What are you earning?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.
(Proverbs 10:16 (NIV))

Do you feel that you are paid what you are worth?

If you are truly honest with your answer, it wouldn’t surprise me to hear everyone say that they are underpaid and overworked. I think it is safe to say that even those who work for themselves think this. It is rare to find someone who turns down more money for their work.

Now, let’s look at our lives through the eyes of God.

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

Based on this and our understanding of what God calls wickedness, what have we earned? What wages have our sins brought us?

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:23 (NIV))

I love this passage! It starts off badly, but God . . .

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.
(John 3:16 (NIV))

God does not want us to receive what we have rightfully earned. He has a plan of redemptive grace that allows us to trade what we should receive for that which we cannot earn on our own. All that we need to do to “earn” this grace is believe that Jesus is His one and only Son and accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior. Through God’s plan, we trade our wickedness for His righteousness. We trade sin and death for eternal life.

What are you earning?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Is the way of the Lord just in your eyes?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

“Yet your countrymen say, `The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. Yet, O house of Israel, you say, `The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to his own ways.”
(Ezekiel 33:17-20 (NIV))

This country was founded on God’s Word. People have been trying to distort this fact for a long time. This is an attempt to cover up the truth behind why this nation was founded. It is an attempt by the enemy to take what is good and make it appear to be evil. The enemy lies, steals and cheats. Why should now be any different?

These same people who are trying to rewrite history are also saying “The way of the Lord is not just.” They are more interested in doing evil and what is in their own hearts than in doing what is righteous and true to God. They realize that if they can change people’s perception of history, then they can in effect change history, or what will be history. They long for a day when people will no longer turn to God in any way. They want people to turn to the inner man for the answers. We know how well this works. Man does not have the answers, only God does. People claim that there is no absolute truth. They claim that whatever feels right to someone is just. God’s Word states that only the Lord God is just.

What do you say?

Is the way of the Lord just in your eyes?

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Do you have the faith to not be afraid?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10 (NIV))

Every single one of us, at some point, liked to think that we were capable of handling whatever may come our way.

How’s that going for you?

The world can be a pretty fearful place once everything starts hitting the fan! Chances are, if you are like me, you have run into far too many things in your life that have left you helpless, hopeless and lost. We have found out the hard way that we are not capable of handling things on our own. We soon grow to fear the unknown. We fear the possibilities that are beyond our control. We fear uncertainty, and we end up fearing fear itself!

What is it about human nature that has us so afraid? Do we fear the realization that we honestly don’t have the control over our lives like we want to have? On our own, we make wrong decisions and wrong turns every single day of our lives. It doesn’t help that the enemy and the sinful, fallen world are constantly distracting us so that we don’t make the right decisions.

Even through all of this, there is hope where there is faith!

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
(Hebrews 11:1 (NIV))

Have you placed your faith in Jesus? If so, then you have been made a part of the family of God. God is our Father. He will stand with you when you face the enemy. He will ease our fears.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
(Romans 8:31 (NIV))

Do you have the faith to not be afraid?

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Have you made the trade that doesn’t sound fair?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
(2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV))

It doesn’t sound fair, but it was an even swap. Our sin for Jesus’ righteousness.

Have you ever been involved in a trade as a kid? Perhaps you had something that someone wanted. Perhaps someone had something that you wanted. As a kid, if you ever took your lunch to school, I am sure that you made a trade for something that was much more appealing. Balogna can only be eaten so many days, yet, it seems that someone was usually willing to trade something for that balogna.

Now, imagine those things that you trade for are of such value that you are desperate to trade. How can someone willingly trade everything for nothing? I can honestly tell you that I have never been involved in a trade where one person received all of the benefit while the other person received all of the junk. That was, until I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.

He took everything that nobody would ever want and gave me all that anybody could ever dream about. He took my sin upon himself and willingly paid the price for that sin. He gave me grace and mercy and forgiveness.

Why would He do this? It is simple.

“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))

Have you made the trade that doesn’t sound fair?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Jesus is our strength!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.
(Revelation 15:4 (NIV))

I hate to say this, but in our present wordily state, not that many people fear the Lord. Far too many mock and ridicule God and those who follow Him and accept the name of His Son, Jesus, as their personal Lord and Savior.

It is sad that so many have not only turned their back on God, they have openly rebelled against Him. They have claimed all types of lies against God and against His Son. They have been blinded by the false delusions of the enemy.

We can’t let the enemy win!

Each person that believes the lies is a person who is desperately in need of the grace, mercy and love that is freely available from God the Father through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus.

Does it feel like we are facing overwhelming odds?

We do not face them on our own strength!

“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))

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
(1 John 4:4 (NIV))

With the current state of the world, it is so easy to lose hope. I’ve got a little secret to share with you!

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:2 (NIV))

Keep your eyes on Jesus! Jesus is our strength.

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery