Will you continue to stand firm in God’s authority?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
(Romans 13:1 (NIV))

As I sit down to write this, I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

I wonder what the weather will be like. I wonder how my day will go. I wonder what the outcome of the election will be, but I do not wonder who is ultimately in charge!

Can you say the same thing?

No matter who may win the election, it will not come as a surprise to God. He will not look down on this nation and say that He didn’t see it coming. In fact, everything that is happening is happening as a part of His plan. The stage has been set. Whether the same players come back for the next act or new people come into the spotlight, the results that God has planned since the beginning will still unfold according to His purpose. If we truly have placed our faith in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, then we know who ultimately wins. Based on world events, many people believe that His victory is closer than we know.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:7 (NIV))

Will you be at peace no matter the outcome of this election?

Will you continue to stand firm in God’s authority?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Is Jesus your cornerstone?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
(Psalms 118:22 (NIV))

If you were to set out to build a house, what type of materials would you select?

If you are like most people, you would select materials with strength and for their longevity. You would go with materials that would be able to withstand the weather as well as the ravages of time. But, do you have a full understanding of what you would be looking for and what you would be looking at? You have a basic understanding of what should work, but do you understand all aspects of everything that could possibly be used?

That is exactly what happened when Jesus came into this world!

The prophets had foretold of His coming. The religious elite knew that He would come. The people knew that He would come, but, everyone misunderstood His purpose in coming the first time. They were looking for a military leader to save them from the Roman occupation and not a spiritual leader to save them from their sins. Jesus did not fit the model of who they thought the Messiah should be, so they did not recognize Him. Because they did not recognize Him, they rejected Him.

I love the way that God knew that this would happen. I love the way that He saw fit to tell us that it would happen, that way, when it did happen, we could recognize His truth.

Jesus IS the stone that the builders rejected! In that rejection, the church was born. Jesus became the cornerstone of the church. He became the firm foundation upon which all hope and faith now rests.

Is Jesus your cornerstone?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What are you doing to confront the strutters?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

The wicked freely strut about
when what is vile is honored among men.
(Psalms 12:8 (NIV))

Far too many things are no longer looked upon as they should be. Police are in our schools because weapons are there. Those who take the weapons strut around as if they are important. Marriages end in divorce far too often because people no longer are willing to honor their word and their commitment. Unborn children never get to see life because they are looked upon as a choice and not a unique individual created by God. Thousands of innocent people are killed simply because someone does not like the freedoms that we have in this country. Some abuse those freedoms, but the freedoms are there so that we have the right to worship God as we want and not as someone else dictates. In certain parts of the world, these people are looked upon as heroes.

It certainly appears that the wicked are strutting more in recent years. What does that say about our world? Even the very weather seems to protest. Severe floods, fires and droughts seem to be taking over, and that is just in this country. Take a look at the incidents world wide. It seems that all of creation is groaning under the weight of the vile things that are happening. How do we answer this vileness and arrogance? We must turn to God. We must pray.

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
(2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NIV))

We may not know what is coming tomorrow. We do know that God tells us it will get worse. Even so, we must pray. I honestly do not believe that God placed us here to simply sit back and wait. We can be active for His glory no matter what may come.

What are you doing to confront the strutters?

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