What is in your wardrobe?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
(Colossians 3:12 (NIV))

We all like to look our best. We all like to dress for success. I will admit that some of us are better at it than others, but in the big picture, no one deliberately tries to look bad.

If you profess a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you are also called to “dress the part.”

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
(Ephesians 6:11-17 (NIV))

It sounds like we are to be prepared for battle, as we should be, for the enemy prowls around seeking to devour.

Yet, at the same time, we are called to do something that seems contradictory to this. The following words that Jesus spoke to His disciples tells the story.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
(Matthew 10:16 (NIV))

We are to be shrewd in that we are to be constantly on our guard, dressed in the full armor of God for protection against the attacks of the enemy. At the same time, we are to be innocent by clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. In other words, we are to be weak because He is strong. We are to love as Jesus loved while fully relying on His strength to fight off the attacks of the enemy. We are to clothe ourselves with His love, but we must not forget that we also have the authority and power of the Lord with us no matter what we may face in this world.

Even though I walk
     through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
     for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
     they comfort me.
(Psalm 23:4 (NIV))

Too many of us are dressed for one extreme or the other. Some are still fully clothed in the things of this world. Too many of us forget that we are called to clothe ourselves with innocence and love, while, at the same time, we are fully clothed with the full armor of God. We desire compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, but we must not shrink away from the attacks of the enemy.

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))

Have you fully clothed yourself according to His desires?

What is in your wardrobe?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Have you placed your sinful past at the foot of the cross!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
(1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV))

Do you like living in the past?

Would you like to go back and relive your life?

I realize that we all have the proverbial “what if” moments when we stop to reflect, but how many of us truly wish to go back and live through the things that we now try to put behind us? If we truly have left something behind, why do we wish to revisit it? If we truly have put our sinful past behind us, why would we wish to revert back to our sinful, fallen nature and the consequences of that sin, especially since we have the glorious promise of grace and mercy that was freely given to us through the cross?

When you complete elementary school, do you wish to go back to kindergarten? When you complete college, do you wish to go back to elementary school? Then, why do so many people, upon professing a faith in Jesus, return to their sin? Sadly, we are creatures of habit. We had become comfortable with our sin. We had become addicted to our sin, and that addiction draws us. Even if we don’t respond, it nags us. It tempts us. It reminds us of our past.

It makes us think that we are unworthy of the mercy and grace that we have been given!

To be honest with you, we are unworthy. However, we have a Father who loves us and His love is greater than all of our sin. He provided a way for us to be redeemed. Not of our doing, but of His doing!

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.
(John 3:16-17 (NIV))

With this in mind, I wish to remind you of a saying that when the devil reminds you of your past, you are to remind him of his future. You are to boldly profess that you have been washed by the blood of the lamb and that your garments have been made white as snow. He no longer sees your sins. He sees righteousness inherited because of your faith in Jesus.

Your sins have been removed because of His great love.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
     so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
     so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
(Psalm 103:11-12 (NIV))

Have you placed your sinful past at the foot of the cross!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Everything hinges on one important word!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9 (NIV))

IF . . .

Two little letters that far too many people simply overlook.

If you have ever done any programming or have ever created a formula in a spreadsheet, you may be familiar with an IF > THEN statement. In essence, IF something happens, THEN something else can be expected. In all honesty, this concept makes perfect sense, but why do so many people bypass the IF and still expect the THEN?

IF you work hard, THEN you will be rewarded. Too many people want the reward without the work.

IF you get good grades, THEN you can do anything that you put your mind to. Too many people want the end result without the commitment required to get there.

IF you show compassion, THEN you will be shown compassion. Too many people still have a double standard when it comes to what they do and what they expect others to do for them.

IF you confess your sins, THEN . . .

IF you profess a faith in Jesus, THEN . . .

What do you expect for the THEN when you think of these two IF statements?

Even the passage that nonbelievers know contains an IF > THEN statement. You have to look closely, but it is there!

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 believe in Jesus, THEN you shall not perish but have eternal life.

Society has adopted a false Gospel. They have left off the IF and gone straight to the THEN where everyone is saved because God is love. It is our responsibility as believers to share the Gospel in its true form. We are to make disciples and teach them correctly. We are to show people the importance of two little letters.

Everything hinges on one important word!

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.
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Which relationship do you desire?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
(Romans 12:21 (NIV))

Each of us has things in our life that seem to take priority no matter what the circumstances we may find ourselves in.

For the most part, no one who professes a faith in Jesus intends to do evil, but Satan is deceitful. He gets us to fall for a little lie and then when we get comfortable with that small departure from the truth, he sends another lie! The key to standing firm in your faith is to know the truth so well that you instantly recognize the lies that the enemy uses to try and trip us up. If we fall for the lies of the enemy, we have missed the mark that God has established for His creation.

In essence, we have sinned!

We have been overcome by evil!

Thankfully, we have been given a way to overcome evil with good. It is not of our own doing, for we we are as filthy rags. All of us are unclean. All of us are sinners in need of a Savior, and that is the key to how we who are sinful can overcome evil with good. We can place our faith in the one whom God has sent to redeem us from our sins.

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))

That is how you overcome evil with God’s goodness. Believe in the name of Jesus!

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
(Acts 4:12 (NIV))

Currently, I am seeing many things going on in the world that are evil and seem to be pointing to God’s plans unfolding right before our eyes. I am also seeing a huge increase in things that point to the Lord, and they are having massive impacts on the lives of those who are involved in or are witnessing these events. I will probably have some people claim that we have to wait and see what the long term outcome of these events will be, but college campuses all across the nation are seeing revival. Many nations are seeing large numbers of people professing a faith in Jesus. We have movies out about the life of Jesus, and we have movies out about previous revivals that are changing the lives of the actors involved as well as the lives of those who see the movies.

We have a choice to make even after we profess a faith in Jesus. Each day we either choose to follow Jesus and draw closer to Him or we choose to follow this sinful, fallen world. We must choose which commitment, which relationship that we desire to base our life upon. We can walk in relationship with the Lord or we can walk in sin.

Which relationship do you desire?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Come Lord Jesus! Fill the hearts of your faithful!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

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))

Do you truly believe this passage?

What about the following passage?

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(John 10:10 (NIV))

If we profess that we believe, then why do we act as if we don’t when we gather together to worship?

Why do we stifle the Holy Spirit and prevent Him from being made manifest in our worship and in our lives?

We are at war with the enemy and we act as if we are safe and secure, yet, we are far from prepared. I believe that the recent events of Holy Spirit filled revival are a calling to put on the full armor of God so that we may stand against the schemes of the enemy. Many people believe that the church will be taken out of the picture, raptured, before things get really bad, but we are not called to sit back and do nothing until that day comes. And, if the interpretations that point to this rapture happening first are incorrect, we must be prepared to stand firm in our faith for we will be involved in warfare with the enemy. We will not be able to stand on our own. We must truly believe in Jesus and we must truly believe that abundant life is only available through our faith in Him!

I love that people are excited about revival, yet, I am saddened that believers are not paying attention to the Scriptures and recognizing that the events that are transpiring in this world are more than we are led to believe. The Euphrates River is almost dry, paving the way for the army from the East. Digital currencies, which can be turned off at the will of the government, are almost upon us. Turkey and Syria are seeing destruction and death like never before from the recent earthquakes. Israel is posed to build a third temple.

Do I need to go on listing things, or have I convinced you that now is the time to stand firm in your faith? Now is the time to put on the full armor of God. Now is the time to pray for His presence to be made manifest in ways that we have never seen before in our lifetime!

Can you confidently and faithfully stand firm in the knowledge that Jesus is Lord?

Come Lord Jesus! Fill the hearts of your faithful!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Have you forgotten how to follow this command?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
(John 13:34 (NIV))

Let’s take a look at how Jesus loved when He walked this earth so that we can better understand how we are to love each other.

Jesus called people to repent, to turn from their selfish, sinful natures. He did this out of compassion for those caught in sin and the consequences of sin. He did not antagonize or mock sinners. He called to them out of a true love, a true desire to see them come to a saving knowledge of Him. He loved people because that is why He came!

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))

It is true that Jesus did get angry, but His anger was only manifested when God’s Temple was defiled or the religious leaders were making a mockery out of what God had intended. His anger was never focused on those whom He came to save. In fact, even in His anger, I think that it is safe to say that, just as a father’s heart breaks when his children misbehave, His heart broke for those who were doing the things that caused His anger.

Even in our darkest moments, He loves us!

Can we say that of each other? Can we love each other as Jesus loves us? Loving each other is part of loving God! It is part of our calling!

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
(1 John 4:20 (NIV))

Jesus has commanded that we love one another.

Have you forgotten how to follow this command?

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.
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It is time to join the celebration and have a Merry Christmas!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

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))

There will never be a greater gift that can be given!

To those who have accepted this gift of grace, we use this passage to convey exactly what God has done. We use it to explain to others what can be theirs if they will only accept. We use it to explain the magnitude of God’s love for His creation, but, I think that we use it to remind ourselves of the mercy that we have been given. We use it to remind ourselves that we were all sinners in need of a Savior. We us it to remind ourselves that we were helpless, hopeless and lost as a result of our sin. We use it to remind ourselves that we are not worthy to receive such a great gift, but, God gave it to us in spite of ourselves.

In just a few days, we will celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. We will celebrate Jesus stepping out of eternity and into this world so that we could be ransomed by His great love. For those who profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, you truly have something to celebrate. Do you need to join the celebration? For those who have not made that profession of faith as of yet, 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.

The greatest gift of all time is yours. All that you must do is accept.

I have referred to this before. The word “merry” in Old English means “mighty.” The word Christmas is a shortened version of two words “Christ Mass” in which the birth of Jesus was officially celebrated by the church. People would wish each other a blessing so that they would have a MIGHTY (Merry) Christ’s Mass (Christmas). They wanted each believer to fully realize the gift of grace and mercy that was theirs because God sent His Son Jesus into this world.

It is time to join the celebration and have a Merry Christmas!

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Do you understand?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
(John 13:7 (NIV))

You may not recognize this passage immediately, but think about Jesus and the disciples in the Upper Room. Peter was about to rebuke Jesus for washing his feet. It is true that Peter did not understand what Jesus was doing. In fact, most people don’t fully grasp the symbolism of this action. It was a hint of a much bigger “washing” that Jesus was about to undertake.

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
(John 13:8-9 (NIV))

Thankfully, Peter realized what was going on and fully embraced it. In fact, he wanted more!

Think about that for a moment.

Do you want more of what Jesus came to offer? Do you want to be washed white as snow? Do you want to stand before the Lord and hear Him say, Well done, good and faithful servant”? Do you want to know Jesus intimately?

It all starts with a simple act. It all starts with us allowing Jesus to wash us clean!

What Jesus did in the Upper Room symbolizes what He does for all of us if we will simply 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))

We, as sinful humanity, can be washed clean of our sins simply by believing in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. That is the most powerful cleansing that we will ever experience. This is the plan as spoken of in Isaiah. This is the plan that settles God’s redemption of those who believe.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
     says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
     they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
     they shall be like wool.
(Isaiah 1:18 (NIV))

I believe that Peter understood this connection.

Do you understand?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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