Have you found the comfort to walk through this valley?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
     for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
     I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
     your rod and your staff,
     they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
     in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
     my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
     all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
     forever.
(Psalms 23:1-6 (ESV))

Contrary to what each of us may want, this world is not a safe place!

We can ignore the truth and go blindly about our lives, but that is exactly what the enemy wants us to do. If we don’t make a deliberate decision to turn to the Lord, then we belong to the enemy. Even when we do profess a faith in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, the enemy will do all within his power to steal, kill and destroy. In other words, every day that we live in this sinful, fallen world, we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.

Are you walking through this valley with the good shepherd?

Are you walking through this valley with the Lord?

Are you at peace even when all around you is falling apart?

I could go on with so many questions, but it all comes down to being comfortable in your faith and in your relationship with the Lord.

Have you found the comfort to walk through this valley?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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It is not a matter of “if,” but “when”!

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))

Did you notice anything about this passage?

There is one word that is repeated three times in these seven lines. Repetition is used to emphasize, to drive home a point. In this particular case, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to tell people that if they choose to follow Him, He will be there with them in all circumstances including the times that they face hardships and persecution. He never said that we wouldn’t face hardships and troubles. He simply stated that He would be with us during these times. In fact, He repeated this three times to drive home the point that He would be with us during these difficult times.

When!

Why when?

If you profess a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you will be hated by the world. You will face hardships and persecution!

You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
(Matthew 10:22 (NIV))

If you profess a faith in Jesus, and your faith is strong enough to let the world know where you stand, you will be hated. You will be hated because the world hates Jesus. You will be hated because you don’t go along with the evil things that this world condones. In many countries, you can be put to death for professing a faith in Jesus. With the current events that are transpiring in the world today, this is only the beginning. Whether you believe in a rapture, or when it will happen, we are told that we will face hardships and persecution. If you profess a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, we know that these times will come. We must be prepared.

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 is not a matter of “if,” but “when”!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Our Lord is always with us even in the darkest valley!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

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.
(Psalms 23:4 (NIV))

I actually had two completely different passages over halfway completed, when something made me completely shift gears. I was led to this passage and I feel that many people need to work through this passage themselves.

Things in this world are dark and getting darker. Evil is being called good and good is being called evil. Each of us who professes a faith in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior will come under attack, for it is said that the enemy only targets those who are doing what the Lord desires. If you are not doing anything, or if you are desiring evil, the enemy will leave you alone. With that in mind, if you profess a faith in Jesus, if you are serious about sharing the Gospel and proclaiming the truth that is found only in Jesus, then you will come under attack. The enemy looks for things and when he can’t find anything, he will use the hidden desires of others to lay blame and bring the attack.

Sadly, these attacks will come from directions that you never expected!

When they come, and they will come, do not give in to the sinful human nature and lash out at those who are the physical manifestation of the attack.

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.
(Ephesians 6:12 (NIV))

We must remember that we have a champion as our Lord and Savior. We must surrender it all to Him!

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
(Exodus 14:14 (NIV))

When you find yourself walking through the darkest valley, never lose sight of the fact that you have the God of all creation walking with you. He is your Lord. He is your Savior. There is no power in heaven greater than He. There is no power on earth greater than He. There is no power in hell greater than He.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
(Romans 8:31 (NIV))

Our Lord is always with us even in the darkest valley!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Keep living according to His purpose!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:28 (NIV))

Have you ever truly stopped to take a serious look at your life?

For most people, this is not something that they ever consider doing. They develop a plan for what they want and never stop to think about whether their life is being lived based on their desires or if it is being lived according to God’s calling. To be honest with you, they never even stop to consider if they truly love the Lord or if they are only giving lip service as an afterthought.

With that in mind, I have some very serious questions for you.

Do you love God?

Have you been called according to his purpose?

Are you living your life according to that calling?

If those questions make you feel uneasy, then I have done what I have set out to do. I have made you take an inward look at your faith and the answers that you have arrived upon are being used to tug at your heart. Unless you are completely comfortable with your salvation, you will have doubts and concerns. Unless your walk of faith leads you hand in hand with Jesus, then you will have doubts and concerns.

Are all things working out for your good or is your life a complete shambles?

I am not saying that following Jesus will allow you to live a perfect, stress free life. I am saying that God will walk with you through the troubles and lead you out by His grace if you will only keep your eyes focused on Jesus. He has done this many times through the Old and New Testaments. How many times did Joseph face hardship before God placed him second in command over all of Egypt? I could recount several examples, but suffice it to say, God will lead you through the tough times to something that is good in His eyes. So, when you are feeling helpless, hopeless and lost, remember that you are not alone.

Keep living according to His purpose!

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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How does Jesus know you?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
(Matthew 15:20 (NIV))

With this statement from Jesus, nothing could be clearer!

That only leaves the obvious next question.

Are you doing the will of the Father?

This requires a complete surrender to the Lord and an understanding of what His Will is in order to answer truthfully. Perhaps it is better to ask if it is your desire to do the will of the Father, for even after professing a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you will falter in your walk of faith. You will inadvertently give in to your sinful human nature even though you desire to live a righteous life. Even Paul had these moments.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
(Romans 7:15-20 (NIV))

Do you truly desire to do the will of the Father?

If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you have realized that you are a sinner in need of a savior. You have realized that you are not capable of perfection in the eyes of God, but through Jesus, God sees you as He sees Jesus. He sees a spotless, sinless person. With that in mind, I venture to say that one of the most important parts of doing the will of the Father is accepting the grace and mercy that He freely offers through the cross of Jesus. Since God does not wish for anyone to perish, it is His will that you accept the grace and mercy given through Jesus.

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))

How does Jesus know you?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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We must never forget this!

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))

Do you ever feel that you are being led down a path and you have to stop and reflect on where you are being led?

For the last several years I have been led to scripture passages that tell us we have nothing to fear as long as we put our faith and trust in the Lord! This all started long before the pandemic. I firmly believe that this is true, and if you profess a faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, I pray that you believe this as well. There is something within me that knows that this world will never return to what we considered to be normal just a few short years ago. We are on a path that was set out before us long ago. This is a path that God has had planned ever since the fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. He knew that we had fallen into sin. The Lord knew that we could not save ourselves from the consequences of our sins. He knew that we needed a Savior to step in and fully take the consequences of our sin upon His shoulders. He knew that people would believe in faith. He also knew that the enemy would do all in his power to thwart His plan.

Old Testament prophets knew this. The Disciples knew this. Paul knew this.

Do we, as the modern church, still know this?

There is power in the name of Jesus. A time is coming where at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. Why do we go about our daily lives as if we don’t have a powerful Savior? Why do we go about our daily lives thinking that our salvation is only powerful to save us from hell when we die? Why do we think that we are to have a comfortable life because we have professed a faith in Jesus?

We have been told that calling upon the name of the Lord comes with a cost. We are told that family members will turn against you. We are told that we will face persecution. We are told that we will face trials and troubles because the world hates Jesus.

“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))

What other options do we have? I pray that your answer will be the same as Simon Peter’s when the Disciples were asked if they wanted to leave.

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
(John 6:67-69 (NIV))

We can rest assured that our faith in Jesus is the only thing that will save us in times of trouble, both now and whatever may be coming. Are you fully secure in your faith? Do you know beyond any doubt that the Lord will see you through anything and everything that you may encounter. It is who He is. It is as He has promised.

We must never forget this!

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Have you been purified by the blood of Jesus?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
(1 John 1:7 (NIV))

This passage presents each of us a few questions that we must answer.

Do you desire to walk in the light?

Do you desire fellowship with those who have similar desires?

These should be simple questions to answer, for if we profess a faith in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we know what our answers should be. But, when was the last time that you stopped and reflected upon what is truly in your heart? Do you find things that you try to hide from others and that you try to hide from Jesus? The darkness from things like hatred, lust, greed, and envy can hinder your walk in the light. They can hinder your fellowship with one another. They can hinder your true purification.

Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. We are all sinners in need of a Savior, but we are called to repent. This means that we turn away from our sins and turn toward Jesus. It means that we turn away from the darkness that we still hide in our heart and keep our eyes focused on Jesus. We will slip, for we are still sinful by nature. Paul even wrote about his struggles with this as part of his letters to the church in Rome.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
(Romans 7:15-20 (NIV))

We are called to walk in the light of Jesus, yet, the person that we understand to be responsible for witnessing to the Gentiles and starting what we know as the church struggled with sin in his life. How do you rectify this in your walk of faith?

I truly wish that the world understood the struggle. The world looks upon people who profess a faith in Jesus as hypocrites. They claim that we don’t always do what we say we need to be doing. To be honest with you, the world is right! What they don’t understand is that being a follower of Jesus does not instantly make you just like Jesus. It is a life long process. What makes the difference is our willingness to repent and try again. When we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we acknowledge that we need help. We acknowledge that we will stumble and that we will fall far more often than we care to admit. Jesus looks at the heart. When we accept Him, He only sees the grace that has been given to us. He doesn’t see the sin. Over the course of our walk of faith, He will teach us and guide us as the Holy Spirit works in us to remove the darkness. He works in such a way that even though we may still sin, He sees the grace and mercy and purity that we have accepted as our own.

What does the Lord see in you?

Have you been purified by the blood of Jesus?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Has your hope in the Lord renewed your strength?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

But those who hope in the Lord
      will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
      they will run and not grow weary,
      they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:31 (NIV))

How have you been the last few years?

Do you find yourself growing weak, weary and faint because of all of the things going on in the world?

To be honest with you, I personally do not understand how someone who doesn’t have a faith in Jesus can keep their sanity in all that has happened and continues to happen in this world. Perhaps that is why we see an increase in suicides and an increase in other choices that go against anything Godly and righteous. When things go badly in this world, too many people look for comfort in all of the wrong places. They should turn to Jesus!

I remember immediately after 9/11 and the massive influx of people into churches. They were looking for sense to be made out of the events that had transpired. I don’t know the percentage of people who quickly fell away, but they did turn to God for a while. Today, if people aren’t already in a church, if anything happens, they seem to ignore God completely, or even blame Him for the events. It is sad to see just how the attitudes towards God have changed in just a little over twenty years.

Hold fast to your faith!

Stand firm in the promises of God!

We must recognize that our hope is built on the rock, on the firm foundation that is our Lord Jesus. When we have accepted Jesus and fully rely on the hope that we have placed in Him, He will renew our strength. No matter what we may face in this world, we will not grow weary. We will not faint in the face of the enemy as he tries everything in his feeble power to turn the world away from God. I don’t often quote hymns, but this should be our anthem in times of worldly trouble, for we have a risen Savior who has overcome the world.

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

I bet that you started singing this as you read it. It should be so ingrained in the hearts and minds of those who profess a faith in Jesus that we sing it loudly and proudly as He renews our strength; as He lifts us up to soar on wings like eagles; as He gives us strength to run and not grow weary; and as He gives us strength to walk and not be faint.

Has your hope in the Lord renewed your strength?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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How is your strength?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

but those who hope in the LORD
      will renew their strength.
   They will soar on wings like eagles;
      they will run and not grow weary,
      they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:31 (NIV))

I don’t know about you, but sometimes the weight of the world just seems to come crashing in. I know that we just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, but I wonder how much of what we do could go away? I wonder how much of our “traditions” make us weary and burdened. I wonder how much of the “traditions” could simply stop so that we can focus on what is truly important. We need to focus on the fact that Jesus was resurrected from the grave!

I am tired! I am weary from and of the things that this world says that we have to do. Sometimes I feel like Elijah when he ran from Jezebel. I don’t fear for my life and want to die, but I do want to escape and find rest. I am sure that I am not the only one who feels like this, especially with all that has happened and is happening in the world. Even Jesus had to get away and reestablish His connection with the Father through prayer.

In much the same way that we plug in our cell phones to a power source to recharge so that we can take them back out into the world, we must plug into our power source and recharge. We must renew our strength. We must tap into the source that allows us to run and not grow weary. We must find ourselves hoping in the Lord. We must find ourselves turning to Him when we feel drained and unable to go any further. We must realize that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is also with us. We must realize that if we place our hope in the Lord then God is for us!

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
(Romans 8:31 (NIV))

How is your strength?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you hope in the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

but those who hope in the Lord
      will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
      they will run and not grow weary,
      they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:31 (NIV))

It is so easy to focus on the physical when everything that we see and experience is the physical world. Lately, everything around us seems to be wars and rumors of wars. Evil is called good and good is called evil. Shortages and inflation are beginning to be the new normal. And, many experts, both Biblical and worldly, are saying that it is just going to get worse. I recently read and wrote briefly on the rising death rate among the group that we call the millenials. They see no hope in sight and choose to end their lives. I realize that no one has probably looked at the following passage from this perspective, but we are seeing this very thing happen.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
      and young men stumble and fall;
(Isaiah 40:30 (NIV))

It is amazing what a change of perspective can do. Their only hope was in the world because that is all that they knew. They had not placed their hope in the Lord. When you place your hope in the Lord, you see things from His perspective. You see things in a whole new light and the darkness of the world is only a passing thing. Placing your hope in the Lord allows you to not be overwhelmed by the problems in this world. We still see them, but we know that with the Lord’s help, we will soar on wings like eagles. We will be kept away from the eternal harm this is running rampant in the world. We will realize that the world is fleeting and that only eternity matters. Jesus gives us that hope of eternity with Him.

He will renew our strength!

He will give us power to do things in His name!

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
(John 14:12 (NIV))

I recently heard someone talk about a concept that sounds interesting and may need to be investigated further. She stated that since the church age started with miracles and power at Pentecost, it would not surprise her to see the church age end in the same manner. If you stop to think about that concept, isn’t that what the Rapture would be?

I know one thing for certain.

No Jesus. No hope.
Know Jesus. Know hope!

Do you hope in the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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