This is the best new years resolution ever!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Be still, and know that I am God.
(Psalms 46:10a (ESV))

Did you make a new years resolution?

If you are like many each year who do just that, I hope that you know the probability of those resolutions being kept. I don’t have the official stats, but I know that they are not good. Too many people simply give up far too soon!

If you want to make a resolution that will benefit you far greater than the proverbial exercise more, lose weight, find love, or change jobs, then I recommend that you do what the Lord told us to do in Psalm 46. I challenge you to take time each day and be still in the presence of God.

You don’t have to buy a gym membership. You don’t have to update your resume. You don’t have to go on some fad diet, and you don’t have to be someone whom you are not in order to find someone to spend time with. All that it takes is a Bible or Bible app, and a commitment to spend time getting to know the very heart of God. I realize that this sounds scary, but it is anything but scary. When you spend time diving deeper into His Word, you will find that it is actually a loving message from a Father to His children. I urge you to recall when you were young and your father or grandfather would have you climb up on their lap and then shower you with love. Getting to know God will give you the same type of feeling.

When you are still in the presence of God, it is a matter of reading His Word, talking to Him, and listening for His still, small voice.

In today’s hectic world, this can mean many different things for different people. It can mean getting up earlier and opening up your Bible before anyone else is up. It can mean staying up after everyone else is in bed and diving into His Word. It can mean changing what you listen to in the car on your daily commute to an audio Bible. There are no right or wrong ways if you are truly earnest about your desire to know God. Don’t think that you don’t have the time. Take a serious look at your day and where you can make a few adjustments to be still in His presence.

Don’t miss out on what He has in store for you!

This is the best new years resolution ever!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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How do you celebrate the presence of the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook.
(1 Samuel 4:5 (NIV))

How do you celebrate the presence of the Lord?

Think about that!

God would lead His people by going ahead of them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When He stopped, the ark was brought in and set within the tabernacle. To the nation of Israel, the ark of the covenant was the presence of God. It was the mercy seat where God came to dwell with His people. The whole nation of Israel rejoiced greatly when this happened. They praised God with such a great shout that the ground shook.

How does that compare to what we do in our churches?

The Israelites had the events of the Exodus to be thankful for. God saved them out of physical bondage in Egypt. They had been slaves for four hundred years and God rescued them. He made a choice to show His power to the world through the actions He took bringing them out of Egypt.

They had a reason to rejoice, and their rejoicing shook the ground!

I hate to say this, but in most of our churches today, we barely even make a noise, and we have so much more to be thankful for than the Israelites did!

God saved them from physical bondage, but they were still in bondage to sin and death. We have been given something that they weren’t given. We have grace. We have mercy. We have salvation freely given to all who will simply profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. The Israelites escaped physical bondage. We can escape eternal bondage to sin and death, and yet we act as if we are dead. We don’t shout out our thanks. We don’t lift up His name in praise. Most believers are more enthusiastic about their favorite sports team than they are about lifting up His name in praise.

The Lord moved mightily in and through the nation of Israel when they had not forgotten the things that He had done for them. Have we forgotten what He has done for us? We can now stand in His presence through the atoning blood of Jesus and we act like we are watching a show on tv. We simply sit back and watch as a spectator.

Faith is not a spectator sport!

How do you celebrate the presence of the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are we too busy to be still and listen?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

“Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”
(Psalms 46:10 (NIV))

I realize that I use this passage quite often. In fact, everything that I do has a basis in the first part of this passage, for we must learn to be still in His presence in order to subdue our sinful nature and place ourselves completely at His feet and in His will.

How are you at being still in His presence?

I realize that is what is often referred to as a loaded question, but it is a question that we all must learn to truthfully answer. We must then learn to take steps to humble ourselves and submit to His authority. Better yet, we must learn to submit to His great love!

Have you ever given any thought as to why we are told to be still, to listen for that still, small voice, and to be still and let God fight for us?

We are facing something far greater than what our limited minds can fathom. We are facing something that requires us to place our complete faith and trust in the very one who is planning it. Many people simply believe that the Bible is “basic instructions before leaving earth,” and that it provides us insight into how we are called to live out our walk of faith. That is true, but there is so much more. God’s Word is a love letter from a loving Creator to His creation outlining how He created everything, how Adam and Eve fell from grace, how humanity has tried everything to bridge that grace gap, how God devised a plan to do just that, and how He sent Jesus to seek and to save the lost.

But, if that was all that there was for us in God’s Word, it would have ended with the ascension of Jesus, after all, Jesus taught us all that we needed to know in order to live a Godly life!

We know that God’s plan of salvation through the atoning blood of Jesus is something that is beyond amazing, for we were all sinners in need of a Savior. However, we overlook the parts that are still unfolding. We overlook the parts that have not happened yet. We are so engrossed in our daily lives that we miss the big picture. We live in a microcosm of our own creation. Our lives only interact with just a few hundred, perhaps even a few thousand people out of the vast numbers of individuals who are alive now, let alone those who have ever or will ever live. God is doing something far greater than our limited circle of influence. He is doing something far greater than just our nation. He is doing something that reaches out of heaven and addresses sinful humanity and the one who tricked us into falling for the lie.

When you take the time to be still and sit in His presence, what is your spirit telling you? What is the Holy Spirit telling you?

God is definitely up to something that will exalt Him among the nations. He will be exalted in the earth! Only in our humility will we truly understand. Only in our humility will we be able to know the very heart of the Father who is trying to tell us to fix our eyes upon Jesus! With all of the gadgets and distraction that our world sends our way, we must learn to turn them off and tune them out. We must learn to not spend so much time in facebook, but rather we must spend our time seeking His face!

God is trying to tell us something!

Are we too busy to be still and listen?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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I can’t wait!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
(Revelation 21:4 (NIV))

How does this sound?

If you are tired of the evil in this world, I want you to let that sink in!

If you are tired of the pain and suffering in this world, I want you to let that sink in!

If you are tired of loved ones dying, I want you to let that sink in!

If you are tired of mourning, I want you to let that sink in!

If you are tired of righteousness being ridiculed, I want you to let that sink in!

I don’t know about you, but I long for this day. I long to be in His presences. I long to find eternal comfort in the presence of my Lord!

These words in Revelation are so simple, yet so powerful. I have no further words to express what this will mean to me, except for the following three.

I can’t wait!

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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What do you do when no one is looking?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
(Philippians 2:12 (NIV))

When the cat’s away, the mice will play!

That doesn’t appear to be the case with the church at Philippi. From what I have read, Philippi was a colony of retired Roman soldiers who were used to following orders, even in the absence of their commanding officer. Jesus encountered this obedience when He was asked by a Roman centurion to heal his servant.

“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
(Matthew 8:6-9 (NIV))

With this characteristic ingrained into their lives, this makes perfect sense with respect to the words that Paul wrote to them about being obedient, even when he was not with them.

Are we able to be as obedient to God’s Word as these early believers were no matter who we are around and no matter where we may be? The church at Philippi was made up of Gentiles, hardened Roman soldiers, who eagerly embraced the truth and were able to be obedient to the truth under any circumstances. We look back at the early believers and we think that we could have been a follower of Jesus at that time, but are we truly being obedient, are we truly being a follower of Jesus in a society that has almost two thousand years of acceptance? Are we so easily swayed by the temptations of this world that we begin to play?

Would Paul commend us for being obedient?

Would Jesus commend us for being obedient while He has been away?

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
(Matthew 25:21 (NIV))

Do we find ourselves turning back to our sins when we think that no one is looking?

What do you do when no one is looking?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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We need each other!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
(Hebrews 3:13 (NIV))

There is an old saying that no man is an island. We do not, nor are we supposed to live in a total vacuum devoid of all contact with anyone else. We need each other. We find strength from the encouragement of others and we are to give encouragement to others so that they can find strength through us. In this process, we must not falsely believe that it is we who have the strength to give. We must realize that the source of our strength in in the Lord.

Be still, and know that I am God;
(Psalm 46:10a (NIV))

We must spend time daily in His presence, but we are not supposed to stay there isolated from other believers. We are to spend time in His presence and then spend time with other members of the Body of Christ so that we can encourage each other, so that we can lift up each other as we face the sinful, fallen world that we find ourselves traveling through. We are to reinforce, we are to encourage each other as we seek to follow in His footsteps.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
(Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV))

To put it simply, we cannot encourage others if we don’t spend time with them. We are designed for fellowship with other believers. We know what we are to do, but do we truly understand when we are to do this?

What is your definition of “Today?”

It is difficult to define this word without using the word in our efforts, but basically it means that we are to encourage each other at the present time and on this day. We are not to wait! We are not to deny the need! We are not to take the attitude that we will deal with it tomorrow, for tomorrow will never truly come. Tomorrow will turn into today and a new tomorrow will be waiting for us. We can’t do anything tomorrow, but we can do so much “Today!” When we are alone, we wallow in self pity. We don’t have other brothers and sisters to remind us of the glorious promises that are all yes through Jesus. When we are alone, we begin to believe the lies of the enemy. I know that Jesus had the disciples so that they could share the Gospel, but have you ever thought about it from a different perspective? When Jesus walked the earth, He was not alone!

As members of the Body of Christ, there is one thing that we must remember. We need each other!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you dwell in the presence of the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Surely goodness and love will follow me
      all the days of my life,
   and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
      forever.
(Psalms 23:6 (NIV))

There are houses and there are homes. There are buildings and then there are dwellings. What makes the difference is a matter of attitude. A house is simply a place to sleep. A home is a place of refuge and comfort. A building is simply four walls. A dwelling is someplace that you have completely moved in to and have made it your own.

God is looking for those who wish to make His presence their home. He is looking to believers to desire to dwell in His presence. He does not want us to simply come into His presence to sleep and then go our own way. He wants us to long to be at home in His presence. He desires for us to desire Him and be completely content; to be completely at peace with Him.

Peace!

Perhaps that is what makes the difference between a house and a home and a building and a dwelling. Peace allows you to settle in and to get comfortable. God wants us to get comfortable in His presence.

Are you comfortable in God’s presence?

Are you at home in God’s presence?

Do you dwell in the presence of the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy–
(Jude 1:24 (NIV))

This one statement, from a worldly point of view, is a difficult thing to grasp. The world is treacherous. The enemy is constantly trying to kill or destroy. Who can possibly keep themselves from falling into the traps that the world presents? Who can possibly keep others from falling into those very same traps? Every person who has ever lived has faced the traps that the enemy has set for each of us. No one has ever been exempt from this temptation. All of created humanity has failed.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
(Romans 3:23 (NIV))

There is one who was sent to save us from falling. He is not part of creation. He is the Creator. He came to earth as one of us. He took it upon himself to be what He created. He took it upon himself to save His creation so that we could have a way to keep from falling. He took the sins of the world upon himself so that we could be sin free. Only one has that authority. Only God can possess such power.

At this time of year, we think of Jesus as a little baby in a manger, but we must not lose site of the fact that He was also God. Even as an infant, He possessed authority over all of creation. This Christmas morning, stop and think about your children. Thank God for the grace and mercy that are celebrated through the birth of a child. Stop and think about the gift that child gave you. It is a gift that only God could give.

Praise God!

to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
(Jude 1:25 (NIV))

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Is there such a place?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
(Psalms 139:7 (NIV))

Based on this passage, how do you react to people who tell believers to take our God and leave? How do you react to people who say that He only belongs in church?

Sadly, they have no understanding of just who God is and exactly how everything came into being. They fail to acknowledge Him and they also fail to understand that they cannot go anywhere in all of creation where His Spirit will not be. They fail to realize that He knows every single time that they reject Him!

This simple truth, as painful as it may be for those who choose to reject the Lord, is also a welcome truth for the time when they do have a change of heart. Because He is everywhere, all that anyone needs to do is simply say, “Lord, I am a sinner in need of a Savior!” Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we no longer have to go to a temple, the Temple, to sacrifice for forgiveness of our sins. We can repent and turn to the Lord anywhere we may find ourselves. It is a process as simple as A, B, C.

A. Admit that you are a sinner.
B. Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins, was buried and that God raised Him from the dead.
C. Call upon the name of the Lord by confessing that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.

If what David wrote were not true, how could any of us be saved? How could we be heard? How could the stirrings in our hearts and the thoughts of our minds be known? How could we be saved by simply following these steps to salvation if the Spirit of God was not everywhere?

Too many people try to place God in a box based on their own understanding. They try to limit where God can go!

Is there such a place?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Do you love this world?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
(1 John 2:15 (NIV))

The way that things are at this moment in time, I am pretty sure that most people will easily be able to say that they do not love the world.

What was your outlook last year? Did you love the world then? If everything suddenly became exactly as you long for, what would your outlook be? Would you love the world then?

Even in the very best of times, we still live in a sinful, fallen world. No matter what you may like in this world, it will fade, rust or die. Even the very best of friends will betray you. Thankfully, we are promised an eternal home that is so much better. It is so far beyond our ability to understand how good it will be. What we have in this world is as we are, filthy rags. We can trade our filthy rags for God’s perfection. We should desire to cast off the rags and leave them behind, for what we will receive is eternal grace, beauty, and peace in God’s presence.

Think about that for a moment.

We will no longer be confronted with wars, hatred, sin, riots, hunger, sickness and death. I realize that in the midst of all of this, we do have fleeting glimpses of beauty, love and peace, but they soon vanish. Why do we claim to love a place that seems to cause so much pain, when we can claim an eternal home free from all pain and suffering? All that we have to do is look beyond this world and acknowledge Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. He alone can change our eternity. He alone can fulfill the promises. The things of this world are fleeting. Don’t cling to what will fade!

Do you love this world?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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