A Light for My Path

Your Loving Father

Ann Shorb — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:54:37 +0000

A Light for My Path is a ministry of Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Volume 365

This devotional can be read online at www.ccesonline.com/devotionals/

PSALM 103:13 (NIV)
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

This being Father’s Day weekend, there will be a lot of families gathering to honor Dads, young and old, and to spend time together. Many others who can’t actually be together will connect by phone, texts, emails, and cards. What a joyous occasion when there’s a loving Dad in a home to be honored and respected!

For a lot of families, though, there is no dad present, no one to look up to, no one to emulate. Death, separation, and divorce take a sad toll on many families. Business travel, military service and ministry obligations can also keep families from celebrating together, but if the hearts of the father and his children are connected, the miles don’t really keep them apart. In contrast, physical and mental illnesses, neglect, selfishness, addictions, and other obstacles can remove a dad from his family even though his body may still be physically present in the home.

Thankfully, there is a loving Heavenly Father whose arms are open to all, regardless of your earthly family situation. And those who have accepted Christ as Savior have the privilege of developing a deep, intimate relationship with this incredible Father who always does what is best for His children.

Author Jerry Bridges in The Gospel for Real Life points out five fatherly responsibilities that God extends to each of His children:

God provides for you (Philippians 4:19).

God protects you (Matthew 10:29-31).

God encourages you (Psalm 10:17).

God comforts you (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

God disciplines you (Hebrews 12:10).

What a comfort to know that He will never leave you, nor forsake you! His arms are always open to hold you close, and His ears are always ready to listen. He constantly sees where you are, He knows all your concerns, and He cares about every detail of your life. With all that in mind, we should celebrate Father’s Day every day and seek to live for and honor Him!

By Ann Shorb

Prayer: Beloved Father, truly we are blessed beyond measure by your love.

Words to Ponder: “None of you can ever be proud enough of being the child of SUCH a Father who has not his equal in this world—so great, so good, so faultless. Try, all of you, to follow in his footsteps and don’t be discouraged, for to be really in everything like him none of you, I am sure, will ever be. Try, therefore, to be like him in some points, and you will have acquired a great deal.”
–Victoria, Queen of England

Read Related Devotionals:

FREE COMPUTER WALLPAPER!

Find beautiful wallpaper with scripture to place on your computer monitor at our wallpaper page. It’s simple to use. Just select a photo, right click on the picture and choose “set as background.” Then enjoy the beauty of nature and the blessing of God’s Word each time you turn on your computer!

Please Tell a Friend

Would you take just a moment to prayerfully consider sending this to two friends who might be blessed by what we’ve shared today? You can simply forward this message or visit our Tell A Friend page to email a friend from our website! The form can be found at: www.alightformypath.com/tellafriend.htm.

If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.ccesonline.com.

The Comforter, Part III

Ann Shorb — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 12:47:41 +0000

A Light for My Path is a ministry of Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Volume 365

This devotional can be read online at www.ccesonline.com/devotionals/

JOHN 6:63 (NKJV)
It is the Spirit who gives life . . .

As we consider the question, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” we see through Scripture that He is the Comforter whom the Lord Jesus Christ promised to send to abide with His followers. In addition, we discover that the Holy Spirit truly is a person because He does the things only a person can do, and because Christ spoke of this Him as a person; however, I believe the most unique factor about the Holy Spirit is that He is also the third person of the Holy Trinity. He is God.

In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is called God, and we see that He is one with and equal to God the Father and God the Son. He has the attributes of God—He is eternal, omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere present), and He is holy.

This amazing Spirit does the things that only God can do such as creating, inspiring the writers of the Holy Scriptures, and distributing spiritual gifts to all believers. He gives life and He raises people from the dead.

In the life of Christ, we see that He:

was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke1:35).
was anointed with the Holy Spirit, (Acts 10:38)
received the Spirit without measure (John 3:34)
taught in the power of the Spirit (John 6:63)
was enabled to die by the Spirit (Heb. 9:14)
was raised from the dead by the Spirit (I Pet. 3:18)

Our God is so amazing and so unique! Unlike all other gods, He is a living God. And He is three persons in one, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, who gives to us all we need for every need. Now that is comfort!

Prayer: Lord, I can’t understand all there is about Your Holy Spirit and who He is. Your greatness is too wonderful for me!

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright, Ann Shorb, 2013

FREE COMPUTER WALLPAPER!

Please Tell a Friend

If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.ccesonline.com.

The Starfish Story – Making a Difference

Ann Shorb — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 12:10:17 +0000

A Light for My Path is a ministry of Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Volume 365

This devotional can be read online at www.ccesonline.com/devotionals/

ROMANS 5:6-9 (NKJV)
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

JOHN 19:30 (NKJV)
Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished . . . He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Some stories are just too good to keep to myself. Here’s one that I hope will encourage and inspire you.

The Starfish Story

There was once a wise man that used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

He was walking along the shore one day when he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself as he didn’t think anybody would dance on the beach at this time of the day. Hence, he began to walk faster to try and catch up with the person.

As he got closer, he saw that the person was a young man and he wasn’t dancing. Instead, he was reaching down to pick up something on the beach every now and then before throwing it into the ocean very gently.

When the wise man got closer, he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?”

The young man looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”

“Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”

“The sun is up and the tide is going down. If I don’t throw them in they’ll die.”

“There are miles and miles of beach and there are starfishes all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves.

He said, “It made a difference for that one.”

You can make a difference in your world! If you take just one step at a time, over a lifetime you will travel miles and miles!

–Copied, Original Source Unknown

Prayer: Father God, use me to make a difference in the lives of those around me. Touch them with Your love. Fill them with Your hope. Use them, then, to touch the lives of others—one by one.

Words to Ponder: “Let’s say you share your faith with two people tomorrow. The next day, each of those two people shares it with two others. Then the next day each of those two continues the chain . . . By the end of three weeks 3,145,728 people will have heart the faith story.”

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright, Ann Shorb, 2013

FREE COMPUTER WALLPAPER!

Please Tell a Friend

If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.ccesonline.com.

Goodness and Mercy Follow Me

Ann Shorb — Sat, 25 May 2013 12:56:36 +0000

A Light for My Path is a ministry of Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Volume 365

This devotional can be read online at www.ccesonline.com/devotionals/

PSALM 23:6 (NKJV)
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

It was late when I left the office. It was already dark, and my car was parked across the street and down the block. Normally, I don’t mind walking that distance to my car at night, but with a recent event that occurred in the neighborhood, I was hesitant to walk alone. Thankfully, Steve, our intern, was still there when I closed the office that evening. His car happened to be closer than mine, and he offered to drive me to my vehicle.

“How about just watching me as I go?” I said. He agreed so that’s what we did.

Steve pulled his car around to the front of the building just as I exited the front door. I crossed the street and proceeded up the block with his headlights slowly following me. It felt good to have those two lights behind me illuminating the way before me. I knew I was not alone and I felt safe every step of the way. My friend was close by and was looking out for me.

When he wrote Psalm 23, David knew just how I felt that night. He had the twin lights of goodness and mercy following him every step of his journey and he felt safe. His Shepherd was close by and was looking out for him. He did not walk alone.

How thankful I am that the same Good Shepherd that walked with David walks with me showing His goodness and mercy along the way.. That brings comfort in the dark night—and joy in the light of day.

Prayer: Tender Shepherd, Your goodness and Your mercy provide constant security for me as I journey through life. I rest in that knowledge and feel the warmth of Your care.

Words to Ponder: “Today we are afraid of simple words like goodness and mercy and kindness. We don’t believe in the good old words because we don’t believe in good old values anymore. And that’s why the world is sick.”
–Lyn Yutang, Chinese prolific writer and editor, 1895-1976

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright, Ann Shorb, 2013
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

FREE COMPUTER WALLPAPER!

Please Tell a Friend

If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.ccesonline.com.

The Comforter, Part II: Who is He?

Ann Shorb — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:57:59 +0000

A Light for My Path is a ministry of Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Volume 365

This devotional can be read online at www.ccesonline.com/devotionals/

Read The Comforter, Part I: Jesus’s Promise

JOHN 14:26-27 (KJV)
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Can you imagine what it was like to be one of the disciples when the Holy Spirit came up on them? Jesus, their beloved Master and Teacher, had gone back to Heaven to be with His Father. No doubt, confusion mingled with anticipation as these men awaited the coming of the Comforter He promised to send them. Then, while they were celebrating Pentecost, fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23), they heard the sound of a mighty rushing wind that filled the whole house. They saw what looked like tongues of fire that rested upon each one of them. Suddenly they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke with other languages they hadn’t even studied. In the days that followed, these Spirit-filled disciples preached and taught with power and boldness that they’d never known before, (Acts2). Thousands turned to Christ all because the Comforter had come. The excitement, the joy, and the thrill they experienced must have been beyond measure!

But who was this Comforter? He was, and is, the living Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, who dwells within the hearts and lives of all believers. He is not a power, a force, nor an influence. He is not an “it”; He is a person. He does things only a person can do (speaks, teaches, guides, etc.), and He exhibits the three primary personality characteristics: intellect (Luke 2:12), emotion (Romans 8:26), and reason (Ephesians 1:17).

Look back on the words Christ spoke to the disciples in John 16:7-13 when He promised He would send a Comforter to be with them. Thirteen times in those six verses the Lord used the personal pronouns “He” and “Him” in speaking of this One. Never did the Lord Jesus refer to the Spirits as “It.”

But, you may say, In Romans 8:16 and 26, the King James Version of the Bible says, “the Spirit itself”. Doesn’t that indicate that this Comforter was not really a person? No, because although the translators of the King James version of the Bible chose the term “itself”, in the original Greek manuscripts, “Himself” was the actual term that was written.

This indwelling Person whom the Lord sent to His followers works with compassion and conviction to conform us to the image of Christ. He is alive and active! Read through the Book of Acts and you’ll see that He was ever present with the believers. He empowered them, He directed them, He encouraged them, and He did miracles through them. Indeed, He is the true and living Person given to comfort, guide and change us. But He is more–He is assuredly the third Person of the Holy Trinity.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the person of the Holy Spirit that You give to all those who trust in You. It’s exciting to know that He indwells us and enables us to live for You.

Words to Ponder:
“Joys are flowing like a river,
Since the Comforter has come;
He abides with us forever,
Makes the trusting heart His home.

–from “Blessed Quietness” by Manie P. Ferguson

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright, Ann Shorb, 2013

Scripture taken from the King James Version of The Holy Bible.

FREE COMPUTER WALLPAPER!

Please Tell a Friend

If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.ccesonline.com.

In the Garden

Ann Shorb — Sat, 11 May 2013 13:24:51 +0000

A Light for My Path is a ministry of Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Volume 365

This devotional can be read online at www.ccesonline.com/devotionals/

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

II TIMOTHY 1:5-6 (NKJV)
I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

As the violinist softly played the familiar melody, the words to the hymn ran through my mind–“And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.” For a few moments, my mind left the sanctuary and the Sunday morning service where I sat, and I was transported back 15 years to a small town in Tennessee.

It was a hot July day as we filed past the open casket one last time. I stared briefly at my mother’s face knowing it would be the last time this side of Heaven that I’d see her. I was keenly aware of the melody that drifted through the room as the pianist played, “And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.”

“In the Garden” was a song my mother sang often. To this day, I never hear it without thinking of her and many fond memories of the person she was. We didn’t have a perfect relationship—that’s because we were two imperfect people—but in spite of the differences and sometimes annoyances between us, we enjoyed sweet times together and I learned so much from her. While my mother gave freely in many ways, the most precious gifts she ever gave me were her faith in God, and her love and reverence for His Word.

To all of you who are mothers, or are like a mother to someone, know that your influence counts. Seize your opportunity to live a godly life before those around you and to be an example to follow. This is a gift from the Lord that you can give to others. Indeed, it’s an investment in their lives and the lives of generations to come.

It’s been a long time since my mother went to be with the Lord. While I still miss her, I do not grieve because I know that she now enjoys even sweeter fellowship with Him than she did here on earth. How happy she must be in the presence of the Savior she loved and served! Who knows–she may even be singing that old familiar hymn–“And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know You today, because my mother was faithful in teaching me and training me in Your ways. Bless all Christian mothers on this Mother’s Day, and help them to be to their children what my mother was to me.

Words to Ponder: “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”
–Abraham Lincoln

Related Devotionals & Hymns:
My Mother’s Songs
He Is the Risen Christ
After the Resurrection
In the Garden

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright, Ann Shorb, 2013
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

FREE COMPUTER WALLPAPER!

Please Tell a Friend

If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.ccesonline.com.

The Comforter, Part I, Jesus’s Promise

Ann Shorb — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:19:02 +0000

A Light for My Path is a ministry of Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Volume 365

This devotional can be read online at www.ccesonline.com/devotionals/

ACTS 2:1-4 (NKJV)
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Jesus spoke truth to the disciples as they shared their Passover dinner in the upper room just hours before He was arrested, tried, and crucified. He tried to prepare them for what lay ahead, but their limited understanding kept the cloud of confusion swirling around their heads.

“I go to prepare a place for you,” He said. “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever . . . I will not leave you comfortless . . . the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” With these words and the promise of divine peace that would rest on them, Christ and the disciples left the upper chamber and walked through the vineyards toward the Garden of Gethsemane, (John 14).

As they walked in the moonlit hours of the evening, Christ challenged His beloved disciples to stay connected to Him, just as the branches in the vineyard were connected to the life giving vine. Then once more, He reminded them, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning, (John 15:26-27).

Then, in a strategic turn of events, Christ was betrayed, arrested, tried, and condemned to death by crucifixion. Praise God, Christ didn’t stay dead! Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus spoke one last time with His disciples, then He ascended back to Heaven. His disciples stood and watched Him go; then they waited in Jerusalem for the Spirit to come just as He told them to. When the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were amazed and empowered for they spoke in known languages which were previously unknown to them. The promise Christ gave them was fulfilled. His Spirit—the great Comforter—had come!

Frank Bottome captured the excitement of this event in the words of his song, “The Comforter Has Come!”

O spread the tidings ‘round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;
Let ev’ry Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!

REFRAIN:
The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from Heav’n, the Father’s promise giv’n;
O spread the tidings ‘round, wherever man is found–
The Comforter has come!

The long, long night is past; the morning breaks at last,
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!
REFRAIN

Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To ev’ry captive soul a full deliverance brings;
And thro’ the vacant cells the song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come!
REFRAIN

O boundless love divine! how shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine—
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!
The Comforter has come!
REFRAIN

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you have the indwelling Holy Spirit to comfort and guide you each step of life’s journey. Now that’s exciting!

Prayer: Gracious God, the gift of Your indwelling Holy Spirit is amazing! Thank You for the comfort and help He provides for me every day.

Words to Ponder: “If I think of the Spirit as an influence, I wonder how I can get hold of it. If I think of the Spirit as a person, my thought is how can He get hold of me?”
–R.A. Torrey

Related Hymn: The Comforter Has Come!

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright, Ann Shorb, 2013

FREE COMPUTER WALLPAPER!

Please Tell a Friend

If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.ccesonline.com.

A Beautiful Wounded Face

Ann Shorb — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:08:02 +0000

A Light for My Path is a ministry of Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Volume 365

This devotional can be read online at www.ccesonline.com/devotionals/

PSALMS 37:23 (NKJV)
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

When I saw my friend, my heart was sick. Her face was unbelievably black and blue. I’d heard that she fell again, but I didn’t realize that she hurt herself so badly. Now that she’s 90, she’s growing progressively more feeble, and her gait is wobbly. The thing that amazed me most when I saw her was that in spite of the many colors stretched across her face, she was smiling and a sparkle of joy filled her eyes. Truly her wounded face was beautiful.

Why is it that one person faces Life’s hardships and sinks into the pit of despair, while another may be overcome with tragedy and still be able to smile? What makes the difference? Primarily, it’s attitude . . . My friend has an attitude that accepts what happened and is determined to make the best of the situation. She admits she’s in pain and is frustrated by the whole situation. She acknowledges that life is getting harder and harder, but she doesn’t wallow in self-pity. Instead she accepts the help of others and treats them with respect for their kindness to her. She is grateful for the things she can still do and for the blessings she has. She chooses to focus on others and not on herself, and she finds her strength in the Lord.

It takes a determined effort to rise above grueling circumstances and to be able to smile in the face of adversity. God’s Word gives us some guidelines for being able to do that:

Fix your thoughts on the Lord, (Isaiah 26:3).
Know that He’ll never leave you, (Hebrews 13:5).
Picture Him beside you through every difficult moment, (Psalm 23:2).
Talk to Him freely and tell Him your cares and woes, (I Peter 5:7).
Remember His promises and cling to them tenaciously, (Psalm 119:50).
Recognize the blessings He sends your way and thank Him for them, (Psalm 68:19).
Praise to God for His faithfulness, (Psalm 89:1).
Accept the help and support of others, (James 5:14).

You never know what a day may bring; however, you can face any circumstance more easily if you do it in the strength of the Lord, turn your face toward Him, and renew your mind according to His Word. Then, even when your wounds are deep, your face can reflect His beauty.

Prayer: Lord, when the hard times hit, help me to remember to keep looking up!

Words to Ponder: “What lies behind you and what lies before you pales in significance when compared to what lies within you.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright, Ann Shorb, 2013

FREE COMPUTER WALLPAPER!

Please Tell a Friend

If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.ccesonline.com.

The Master Builder

Ann Shorb — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 12:04:03 +0000

A Light for My Path is a ministry of Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Volume 365

This devotional can be read online at www.ccesonline.com/devotionals/

PSALMS 37:23 (NKJV)
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.

I watch the little guy in my office playing with Legos and I notice how deliberately and carefully he places every block. There’s a design in his mind, but I cannot see that. I must simply watch and wait as he places block after block, brick after brick in order according to the plan that he alone envisions. Slowly, over time, the structure takes shape, and his plan becomes clearer and much more obvious. Ah! Finally his structure is formed and I see the tall tower with the castle by its side. The young builder smiles as he looks at his work and then at me for he knows he has done well.

Daily I watch as my loving heavenly Father works in my life. Although I cannot see His plan, I watch and wait as He deliberately and carefully intertwines the people, opportunities, and experiences that come my way. Although I may not see or understand the way He works, His Holy Word reminds me that I can trust Him because He is God and He is good–all the time.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV)
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

Isaiah 42:16 (NKJV)
I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil,
to give you a future and a hope.

II Timothy 1:9
GOD has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

These words give reassurance as His plan unfolds and I become aware of where He is leading. Ah! Finally I understand and I feel the warmth of His smile as The Master Builder delights in His work. As always, He has done well.

Prayer: Beloved Father, help me to trust You when the plan before me isn’t obvious and my understanding is limited.

Words to Ponder: “When you don’t understand, when you don’t see His plan, when you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.”
–Babbie Mason

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright, Ann Shorb, 2013

FREE COMPUTER WALLPAPER!

Please Tell a Friend

If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.ccesonline.com.

Ancient But Not Antiquated

Ann Shorb — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:36:54 +0000

A Light for My Path is a ministry of Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

Volume 365

This devotional can be read online at www.ccesonline.com/devotionals/

I PETER 1:24-25 (NKJV)
“All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Nearly every day new words crop up in the English language. Words like “deskorations” (small decorative items that are used to brighten a work cubicle) and “stresscalation” (when stress from one individual mounts up and passes on to others) are formed to describe new situations and items. And as surely as new words are created, old words are retired by less and less frequent use when they are no longer needed. As life changes, items become a thing of the past, and the words that name and describe them become antiquated. When was the last time you talked about your record player or a juke box? Words come and go according to their functionality.

Words also vary from area to area. Those frequently used and spoken in one area may be of no use in another. Although words vary from area to area, from era to era, from people to people, there is one set of divine, inspired words that never changes—The Word of God. The message it brings to us never changes.

ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
GOD LOVES YOU!
JESUS SAVES!
WHOSOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.

Although these words were written thousands of years ago, they remain as powerful as the day they were penned. God’s Word is ancient, old, and well used, but it stands the tests of time. It is not antiquated, out of date, irrelevant, nor obsolete. And the need for the Word of God will never diminish, never go out of style, nor ever expire because the needs of the human heart never change.

God’s Word is ancient but not antiquated. We do not need to replace it; we simply need to study it, to learn it, and to live it.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the eternal truth and power of Your Word.

Words to Ponder: “God has preserved His Word despite the unintentional failings and intentional attacks of human beings. We can have utmost confidence that the Bible we have today is the same Bible that was originally written. The Bible is God’s Word, and we can trust it (2 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 5:18).”
–from Got Questions.Org

By Ann Shorb
©Copyright, Ann Shorb, 2013
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

FREE COMPUTER WALLPAPER!

Please Tell a Friend

If you received this issue from a friend, you can join our list at www.ccesonline.com.