What are you waiting for?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.
(Psalms 47:1 (NIV))

With all that is going on in the world, this sounds like it is so far off from becoming a current reality. I realize that the world has never been a righteous place, but it seems like it is slipping further and further away from God’s plans.

Is there an end to this descent in sight?

We must remember that God is in charge and that things are happening according to His timing. The wheat and the weeds may be growing up evenly, but I have a question for you. Just because the wheat is planted among weeds, does it stop being wheat? Does it stop producing grain that takes root and grows more wheat plants? Why do we, as the Body of Christ, look around with an attitude of despair because we are surrounded by evil? I realize that we feel compassion for those who are lost, but we are still called to be the Body of Christ where we are planted. We are to do exactly as the psalmist wrote.

We are to clap our hands in praise to God!

We are to shout to God with cries of joy!

What we are not to do is let our circumstances keep us from praising our God!

We are to do exactly what Jesus told the Pharisees His followers would do when the Pharisees tried to rebuke those who shouted.

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
(Luke 19:38-40 (NIV))

We know what we are supposed to do. Do you want to let a stone out-praise you?

What are you waiting for?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

How is your attitude through all of the world’s troubles?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
(James 1:2 (NIV))

I think that the enemy is testing our ability to find joy under trial. Perhaps I should rephrase that to say that I know that the enemy is testing our ability to find joy under trial. Personally, I do not see how anyone who does not profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior can make it through what we have been through and what I am certain that we will be going through in the not too distant future.

When we face trials of many kinds, we must have joy.

When we face worldly uncertainty, we must have joy.

When we face persecution, we must have joy.

In all circumstances, whether good or bad, as believers in Jesus, we must have joy, for He is our joy.

“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 profess a faith in Jesus and we do not have joy, what does that say about our faith? What does that say about our relationship with Jesus? Jesus told us to rejoice and be glad! Jesus told us that if we follow Him, we would face persecution. Thankfully, we have His promises to stand firm in.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
(Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV))

How is your attitude through all of the world’s troubles?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

How is your faith?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
(James 1:2-3 (NIV))

Has your faith been tested over the last few years?

With all that is going on in the world, most of which is not even on our radar, many people are struggling. I recently read a report that death rates for young men in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties is up by an astronomical percentage. I don’t recall the percentage of suicides within this group, but it is one of the biggest causes of death. This is sad in and of itself, but what I find the saddest about this statistic is that this generation is the first to be completely raised in a school system after prayer was removed from schools. This was the generation that had no moral foundation instilled in them. Many of their parents were in the generation that received some moral foundation, yet, they did not receive enough to realize the importance of what they were missing. Their children did not receive even the little amount that their parents received.

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))

The events of the last few years have not been easy for anyone, especially those who do not profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. All that they see is the world and, as a result, they are left feeling helpless, hopeless and lost.

Has your faith grown? Has your faith matured over the last few years? Have you dug deeper into prayer and God’s Word during these troubling times? Have you found yourself relying on God’s promises even when you see no possible promising outcome from a worldly perspective? Let’s face facts. The last few years have been very troubling, but we have been given a promise that we must cling to.

“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))

We must have the faith to know beyond any doubt that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. We must have the faith to know beyond any doubt that even though we are sinners, we have a risen Savior and His name is Jesus. We must have the faith to know beyond any doubt that all of His promises are “Yes.” We must have the faith to know beyond any doubt to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and that through Him, we will persevere.

How is your faith?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Return to Jesus. Return to the joy.

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
(Psalms 51:12 (NIV))

Do you ever find yourself in need of restoration even though you are assured of your salvation?

It is easy to lose sight of the promises that we have been given, but we must not lose sight of the promise that validates all of the other promises.

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. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
(2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (NIV))

When we are in need of restoration, we must turn to the Father who gave His Son so that we could have salvation. The need for restoration comes when we let the weight of the world and the circumstances that we find ourselves in overpower us and consume us.

What do we lose when we are in need of restoration?

We lose our joy – our joy that comes from knowing that we have been saved by grace! Without that joy, Satan can gain access to us and steer us further away from the joy that is ours.

Joy brings hope and an assurance that we are saved by grace. It also brings us a firm foundation and an assurance of what is to come.

Are you in need of restoration? Return to Jesus. Return to the joy.

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Do you have an attitude of true thankfulness to God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

These things I remember
      as I pour out my soul:
   how I used to go with the multitude,
      leading the procession to the house of God,
   with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
      among the festive throng.
(Psalms 42:4 (NIV))

David gave God thanks for all that God had given to him. With the upcoming holiday that we celebrate as a nation, we must not forget that giving thanks to God goes back farther than the Pilgrims. People have been thankful to God for centuries. In our day and time, giving thanks has turned into just another excuse to take a day off from work and relax. On this upcoming Thanksgiving Day, let us truly be thankful for all that God has bestowed upon us even though we are not worthy of any of it.

Let Thanksgiving Day be the start of a new attitude. An attitude of true thankfulness to God.

Do you have an attitude of true thankfulness to God?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

What are you struggling with?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
(Ephesians 6:12 (NIV))

Do you ever feel like you are fighting a losing battle? Do you feel that no matter what you do, nothing ever goes your way? Do you ever feel like you do all the work and everyone else gets ahead? Do you see evil triumphantly defy all that you struggle to do?

Every person who has ever lived has faced struggles, but some seem to face more than others. If this is you, how do you respond?

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
‭‭(James‬ 1:2-4‬ (NIV‬‬))

Do you face your struggles with joy?

I realize that this is an unusual question, but that is exactly what anyone who professes a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior is called to do. We must remember that we have changed our citizenship. We are no longer part of this world. We are just passing through on our way to our ultimate home with Jesus. Because of this, the world hates us.

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
‭‭(John‬ 15:18-19‬ (NIV‬‬))

Who do you belong to?

What are you struggling with?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Do you seek the stability and love of the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
(Psalms 94:18-19 (NIV))

Have you ever been in a situation like this? Have you ever felt like this? There is a very good chance that not only have each of us experienced things like this, but we have probably experienced them in recent history.

What makes your foot slip? What gives you great anxiety?

It is probably a very safe assumption to say that both of these occur when we take our eyes off of Jesus. It is at that time when we look at the world and our circumstances in the world. When you are walking, most slips and falls occur because you have diverted your eyes and your attention from the path in front of you. It is at these very moments that you falter and possibly even fall to the ground simply because you lost focus on what lie ahead. Isn’t this just like what happens in your spiritual walk when you take your eyes off of Jesus? It is at these moments that you fail to follow the path in front of you. When this happens, our spiritual footing slips. We falter and fall into something that we don’t really desire to be in. When this happens, human nature seems to remind us of our shortcomings. The enemy drives the point home and we soon find ourselves in great anxiety.

What has made you take your eyes off of Jesus?

You are either lucky or lying if you say that you only have one thing that distracts you from Jesus! Even the most mature of us have too many things to place into this list. The good thing about this is that no matter your spiritual maturity level, the Lord walks with you and waits patiently for you to repent and return to Him. Just as He was waiting for us with open arms when we accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, He is waiting with open arms for us to repent and return to Him on a daily, and possibly even on an hourly basis. Some of us may even need to repent and return each minute of the day. He will be there! He will take us in His arms and wipe away the tears caused by our failures and our anxiety? He will pick us up and place us back on the path that leads to Him. He will walk hand in hand with us if we simply ask Him to!

I truly understand why the psalmist wrote that His consolation brought joy to his soul.

Do you seek the stability and love of the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Hope, joy and peace come from trusting the Lord!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 15:13 (NIV))

With the current state of the world, we need hope. We need joy, and we need peace!

Can you imagine how people who don’t profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior are coping with what we have been facing? Even members of the Body of Christ can sometimes begin to feel the weight of the world crashing down on us, and we have the hope we have been given through Jesus to cling to! Can you imagine the weight that others are feeling when they have no hope to cling to?

We are all familiar with the often used saying that when things are looking down, look up. To be honest with you, I see more and more people boldly proclaiming their faith through social media than I have ever seen. It may just be the algorithms that are used, but it appears that over fifty percent of what I see is people sharing faith based content. I take this as an indication that people are spending more time in God’s Word and are clinging to the truth that it contains. People are looking up! Or, should I say that they are looking down into the pages of their Bibles? Can we take this as a sign that people are lifting their hearts and their hands to heaven? Can we take this as a sign the people are lifting up prayers to the Lord?

For those of us who cling to the promises that are “yes” in Jesus, we have hope. We have joy, and we have peace. We also have an assignment!

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))

And, the harvest fields are ripe to hear the Gospel!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
(Isaiah 6:8 (NIV))

There has never been a better time to share the Gospel of Jesus. The time may be short and for those who don’t trust in the Lord, we may be the only people who will share. We must tell them the truth!

Hope, joy and peace come from trusting the Lord!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

We have a Savior and He wins!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
(Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV))

I am so very weary!

I don’t know just how much more of this world I can stand. Jesus is mocked and chastised while evil is declared truth. Common sense and civility no longer seem to exist.

The whole world simply seems to be upside down and getting worse!

Perhaps I spend too much time watching and reading about events in the world and the current state of what the world says is good. It is heartbreaking to see, but I believe that it is important to know what is going on so that I am at least aware and possibly prepared. We were told to know the seasons. We can’t live our lives in a vacuum where we are completely oblivious to what is going on around us. That is what the enemy wants us to do.

I am weary, or should I say saddened by the current state of the world. I am also very excited, for we have a promise from God. He sent His Son Jesus to be our Savior. Because of this, even when I am weary from what I see in the world, all I have to do is look up to see my Savior.

Don’t forget the promises that God has fulfilled in sending His Son!

I am eternally thankful for Jesus! Even in the midst of troubles, He is in complete control. Everything is unfolding just as the Lord planned. We have nothing to fear even when all seems lost.

“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))

Are you afraid of the events that are happening in the world? Are you weary and burdened by the things that you see unfolding? Are you saddened by the total rebellion against God? Does it break your heart to see evil being called good and good being called evil? There is an old saying that it is darkest just before the dawn. To put this saying into context – when it seems that things can’t get any worse, look up. When you can’t understand why things are happening as they are, look up. When you think that the world can’t do anything else that goes against God’s righteousness, look up. The dawn is coming!

Angels rejoiced when Jesus was born. The enemy rejoiced when Jesus was crucified for he thought that he had won. The disciples rejoiced at the resurrection. Each believer rejoices at the moment of accepting salvation. The enemy is rejoicing once again, but all of the heavenly host and all who call upon the name of Jesus will rejoice at His return.

We have a Savior and He wins!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Can you respond with joy when you are under trial?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
(James 1:2-4 (NIV))

I was reminded of this today when I went to turn my primary computer on this morning. Apparently sometime during the night after the previous night’s devotional finished sending, it crashed BIG TIME! This computer was my work horse. It had a huge hard drive for all of the applications and the data. I have an automated backup that grabs any files that have changed or have been added since the previous night. The bad thing is that it took me ninety minutes to get the computer to load a desktop before I could see the full extent of the problem.

I was trying to work!

I was supposed to be on a call, but the virtual call information was on that computer. As you can imagine, I was not a happy camper. Needless to say, I missed the meeting and I ended up spending all day trying to reconfigure another computer with the software that I needed.

I realize that this is a minor trial in the grand scheme of things, but when you rely on something and it fails, you scramble. When you have work to do, you scramble. When you have a large readership, you scramble. Today, I was faced with not being able to work as well as not being able to write and send a devotional this evening. Fortunately, I will be able to work tomorrow, and as you can tell, I am able to send this tonight. This day reminded me that nothing in this world is guaranteed. I pray that this is the extent of my trials for a while, but I know the enemy all too well. We will all face trials in our lives!

When we face trials, we must not lose sight of the One who walks with us through the midst of these trials. We must also remember that the enemy does not attack those who belong to him. These aspects are probably the most important things to remember when we face trials. If we are under attack, then we can rejoice in the fact that we are following the Lord in our lives. The attacks, both small and great, are the enemy’s attempt to distract you and make you stumble and fall away from Jesus.

Today, I was reminded to stop and rejoice even in the midst of my trials.

Can you respond with joy when you are under trial?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Support Daily Living Ministries
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook