What’s on your mind?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
(Romans 8:6-7 (NIV))

Two very distinct examples of what awaits us if we continue to let the flesh rule our minds.

We are told in Galatians what we face, what we will see as the characteristics of the mind governed by the flesh, and they are not pretty.

The acts of the flesh 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))

Do you see these characteristics in your life?

If so, what does that say about the things that control your mind? What does that say about the actions that we must take?

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
(2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV))

When we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we have accepted the grace that is freely given, but we have also accepted the fact that our lives are not supposed to be the same as before we accepted Jesus. We are to relinquish the things of this world, the things of the flesh, and focus on the things of God. We are to strive, with His help, to replace the acts of the flesh with things of the Spirit. We are to bear good fruit according to His purpose.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
(Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV))

We are to make a daily decision to have our minds governed by the fruit of the Spirit.

I realize that we are born sinners and that we live in a sinful, fallen world, but the decision is ours. We have been told that we will face troubles in this world, but we are to focus on Jesus, for He has overcome the world. We are to fill our minds with things of God and not things of this world. You will be surprised at what can and will happen in your life when this becomes your priority. It all starts with what you think about!

What’s on your mind?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you kind, compassionate and forgiving?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
(Ephesians 4:32 (NIV))

We are called to be kind, compassionate and forgiving!

So, just how hard can this be?

The last time that I looked, these characteristics go against anything and everything that we call human nature. They go against the very desires of the flesh that makes up our physical existence.

The acts of the flesh 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))

We are called to be kind, compassionate and forgiving, yet our very flesh is doing all that it can to keep us from this calling. Our flesh calls us to focus on three individuals, me, myself and I. We must learn to desire the characteristics that God desires for each of us to possess. We must learn to shift our focus to others and learn how to see others as God sees them.

We must learn to shift our focus from the physical to the spiritual!

We must learn to shift our focus from ourselves to others!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
(Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV))

When you focus on what God desires for you, then you start to change from the inside out. You no longer see the world from the perspective of what’s in it for me. Rather, you start to see the world from the vantage point that we are all in the very same sinking ship. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. When this happens, you see in others what you know was at one point in you. You begin to see, and understand, that no one can do for themselves what Jesus has done for you. You realize that in order for them to be shown this great love, you must be the hands and feet of Jesus. You must share with them what was once shared with you. In essence, you need to show kindness. You need to show compassion, and you need to show forgiveness. It will be these characteristics that draw people to you. It will be these characteristics that allow you to show them Jesus.

Are you kind, compassionate and forgiving?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you being equipped or are you being held back?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
(Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV))

The church is not a top-heavy, professional leadership only organization!

Too many people look at the church and think that it is the job of the professional pastors to evangelize others. Sadly, too many professional pastors believe that they are to do it all, and then they get jealous or mad when those whom they are supposed to equip do more than they do. This is not Christlike!

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
(John 14:12 (NIV))

Jesus did not put any disclaimers on who this applies to. He simply said “whoever believes in me!”

Do you believe in Jesus?

In addition, too many people look at the church as a place that they go to once a week and simply put in their time. Other people think that it is the job of the professional pastors to tell them what to do. With all of this in play, too many people never get beyond this simple infancy stage of their faith where they constantly rely on others for what they should know.

They never mature beyond spiritual milk!

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
(Hebrews 5:12-14 (NIV))

It is time that we, as the Body of Christ, do what we are called to do. We don’t know the days that we have left. We don’t know the days that others have left. We don’t know when the Lord will return for His church. We don’t need to continue in our usual manner. We need to be equipped to reach those who need Jesus.

Are you being equipped or are you being held back?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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It all starts at the cross!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin– because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
(Romans 6:4-7 (NIV))

What a glorious statement! We, as believers, have been freed from sin!

This does not mean that we do not sin. We are still human. What this means is that we are free from the punishment of sin. We have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. He has paid the price for our sin. It has been washed away from us by His crucifixion. Through His resurrection, we have been granted the right to be born again, to be looked upon by God as righteous and spotless in His sight.

We will still sin. We are in the world. The world is controlled by Satan, the father of all lies and sin. But, we will not be condemned to suffer the consequences of sin, for we have a risen Savior in Jesus Christ! This does not mean that we can choose to sin all that we want. It means that when we do slip up, we can ask for forgiveness.

We can ask for and be shown grace and mercy in spite of our sins. This is the ultimate freedom!

Are you truly free from sin and death?

It all starts at the cross!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Why do you think Jesus came into this world?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
(John 3:17 (NIV))

Everybody, even nonbelievers, focuses on the passage just before these words.

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))

I honestly believe that this well-known verse is also one of the root verses that make people profess that God is love. Too many people who profess this have taken this to the extremes by claiming that since God loves us, why would He condemn us? They twist the truth and falsely believe that since God created us then He loves us unconditionally, even when we are still in our sin. They are correct that He loves us unconditionally, but they fail to realize that He hates sin, and that He cannot associate with sin. We are destined, because of our sin, to be eternally separated from the loving Father who created us. They falsely extend their belief that our sin is acceptable to the point that He would not hate us for the sin that they mistakenly believe that He created in us. They fail to recognize that it was Satan who deceived humanity and caused sin.

We were not created to be sinful beings!

We were created to be in relationship with God, the Father.

With that truth fully prominent, we can embrace the preeminent truth behind Jesus being sent to save the world through His atoning actions. The problem is that too many people do not believe that they need to be saved. They don’t recognize the life saver that is being tossed to them as they descend further and further into sin. They are drowning in sin and don’t even realize it.

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 the words in John 3:16, but we must not stop there. We must realize how much He loves us by realizing one important fact.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
(Romans 8:1 (NIV))

If you profess a faith in Jesus, then you are no longer condemned, You have been saved from the wages of sin. But you may ask, how does this save the world? That is an easy question to answer, for it is the same way that He has been saving the world since He went to the cross. He is saving the world one life at a time!

I hope that this clarifies some things in your mind, especially with the single biggest question that you need to be able to answer for yourself.

Why do you think Jesus came into this world?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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You are His work in process!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 1:6 (NIV))

Is there anything that you have ever done that you did perfectly the very first time that you did it?

Let me ask a different question that poses a very similar type of response.

If you undertake something significant, do you finish it instantly? If you decide to learn how to play piano, do you sit down and immediately play the most beautiful and intricate composition ever? If you decide to learn how to draw and paint, do you immediately produce a work comparable to the Mona Lisa? If you choose to pursue a certain profession, do you simply open up a business saying that you are what you decided you were that morning?

Everything takes time!

In fact, there is a phrase that fits this quite well. Your piano playing capabilities are a work in process. Your artistic skills are a work in process. You professional skills are a work in process. You will never reach the full potential unless you stay actively in pursuit of the desired goal.

Why do we think that our spiritual walk of faith will not be a work in process?

Is your faith the same as the first day that you made that profession in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? Is your knowledge of God’s Word the same as it was the very first time that you picked up a Bible? Is your outlook on sin the same as it was before you asked Jesus to save you from your sins?

Life is a learning process. Faith is a learning process. This learning process will see you walk through many things in your life with the hopeful outcome being one of maturity in your faith, maturity in your relationship with Jesus, and maturity in your daily walk with the Lord. Faith is often referred to a a journey. Did the disciples have the faith to take the Gospel into all the world when they first met Jesus? Did Paul know how to reach the Gentiles immediately after his Damascus Road experience? Even these people whom we look to as pillars of the faith did not start that way, but they were lead to maturity by the loving hand of the Lord and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Today, as we live our lives, we are being matured in our faith. When you realize that each day holds something that the Lord wants you to experience and learn, then you realize that He is not finished with you.

You are His work in process!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you love the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
     for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
     and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
(Psalms 97:10 (NIV))

Do you feel safe from danger and wickedness?

I realize that is a very difficult question to answer, especially with all of the things that are going on in the world right now.

Perhaps I should approach that question from a different perspective.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV))

Do you possess the peace of God?

When I read the passage from Psalm 97, I instantly thought of the peace that we are promised through faith in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. When we are assured that the Lord will guard those who profess a faith in Him, I think of peace. When we are assured that the Lord will deliver us from wickedness, I think of peace. When you look at the world and all that is happening, it is comforting to know beyond any doubt that you are guarded and delivered from the evils of the enemy. When you look at your new eternal destination, you have the peace that overcomes, the peace that transcends, the peace that lifts you up, and the peace that gives you life to the fullest.

I want you to take a serious look at your life. Do you hate evil? Is your life guarded because of your faith? Have you been delivered from the hand of the wicked?

Do you love the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Is your faith strong enough for this?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
(Matthew 5:44 (NIV))

This goes against everything that our sinful human nature desires!

We instinctively only love those who love us in return. We only want to pray for those whom we love, yet, we are called to break with our sinful human nature and do what we don’t desire to do.

Have you ever stopped to reflect on why we are called to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us? Perhaps the answer is so simple that we don’t want to see it.

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))

If you have come to the realization that our enemies are part of the world that God loves, then you begin to understand why we are called to love our enemies. God loves them just as He loves you and I. In fact, the only difference in God’s eyes are whether they have accepted the gift of grace freely given through the cross. The cross is the ultimate example of love.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8 (NIV))

If you stop to consider that you were once an enemy of God, then you realize that God showed you love when you were His enemy. As the Body of Christ, we are called to do the very same thing. We are called to show love to those who are our enemies, for it is through love and prayer that an enemy is lost and a friend is won. This takes a faith that goes far beyond what our sinful human nature can comprehend. It takes a faith firmly grounded in God’s word and in His promises. It takes a faith strong enough to realize that through God’s love anything is possible, even turning an enemy into a brother or sister in Christ! Do you possess a faith strong enough to surrender to God’s Will as He calls you to embrace your enemies with love?

Today’s society is uncertain. Evil is called good and good is called evil. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we do know one thing – Jesus will come again! When He walked the earth, He called people to repent. He called them to this action out of love. If you have professed a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, then you have shown a faith strong enough to accept that gift. Now, we are called to show a faith strong enough to share that gift even with our enemies.

Is your faith strong enough for this?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you believe in the gift of God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

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 don’t know about you, but that is one wage that I do not want to collect, and if you don’t repent, it is one that you will collect.

I realize that this statement is rather harsh, but if you stop to think about the consequences of not repenting and accepting Jesus, then this statement is actually sugar coated.

Let me take a step back and ask one important question. What do you think of when you think of death? If you only think of the cessation of the physical body, you are missing out on the eternal aspect and consequences of your existence. Humanity is not simply a physical creature. We are not simply a temporary physical existence with a spirit and soul. We are an eternal spirit and soul with a temporary physical body. We are only passing through this world. This world is not our home! With this in mind, there is another type of death that is far worse than physical death. There is an eternal death that the enemy wants you to not know about. He will do anything that he can to make you think that it isn’t real. He wants to destroy you, both body and soul, for he hates humanity.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
(Matthew 10:28 (NIV))

If you have never heard this in this way, it may be time to pay attention. God doesn’t want any to perish, but that decision is your. He can’t make it for you. All that He can do, and has done, is offer a way for you to escape this death. He has provided a sinless, spotless sacrifice through Jesus to take all of the sin of everyone who has ever lived. All that you have to do is accept this great gift of amazing grace!

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
(Romans 6:18 (NIV))

All that you have to do is believe!

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 they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
(John 3:16-18 (NIV))

I have one more very important question to ask.

Do you believe in the gift of God?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What does your life currently look like?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
(2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV))

What do you do when something gets old?

If you are like most people, you hold on to things until they are no longer of value. It is at this point that you decide to throw away the old things, the trash, and replace them with something new.

What happens when the old things have more value to you than is obvious from the current state of the objects?

Think about that last question in relation to antique cars that are lovingly restored. What about antique furniture or very rare musical instruments? In the eyes of the right person, even old, dilapidated things have value and are worth restoring to new condition. This is how our Father sees each of us. In His eyes, we are worth so much more than we are worth in our own eyes. He has freely given each of us a way to be restored. God’s plan for restoration does not leave us in our sinful, fallen state. All that we have to do to be restored is to accept the offer freely given through the cross of Jesus Christ!

Do you long to be a new creation?

It is as easy as ABC.

A is for admit that you are a sinner in need of a savior.

B is for believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Him from the dead.

C is for call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

If you can honestly profess this and claim it as your own, then you are a new creation in the eyes of God. The old has gone! The new is here!

What does your life currently look like?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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