How are you at waiting?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
(Psalms 27:14 (NIV))

How long has it been since you professed a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

Has your faith matured since your first profession? Have you grown in your understanding of what a faith in Jesus actually means? Have you come to the realization that the enemy hates you because you love Jesus? Do you understand that God is unfolding His timeline and that those who profess a faith in Jesus are seeing what all of humanity has longed to see since the fall from grace. We are seeing a loving God who has given people so many chances to repent and accept the grace freely given through the blood of Jesus closing that door. We are seeing the enemy doing his best to vilify anything righteous.

Are you tired of waiting for God’s righteousness to return to the earth? Are you watching and waiting for the Lord to gather His church? According to the events transpiring in the world today, we are closer than ever. In fact, I just saw the following bullet points that made me stop and reflect. We are seeing some things that I never thought I would see in my lifetime.

* The Abrahamic Family Center, which is a house of worship combining facilities for Christians, Jews and Muslims is set to open next month. This is one of many such facilities throughout the world. Some believe that this is an indicator of the coming one world religion.
* The required red heifers for the purification rituals for the 3rd Temple are here!
* Enemies are surrounding Israel on all sides and there are plans to divide Jerusalem.
* Almost every country is implementing digital currency, with plans to link them all together rapidly coming.
* Food shortages are increasing due to various issues.
* Technology has been developed and is in place, or being put in place, to be able to track everyone.
* There is an increase in lawlessness.
* There is an increase in wars and rumors of wars.
* There has been an ever increasing number of earthquakes.
* There has been an ever increasing number of plagues and pestilences.
* The whole world has been deceived by the pharmekia to fight these health issues.
* The generation that has lived to see Israel return to their homeland, the Fig Tree Generation, is now mature. We are told that the generation that sees this shall not pass away before these things come to pass!

If you are waiting for the Lord, stand firm in your faith. If you are still a sinner in need of a Savior, don’t put it off another moment. Don’t wait until it is too late!

I have come to the conclusion that everyone is waiting. They are either waiting for the Lord, or they are waiting for a reason to give their life to the Lord. Sadly, too many are waiting for the evil that they desire to be in complete control.

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
(Joshua 24:15 (NIV))

I choose to wait for the Lord.

How are you at waiting?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you standing firm in the freedom that Christ has given?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
(Galatians 5:1 (NIV))

What is freedom to you?

If you are a follower of Jesus, then freedom means something different from how the world defines it. It has such a deeper meaning and carries with it a longer lasting impact than what the world calls freedom. Worldly freedom can be gone in an instant, but the freedom that Jesus came to offer lasts an eternity. Worldly freedom is good, for with it comes the freedom to worship as you please. Worldly freedom also has its drawbacks, for worldly freedom allows us to do things that the world sees as appropriate even if they are not right in the eyes of God. Freedom through the atoning blood of Jesus washes away all the sins of the world. We are made right in the eyes of God. When we are made right in the eyes of God, we should long to strive toward the perfection that we are being called to. We are not to use this freedom as an excuse to return to our sins.

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
(1 Peter 2:16 (NIV))

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
(Galatians 5:13 (NIV))

I love freedom! I also love knowing that there are boundaries to this freedom. Those boundaries protect us. They nurture us and they guide us into righteousness in the eyes of God. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us if we will only listen. Does a person who is freed from prison immediately turn around and asked to be placed back in prison? Why should we, who are freed from the prison, from the bondage of sin and death, immediately return to sin?

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
(2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV))

We must stand firm. We must keep our eyes focused on Jesus. We must cling to the freedom that was given to us by Jesus.

Are you standing firm in the freedom that Christ has given?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you standing firm and fully ready?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

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.
(Ephesians 6:14-15 (NIV))

What do you envision when you think of standing firm?

Most people think of being resolute and immovable. They think of bracing for impact from an onslaught or attack. They think of never surrendering. They think of taking a stand and being willing to sacrifice all for that stance.

Have you ever thought of readiness as a characteristic of standing firm?

From a physical standpoint, when you make a decision to stand firm, that does not mean that you simply become a statue. Your senses are heightened. You constantly adjust back and forth on your feet and you stay alert and focused. Truly making a decision to stand firm is so much more than simply digging in and trying to present yourself as an immovable object. You are probably more alert than you have ever been. You are probably more agile than you have ever been, and you are probably more committed than you have ever been.

Based on this, if we stand firm in our faith in Jesus, we do not simply dig in our heals and wait for the enemy to overrun us. We prepare! We arm ourselves with His Word and we are constantly on the lookout for the attacks of the enemy, no matter how subtle.

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.
(Ephesians 6:13 (NIV))

How is your armor fitting?

Does God’s Word shield you from the attacks of the enemy or are you still trying to step into the protective power that is ours through His Word? Better yet, have you taken it to the next level where you are ready to fully embrace the power of His Word to defeat the enemy? Do you know how to defeat the enemy? That is something that everyone who professes a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior must be ready to do.

Call upon His Name!

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
      in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
      to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:10-11 (NIV))

Call upon the name of Jesus in power and authority. God’s Word is our armor and the name of Jesus is our weapon to overcome the enemy!

Are you standing firm and fully ready?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Freedom always has a cost!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
(Galatians 5:1 (NIV))

What is the difference between freedom and independence?

Do you think that they are the same?

We, as a nation, just celebrated the anniversary of our independence from rule by another country. Is this the same as freedom?

We, as believers, celebrate the fact that we have been set free from the bondage of sin and death. We are no longer bound by the sins that shackled us. Is this the same as independence?

One of the definitions for the word freedom says that it is a state of being free from confinement or physical restraint. One of the definitions for the word independence says that it is freedom from the control or influence of others. I find it interesting that the word freedom is used in the definition of independence. I also find it interesting that this country was settled be those seeking freedom to worship God as they saw fit. They may not have all faced physical restraint, yet they were restrained in other ways. These people faced persecution because they did not believe as the official church dictated that they believe. In the course of seeking their freedom to worship, they gained their independence. They were no longer controlled by others.

Over the course of many years, the freedom that was sought for became a desire to be independent.

Do you see the trend?

When we seek freedom, independence is earned. When we give up freedom, independence is taken away. This is true for both the physical and the spiritual. If we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we are set free from the bondage of sin and death. If we allow a small foothold to sin, we are once again burdened by what we had previously cast off. I honestly believe that this holds true for all aspects of our lives, and not just our individual spiritual lives.

Think about that for a moment.

Over the last several years things have changed in our country. Many are willing to give up freedoms in exchange for a dependency. Many are willing to give up freedoms for what they think will mean peace and security. Many are willing to give up freedom of religion in exchange for political correctness. And now the very symbols of the freedom are under attack.

We have become complacent. We have become too willing to appease a vocal few. We have allowed the vocal fee to take our freedoms.

Freedom isn’t free. It has a heavy cost.

Jesus died on the cross to be able to set us free from sin. Countless people throughout our history have died to ensure that our freedoms remain. Have we become a consumer of the actions of others? Are we willing to sit back and observe or do we embrace the freedom and the price that has been paid and must be paid? Do we change our thoughts as easily as we change the channel? Do we stand firm in God’s Word or do we let others fill us with their thoughts?

Remember that Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be given salvation. Thousands of men and women since then have paid the price for physical freedom so that we may enjoy and embrace the freedoms that Jesus gave us through the cross. Are we willing to simply sit on the sidelines or will we stand firm in our faith and in our freedom?

Freedom always has a cost!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you ready to persevere?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because,
(James 1:12a (NIV))

As believers, we are told to stand firm, to hold fast, and to persevere under trial. With everything that is going on in the world, hold fast to what you know to be true! Don’t let the things of this world sway you from your faith. We have been told that there would be trouble in this world that we must go through. We have also been told that Jesus, in whom we have placed our faith, has overcome the world.

“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))

Did you notice the one word at the end of the scripture segment that starts today’s devotional. It is a word that we use all of the time, but we have probably overused it to the point where we no longer truly realize the implications that it contains. We are used to hearing people answer questions with “because” as if it is a reason in and of itself. According to Merriam-Webster, because means “for the reason that” and points you to the reasons for a thought process, a statement, or a fact. In this particular case, it points to what will be the result of persevering under trial.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
(James 1:12 (NIV))

It points to the rewards that will be given for standing firm in our faith and loving the Lord!

Do you love the Lord?

Don’t let the things of this world change that love and that faith. Time is short and we are undergoing trials. Personally, I believe that what we are seeing is only the beginning. Things are ramping up fast. There are many people who study prophecy that have all independently stated that God’s end time plan is unfolding rapidly right before our eyes. If that is the case, we will face more trials.

Are you ready to persevere?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you preaching?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
(Mark 13:10 (NIV))

As believers, we long for this to happen, but are we truly ready for the rest of the things that will come with this?

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
(Mark 13:7-13 (NIV))

Did you notice that the part that most people cling to as a condition for the return of Jesus actually falls in the middle of these events. Let me paraphrase it based on what I am understanding. There will be wars and rumors of wars. There will be earthquakes. You will be persecuted and thrown in jail, but you still must preach the gospel to all nations while all of this is happening. You may be betrayed in this world, but don’t give up. Stand firm in your faith.

I know that this sounds a lot more hardcore than simply being told to share the Gospel, but is it?

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 28:19-20 (NIV))

We know that not everyone will accept the truth of the Gospel. In fact, we know that there will come a time when sharing the Gospel will be hazardous to your physical life, but that shouldn’t stop us from sharing the truth with those who need to hear it. Many people are seeing this rapidly developing in our society today. What is good is now called evil and what is evil is now called good.

We must be willing to stand firm in our faith and share the Gospel no matter what the enemy may send our way.

Are you preaching?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Stand firm just a little longer!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9 (NIV))

We have heard this passage many times during our lives. I would even venture to say that each of us have been personally thankful that the Lord was willing to wait for us to come to repentance.

At what point does He say enough is enough?

Let me explain that question. The Lord longs for everyone to come to repentance and He gives us the time that is needed to come to that realization. He gives us opportunities to repent and to turn to Him, but there will come a day when His patience will be gone and His righteousness will demand justice. Is there a line that we collectively, as sinful humanity, must cross? How close are we to this point in history? Is there the same type of line for us as individuals? Have some people already crossed that line?

We seem to be seeing a wide chasm with respect to this. We are told about this in the following parable.

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
“‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'”
(Matthew 13:24-30 (NIV))

I find it interesting that the Lord said to let both the wheat and the weeds grow until the harvest. The concept is for each kind to mature so that it is fully recognizable. In other words, God is waiting for the true nature to be fully revealed. Think about that in terms of what we see going on in the world. We pray for God’s will to be done. We think that we see and understand what is wheat and what is weed, but is God telling us to be patient and let the weeds irreversibly tell on themselves as they mature in their nature?

We must learn to wait for the Lord’s timing. We must learn to be patient as we wait for His righteousness. We must allow the weeds to reveal their complete true nature!

Stand firm just a little longer!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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We must stand firm against the world and seek righteousness!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:10 (NIV))

This may sound like a strange question, but are you willing to be blessed?

Most people long to be blessed. They long for the easy life. They long for financial freedom. They long for everything good that they think should be theirs, but are they willing to pay a price for this blessing? In the physical world, if you want something, you usually have to give up something else in order to achieve your goal. If you want a successful business or career, you have to be willing to give up time with your family, or possibly give up your family. Is that a fair trade? If you want fame, you usually have to give up true friendships and relationships. What happens after the fame is gone?

Does the same concept apply in the spiritual realm?

If you seek worldly things, you give up spiritual truth. If you focus on spiritual and Godly righteousness, then you give up worldly things. Doing this usually draws attention to yourself. The world sees that you want no part of what it has to offer and you will soon start facing ridicule. If you stay true to your course, then the ridicule will grow and soon people will torment you for your faith, especially if you are open about it.

The world will only attack those who do not belong to it!

Do you belong to the world? Do you seek the things that this world has to offer or do you seek the things that only the Lord can assuredly give?

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV))

Is righteousness your treasure?

Is God’s Word your treasure?

If you profess a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, then He, along with righteousness and God’s Word are your treasure. If this is truly what you treasure, then be prepared for the earthly consequences.

“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 hold fast to the One in whom we place our faith. We must stand firm against the world and seek righteousness!

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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These truly are reassuring words for tough times!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
(Isaiah 43:2 (NIV))

No matter what you may face in this world, you have this promise to hold on to.

God will not forsake us in our times of trouble. It is we who forsake Him. All throughout history, God has been faithful to keep all of His promises. It has always been humanity that breaks their promises to God.

Are you able to stand firm in your faith? Can you say with complete confidence that you will never stray from your faith and that you will never do something that breaks God’s heart? Sadly, human nature doesn’t have a very good track record, but God does! There are those two wonderful words…

But, God!

There was a time when the enemy thought that he had won, but God had another plan.

There was a time when the enemy killed Jesus, who was and is God’s plan, but God turned the tables on the enemy.

I could go on with many more examples. One thing that I do need to point out is the old saying that God is never late. He is also never early. Everything is according to His time. When things appear to be beyond all hope, look up! When things appear to be at the darkest that they can get, look up! We must remember the “but, God” aspect. Things always happen when the time is right so that it is obvious that it is not of our own doing. When we pass the the tough times in this world, when we pass through the waters, we must never lose sight of the hope that we have through Jesus!

We must cling to this passage, for these truly are reassuring words for tough times!

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you filled with confidence and assurance?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
(Hebrews 11:1 (NIV))

With everything that is going on in the world, we see countless things that go against everything that we hope for. We see so much that goes against what God calls righteous and good. It has come to a point that many may begin to wonder if they have misplaced their faith. It is so easy to become blinded to the truth if all that we focus on are the lies of the world!

I have found myself focusing on faith quite often lately. The topic comes to mind every time that I see more news about the current state of our nation and the world. I have to remind myself that even though God created this world, it has been turned over to sin and depravity. We may find fleeting glimpses of beauty, but the true beauty has long faded and deteriorated from what God first created. It is at these moments that I remind myself of the truth that we may live in this world but we are not of this world. We must never lose sight of this truth. We must forever keep our eyes fixed on Jesus!

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
(1 John 2:15-16 (NIV))

What we are seeing is a direct result of the love of the world. Stand firm, for we are not of this world. Life is a gift. That gift was tarnished and corrupted. We may see hardships. We may even experience hardships, but we must remember that this physical world is not what is important. No matter what we may face in this world, what matters is that we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, for where we focus is where we get our strength.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
(2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (NIV))

If we can stay focused on Jesus, then we can inherit His authority over the world.

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))

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
(1 John 5:5 (NIV))

Are you filled with confidence and assurance?

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