Seeds Of Hope Daily Devotionals

In His Presence

Legend records interesting stories of temples built by the Turks years ago. They built their temples with roofs that were always open. They did this to reflect their belief that God cannot be confined to them or with them. To them, God is present everywhere, and His presence cannot be contained by a building or any other thing.

The Psalmist wrote, “Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord.” When God comes and is present, things will happen. This is why churches and church attendance are so fundamental. When the children of God gather together to worship the living God, the unexpected, yet possible, can and will happen, if He is present.

Listen to the Psalmist “...at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water...” It was Moses who commanded water from the rock. God answered Him, and Israel’s thirst was quenched because God was present. When Jesus entered His public ministry, He performed many miracles. Demons were cast out, the sick were healed, the hungry were fed, lepers were cleansed, and the blind could see once again. When Jesus performed His miracles, God was present, and His power was visible to those who gathered around Him.

Jesus promised that if “... two or three come together in my Name, there am I with them!” When we, as His disciples, gather together in His name and agree to ask for anything that is consistent with His nature, He will be present. He will not only hear us but grant our request.

God will always be present if we gather in His name.

Prayer: Father, forgive us for our self-imposed limits. In Your presence and in Your Name miracles will happen. Help us to be receptive to Your ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: – Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water. Psalm 114:7-8

Let Him In!

He’d been away at school for several months. When he arrived home, it was one o’clock in the morning. But he was anxious to see his fiancée. After all, he drove for many hours with a box of candy and a large bouquet of flowers next to him on the front seat.

When he arrived at his fiancée’s home, he ran up the steps - flowers and candy tucked under his arm - and rang the doorbell. From a window in her room upstairs she shouted, “Go away. Come back in the morning. I’ve been asleep for hours.”

Anger swept over him. First, he rammed his fist through the window in the door. Then he stuffed the candy and flowers through the broken window. Still, in a rage, he started his car and drove it into the front of her house. Finally, when there was no response, he left.

Our Lord is much different. He gently knocks at the door of our hearts wanting to enter into our lives. “Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with Me.” While the Lord stands at the door of our heart and gently knocks, He will not force His way in nor leave in anger.

The Psalmist wrote, “Judah became His sanctuary.” What a beautiful picture! Their hearts became His very own holy place. God redeems us because He wants to dwell within us, that we might become His holy place!

He wants to make our hearts His home, but we must invite Him in. He will never force His way into our lives.

Prayer: Come, Heavenly Father, and make our heart Your home and allow us to become Your Holy Place. Abide in us and teach us to abide in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: – Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion. Psalm 114:2

Incomparable!

The agnostics wonder if there is a God. The materialists boast that they do not need a god. There are even some who do not want to know if there is a God because they do not want to face Him. Christians, however, are thankful for God because they could not live without Him.

In wonderment, the Psalmist and the Christian ask a reasonable question: “Who is like the Lord our God?” And the answer is: “No one!”

Who is like Him in power? He is the “All-Powerful One.” The word “impossible” is not in His vocabulary. Whatever needs to be done, He can do. He cannot fail, or He would not be God. He is a God who is loving, faithful, merciful, filled with grace and willing to forgive and restore the fallen. While He cannot lie, sin or act contrary to His nature, He can do anything. And one day He will “make all things new.”

Who is like Him in knowledge? He is the “All Knowing One.” God is intuitive and infallible and knows Himself and all other beings and events. Past, present, and future are an open book to Him. He sees, knows and understands everything from beginning through eternity.

Our God is incomparable because God is God. No one will ever judge Him because He is above all and in all. At the same time “He stoops down” - or, actually humbles himself - “to look down on the heavens and the earth.”

From the moment we are born, and He looks into our crib until the moment we die and enter His presence, our gracious God is forever with us. Who, indeed, is like Him?

Prayer: We thank You, Heavenly Father, that You are Who You are, yet love us in spite of our sins and failures. We are grateful that You “stoop down” to see us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: – Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? Psalm 113:5-6

Finding Faith

QUESTION: Which has the strongest position in your life - faith or fear?

God never promised Christians freedom from fear or immunity from trouble. Nor are we assured that every day will be filled with sunshine and smiling flowers. But He did promise His presence and power.

Unfortunately, it is our thoughts of terrible things that bring us worry and fear.

We often think about our past: our failures and flaws. Or we think about the future: the “might” happens or the “surely” will occur.

When we confess our shortcomings of the past, God forgives them and forgets them. And if we allow Him, He can and will turn them into triumphs and our setbacks into successes.

But what of the future? We must commit it to our God because He is in control of tomorrow. Fate and circumstances are not! He can turn what we see as obstacles to opportunities and what threatens us into triumphs.

Sir Henry Lauder was an internationally known Scottish entertainer. He visited many hospitals where the wounded were recovering. One day he received news that his son had been killed in combat. He turned to a friend and said, “At a time like this a man can turn to many things that could destroy him. I will turn to Christ.”

The Psalmist said, “He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure; he will have no fear...”

Prayer: Give us, Lord, the peace of Your presence and the guarantee of Your guidance in uncertain times. Hold our hands and teach us to walk in faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: – They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. Psalm 112: 7-8

New Beginnings

“There’s nothing left for me. I’ve made such a mess out of my life that I have nothing to look forward to. And the tragedy of it all is that things looked great for so many years. Now, when I look into the future all I see is gloom and darkness. Where can I find anything to look forward to?” he asked.

“There is an answer - I can assure you of that,” I said. Turning to Psalm 112:4, I read, “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright.”

God will always provide His Light for those who seek it. No matter how far we have fallen or how little hope we may have, God can take the bitterness of defeat and despair and turn them into stepping-stones of success. When we willingly face and acknowledge our faults and shortcomings, ask for and accept His forgiveness and surrender our lives to Him, He will bring victory out of defeat.

Consider the story of Peter. When someone asked if He was a follower of Jesus, he lied, saying, “I am not!” A few moments before His denial he attempted to protect Jesus with his sword. And there was Mark - the author of the second book of the New Testament. He started as a strong believer completely trusting the message of Jesus. Suddenly, things grew boring, and the excitement evaporated. So, he gave up the “call” and quit.

But despite their failures, He did not give up on them. And neither will He give up on us. He forgave them, as He will us, and bring His light back into our lives.

Prayer: Help us, Father, to understand that “failure is not final” because Your grace provides a new beginning. Teach us to begin again and rise when we fall. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: – Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Psalm 112:4