Seeds Of Hope Daily Devotionals

Living The Word

“Papa, what do you want more than anything else in the entire world?” asked my grandson, Keller.

We had been watching a commercial on his hand-held tablet during a football game, and he hadn’t blinked once during the entire advertisement. My first thought was that he wanted to know what was important to me. But, suddenly, the words of Jesus came to my mind: “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

“Well, Keller,” I said, “most of all I want to be like Jesus, and then I’d also like to be the best Papa I can be. That’s very important to me, and other than being like Jesus, I want to be a good example for you.”

Not long ago, I read a story of a man in a foreign country who wanted to “Be like Jesus.” So, he decided to memorize the New Testament and made it through the Beatitudes. One day, he ran into the missionary who led him to the Lord and baptized him. Immediately, he told him about his goal and began reciting the Beatitudes. After he heard him recite them, he said, “Good. Now put them into practice.”

A few weeks later, he met the missionary again and said, “You know I tried doing what you said, and it didn’t work out. I got confused. So, I started over with just the first one, and it worked better. Now I’m working on the second. I want to live what I know.”

Knowing the Bible is one thing. Living it is very different. The Psalmist said, “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees.”

Prayer: Lord, help us to keep it simple but steady as we grow into the likeness of Your Son, our Savior. Teach us to walk one step at a time in strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees. Psalm 119:5

Constant Compliance

“I give up!” he shouted as loudly as he could.

Turning from my computer to the door of my office, I saw a student who had been struggling to live a godly life. He was faithful in reading and studying his Bible, had a solid prayer life, and did well in his classes. I was puzzled by his comment.

“What are you giving up?” I asked.

“Well, I was reading Psalm 119:3 and I just gave up. That verse is beyond the reach of everyone. I can’t imagine who he is referring to – ‘They do no wrong but follow His ways.’ I do my best to follow His way but I still do wrong from time to time. I must not be a Christian.”

“Why don’t you sit where I am sitting and type this paragraph from this commentary? I need it for a class I’m teaching,” I asked.

He sat and began to type the long paragraph. It was not long before he finished, and we went to the “spell checker” to see how well he had done.

“Oops – there’s a mistake,” I said. “Oh my – there’s another. I wonder,” I asked, “if you made two mistakes does that mean you do not know how to spell?”

“Of course not,” came the reply. “I know how to spell. I just made two small mistakes that I didn’t mean to make. But, that doesn’t mean I can’t spell.”

“Well,” I said, “it’s also possible for one who is a Christian to commit an incidental sin from time to time and still remain a Christian. Besides, our God will forgive.”

Prayer: Our Father, help us to keep focused on You and to follow Your ways. But if we fail, please forgive us. Then, would You help us to forgive ourselves? In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: They do no wrong but follow His ways. Psalm 119:3

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Going In Circles?

A big black lab was watching a little poodle chase its tail around and around. When it finally stopped to catch its breath, the lab asked, “Why are you chasing your tail?”

After a brief pause, the poodle replied, “I have been told that happiness is in my tail. So, as soon as I catch my tail, I’ll be happy.”

After a moment’s thought the big lab scratched its ear, looked at the poor poodle that was still panting and said, “I, too, know that happiness is in my tail. And, when I chase it, it also keeps running away from me. But when I go about my business, it comes along with me.”

Psalm 119:2 contains a description of the “business” of the Christian: “Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart.”

This brief statement provides a “job description” for Christians who want God’s blessings. If we want God’s blessings, we must be obedient - or “comply” - to His laws. If we are serious about knowing these “laws,” we will study His Word and seek His truth and follow the teachings we find throughout Scripture. Perhaps the biggest issue for Christians is not the laws or requirements of God that we do not know, but the laws or requirements of God that we know but do not follow or keep.

The Psalmist then addressed the issue of motivation. We are to seek Him “with all of our hearts.” Here we find the Psalmist addressing our attitude – or, what motivates us. If our “heart” is right, our lives will be right. More than anything else, our heart is responsible for the way we live.

Prayer: We ask, Father, that Your Spirit trouble our hearts until we fill them with and live by Your laws. Give us the desire to seek You with our whole hearts. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: – Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart. Psalm 119:2

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Here's Happiness!

“You’re the happiest person I know, Bill. Why are you not only happy, but happy all the time?” asked Marie.

“Well, I wasn’t like this all the time. In fact, I’ve even considered suicide very seriously a time or two, to be honest with you. But, one day I decided to study happiness as a science and discovered how to be happy whether I’m happy or not. But, after all is said and done, it’s a choice.” Then, after he thought for moment he added, “You know, Abe Lincoln had it right. He said, ‘Most people are about as happy as they want to be.’ So, I guess there must have been a day when I just decided to be happy.”

But, the Bible has a different source for being happy. The Psalmist under the inspiration of God wrote, “Blessed - or happy - are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.” There it is: God’s promise for our happiness! Simple, indeed. But it is not very easy!

In the center of the verse are the words, “whose ways” or more precisely, “who follow the instructions of the Lord.”

“Following the ways” of the Lord is to come first in the life of anyone who wants to be blessed or who wants true happiness. His ways are the ways to happiness!

Shortly after being discharged from the military, a soldier was being interviewed for a job. “What did you do in the service?” asked the interviewer. With no hesitation he answered, “I did as I was told!” Can Christians do less?

Prayer: Lord, teach us to seek happiness in ways that lead us to You rather than from You. Help us to maintain our integrity as we walk in Your ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: – Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Psalm 119:1

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I Didn't Really Mean It

Marcie stood before her Dad looking at her favorite toy car. Suddenly she jumped up in his lap and said, “You know, Daddy, this is my favorite toy. But I want you to have it.”

Surprised, he asked, “Why, I know that you love this little car. Why are you giving it to me?”

“Because I love you,” was her reply.

A few moments later she climbed back into his lap and said, “Daddy, I want my car back. I guess I didn’t love you as much as I thought I did,” and took her car back.

Many Christians have the same attitude toward God. We give ourselves to Him and then realize that it’s going to bring about changes in our lives that we did not realize. So, we take back our “gift.”

In Psalm 118 we read of a “festal” procession with people going “up to the horns of the altar.” The people in this procession are taking a sacrifice to God. This is not unusual because throughout the Bible people take many different sacrifices to God. In this verse, however, the people in the procession are required to take their “bough” in their hands - their sacrifice - and “bind” it to the altar. Once the sacrifice was bound to the altar, it could not be taken back!

Paul wrote, “Give your bodies to God and let them be a living sacrifice.” The sacrifice he writes of in this verse is not for our sin but for our salvation. When we accept His salvation, He expects us to willingly “bind” ourselves to Him in loving service.

Prayer: Convict us, Lord, to become “willing” sacrifices and abandon ourselves in service to You forever. Only when we leave our ALL on the altar have we really given ourselves to you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: – With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. -Psalm 118:27b

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