Do you thirst for righteousness?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
(Revelation 22:17 (NIV))

I don’t know about you, but this sounds like an open invitation to anyone who thirsts for righteousness.

It does not place any limitations on who can respond. The only requirement is that you must have a thirst for life as God intended it.

We have all experienced thirst in our lives, but have you ever been so thirsty that your very being craved cool water? You knew deep within your being what was needed and your desire for it was so overwhelming that you thought of nothing else. Was anything else able to satisfy that thirst? That is the type of thirst that we must have when we seek the Lord!

With everything that has been happening around the world, do you thirst for the peace that passes understanding? Do you desire for the sinful nature of this world to go away? Do you long for people to live as God intended? Is there anything except God’s grace and the water of life that will quench this yearning? Have you discovered anything about yourself in the last few weeks that you do not like and want to change? Do you still thirst after the world or have you found something that can satisfy your thirst for all eternity?

Do you thirst for righteousness?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you a member of God’s family?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
(John 3:3 (NIV))

I was recently given a very interesting glimpse of God’s love for us through the birth of my granddaughter! Let me explain, and for those of you who have recently experienced the birth of a child, you probably already understand.

Is there anything that makes the human heart happier than the birth of a child? It brings joy to the mother and father and all who are related to them. People gather all around to celebrate the birth of the precious new life! They bestow gifts on the parents and on the child. They make a commitment to always be there for the child as they grow and mature. They instantly love with more love than they could possibly imagine.

Think about that in terms of being a child of God’s.

When we are born again, we are born of the Spirit. We accept the grace and mercy freely given to become a son or a daughter of God. In true fashion, we literally are born again. We are birthed into the family of God! Don’t you think that the Lord is filled with joy when someone truly decides to call Him Father? The human joy that we experience when we hold a newborn member of our family is overwhelming. How much greater is the joy that God and all of heaven feel when we are born into God’s family?

There is no greater joy in this world than the birth of a child. There is no greater joy that God can experience than the rebirth of one of His beloved children.

Have you given God great joy? Are you a member of God’s family?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Which side do you choose to be on?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

The LORD is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,
but with an overwhelming flood
he will make an end of Nineveh;
he will pursue his foes into darkness.
Whatever they plot against the LORD
he will bring to an end;
trouble will not come a second time.
(Nahum 1:7-9 (NIV))

God is good all the time! Those who trust in Him will be rewarded with safety and refuge. Those who do not place their trust in Him will be brought to an end.

Yet, the Lord does not wish for any to perish. It is not too late for those who plot against Him to turn from their ways and turn towards God. Then, they too will find refuge in His Will.

No one is forbidden to come to God through His Son, Jesus Christ. All are welcome who acknowledge and accept that Jesus Christ is their personal Lord and Savior and that He died for their sins.

In this simple act, someone chooses to change sides and accepts the refuge of God.

Which side do you choose to be on?

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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That is a love that is worth giving to others!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

We love because he first loved us.
(1 John 4:19 (NIV))

Nothing could be so simple yet so true. God reached out to us in all of our sin and showed us the most overwhelming display of love that could be shown through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ as an atoning sacrifice to cleanse us of our sins. Because of this, it is our responsibility to show and tell others of this love by sharing with them what God has done for us. We must show them that it was also done for them and all that they have to do is accept it.

How do we do this?

Many sermons have been preached on this. Many people have been driven away from the church through preaching. It is through actions that we will show the true meaning of this verse. Actions will be remembered long after the words have been forgotten.

Consider what Jesus did when confronted with someone who was in need of forgiveness. Did He preach to them or did He love them and forgive them? He was able to convict people of their sins through love and not through condemnation.

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))

How did He save the world?

God saved the world through a love so great that He gave His Only Son, Jesus, as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. That is a love that is worth giving to others.

Copyright 1998 – 2015 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Jesus is our refuge, our rock and our salvation!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
(Psalms 9:9-11 (NIV))

Now, more than ever in my lifetime, we need to earnestly and sincerely seek the Lord.

Don’t take that last statement wrong. We should always seek the Lord, but with what is going on in the world now, we seem to need Him more than ever.

Do you need Jesus more today than you did last year? Do you need Him more today than when you first accepted Him as your personal Lord and Savior?

For those who truly know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they tend to rely more on Jesus each and every day. We face things in this life that we simply cannot comprehend or make it through without Jesus.

Can you make it through the stresses of life after losing your job without knowing that Jesus is there with you?

Can you make it through the loss of a friend or family member without knowing that Jesus is there bringing comfort into your situation?

Can you make it through a critical illness without the faith that you will be healed, either physically or spiritually?

Can you look at the situations in the world today and not feel hopeless and lost except for the reassurance that Jesus is with you?

Too many people never seek refuge in Jesus. Too many people face the oppression of this life without ever knowing that they have a place of refuge, someone to turn to when the world is overwhelming. In today’s world, it is becoming more and more overwhelming every single day.

Jesus is our refuge, our rock and our salvation!

Don’t be left behind because you never turned to Jesus.

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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