member of this generation live to be five hundred years old, but I do not believe that this is the case.

Time is short!

We don’t know when this generation will pass away.

Are you secure in your salvation?

It is a process as simple as A, B, C.

A. Admit that you are a sinner.
B. Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins, was buried and that God raised Him from the dead.
C. Call upon the name of the Lord by confessing that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Don’t wait until the next generation!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Do you possess the eagerness of the Bereans?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
(Acts 17:11 (NIV))

To put this concept into context with something that was said about 40 years ago, “Trust but verify!”

The Bereans believed what Paul told them, but they took it one step further. They searched the Scriptures to verify the truth and they found it to be exactly as Paul taught. Do we do as much? Do we listen to someone in a pulpit and take what they say as truth, or do we search the Scriptures to verify for ourselves? Do we use these weekly teachings as a springboard to dive deeper into God’s Word? Do we study and follow God’s leading to wherever it may go, or do we only rely on human teachers to tell us what we need to know?

In other words, do you hunger to know the truth of God’s Word?

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
(Psalms 34:8a (NIV))

If you truly hunger for God’s Word, an hour every Sunday will not satisfy that appetite. It will become a craving that can only be satisfied by spending more and more time in the presence of the Lord and in His Word. You will find yourself doing what the Bereans did. You will read and study and cross reference and pray and take notes and then start all over again as you discover a new truth that the Lord has waiting for you!

A little over twenty years ago, I was working from home. I have multiple computers on my desk and this particular day found me with only one computer actually turned on. Imagine my surprise when the second computer just turned on and a web browser opened up and loaded a site with what they claimed was over 30,000 pages of Bible prophecy and proof that the Bible was true. The site was put together by an atheist who set out to prove that the Bible wasn’t true. By the time that he finished his research, he was no longer an atheist. I spent the rest of that day and several others following his study and his proof. I was a good Berean and verified for myself as I read what he wrote. Ever since that day, which still gives me chills when I think about it, I have found myself digging deeper than I ever thought I would. I read books and watch videos and verify as I go. I have a physical Bible, but I have come to rely on a Bible software that allows me to cross reference every single translation that there is. At present, I am drawn to read from the 1599 Geneva Bible translation, even with the 420 year old spellings.

I am not saying this to brag, but to use as an example of how once we taste and see that the Lord is good, we should desire more and more of Him. How can we truly know the Lord if our only exposure to Him is through the words of someone else? Think about that for a moment. Think about Paul and his testimony of being the perfect Jew before his Damascus Road experience. The Bereans probably knew of Paul’s history, yet they chose to not simply believe what he told them. They eagerly studied and verified for themselves!

Do you possess the eagerness of the Bereans?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Has your spirit been telling you to take refuge in the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The prudent see danger and take refuge,
     but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
(Proverbs 22:3 (NIV))

What do you see when you see the world today?

Do you see a world that is full of hope, or do you see a world that is terrified of everything?

Do you see a world that has it all together, or do you see a world that is literally falling apart?

Do you see a world that is at peace, or do you see a world that is at war at every conceivable level?

Perhaps one more question will clarify your position. Is the world filling up with godly righteousness or evil?

How that you interpret and understand what is going on in the world is based on your world view. If you think that humanity has all of the answers, then you see the world in a transition phase leading into a great reset and a new world order. This world view believes that everything will be perfect if humanity will simply adopt a new belief system. If you see the world through a Biblical world view, then you are the ones that will be required to adopt this new belief system or suffer the consequences. Does this sound familiar from what we have read in prophecy in Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation?

Many people who profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior see the proverbial handwriting on the wall. I see more and more people, who are usually quiet, saying that they are sensing that God is up to something and that it will happen very soon. I am talking about local pastors who don’t have an internet following because of some prophecy that they recorded for everyone to watch. I am talking about moms and dads who are reporting a sense of urgency in their spirits. I am talking about people falling to their knees and praying in the Spirit who have never done this before.

Then there are those who go about their faith walk as if nothing unusual were happening. They study God’s Word completely ignoring the estimated twenty-five percent of the Bible that is prophecy. They especially ignore the prophecies that haven’t happened yet. They long for things to return to normal. They love this life and this world so much that they completely miss what God is doing right in front of them.

How do you see the world?

Has your spirit been telling you to take refuge in the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Does praying in the Spirit mean seeking His Spirit first?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
(Ephesians 6:18 (NIV))

Do you understand what it means to pray in the Spirit?

Most people understand that it is the grownings of their spirit beyond what human words can convey. It is a gut-wrenching desire for God to move in a situation and in a way that is beyond human understanding and ability. But is there more to praying in the Spirit than what we usually think?

What is it in our spirit that makes us understand that what is bothering us also bothers God?

Have we grown so close to the Lord that we know His desires better than we know our own? Have we come to the point in our faith that we have turned over our burdens to the Lord? Have we laid them at the foot of the cross in complete surrender?

I am beginning to think, I am beginning to understand, that in order to pray in the Spirit we must earnestly seek His Spirit and His Will. Without that understanding, without seeking His Spirit to begin with, how does our spirit know how to approach God in this manner? How does our spirit know how to communicate in this manner? I realize that many people believe that we were created with a God-shaped hole that we are constantly trying to fill with things of this world. We must learn to prioritize this and fill it with God. By so doing, we replace the world with His Spirit and His Spirit instructs our spirit. I firmly believe that we truly learn to pray in the Spirit when His Spirit lives in us and is guiding us.

Have you ever prayed in the Spirit?

What did it feel like in your spirit? Did you feel a closeness to the Lord that you don’t experience all the time? Was it the proverbial mountaintop experience? Did you come away with a deeper understanding of God’s heart? Did it leave you longing for more of this closeness with His Spirit? Did you find yourself making time so that you could be in His presence more often?

I truly believe that we were created to be in communication with God in this manner. I have one more question to ask. I know how I choose to answer.

Does praying in the Spirit mean seeking His Spirit first?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Don’t let the world make you lukewarm!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
(Revelation 3:16 (NIV))

Hot water has many uses. Cold water has many uses. When you drink coffee or iced tea, if the temperature is not what it should be, you make a face and quickly spit it out.

What if we paraphrased this passage with another term that is used quite often to apply to this concept?

Because you are middle of the road, neither fully committed nor fully opposed to God,…

Another paraphrased example might read like the following.

Because you are unenthusiastic, nether rejoicing or rebelling,…

Does these put this passage into a different perspective? Perhaps we need to add one more phrase to the mix. Lukewarm can also mean half-hearted.

Are you fully committed to the Lord, or is your love for God only half-hearted?

Do you see things in this world that you know go against what is in God’s Word and look on it with indifference? Do you accept certain sins as okay because you practice them or because you know someone who does? Do you accept the truth that Jesus came to bring salvation but ignore the fact that He calls us to repentance? There are many more comparative scenarios that I could present, but I think that you grasp the concept. Each of these are examples of being middle of the road, of being lukewarm. We embrace the concepts, but we are afraid to commit because we might offend someone. We go only so far and no further. We make a profession of faith but fail to live our lives the way that we have been instructed to.

Think about this again from the original lukewarm reference. Have we become the cup of hot coffee that is no longer hot? Have we become the glass of cold iced tea that has become warm? We are not living up to our calling. We are not pointing people to Jesus. All that we are doing is occasionally giving lip service to God and thinking that this is enough.

What is enough?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
(Matthew 28:19-20a (NIV))

When was the last time that you lead someone to Jesus?

When was the last time that you baptized someone?

When was the last time that you taught someone, yourself included, to obey everything that Jesus taught?

The more that I understand, the less that I want the Lord to see me as lukewarm. We must take a stand for what is right in the eyes of the Lord. We must be prepared to suffer the consequences in this world when we do take that stand. This world is not our home.

Don’t let the world make you lukewarm!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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How do you think that God is reacting?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

But select capable men from all the people–men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain–and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
(Exodus 18:21 (NIV))

We think that who we elect to our public offices doesn’t really matter, or, even worse, we don’t think that what we have to contribute will make a difference. God is calling us, just as He called righteous people in the days of Moses, to assume positions of Godly authority or to support people who will support Godly authority.

The people that have authority over us direct the way that our nation turns. They also direct the way that God will deal with us as a nation. If we have Godly authorities who desire to do God’s Will in all things, then God will bless that desire and bless us as a nation.

If we elect people who will appoint judges who say that there is no God and that anything is all right in our society, except the mention of God, then we will suffer and our children will suffer.

Truth is truth and is not dependent upon the circumstances. If we cannot be a nation that does not waiver on our convictions before God, then we will slowly cease to be in God’s favor. Perhaps we have gotten to the point were we are now rapidly descending into a place that is not only no longer in God’s favor, but rapidly turning to where we are considered as an enemy. I pray that we are not descending so rapidly that our descent cannot be reversed!

Pray for God’s guidance in how you vote in each election. Don’t assume that God does not want His people in positions of authority. Our nation was founded by people who held fast to the very Word of God. How would they react to what they would see today?

How do you think that God is reacting?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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May we reflect that light for all to see!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
(John 9:4-5 (NIV))

Does anyone else relate this passage to Genesis?

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning–the first day.
(Genesis 1:3-5 (NIV))

We think of physical light and darkness when we read Genesis 1:3-5, but is there more to the meaning of light in this passage that we have overlooked? Is there more to day and night than we understand?

All throughout history, people have had to take precautions at night from things such as attacks from an enemy. It is also difficult to see where you are going and easier to stumble and fall in the dark, It has always been safer to be out during the day then at night. Cities built fortified walls to protect themselves. They posted guards at night to alert the inhabitants of an attack. Even in the history of our own country, the enemy came at night by surprise often leaving death and destruction.

Do you see any similarities between the physical world and the spiritual world?

We are more prone to attacks from the enemy when we are in spiritual darkness. It is much easier to get lost when we are already going down a dark path of sin. What looks good in the darkness of sin rapidly overtakes us. If we saw this in the light, we would be totally revolted at what we see, for it leads to death and destruction.

God declared that light is good. Jesus came as the light of the world. If we profess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we help to shine His light. One day, that light will be removed and those who are left who have not helped to shine His light will be totally surrounded by darkness. With the things that I see and the reports of things that I read, the removal of the light may be closer than we think.

Until that time, let there be light! May we reflect that light for all to see!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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God created us to praise Him!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Sing to him a new song;
     play skillfully, and shout for joy.
(Psalms 33:3 (NIV))

We have been told repeatedly that we are to praise the Lord!

How did the walls of Jericho fall?

What did David do before he killed Goliath?

These are just two quick examples of what happens when we truly stop and lift up honest and sincere praise to the Lord. I am going to ask some questions that will hopefully make people think and may even make some people mad. Please know that this is not my intention. The questions are simple. Do we earnestly and honestly lift up praise to the Lord, or do we simply stand there thinking of other things that come to mind? Do we lift up sincere praise to the Lord or do we simply give lip service? Do we repeat something that has no meaning for us because it is tradition while the songs that glorify what God is doing now are ignored?

God created each of us to be unique. Do we truly understand the praises of David in context to today’s society? We read about what God did for David, but because we did not live in these times, they are only words that praise God for what He did several thousand years ago. Please don’t get me wrong.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV))

We must not forget what God did and the praise that David gave, but God is still active in this world, so we should be singing new songs of praise to Him for what He has done and is doing in our lives. We must praise Him for the distant past. We must learn to praise Him for the recent past. We must learn to praise Him for the things that He does in our lives today and will do in our lives tomorrow. That is why we are to sing to Him a new song, for the new songs are to be from our hearts and our lips to thank Him for the great things that He is doing now. Maybe that is why many people don’t lift up praise to the Lord. They simply cannot relate. They do not see how an old song that tells of what God did a long time ago is relevant in their lives today. They want to know that God is still on the throne and still doing great things.

I am sure that He expects us to praise Him with and through the unique gifts that we have been given.

God created us to praise Him!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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