Devotional from Jan Ross

Today's Verse

"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not
the promise"  (Hebrews 11:39)

Today's Thought

Hebrews 11 . . . the stories recounted of the heroes of faith.  They had all
been heirs to the promise of God, yet they were mocked, imprisoned, stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, slain with the sword, destitute, afflicted,
tormented, wandered in deserts and in mountains, etc.  What a life for a
hero . . . one who has been regarded as one of the 'great cloud of
witnesses' (Hebrews 12:1) that had walked this life leaving behind a legacy worthy of inclusion in the Word of God.

When I read of what these saints endured for the sake of the faith, I cringe at my moanings and groanings because things don't go quite the way I want or expect them to in my own life.  How shallow can I be . . . how shallow can we all be?

In the name of God, we have learned to concentrate on being successful in this life in everything we put our hands to . . . everything that is "ours"!
Of course, we want to be successful for the glory of God, but is God really
being glorified by our self-centeredness?  Have we ever stopped to consider that the promises of God may not be fulfilled in our lifetime?  What if God has intended to use our life to bring about a greater work through those who carry on behind us?  Are we willing to be used and not acknowledged?  Are we willing to allow what we feel called to do to appear a failure in order for the Lord to bring about a greater measure of success to those who are called to complete the task after us?

God is glorified in death . . . death to our visions, death to our hopes,
death to our dreams, death to "OUR" anything!  It is only through this death that He can hope to resurrect a pure work which will bring about the greatest measure of glory to Him!

Are you willing to die for Him?  Are you willing to lay down your own
ambitions and goals and put them on the altar of sacrifice unto a Holy God . . . the All-Consuming Fire?

Through the surrender of our selfish ambitions we will gain a Godly peace
that only total selflessness can bring.  Total surrender and daily dying to
our self will cause us to become imitators of Christ.  He is not satisfied
just to pour out temporal blessings on us all the days of our lives . . . we
should not be satisfied to receive them either.  The greatest prize we can
win is the "high calling of God in Christ Jesus".

To be like Him . . . that's all we need!  To die with Him is to live for Him
in the fullest!

Today's Prayer

Father, forgive me!  Forgive me!  Forgive me!  My motives have been selfish gain, my goals have been selfish accomplishments, my goals have been self-serving.  Lord, I have missed the mark by concentrating on my temporal position rather than on giving away everything I've ever dreamed and allowing You to have Your way in me, through me, and in spite of me.

Lord, help me die that Christ might live through me . . .that You would
receive glory as I lay down my life to be destroyed that whatever You will
can be accomplished.  Make my life a sweet aroma as I offer it to You to do as You will.

Be glorified in me, Lord Jesus, Amen!

Have a blessed day!

Jan Ross
jross@focusontheword.com
http://focusontheword.com

Devotional from Shenna

Today's devotional shows us the reality of how we are all like unto the little children... that the Lord wants us to be like .

HURRY UP MOM

"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
1 Corinthians 1:25

Ned was not quite tall enough to see over the dashboard of the car I was driving.  "Hurry up, Mom," he urged.  But he was too young to read the road signs that said 45 miles per hour. As I began to apply the brakes, he demanded, "Why are you stopping?"  "There is a school bus that has just stopped," I explained.  As soon as we started again, he urged "Pass him, Mom."  He was too small to see the double line.  I thought to myself, How like me when I pray!  Spiritually I am too young to read the road signs, too small to see what lies ahead.  Yet how often I am guilty of telling God how to run things. We may make requests, but never insist on having our own way lest we become one of those of whom it was said, " He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul" (Psalm 106:15 ).

We may pray in simple, childlike faith; urgently, persistently. But we must always pray, "Thy will be done."
Author: Ruth Bell Graham

Another one from Shenna

Please click on the link below to take you to the devotional 
for today.  I want you to go to the site for today's devotional
as there are more studies related to the topic which may interest you.

http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/ds/hj891/page1.html

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"Love one another
as I have loved you."
   ~ Jesus ~
Is your love unconditional ????????
    John 15:12 NIV