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DC 01/29/08 |
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Daily Courage Devotional
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Physical exercise has some value,
but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a
reward in both this life and the next.
1 TIMOTHY 4:8
Coming from someone who has
always struggled with maintaining a consistent exercise regimen,
this scripture makes me smile (if only for a
moment).
My reading is that physical
exercise and maintenance of the body God has provided you with is
certainly important but means absolutely nothing if you are not in
the Word, in prayer, in a relationship with other Christian
brothers and of course in an active relationship with Jesus. I have
had men preach (literally and otherwise) about the ungodliness
of not exercising regularly/not keeping in shape while deeming
those who struggle in this area as lazy and unmotivated. How is
this godly?
The sad truth is that we all have
a cross, sometimes a tool shed full of them in fact, to
bear. Not sure why the tool shed image popped to mind
but it did. I believe you know what I am getting
at.
Question: Why is it so easy for
many of us to see how others have failed and even
rebuke or
ignorethem for it
? (these can be one and the same
sometimes)
On the flipside why is it not a
natural inclination to notice and acknowledge another man when he
appears to be doing well? Why is it not our natural inclination to
pray for a man's continued spiritual growth when he appears to be
growing? Why are we only praying for each other when we are
struggling? Why are we not celebrating and acknowledging the
changes we see?
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DC 01/28/08 |
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Daily Courage Devotional
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God hates pride.
PROVERBS 8:13
I have kneeled at the edge of
Eric's bed, as long as he has slept in a bed, to help send
him off to sleep. Before I gave my life to the Lord, I was there to
make sure he fell asleep. Period. Since being saved, this time was
and is filled with devotional time and prayer.
I remember a time when I was
kneeling at Eric's bedside and had said what I thought was a
particularly profound thing. I had leaned in very close to Eric for
effect as I spoke. He clipped his nose, looked me straight in the
eye and said, "Whoa! Dad! Your breath stinks!" This stung me.
Initially I was truly angry that my son was not immediately
moved by what I had to say. My pride took a hit.
However God guided me through this
one and I heard Him say, "Let it go." Let it go.
So difficult to not immediately retaliate/demand proper respect and
attention. How often does our breath stink (and I think you know I
am speaking figuratively and not literally here) and those who
"smell" it do not say a word? Don't forget about vice versa here
as well. How many people are you comfortable enough to be honest
with? Being honest, speaking truthfully takes a significant amount
of risk. It is much easier to "hold your breath" until your friend
has left.
Humility is at times very very
needed. The hope is that there is at least one person in your
circle who can truly turn to you when "your breath stinks" and tell
you so. May seem like a strange thing to pray for or need in your
life but I do think that at times this is incredibly
necessary.
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DC 01/25/08 |
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Daily Courage Devotional
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Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be
comforted.
MATTHEW 5:4
Today, DC is a prayer request. I
do not have all the details but God does and He will know who you
are praying for. Pray for the family of Dana, a woman with two
daughters, 16 and 8, from Millington, TN, who was murdered this
week by her boyfriend. Her youngest daughter found her
mother's body.
Dana was a single mother who had
turned her life around after much tragedy and strife. There is
family to care for the children but all are understandably
devastated. Nate Pruitt worked closely with Dana last
summer.
As a group of men,
here in Tennessee and all over the country, I ask that each of you
commit to praying for these children (again, I do not know their
names but God does) today and beyond
today.
Blessed are those who
mourn, for they will be comforted.
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01/23/08 |
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Daily Courage Devotional
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Sit still.....until you know how
the matter will turn out.
RUTH 3:18 NKJV
When it comes to cooking. I am a
pot watcher. An oven opener. A mid-preparation taster. It has taken
specific discipline and muttering under my breath to keep me from
tasting something (repeatedly) before it was done. This
is not just because I like to eat. The anticipation of
blessings (whether from God or a giant bowl of pasta)
leads often to jumping ahead. Flinging the oven door open to see
if "it" is done yet, long before "it" could
possibly be done.
It takes a lot for me to sit on my
hands as I wait for God to move in my life. I should be doing
something. Flailing my arms. Jumping up and down.
Looking worried. Right? Wrong.
Sit still....until you know how
the matter will turn out.
His timing. Always His
perfect timing.
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DC 01/22/08 |
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Daily Courage Devotional
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written by Ken Mitten
Don't give reluctantly or in
response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives
cheerfully.
2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT
Just after this
past Christmas a family with a four year-old boy diagnosed
with cancer arrived at St. Jude Children's Hospital where I
work. This boy has a brother who is a few years older
than him, five years older to be exact. His parents were
particularly concerned about how he would adjust to his
brother being diagnosed with cancer and the entire family (except
for him) having to come to Memphis for treatment, eight plus
hours away from where they live. They were concerned as many
parents are at a time like this of him being lost in the shuffle as
he would not be their main focus with his four year-old brother
undergoing cancer treatment.
This nine year-old boy did not
come to Memphis with the rest of his family but he did send
something along with his father who drove up to meet his
younger brother and mother who had been flown here emergently.
He asked his father to bring his new Wii video game system (which
he had not yet played..it was a Christmas present this year) so
that his brother would have something to do while he was in his
hospital room. This may be the true meaning of sacrifice for a nine
year-old in today's society: letting his younger brother take the
first crack on his new Wii.....
When he did come to visit his
brother about a week or so later I came to visit and watched them
play a baseball game and was struck by how much fun they were
having just being together. His parents told me later that their
older son had asked them several times, " What can I do for
him?" They told him to pray about it and when he handed his
father the game system he told him, "This is
what God told me I should do." His father
said that there was not a shred of visible doubt or question
about whether this was the right thing to do or not. He gave
without reluctance. He gave
cheerfully to his brother who needed something to
do/something to take his mind off what he was having to
endure.
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DC 01/21/08 |
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Daily Courage Devotional
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Now it happened in the month
Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital,
that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and
I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived
the captivity, and about Jerusalem. They said to me, " The remnant
there in the province who survived the captivity are in great
distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and
the gates are burned with fire." When I heard these words, I sat
down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying
before the God of heaven.
NEHEMIAH 1:1-4
Been spending a lot of time in the
book of Nehemiah. I was struck by something simple and true while
re-reading and closely studying this passage. We all need a
Nehemiah in our lives to care deeply, pray earnestly and act as God
directs when he sees injustice, suffering, pain in the lives of
others.
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DC 01/18/08 |
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Daily Courage Devotional
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Short and sweet for your Friday.
Today, read and study the scriptures noted. All of them speak to
"crying out to God". -K
We approach God's throne of grace
"with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help us in our time of need" (Hebrews
4:16).
I Corinthians
10:13 -- God carefully
measures our trials, and HE promises that we won't face more than
we can bear. (But we must also keep in mind that when we choose to
walk in darkness, we move out from under God's
protection).
Matthew 5:43-45
-- Love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your
Father in heaven.
Jesus was no ordinary teacher. HE
was the Prince of Peace. "Mercy triumphs over judgment!"
(James 2:13).
God has told us to call on HIM and
he will show us great and mighty things. (Jeremiah
33:3)
As Moses prayed with his hands
raised to heaven, Joshua's army was victorious. Prayer worked!
(Exodus 17:8-13)
Sickly King Hezekiah lay on his
death bed. He cried out to God in prayer. God gave the king fifteen
years. (II Kings 20:5)
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