Chink In My Armor

By Charity Pence

This Week’s Verse: Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (NKJV)

Devotion: Lately I have felt the need to continuously check my armor. It seems that the devil has been searching me, looking for a crack. He has circled around me, waiting for me to set down my shield of faith and drop my sword. Ephesians, chapter six, lists the armor of God that we are to wear constantly. Gird your waist with truth. Put on the breastplate of righteousness. Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Take the shield of faith. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. We are also told to pray always.

Satan’s darts keep coming. He has tested me in financial situations and I stood firm. Then, suddenly, I found myself not feeling well. I stood firm on God’s promises of healing. Another dart was thrown and I found myself worrying about a particular situation. So I prayed and put my trust in God. Satan filled my mind with fear and I was plagued with self-doubt. Lifting my hands, I cried out to God. I could give more examples but I do not think that would be necessary. I am sure you get my point.

Satan does not stop. He knows my weaknesses. He carries a list with him and when he has worked through it, he goes back to the top and starts over. The truth is, I am battle weary. I get worn out, as we all do. Sometimes I do not have the strength to go on but I know that if I let my guard down for one second, if I remove my armor, the devil’s darts will keep coming and they will overwhelm me. It is during these times that I must rely on God for strength. Isaiah 40:29 says, “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” (KJV) I do not want Satan to find a chink in my armor. So while thanking God that He has not left me to fight my battles alone, I will stand firm.

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to stand against the devil at all times. Please give me the strength I need so I am not overwhelmed by the devil’s attempts to turn me away from You. I love You, Lord, and in You alone I put my trust. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Applications: When you feel the devil pricking you, looking for your weaknesses, call out to God and allow Him to strengthen you. Hold up your shield of faith and watch Satan’s darts fall.

Power Verses:

Psalm 31:24, “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.” (KJV)

Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.” (KJV)

Proverbs 18:10, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (KJV)

It Will Only Cost You a Hat

By Bethany Lashbrook

This week’s verse: Psalm 18:30 “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (NKJV)

I recently saw a commercial that caught my attention. It went something like this.

Girl picks up hat in department store. Girl looks at beautiful hat. Then girl starts to dream about this hat and how wonderful she looks in it. Then girl thinks, “Awe, perfect husband with this hat. The perfect family with this hat! Awe, perfect life with this hat.” Then, she places the hat in the cart. And the man with the deep voice says: “and only for $15.99”.

Wow! If I would have known I could have the perfect life for only the cost of a hat – I would have went to that department store years ago. I would have bought more than one too! I wonder if I could switch the perfect hats for a different type of “perfect” life? Ha!

The Bible tells us “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” 2 Samuel 22:33 (NIV) We can’t get caught up in the perfect home for our children, the perfect life we will share with our spouses, the perfect family we will raise, or the perfect clothes we will wear. But, we can rely on the perfect God to show us our paths!

The bible also tells us "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:41 (NIV) Temptations surround us day in and day out. All we have to do to be tempted is log on to the net, watch a little T.V., or listen to the radio. Lies will be told. But, we know the Truth, and we know the answer. We are armed with the word to fight these temptations.

As we go about our lives, running our children to and from soccer games, fixing our families their suppers, driving to and from work – let’s try to focus on the way, the truth, and the light. (John 14:6)

Dear Lord, thank you for giving us the word, which enables us to distinguish between the truths we hear and the lies. Thank you for sending your perfect Son to die on the cross so that we may be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application: Have you been listening to the lies of this world? This week, try to stay focused on God and His Word, rather than what the world has to tell us about keeping our perfect lives together.

Power Verses:

Psalm 40:11 “Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your loving kindness and Your truth continually preserve me.” (NKJV)

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (NLT)

Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are” just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. (NIV)

Ephesians 6:13-15 “13Therefore 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. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (NIV)

In a Relationship With...

by Mollie Thompson

This Week's Verse: Jer.29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (NKJV)

Devotion:
How sweet are the words of this week's verse. God our Father has plans for us – each and every one of us. None of us are here by random accidents. None of us are mistakes. None of us are a bother to God. We each have a purpose designed by God – the Creator of the Universe. In Jesus, we are not hopeless or helpless or worthless. No mistake is too big or too hard to overcome by the will of God. Isn’t that refreshing?

This verse was written when the people of God had really messed up and they were in captivity. It’s sort of like when we put our kids in time-out, or when we ground them from opportunities they would like to participate in. It’s a way of sitting them down, and saying, “Hey! Pay attention! I have some good stuff for you if only you will listen to me and do what I tell you. Now you’re going to stay here until I tell you it’s time for you to get up.”

The punishment from God came for the good of His people. They were on a self-destructive path and wouldn’t listen to Him. He had to get their attention. Their ears were getting tickled by the world and they liked what they were hearing. It suited them.

But God knew they were getting farther away from Him and His good and His truth. He had good planned for each and every one of them, but they had to get back with His program. They had to get back in relationship with Him.

And that’s the big thing God has been showing me lately. The big thing about Christianity is the relationship we are to be continually establishing with our Father and with His Son and with His Spirit.

The closer we are in relationship with Him, the more we will be able to be led by Him, the more we will be able to line ourselves up with that good future and hope He has for each and every one of us.

Father, we get so busy with the things of life. We get so carried away with our own hopes and dreams we have for our future and for the future of our families. The world can promise us (or at least tempt us with) some pretty amazing things. Then we get our eyes off of you and start doing things our own way. Please forgive us for this. Please help us get our eyes back on you. Help us to remember how big you really are, and that your plans are the best. And if we need a time-out, please provide us with one. We love you so much. Draw us back into relationship with you – no matter what it takes. In Jesus' most precious and Holy Name. Amen.

Application:
On Facebook there’s a spot to tell your “Relationship Status.” It’s really a big deal when you are single and then you get to announce the name of that somebody special you are in a relationship with. Somehow that makes your relationship “official.” How official would you say your relationship is with Jesus Christ? How in tune would you say you are with the plans God has for you? Do you talk to him enough to say you are in relationship with him?

Power Verses:
Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death."(NIV)
Jeremiah 33:2, 3, "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'" (NIV)
Psalm 34:8, "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"(NKJV)
John 21:17, “[Insert your name here], do you love Me?”

GPS: God's Perfect Solution

by Stephanie Neibarger

This Week's Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." (MSG)

Devotion:
I love my GPS. I was hesitant about getting one when they first came out. Being raised in the boondocks, I always felt like I could get anywhere on my own by using basic “country living principles.” But now that I have it, I love it!

I love being able to program where I want to go and it will calculate the route, how long it will take me to get there and what time I will arrive at my destination. I love it that I don’t even have to know the actual address of where I am wanting to go. For instance, if I want to go to Starbucks, with just a couple of click, it gives me directions to the nearest one. This week I was going to Urbana so I punched in the address of where I was going and--Viola!--it showed me how to get there.

But my favorite part about the GPS is that even when I get off course and take a different route, it's right there to tell me how to get back on the right course. (Seriously, I love that it does that… I’m not just saying this so it sounds like a cool devotion!)

I think you are probably seeing the analogy by now. God is our ultimate GPS. Through His Written Word, He clearly tells us how to get to our destination. If we get off course, He can help lead us back on track.

Maybe you’ve felt like you know how to get where you are going and decide to do things your way, and go where you want to go. It’s okay. God can help lead you back on track. I am completely guilty of this. So many times, I think I know the way to go, which roads to take, I do things on my own, in my own way but it always ends in a dead-end road.

Fortunately, I have not fallen off of God’s GPS radar. With patience, reading scriptures, and a lot of prayer, God can get me back on the right road. He can bring you back too. Even if you don’t know the way, just take hold of His hand and let Him lead.

Father, we can not thank you enough that you never leave us. You never let go of us. You continue to love us even when we are being unlovable. Forgive us for the times we have been disobedient to You. Help us to get back on course when we seek our own path and get lost because we went out on our own. We genuinely love you Lord. Lead us down the right paths to be better servants for You.

Application:
Have you taken a wrong road in life? We all have. It’s okay. Maybe you are at a crossroad in your life. Seek God’s direction and He can lead you onto the right path. His GPS is there to guide you. I encourage you to read Psalm 25.

Power Verses:
Deuteronomy 31:6, "The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you."(CEV)
Psalm 25:4, "Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow."(NLT)
Psalm 25:8, "The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray."(NLT)

Being Human

by Marsha Loftis

This Week's Verse: Hebrews 2:14, "Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death."

Devotion
I love being human! I love to revel in the marvelous things that God has done and made. I love to hear the birds sing. I love to taste the sweetness of honey. I love to feel the hug of a child. I love to see the sunsets. I love to sing His praises. I love being His creation.

Most of the time. Then there are times where being human is a very rough road to travel. Times when I feel every bump and bruise like a ripened apple! Times when somehow my size eight shoe fits snuggly in my size one mouth. Times when the pain of my broken heart is almost too much to bear. Times when I feel like God has stuck a fork in me and said, "Nope! She's not done yet."

I'm not. I'm not "there" wherever "there" is; I obviously haven't reached that point yet. None of us have and we never will until He calls us home. We are walking, talking, sometimes crawling and falling works of “undoneness”.

Even the great apostle Paul struggled with his “not quite done-ness.” He fought thinking what is right, knowing what is right, and doing what is right.

Romans 7:15-25: “What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. …But I need something more! I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. … I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.” (MSG)

Being human is HARD! Don’t you think? If Paul struggled like this then who am I to think that I’ve got it all under control?! Have you ever told God, “I got this… I can handle this one alone.”? Well the human condition is hard enough. Why on earth would we want to go it alone?

We have been bought into a relationship with God through Christ’s death and resurrection. We don’t have to do this thing called life alone and we have been made righteous! I know it’s hard to think of ourselves as righteous. After all, we are only human, with all our baggage, our pasts, faults and flaws--a person who is still learning how to be the person that God wants, all the while being righteous and knowing without a doubt that God is not done yet. The same person who is standing on the promise that what works God has started will not cease until that work is done. That person is you! And me..... any one who believes that Jesus died for them AND now lives in them!

Father God, help me to know that I am nothing without You, your love and most of all your grace. Thank you for accepting me when I was not righteous and sending your Son so I may come to you, unashamed, washed, loved and forgiven. Help me to become the person You need me to be, the person I long to be. Help me to do what I know is right even when I feel UN-righteous. I ask all these things in Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Application:
Being righteous doesn’t mean we are better than someone else. It only means that we have Saving Grace that allows us to come to God’s throne freely and present our worship, praise, and requests. Shake off that “human-ness,” that feeling of being “not quite done yet.” Let go of that guilt. Deny that shame, that feeling of being unworthy and present yourself to God as a sacrifice. Empty yourself of yourself and let God fill you up with HIM!

Power Verses:
Ephesians 2:4-10: “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (MSG)
Romans 8:5, "Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God!" (MSG)
Romans 5:18-19, “....Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.” (NLT)
Romans 8:3, “In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all.”

The Great Escape

by Kathy Lay

This Week’s Verse: Proverbs 29:6--Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape, shouting for joy. (NLT)

Devotion:
Have you ever seen those video clips of illusionists or magicians being contorted into a painful-looking position then tied up, locked up, and submerged into a plexi-glass tub full of water? I’ve held my breath along with them as I anxiously waited for them to break free and emerge gasping but victorious.

Or who can forget poor little Jenny from Forrest Gump? Hiding in the cornfield from her abusive father, she pleaded “Dear God, make me a bird. So I could fly far. Far far away from here.” Like a magician, she too longed to break free from what bound her and petitioned God to work a miracle to set her free. If you watched the rest of the movie you know that it took lots of years and lots of mistakes before Jenny finally allowed herself to be loved and set free.

God is all about an escape plan. A much-loved quote from Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God’s plans are to prosper us, not to harm us. So it makes sense that if we are in harm’s way, the Lord has already mapped out an escape route. Look at the Israelites (repeatedly!). Look at Daniel in the lions’ den or Jonah in the fish. There’s Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. There’s Paul and Silas in prison, people imprisoned in deformed or diseased bodies, and people captive to demons. And then there’s Jesus who escaped death so that we can too.

See, God specializes in great escapes. He gives us access to them through righteousness, as indicated in this week's verse. In each of the above examples the escape-ees demonstrated righteous obedience in humility and submission, praising the One who wanted to set them free all along.

He wants to set you free too. While pursuing righteousness anticipate your great escape, bursting forth victorious!

Precious Father, thank you for breaking us out of captivity! Help us to seek you in passionate humility so that our escape brings You glory and our freedom bears fruit.

Application:
Captivity cripples activity. God wants you free so He can use you to further His kingdom. What’s got you bound? Pursuing God’s righteousness with your whole heart will open the door to an escape plan that’s already in the works for you.

Power Verses:
I Cor. 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”(NASB—emphasis mine)
Psalm 124:7, “We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free!” (NLT)
Proverbs 12:13, “An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous will escape from trouble.”(NASB)

By Your Side

by Stephanie Neibarger

This Week’s Verse: Revelation 3:7-8, “When I open a door, no one can close it. And when I close a door, no one can open it. Listen to what I say. I know everything you have done. And I have placed before you an open door that no one can close. You were not very strong, but you obeyed my message and did not deny that you are my followers.”(CEV)

Devotion:
During the past few weeks I’ve encountered various circumstances that have left me to question some of the decisions I have made in my life (mostly job related). Did I hear God correctly? Is this the path He wants me to take? Then I remembered He did not promise us that the path would always be easy, but He did promise that He would be there to help us through it: “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2, NLT)

Recently I was watching the movie Facing the Giants. If you haven’t seen the movie it is about a football coach who implements Christian values in his team instead of winning and losing. In the beginning of the movie he faces criticism from others because he's not winning games. Due to the criticism, he questions if this was the path God wants for him. Then a friend walks into the coach’s office and reads Rev. 3:7-8 to him (this week’s verse, above).

Hmm, just what I needed to hear! I was letting others’ criticism cause me to question the door God had opened for me. This criticism was reflective in my attitude as well. I was letting other people’s action towards me determine my attitude. I had let their negativity creep into my own life. I have, in essence, let them determine my level of happiness. Jesus tells us in John 16:22, “Therefore, you too have grief; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”

The movie also mentioned that the phrase “Do not be afraid” was in the Bible 365 times. Hmm, that’s one for each day of the year. Reassurance to face each day without fear. We can face each day with confidence knowing that God is right there along side us to help us through the day (Deut 31:8 – below).

Father thank you for always being with us through every situation in our life. Please help us to focus on you instead of our circumstances in times of trouble. Help us cling to Your promises so our attitude would reflect more of You.

Application:
If things don't always go the way you would like, do you get upset? If we depend on other people or cirucmstances to keep us happy, there will always be something to steal our joy. Don't let other people or circumstances determine your happiness; God's your true source of joy.

Power Verses:
Psalm 94:13, “That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked.”(AMP)
John 16:22, “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”(NASB)
Hebrews 10:35-36, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”(NIV)
Deut. 31:8, “The Lord Himself will go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will never leave you. He’ll never desert you. So don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope.”(NIV)