Devotional Day 12

Proverbs 27:9

Friendship isn't just for the joyride, for surface fun and keeping everything smooth and shiny. Friendship has a purpose. A real friendship is characterized by a spirit of helpfulness, in which each person seeks to do good to the other. Did you take in this verse? The pleasantness of friends" doesn't come from just "being nice" and not making any waves, or bringing up unpleasant subjects. No. It comes from earnest counsel. That means talking about real issues, and doing life deeply. That means a real friend is one that will talk to you about what really matters. Think about your favorite smell, whether it is roses on a hot summer day, or bread baking, or new car upholstery, or fresh rain, or the lotion your mother used. Think about the "joy of the heart" that those scents bring. Do you have a friend whose earnest counsel brings joy to your heart?

Who are your "pleasant" friends? Remember to pray for them, and encourage them, as they encourage you.

Devotional Day 11

Devotional's take a little bit of a turn now and will really start dealing with this Sunday's small group. Look forward to seeing you there.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Friendship is one of the sweetest things God has given us on this earth. God is a communicating God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit commune, and when He made mankind. He created them in his own image-as communicators. He set things up this way because He wants us to be in personal relationship with Him, but He also set things up so that we may experience the joys and the help of good friendship. Two are stronger than one; two in cooperation can do more than two people separately. Two sharing a blanket keep warm, while each one with half a blanket will freeze. One alone has no one to compensate for his weaknesses, but two can help each other. A friend is one who picks you up when you fall, whether physically or spiritually. Friendship is an amazing thing, both enhancing our joys and lightening our sorrows.

Do you have someone who will pick you up when you fall down? Who do you do this for?

We're talking about friendship so this song needs to make an appearance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOCJAVlESEo

Devotional Day 10

Psalm 46:1-3

God isn't on call only sometimes. His refuge doesn't have visiting hours, or a "Closed for Vacation" sign. God is ever-present. That means that He is always present, and that He is present everywhere. There cannot be a time or a place where God is not available to you. Therefore, because of this, no matter what happens you can be confident and unafraid. Even if your whole world is tumbling down, even if you are on the point of death, even when the earth is breaking apart at the seams, you can be fearless. God is the perfect refuge. He doesn't have any weak spots that the enemy can penetrate. He will never accidentally drop us. He never forgets that we are there. He never runs out of room.

What was the most terrifying experience that you have ever gone through? Looking back, can you see the hand of God in this? Could you sense this at the time? Does realizing His presence change the way you look at what happened?

A youtube link of a great song called "Safe" by Phil Wickham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciW8r-5kCDY

Enjoy and God Bless!

Devotional Day 9

***Just so everyone knows, I am getting these devotionals from the small group guide "Virtuous Reality" out of Ed Young's Fellowship Church. These are not my own at all, but they are going along with the Bible study we are currently doing for Young Adults at Bayview. ***

Psalm 68:1-3, 17-18

David trusted God; he knew God's character and His promises. But like us, David still had times of discouragement. Have you ever felt like you were up to your neck in trouble, and help seemed nowhere in sight? David surely did. When he wrote this psalm, he was floundering in a pit of depression, with no way to escape. He did the best thing anybody could do. He told the Lord exactly what He was feeling, and begged for help. This is an important thing to remember: God understands how we feel when we are in the depths of despair just as He does when we are strong, confident and trusting. Even Jesus cried out to the Father, expressing anguish and pain as He was faced with crucifixion. God doesn't need us to manufacture a confidence we don't feel. Faith doesn't mean closing your eyes and pretending that you think it will be all right. Go to God honestly. Tell Him you're scared to death, depressed, or miserable. David models the kind of faith we need in his plea for help. He was worn out, discouraged, and couldn't see God. But he called God for help, even though he couldn't feel faith. He believed and so he asked. Don't wait for feelings. Tell God how you really are, and then ask Him for help.

Make a practice of writing down your prayer requests, and also the answers you receive. You will find that this record is very encouraging to your faith.

Devotional Day 8

Psalm 37:32-33, 39-40

The Evil One is eager to have is destroyed. Wicked people - those who are acting according to their sinful nature, and according to Satan's influence - will sometimes persecute believer's cruelly. They will not care that you are innocent, and that your conduct is righteous. They will be out to get you, no matter what. Sometimes it seems that we are helpless before such attacks. There is no way to get justice, evil appears to carry all before it. But be encouraged. The Lord is still in control. He has promised that He will not leave the righteous in the power of the wicked. He has promised to save us if we will make Him our refuge. This doesn't always mean that He saves us in the way an time that we thought would be best. But we can be assured that He will rescue us, and that His way and time will be perfect.

Have you ever felt pursued by the wicked? What did you? Did it work?

Devotional Day 7

Psalm 23:4

This is probably the best known and beloved of all David's psalms. It describes God warmly and comfortingly with the picture of a good shepherd. Many years later, Jesus took up this same imagery, describing Himself as the Good Shepherd, who would lay down His life for the sheep. David knew what He was talking about when he spoke of God as a shepherd. David had spent a lot of time looking after sheep, and he knew what sheep needed. He had also spent a lot of time walking with Gd, and he knew what God does for us. A good shepherd provides his sheep with good food, and he leads them along the right paths, not letting them scatter, or stray. God does this for us. He provides us with spiritual nourishment as well as providing for our physical needs. He shows us the way of righteousness, and helps us to stick to it. And God protects us from our enemies. When we trust in God, we can walk right through death's shadow without fear. He will be beside us, we can hold his hand. David experienced this firsthand, as he came near death many times. But when he was walking with the Lord, there was no need to fear. Even in the face if death, he was not alone.

Are you afraid of dying? If you trust God, and have no fear of death, does that mean that you will feel comfortable putting your life in danger, for no reason?

Why or why not?

Devotional Day 6

Psalm 3:1-4

David's knowledge of the Lord - knowledge that he gained while he was still young, sitting alone in the fields with the sheep - was the foundation of all that he was able to do later on. David knew God's character, and he knew that he could trust Him. When David was in danger from wild animals, he called on God for help, and received it. When he was all alone, almost forgotten by his family, he learned the wonder of the creation, and the power and majesty of God. And he learned that God was his protector. Later on, in this psalm and in several others, David refers to God as a "shield." Even when people looked at his situation and said, "There is no way, he can ever come out alive. God won't bother with him!" David trusted God. He knew that God had promised to protect and care for those who fear Him, those who do put their trust in Him. And God never changes. He will always do as He promised.

In what ways do you need the Lord as a shield right now? Have you praised Him for the promises He has already given you?