Nate's Daily Devotionals (old)

v1) David is pleading with God to hear his prayers His desperation show how much dependency he has and how hard he is struggling at this time v3-4) David shows that what is on his mind is the stresses of being a king His enemies and their anger have tempted him in many ways and have brought him great anxiety and anguish v5) David is terrified because of his enemies and of what they may do to him He is "trembling" and the incredibly fearful v6) If David had wings he would abandon this and "fly away" like a dove His impulse is to flee the trouble and pain and to go elsewhere Is this how I approach anxiety and troubles in my life? v7-8) In David's case, fleeing would look like abandoning his position as king and letting someone else assume the stress he is under However, Christ has given him his position, and so there is no shelter apart from God We must continue to trust in him In fact, anywhere that isn't with God, is a p...

v1) David's most basic prayer: Save me, O God In fact, David leaves his vindication and his salvation up to the hands of God v4) God is the one who sustains me I am not the one who sustains myself - not my works, or my efforts - It is Christ who sustains me v5) Evil actually has a self-destructive tendency In killing Christ, he has actually defeated himself As such, we can now have a free life when we let go and trust in God v6) This reassurance is repeated God has delivered me from my foes He already knows what I'm going to face and as a result, already has planned out the best possible outcome for my soul - I just need to trust it Prayer: Dear heavenly father, I know that you have defeated evil. On the cross, and at the resurrection you showed that you defeated not only evil but death also. Deep in my heart, I know I struggle to believe it, and I get so tempted to fix and do everything on my own - only to be disappointed. I praise and wors...

v1-4) There is no one who is righteous, no one who deserves to be saved - not one God looks down on the earth to see if there is anyone who seek Him and understand perfectly However, we have all turned away and become corrupt v5) As God's people, why are we still in great terror when there is nothing to be terrified of? This is an attitude that something is sure to go wrong even though we have no reason to believe it will It  reflects a lack of faith and trust that God will provide v6) God promises he will restore the fortunes for his people Why do I not trust that God will remain faithful even if things go wrong ? Prayer: Lord, I'm so often forgetful of what you've done for me on the cross. You have defeated sin and condemnation and death, so that I might be assured of my salvation through Christ. While there may be difficult and unknown times on this earth, would you remind me daily of your cross and fill my heart with faith and devotion to you....

v5) God's judgement and power is demonstrated here and it shows what he is capable of doing Do I fear God enough? v7) Those who trust in great wealth and success at the expense of others will face judgement and downfall v8-9) Success due to pride and ruthlessness never lasts However, to trust in God's steadfast, gracious love and to know him in prayer  and be rooted in a community of believers is how to last Prayer: Dear heavenly father, teach my heart that the only safety and protection is in you. As I rely on my own power and ability, humble me to know that I can do nothing without you Lord. Give me the courage and ability to warn all my brothers and sisters who are living as if they don't need you. Use me to speak your word of unfailing love. In your Sons name, Amen

v17: We are to come to Christ like children Children depend heavily on their parents in order to keep them safe - so we are also to trust that God will provide us with everything that we will need We must also believe and have faith that everything that God wills in our lives is for our benefit A parent will not make his child do something if they know it will hurt them or make them suffer - since they love them. Similarly God loves us the same way v22: There is an inherit link between worldly riches (literally) and our faith When we are selfish with our finances, we are similarly selfish in our hearts Jesus tells the rich man to give all his money away to the poor and he will have riches in heaven, but he struggles greatly with this v24: It is difficult to go to heaven being a rich man as often we believe that we already have everything and are satisfied with the things in this world Similarly, to be saved, we must first acknowledge that we are in need of a savio...

Jeremiah 2:9-13 Jeremiah record's God's response to his people's rebellion God people are condemned on 2 accounts They turned away from the "fountain of living waters" They tried to make life work on their own terms, even though their attempt was futile Why do I look for things of this earth to satisfy my soul? We were created to be dependent on God, but we want independence Being a Christian doesn't mean we've found the easy ticket to life. No, it means carrying a cross and taking the nails 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 Sexual sin is idolatry! Unrestrained sexual behaviour is what pagans do! Our involvement in sexual sin is fundamentally rebellion against him Pagans are those who rejected God and give themselves over to their sexual appetites We fail to live in the fulness of life offered to us by Jesus because we have chosen a false god to worship Application Do I solely rely on Christ to satisfy my soul? or am I looking for other thi...

v1-8: We are called to pray earnestly and consistently and to not lose heart If God has rescued us from our suffering and injustice in this world, then will he be patient as he sees his children suffer? - of course not! When Jesus returns, he will be looking for those who are persistent as well as those who are praying and watchful of Him v9-14: We shouldn't be like the Pharisees who beat their chest in their own righteousness and treated others with contempt Rather than thanking God for what God has done for him, the Pharisee arrogantly brags to God about his own moral purity - why am I so often self-righteous in my own deeds, comparing myself to others? There is great contrast between the tax collector and the Pharisee The tax collector depended on God's mercy and not his own merits and efforts (because he had failed in that regard) and as a result received God's gift of righteousness  and was pronounced justified Application: Am I praying and dependi...

v1-4: We are sure to face temptations, however this doesn't give us an excuse to cause others to sin (by tempting them) If someone sins against me, we are to rebuke them (as this is truly loving them) If they repent, then we are called to forgive them - no matter how many times they sin against us v5: Even a very small amount of faith, if it is genuine trust in God, can lead to remarkable results The issue is not the size of the faith, but the its presence v7-10: Jesus illustrates that we are actually very unfaithful servants God owes us nothing, but we owe God everything - including our lives v23-24: Jesus returning will not be something that is hidden, it will be something that is visible and noticeable by all It will be unmistakable and sudden as lightning - all will see it v33: We must be ready to die to our sins; give up our old lives completely and accept the new life that Christ offers If we cling onto our old lives, we will end up losin...

v10) "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.  It doesn't matter how much God has given us, the fact remains that it is his and not ours As a result, even the little things he's given us, we should be faithful with and use to glorify God and not ourselves   v11) If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?   If we can't even be trusted with the small riches on this Earth then what makes us believe we're ready and deserving of heavenly riches Also a reminder that wealth on this Earth is 'unrighteous' and to instead store up treasures in heaven which are the true riches v13) No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. Y ou cannot serve God and money."   How we act and what we do is a signal of where our hearts ...

v7 - 10) Heaven is rejoicing when we repent Jesus tells us that when we repent and accept Christ as the saviour we need, heaven is rejoicing This is greater than 99 men who need no repentance Coming to Christ and repenting  is truly  a celebration v19) A glimpse at what we are like when we come to Christ with nothing in our hands Just as the prodigal son returning to the father with nothing, we too come to God in utter desperation and with absolutely nothing we could do to earn his favour Because of our sin, we are no longer worthy at all to be called his sons v22-24) But by God's grace, he treats us as family because of Christ and accepts us with loving and inviting arms Amazing that Christ redeems us despite all our shortcomings Not only are we accepted back,  but we are treated as royalty, with "the best robe"  We were lost and dead - but because of Christ we are now found and alive again v28) However, sometimes when we don't think people w...

v11) Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted Jesus shows the Pharisees that we must humble ourselves and not be proud or boastful in ourselves, otherwise God will humble ourselves How many times have I been prideful about my own abilities - thinking that I deserve the glory and not God? v13-14) We will be repaid with the riches of righteousness Jesus reminds us that when we serve the needy out of a heart of love - we will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (when Jesus returns) v25-33) Be ready to give up everything  to follow Christ If we value and place anything above Christ we cannot claim to fully and solely love Christ whole-heartedly Jesus warns us that if we love family, relationships and literally anything more than God, we do not truly love Christ Before we commit to Christ, we must count and be fully aware of what it will cost to fully follow Jesus It isn't good enough to only give half of our...

Acts 21:27 - 23:11 if Christianity is a hoax then it would be a very tragic joke the only reason I believe in the Word of God, is because Jesus resurrected It is what we bank our hopes on context By Like for Thofephilis to convince him that Christianity is not a hoax Look at the beginning of Luke 21:26-30 Paul is in serious trouble he is close to being beaten to death since he brought a gentile to the Jewish temple 21:31-36 Paul is so close to being lynched by the angry mob the Roman commander saves and takes him to the barracks 21:39 Paul asks for a favour it's a weird favour - he asks to speak to the people that are trying to kill him Roman commander has an opportunity to see what's going on 21:40-22:13 Paul speaks in the crowds native language Paul tells them his testimony He too lived a life as a Pharisee and a zealous Jew Paul says how he encountered God and the risen Lord Jesus Event confirmed by his companion nothing he says enrages the Jews  22:17-22 But when Paul says ...