How are you at balancing grace and truth?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:14 (NIV))

I heard something today that made me stop and think that we often fall to the extremes of grace and truth without accomplishing what Jesus would want us to accomplish!

If we take grace to the wrong extreme, we accept anything even if it is a sin. We see this running through our society today to the point where any perversion is being accepted because that is the way that they were made. We even see churches promoting this as an acceptable lifestyle in the eyes of God.

If we take truth to the wrong extreme, we condemn the sinner in the very same actions and words that we use to condemn the sin. This approach only results in the sinner being convinced that they want nothing to do with Jesus.

Neither of these approaches is how Jesus lived His life while on the earth. Contrary to what society thinks, He did not offer grace without repentance. He did not condemn the sinner because of their sin. He called people to turn from their sin and follow Him. He did these things out of love. He loves each of us and does not wish for any to perish, for the wages of sin is death. He calls each person out of love. Only when people, such as the Pharisees, responded out of selfish, power hungry desires that led others astray did He respond any differently.

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
(Matthew 23:33 (NIV))

We are to remember the old saying that we are to love the sinner and hate the sin. Too many people just can’t seem to keep these two separated in their minds. Still, we must take His words to heart and learn how to love the sinner and hate the sin. We must be able to know sin, which God hates, and then we must be able to separate the sin from the person whom God loves. We must present the Gospel in such a way that it reflects Jesus in all that we do. After all, when Jesus walked this earth, He did not yell at people for being sinners. He loved them and taught them that there is a better way, a way that leads to life! We must balance our lives just as Jesus told His disciples.

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

It is a fine line that we must walk. It requires that we keep our eyes on Jesus when we share His grace and His truth. We simply can’t offer grace without repentance. We simply can’t hammer home His truth without showing His love. Human nature is rebellious. If you tell someone that they are wrong, they will fight. If you lovingly show someone that there is a better way, they will respond.

How are you at balancing grace and truth?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have you let down your guard?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
(Proverbs 4:23 (NIV))

God has called people to stand guard, to be watchmen against the attacks of the enemy. Anyone who professes a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior is called to be ever vigilant and warn others of the lies and deceitful tactics of the enemy. We are to be the proverbial watchmen on the walls for our families, our churches, our communities, and our world. We are called to share the Gospel, but we are also called to stand guard for the sake of the Gospel in much the same manner as the watchmen posted on the walls of the old city of Jerusalem.

We are to be a warning of impending danger!

I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the Lord,
give yourselves no rest,
(Isaiah 62:6 (NIV))

We have a responsibility, but we must also stand guard over our own hearts. We do not want to see any lies of the enemy change what we treasure as the truth. We must stand guard against the thief that comes to steal, kill and destroy our love for the Lord which is our greatest treasure.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21 (NIV))

What is the current state of your heart?

Is the Lord still your greatest treasure?

We must be diligent. We must be able to protect our own hearts from the attacks of the enemy.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
(Ephesians 6:11 (NIV))

We must make sure that we are fully girded and ever vigilant. We don’t want to ever have to answer this following question.

Have you let down your guard?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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How do you look upon other people?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
(Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV))

There is that strange word, again!

Others.

We have instructions to look after the interests of those that are not ourselves. What a concept in this day of the “What’s in it for me” mentality.

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
(John 14:12 (NIV))

Do you have faith in Jesus?

Think about what He has done for anyone who is simply willing to receive. He was and is the Son of God, yet, He came to this earth to die for others. He did not have His interests in mind when He went to the cross.

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
(John 19:28-30 (NIV))

“It is finished.”

Three simple words that show that this was all part of a plan to save others. He thought of you and I while He was on that cross. What can we do to express our faith so that we do not become selfish and conceited?

How do you look upon other people?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Do these words describe your faith?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
(Romans 12:12 (NIV))

I have read this passage numerous times, and each time that I have read it, I have stopped to reflect on my life and whether I am living up to these commands.

The other day, I read this passage in the Complete Jewish Bible translation and the meaning took on so much more. I have often alluded to how different translators will use different words that mean the same thing, but in this particular instance, I found myself stopped in my tracks. The words came to life! It may simply be the results of reading this with different words, after all, we are creatures of habit. When one translation becomes so familiar that you take it for granted, a fresh perspective is often needed.

Rejoice in your hope, be patient in your troubles, and continue steadfastly in prayer.
(Romans 12:12 (CJB))

God’s Word is so much more than any language can accurately convey. Even our own conversations with each other utilize different words to convey the same things. For example, if you ask a group of individuals to all explain the very same sunset, you will receive as many different descriptions as there are people.

In reflecting upon these new words with the same meaning as those that I am familiar with, I realized that we all need a fresh perspective at times. This is especially the case even with what we know to be the truth. This does not change the truth. It simply enhances our understanding of the truth by making us stop and discover anew what we have already known.

After reading this translation, I immediately prayed that these words truly do describe my faith! Perhaps we all need to come to this same conclusion as often as we read Romans 12:12.

With that last statement that I just put forward, I have but one question for you to prayerfully consider.

Do these words describe your faith?

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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Let you words and your deeds speak the name of Jesus!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
(1 John 3:18 (NIV))

How much truth do you place in words?

I am sure that there are some people whom you trust to do what they say that they will do, and then there are others whom you know that their word is not worth anything.

What was it that made you learn that you could trust certain people?

Chances are that they earned that trust through their actions. They followed through on what they said that they would do. Perhaps they never even actually said anything. They just simply proved their heart by always being there for you. In essence, talk is cheap. I have known people who can look you in the eye, lie, and make you believe that what they say is true in that moment.

And, then the moment changes!

The truth comes out and you realize that the words that sounded so eloquent and convincing were not spoken in true love.

They were spoken in deceit!

Is that how the world sees people who profess a faith in Jesus? Does the world see us as spouting deceptive words while doing the exact opposite of what we say. In other words, does the world see believers as hypocrites? I think this is the motive behind the words attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. These words mean that we are to love with our actions. We are to share the Gospel through our actions so that the world sees that there is something different about us.

Preach always. When necessary, use words.
(St. Francis of Assisi)

Then, when someone recognizes the difference, tell them why you are different. Tell them about Jesus. Share the Gospel by telling them how Jesus has made a difference in your life. And, one thing that we must always strive for.

Let you words and your deeds speak the name of Jesus!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you ready to worship in the Spirit and in truth?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
(John 4:24 (NIV))

Is it really this simple?

Humanity has made things so complicated. We go through the motions set before us by other people thinking that is what will bring us closer to the Lord. We have built grand buildings. We have employed elaborate services. We have developed a system of worship, but do these things really draw us closer to the Lord? According to the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew, they don’t.

They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.
(Matthew 15:9 (NIV))

Are we guilty of following human rules, too?

If you are familiar with what is happening on many college campuses right now, you know that God is moving, and the best part is that He is not following human rules. He is doing it when people simply humble themselves and seek Him through prayer and repentance. There is no set ritual. There is no set routine. There is only a true sense of submission. People are kneeling in prayer. People are prostrating themselves at the alter or in the aisles. They don’t care what people think. They only seek God in truth and sincerity.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
(Romans 12:1 (NIV))

We need to open our hearts in this manner. We need to freely and openly come to the Lord with only one thing in mind. That one thing is to be open to whatever the Lord has for us.

What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.
(1 Corinthians 14:26 (NIV))

What builds up the church? Is it man made ritual or Spirit filled leadings?

With that in mind, I want to ask a question. Would you be open to the leadings of the Holy Spirit if at your next church service nothing went as planned and people were praying, weeping tears of joy, and being healed? I pray that this sounds wonderful to you! Are you ready for such a thing?

Are you ready to worship in the Spirit and in truth?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you willing to suffer for your faith?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
(Romans 5:3-4 (NIV))

We also glory in our sufferings!

How many people do you know who can honestly claim this for their lives?

I do not know a single person who likes to suffer let alone glory in the act. However, we look at things from an earthly perspective where suffering means pain, hardship and possibly even death. Paul wrote these words to the body of believers in Rome as a spiritual roadmap knowing that they would suffer physical suffering for their faith. In this particular case, suffering was a choice that these people made simply by professing a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. They could have stayed with the worldly view and rejected Jesus, but they chose to reject the world and embrace Jesus. They were suffering because they rejected what was considered to be the truth by their society. In other words, they didn’t go along with the idea that they should do what everyone else was doing. They recognized the lies of society and embraced the truth of Jesus.

“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))

They recognized the truth in these words and clung to the hope that was made manifest through their suffering. They clung to the hope that they had in Jesus!

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
(Romans 5:5 (NIV))

I love how the writer of Hebrews ties it all together.

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

Perseverance builds character. Character builds hope, and hope builds faith!

Are you willing to suffer for your faith?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Only through the atoning blood of Jesus!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
(Hebrews 10:3-4 (NIV))

With all of the talk about the Temple Mount and the building of the Third Temple, as followers of Jesus, we must remember that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice!

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
(Hebrews 10:10 (NIV))

We do not worship in a temple. We worship in spirit and in truth. We do not make sacrifices to atone for our sins. Jesus paid the price once for all. We do not need to sacrifice bulls or goats. All that we have to do is sacrifice our sinful pride and accept the gift of salvation freely given through the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross! Through His sacrifice we can have our sins washed white as snow! We can be made holy and righteous by the Blood of Jesus!

For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
(Hebrews 10:14 (NIV))

We have been purchased!

We have been redeemed!

We have been made sons and daughters of God through the amazing grace freely given at the cross.

Are you a son or daughter of God? If you have not made this profession of faith, 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.

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))

Only through the atoning blood of Jesus!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Did you experience the real Jesus this Christmas?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:14 (ESV))

We just celebrated Christmas, but how many people actually celebrated the birth of Jesus?

Too many people simply go through the motions where they partake only of society’s consumer driven spending frenzy. They buy gifts for each other, but fail to realize why this tradition started. They fail to recognize the true reason for the season and the greatest gift that was ever given.

It all started with God’s perfect plan of redemption! We couldn’t save ourselves from the consequences of the fall from grace. We inherited our sinful nature. We we helpless, hopeless and lost in a sinful, dying world, and God knew it.

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

Jesus stepped out of heaven to be born and live as one of us. He came to live the perfect, sinless life that we could never live. He came to offer His life of righteousness for our lives of sinfulness. He gave each of us the opportunity to receive the greatest gift of all, and all that we have to do is accept that gift.

That gift is priceless!

That gift is beyond measure!

That gift is eternal life through His righteousness!

That is the real reason for our Christmas celebrations!

That is the best gift that we can receive until we are able to see Jesus face to face.

We must look beyond the boxes, beyond the lights, and beyond the celebrations to experience the real reason for the season. We must long to experience Jesus not only on Christmas day, but on every day of our lives.

Did you experience the real Jesus this Christmas?

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