Do you understand the intrinsic value of your calling?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
(Matthew 25:15 (ESV))

I find it amazing how you can read something many times and think that you understand it, only to have your eyes opened to the impact of the words once you find out some historical context.

When we read these words, we don’t dwell too much on the talents. We don’t have any historical perspective and we think that the talents were not that much money. When you read the following translation, your perspective changes!

To one he gave five talents [equivalent to a hundred years’ wages]; to another, two talents; and to another, one talent — to each according to his ability. Then he left.
(Matthew 25:15 (CJB))

In today’s mindset, five talents is the equivalent of the wages of three generations in your family! It was not a small amount! Even one talent was the equivalent of twenty years wages! These sums of money were of considerable worth and this parable was used to drive home the concept that what we are given in this life is not to be taken lightly. God has given us each distinct gifts that we are to use for His kingdom. Some of us have more gifts, but that does not mean that if you have fewer gifts that you are to hide them. We are all called to be good stewards of the “talents” that we have been given.

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 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
(Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV))

Each member of the Body of Christ is important. God has created each of us for His purpose. We must not compare our talents with those of others. We must keep our eyes on the Lord and seek Him in all that we do.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
(1 Corinthians 12:15-20 (NIV))

Jealousy is not a pretty thing to see in a person. It all stems from ego and pride. As members of the Body of Christ, we must pray to overcome these sinful characteristics. We must pray to stay firmly grounded in God’s Word. If we are given a “talent,” we must use it. We must not hide it out of fear. We must not hide it because our “talents” are not as many as someone else. What we are called to do is unique to each of us. I have heard this story before. I do not know the validity of it, but it is useful in getting the point across. What if a person had a single talent, a single calling on his life, but failed to answer that calling. What if the person who shared Jesus with Billy Graham had hidden his one talent?

We may not understand. We may not see the value. We may not truly recognize the importance of what we have been called to do, but God does. He sees the end from the beginning. God knows the value of each moment in our lives. He does not desire for any to waste their “talents!”

Do you understand the intrinsic value of your calling?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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How can we reach those who have not been taught?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
(Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV))

Everyone knows this passage. Everyone, that is, except many people in the current generations. Ever since the Supreme Court told us to remove the Ten Commandments and prayer from school, many people no longer are given the basic instructions in what is right and wrong.

Our society is faced with thousands of people who have no concept that there is an absolute truth and an absolute right. They see everything as a relative situation. I feel sorry for this generation. They will face untold hardship when they are faced with what life will eventually throw at them. They will not know that it is wrong to lie, cheat and steal. They will not know that God is the absolute truth in this world and that God calls what they are doing sin. They are self-centered and do not realize that the creation that they are maneuvering through is based on a desired relationship by the Creator.

We, as believers, must do all that we can to make these people aware that there are such things as absolute truths and absolute right and wrong and that God will not allow anyone who does wrong to associate with Him. We have become a society of “if it feels good, do it,” but we have lost sight of the fact that Satan spreads lies through our senses. We have failed in training the children of the younger generations. We have allowed a very vocal minority to remove all reference to God and His Laws from our lives.

We must pray for this generation. We must pray for ourselves because we have let it happen. We must pray that God will show us how to restore what has been stolen from us.

How can we reach those who have not been taught?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Nothing is too difficult for our Lord!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Lift up your heads, O you gates;
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?
    The LORD strong and mighty,
    the LORD mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates;
    lift them up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.

Who is he, this King of glory?
    The LORD Almighty–
    he is the King of glory.
(Psalms 24:7-10 (NIV))

David gave us a look into the future when Jesus returns not as Savior, but as a mighty warrior reclaiming what is God’s. It is amazing that God gave this message to us through David, when Jesus was several generations from being born. Yet, God gave David this psalm describing exactly what would happen not at Jesus’ first coming, but at His second coming. If David, who was looking at this as if looking through a telescope, could have the faith to believe God, then we, who have the advantage of being able to look back at Jesus’ first coming, should have all the more faith that what God said through David will come to pass.

True, David was a man after God’s own heart, yet, David was not free from sin. God used David in all his human failings to not only give us these words, but to also give us Jesus himself.

If God can use David, who was a sinner, to give us a sinless Savior, how can God use you? Nothing is too difficult for our Lord!

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you praying for God’s Will?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God– having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
(2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV))

We are facing terrible times and they seem to be increasing. The attitudes of society seem to be getting more rebellious. Our whole society seems to be self centered, money grabbing and arrogant. The generations that are alive today have seen the removal of God from our school systems and our public affairs because of one group’s misinterpretation of the phrase “separation of church and state.”

How could we have let this happen?

Have we, as believers, become complacent in our attitudes towards others, or have the people around us been infected with the lies from the powers that control this world? Whatever the reason, people are not what they should be in the eyes of God.

It is God’s Will that the events spoken of in Daniel and in Revelations come to pass. I do not know if we are seeing these things about to start, but one thing I do know is that we should be praying.

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 saints.
(Ephesians 6:18 (NIV))

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
(1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV))

Prayer is the most effective weapon that we have. If the timing is right for God’s plan, then our prayers will help to prepare us and hopefully have an impact on someone for Jesus. If the timing is not right for God’s plan, and our society is just rebellious, then our prayers will help to turn the nation back to God. No matter what the timing, pray!

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
(James 5:16b (NIV))

Are you praying for God’s Will?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Have you embraced your inheritance?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
(1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV))

This says a lot in a few words.

Notice that it starts off by praising God! We are the benefactors of God’s grace and mercy, yet it does not focus on us. It focuses on the Father and what He has done. It focuses on His ultimate plan for those who believe, not only when this was written, but for all generations of believers.

In other words, God IS the same yesterday, today and forever. What He did once through His Son Jesus Christ was for all people, yesterday, today and forever. All you have to do is have faith.

Have you embraced your inheritance?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Is the glory of the Lord your shield?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
(Psalms 3:3 (NIV))

At this time of year, we have a tendency to think of things that we are thankful for.

Do any of these traits of the Lord make it into your list?

I don’t know about you, but reading through this passage of scripture has reminded me that I am so very thankful for everything that the Lord has done for me.

The world is a very dreadful place where people who profess a faith in Jesus are ridiculed and persecuted. The sinful, fallen world tries so much to make you fall for the lies of the enemy to get you to believe that he is winning. If you don’t maintain your focus, it is so easy to take your eyes off of the Lord and miss His glory. If these happen, then it is so easy to fall into the habit of hanging your head because you feel that all is lost!

I for one am thankful that we have the unfailing promises of God to turn to even when we feel that all is lost. Things in this world are never as they appear! I am so thankful that the Lord keeps His promises.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.
(Psalms 145:13 (NIV))

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
(2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV))

He will not forsake those who call upon His name! Do you call upon the name of the Lord?

Is the glory of the Lord your shield?

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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What are you willing to endure for the Gospel?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
(2 Timothy 2:10 (NIV))

Have you ever stopped to think about the Body of Believers who came before you? Have you ever stopped to think about what they went through in order to let you have the opportunity to hear the Gospel? Today, we are afraid to let it be known that we follow Jesus if the crowd is not the ideal mix of people. We fear being called out and identified as a follower of Jesus. We fear the unknown, the uncertainty, of what this label will mean at work and with our friends

In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing in comparison to what has come before. Recent years have not been such a trying time, but if you look all the way back to the first century church, they faced persecution, rejection and even death for their profession of faith in Jesus. They knew of the power of the cross. They knew of the wages of sin and the death, both physical and spiritual, that comes as a result of sin. They were not so engrossed in their own lives that they failed to recognize the importance of every life that would ever live. They recognized the fact that what God had planned and what Jesus had suffered through was a gift of grace for everyone and not just for themselves. They knew that God wanted them to share this gift of grace with all who would hear no matter what the cost may be to themselves.

Recent years has seen the emergence of the “ME” philosophy. It basically states that “I have mine. You are on your own!” What if previous generations had expressed this sentiment when it came to sharing the Gospel? Let’s bring this a little closer to home with the following. What if the person who is supposed to witness to one of your grandchildren is someone that you are supposed to witness to and lead to Jesus? Are you willing to let your grandchild suffer for all eternity because you didn’t witness to the person who witnesses to them? Are you willing to let someone else’s grandchild suffer because you didn’t witness, because you were afraid to endure something so that others could live?

What are you doing in order to pass on the legacy that was willingly passed to you?

What are you willing to endure for the Gospel?

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Therefore go!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV))

I am going to tax you a little on this one. Well, maybe a lot. I say this because most people would rather forget sentence structures and types. Do you remember the different types of sentences from your English classes? Do you remember the imperative sentence? In essence, it is a command.

Therefore go!

That sounds pretty straight forward to me. It is definitely a command. Do we, as the Body of Christ, obey that command? Previous generations took this seriously. Many people today take it seriously, but do we truly understand that this is our prime directive as a member of the Body of Christ? When you couple this with the next part of the sentence, we have another distinct command.

Make disciples of all the nations!

Most people have a difficult time making a disciple of their next door neighbor. Have we lost the passion to reach the lost? Have we lost the compassion that we should feel for others when we know that they will spend eternity separated from God? When there is a natural disaster, we go with supplies. We go with a desire to help. Where is that desire when it comes to making disciples?

How would Jesus react to our desire to reach the lost? Would He say “Well done,” or would He say “Therefore go!”

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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God is faithful!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
(Genesis 9:12-16 (NIV))

God is faithful!

When God first created a rainbow, it was as a promise to those who had followed His commands. It was, and still continues to be, a visible reminder that God is faithful to deliver those who call upon His name; for those who place their faith and trust in Him.

With all that is going on in the world, we all need a gentle reminder that God is faithful and that what He has promised will come to pass. I realize that this sounds like a weak faith, but in reality it is a strengthening of faith, for it is a sign from God that what He has promised will come to fruition.

Have you ever needed a gentle reminder from God?

To be honest with you, I don’t think that there is a single person alive who does not need this reassurance every once in a while. God knows us intimately. He also knows that we face things in this world that can overcome us. He sent Jesus into this world to overcome sin and death. He sent the rainbow to show us that He is faithful to keep His promises. God has an everlasting covenant with His creation. That covenant is our hope and our faith. To those who believe in that covenant, we see signs all around us of the majesty that is our God. Sadly, those who do not believe see the same signs but miss the meaning. They miss the promise.

With all that I have that burdens my heart, today was a day that I was reminded of the faithfulness of God. The day was stressful with the typical news as of late. Other issues clouded my mind. Late in the day I decided to step outside for a breath of fresh air. My mind was racing trying to comprehend all of the events of the day. I turned to look back at my house, and there it was! The biggest rainbow that I have ever seen arching down from on high and disappearing behind the roof.

It is amazing how something that God sends your way can instantly change your day. I went from a heavy heart to a smile and joy in no time at all. I was reminded of God’s love for us and His faithfulness to those who love Him!

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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God is forever faithful!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
(Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV))

Faithfulness is one of the primary attributes that God has and that we must strive to take hold of. God does not forget His promises. Deuteronomy speaks of keeping His promises for a thousand generations. We, as humanity, can’t keep a promise for more than a few days, weeks or years at best. God keeps His promises for a thousand generations. If you consider that a generation is from birth until they have their own children, that would be on average, 20,000 years. That is a long time to keep a promise. But, we must remember

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
(2 Corinthains 1:20(NIV))

All of God’s promises are fulfilled through Jesus. Everything that God has promised throughout the Old Testament, through His prophets, either has been fulfilled or will be fulfilled through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
(Hebrews 13:8(NIV))

If God is faithful, and all promises are fulfilled through Jesus, and Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever, then we must fully rely on Jesus for all things. Keep focused on Jesus and stay within the promises that God has made, for they will come to pass just as God said that they would.

Copyright 1998 – 2015 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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