DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Each day, the Brook Cherith adds devotionals and scripture verses
Psa 145:3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
Our God is an awesome God. His goodness and greatness is beyond comprehension. His wisdom and power is more that we can even imagine. His mercy and love exceeds our words to tell. Let the praises of our God be heard! People need to know who God is, and what He is like.
Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
We all want to make heaven our home, to see God. This passage reminds us of an essential element is we are to see God. We are to be pure in heart. Just being religious is not enough. Just living a moral life is not enough. We must have our heart cleansed of evil motives and intents. The pure in heart are those who do the right things for the right reasons. Let’s not allow ourselves to fall into just going through the motions. Let’s keep a check on our attitudes, motives and intentions. It is the pure in heart who will be blessed by seeing God.
Psa 145:5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
We need reminded of who God is and what He has done. One of the best ways to do that is to meditate on, think on His majesty and glory. Consider the wonderful and miraculous things He has done. Talk about His glory, about who He is. Speak of His love, His mercy, His kindness, His justice, His fairness and His awesome power. Remind yourself of the many times He has intervened in human history. Remind yourself of the times He has worked in your life. Let your meditation on His majesty and goodness lift your heart with hope and confidence.
Pro 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
There is no downside to the blessings of God; no regrets, no painful aftermath. God is good, God is good in every way. The blessings He gives us are good in every way. Too many times we are tempted to seek some gain or pleasure by stepping outside of God’s will. Any such gain always comes at a high price. The better choice is to live in a way that God can bless us. There is no downside to the blessings of God.
Luk 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Generosity is a Christian virtue. It is a virtue found in the heart of one who has been regenerated, one whose love for self has been subdued. Our love for self has been replaced with a love for God above all else and a love for others equal to our love for our self. This causes us to be concerned for others and their needs. We are to show our generosity in our dealings with others. When generosity is show from good intentions and good motives, God takes note. In His justice, He will see we receive as we give. Don’t cheat yourself and others out of a blessing by being selfish.
Psa 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
We need each other in this Christian life. We long for the love and acceptance found among fellow believers. This verse reminds us how good and pleasant it is for God’s children to live in harmony with one another. Such unity and harmony is delightful, agreeable and attractive. Satan works hard to disrupt this blessing. Let’s make sure we do are part to maintain this blessing among us.
Psa 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
At times we are painfully aware of our needs and our own inabilities. What a comfort to know that God is aware of our situation, that He is concerned and has given consideration to our plight and our needs. He is our help and our deliverer. He can be depended on. Our heart often cries out with the Psalmist, “Come quickly, I need you now”. He is our God and our Father…He will come to the aid of His own children. Trust Him.
Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
As I watch the sun come up this morning and the snow on the ground, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness. God created this world and set in motion the laws of nature. Everything has operated as God foresaw. We are living in a time of wickedness and godlessness, but I am reminded that our God is still the ruler of the universe. Nothing has taken Him by surprise. God still reigns, this is still His creation. Don’t despair. God is still working His will. Take hope and trust Him.
Psa 150:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Psa 150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Psa 150:3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Psa 150:4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Psa 150:5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Psa 150:6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Our God is worthy of praise! He is worthy of praise for who He is and what He has done. We are to praise Him with enthusiasm, loudly. We are to praise Him in song and on the instruments. Let the joyful sound of His praise be heard all around. Everything and everyone that has breath, that has been granted life, has reason to praise the Lord. How much more should we who have experienced His love and redemption, lift our voices in glad praises to our Savior and God. Praise ye the Lord.
Psa 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
The fact that God considers us and is concerned about us is a wonderful thought. Yet God thinks about us more than we can even know, far more than we could count up. Many are His acts of love and kindness toward us. God is concerned about us. He cares about us. He loves us. Meditate on these things and allow this truth to bring you the joy, comfort and security that having a heavenly Father affords us.
3 Jn 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
There can be no greater satisfaction in life than to know your children have a real experience with God. We are all excited for our children to do well in life. We are pleased by their accomplishments. We want them to have a good job and be comfortable financially. But for a Christian, there is no greater joy than to know they really know the Lord. Let’s make sure our words and actions convey to them the real priorities of life.
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Throughout the scriptures we consistently find the standard for Christian conduct: we are to live a holy life, to strive to live without sin. There can be no other goal for one who loves God above all else and loves his neighbor as himself. We cannot tolerate sin in ourselves; however, we are also reminded that our God is a merciful God. We are to strive to live above sin, but if we fall, we need not despair. Repent, God will forgive. Then resume your Christian life with new determination to avoid sin.
Job 23:8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: Job 23:9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
There are times in our Christian life when we cannot make sense of things. There are also times when we cannot perceive God; when we can’t feel Him or see Him working. Yet this passage assures us that God knows right where we are. We may not see Him, but He always sees us. Not only does God see us, He is actively working for our good. When life seems perplexing, remember that God is still on the job, still working His will. In time, we will see His faithfulness and feel the warmth of His presence.
Psa 116:5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
Our God is compassionate and merciful. He is righteous, He is fair and good. Often Satan would twist the events of life to portray God as uncaring and unfair. When all of life seems to be screaming that God doesn’t care, remember: Our God is loving, compassionate, tender hearted, merciful, just and good. Stay steady, keep your faith. In time, you will see this scripture is absolutely true.
Mar 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Mar 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Forgiveness is the heart of Christianity. It is central to our relationship with God. Our greatest need is forgiveness….we have no other hope for our sins. Forgiveness is not our right; it’s not what we deserve. Our forgiveness cost Jesus suffering and death. Forgiveness is also vitally important in our relationships with one another. We forgive others because of God’s forgiveness to us. A merciful attitude recognizes our unworthiness of God’s great love and grace. Forgiveness is the release given another for an offense committed against us, the debt is canceled. Nothing more is due, nothing more is owed. Forgiveness can be hard, but receiving forgiveness from God requires that we have a forgiving attitude. When we struggle with forgiving others, let’s remember God’s love and forgiveness given to us.
Psa 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
The Lord is good! We can know by experience that the Lord is good. In fact, we are invited to experience His goodness. Blessed, or well off, is the person who puts their trust in God, the person who makes God their refuge. When we trust the Lord, when we place our confidence in Him, we will undoubtedly experience His goodness.
Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
This Christian life is not without difficulties. We go through most of the struggles of life that the unsaved go through. We also face difficulties that come from being a Christian in an evil world. The good news is that we are not in this alone. The huge advantage we have in life is that we have a real and living God who is looking after us. Though our struggles may be many, God has promised to keep us and deliver us from all of them. We need not fear. We have a loving heavenly Father who is on our side. Bravely face the future knowing our God will be there to help and deliver in every situation.
Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to take care of, to help, orphans and widows in their suffering and needs, and to keep oneself uncorrupted from the world. Both of these requirements are essential. We must maintain a walk with God that is free from the evil of this world, as well as have a heart of compassion toward those truly in need around us. We cannot neglect either duty and possess pure religion. Let’s give attention to living a clean life, and then let our love for others be lived out in service.
Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Mar 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
There seems to be an anti-Christian sentiment creeping across our society and country. If we are not careful, this can cause us to become ashamed or embarrassed to be identified as a Christian. This verse gives us a sober thought: there is coming a day when the only thing that matters is whether we are identified with Jesus Christ. If we want to be identified with Him on that great Judgment Day, then we will identify with Him here, in this life. There is nothing to be gained in this life that is worth losing our soul. Whether being a Christian is popular or not, let us gladly be identified with Christ
(Eccl 11:6 KJV) In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.
Unfavorable conditions should not keep us from continuing to work in the kingdom of God. Many times do not seem favorable, but the truth is, there is no perfect time. Observing the conditions may cause us not to sow, say “what’s the use”, “nothing will come of it”. But let me ask you: What kind of conditions have revival sprung from? Revival has usually come in a very dark hour. We cannot wait for favorable conditions to do the work God has called us to. God has a purpose for us where He has called us, and when He has called us. Let’s be about our Father’s business.
