Jesus Calling Nov 30th

Fall Apart - Josh Wilson

You can't go through life without problems, it's just not possible. They are everywhere in this lost world. When you come across a problem, many people try to fix it on their own. That is not the way to go. It becomes a habit for many people, and we need to break that habit. Go straight to God when something problematic comes up in your day. 

He is your best friend, just vent to Him. Tell Him everything. Trying to fix things yourself puts you in a twist and you forget about God. You can't fix anything on your own. He knows the outcome of the situation, so why would you not go to Him first?

Just like everything else, it is all a matter of trust. Once you get the hang of it, you will see your problems just disappearing.

Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

    I will advise you and watch over you.

Luke 10:41-42 (NLT)

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Philippians 3:20-21 (NLT)

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

Jesus Calling Nov 29th

Psalm 136:1, 26 (NLT)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.

His faithful love endures forever.

Sit still. Be thankful. Feel His Presence. Know He is with you always. Let Him put plant Peace within you. Let the Peace grow and fill you up. Open yourself up to His blessings. He knows your needs, let Him in. He is showing you your needs along the path you are on. He puts you in places so that you will realize how little strength you have compared to Him and what your weaknesses are so that you can work on them. You have to realize that your strength comes from Him and you have to keep holding on. Think about what your weaknesses are that you struggle with daily. Pray about them and ask God to show you the way and to help you hold on. He is pulling you closer to Him always, just let Him in and let Him help you. Trust.

Isaiah 58:11 (NLT)

The Lord will guide you continually,

    giving you water when you are dry

    and restoring your strength.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

    like an ever-flowing spring.

Isaiah 40:11 (NLT)

He will feed his flock like a shepherd.

    He will carry the lambs in his arms,

holding them close to his heart.

    He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

Jesus Calling Nov 28th

Furious - Jeremy Riddle
How He Loves - David Crowder

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Relax by knowing how much He Loves you. Let that thought and His Love just fill you up so that you may just let your body, mind, and spirit go into His arms. Stop worrying. Worrying isn't going to make things any better. Let go of your worries, give them to God for He knows what to do. Worrying takes your focus off of God and thats not right. So refocus yourself on Him. Be aware and amazed by the unending dimensions of HIs Love. "His Love is deep, His Love is wide, and it covers us. His Love is fierce, His Love is strong, it is furious. His Love is sweet, His Love is wild, and it's waking hearts to life." Praise Him, for He Loves you unconditionally and without end!

Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT)

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Psalm 107:21-22 (NLT)

Let them praise the Lord for his great love

    and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving

    and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

Jesus Calling Nov 27th

Give Me Your Eyes - Brandon Heath

This time of year is a special time with Thanksgiving and Christmas; I know there are lost loved ones and it can be a rough time, but this is a time to be thankful for what you do have. Thank God for the time you had with them instead of being sad that they aren't here with you anymore. Thank Him that you even knew them and for how they affected your life. 

Be thankful about everything so that you can continue to communicate with Him, don't let things bring you down. The more you thank Him, the more you will see clearly what He sees. Being thankful brings so many blessings and miracles. He made you to be thankful always and keep your eyes on Him! Praise Him for all the blessings you receive from Him! It is a glorious day that the Lord has made!

Colossians 3:15 (NLT)

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Revelation 19:3-6 (NLT)

And again their voices rang out:

“Praise the Lord!

The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!”

Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”

And from the throne came a voice that said,

“Praise our God,

all his servants,

all who fear him,

from the least to the greatest.”

Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder:

“Praise the Lord!

For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

Jesus Calling Nov 25th

Don't Give Up - Calling Glory

Today's devotion was pretty powerful to me. It talks about being thankful always and learning to pray more continually. Some days I do well with that, others I just forget because I am unfocused and I let the world get to me. Being thankful for everything all the time will help you to pray more often. This is something I think we all have room to improve on. It's about that constant communication with God that gets you through things. You have to make that connection and keep it going to help keep yourself away from wildly sins. Everyone has their weaknesses and you have to identify those and tell yourself up front to just stop. Then hold onto God's hand and don't let go, Don't let the evil one unravel that connection and pull you down. The evil one is very tempting and knows how to get to you. So just remember to pray and thank God all the time for what you have so that you will always be connected with Him, making it much more difficult for the evil one to get to you with his temptations. God can't always do all of the work, we have to do our share in trusting, praying, constant communication, and holding on. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

James 4:8 (NLT)

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

Romans 15:13 (NLT)

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thanksgiving Day!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope and pray that you are able to spend it with your families and those closest to you. What are you thankful for?

I cannot even begin to explain how thankful I am for my family, especially in this point in my life. Going to college and that whole step of "growing up" has helped my relationship with my family, especially my mom. There has been this whole transformation in my relationship with her, not only because I understand now, but because of many prayers, and fights we've fought against each other in the past, and now together against struggles in our life. I remember how there was some tension in the past, but that is all gone now, and I praise the Lord for that each and everyday! I love her so much, and am very thankful for her and for all that she has done for me in the past and now, especially on this day of thanksgiving that the Lord has given us. 

The devotion in "Jesus Calling" today, is sort of a continuation of yesterday's talking about thankfulness. Having a thankful attitude in all situations can change your view on what is going on. It will help you to see what is good and righteous in your life and what you need to get rid of. It will let you taste what Heaven will be like. Being thankful is a way of communicating love with God and with others around you. Although actions most often speak louder than words, a simple thank you to someone such as a janitor or bus driver shows that you care. 

I challenge you to notice the often unnoticed people, thank them for what they do and say something along the lines of "I hope you have a wonderful day!"

Being thankful to God is a way of praising Him and showing Him your gratitude for what He has provided and will provide for you. Be thankful in all you do!

Colossians 4:2 (NLT)

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NLT)

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,

    and there are no grapes on the vines;

even though the olive crop fails,

    and the fields lie empty and barren;

even though the flocks die in the fields,

    and the cattle barns are empty,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord!

    I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

Psalm 46:1 (NLT)

God is our refuge and strength,

    always ready to help in times of trouble.

Jesus Calling Nov 21st

All Things Possible - Mark Shultz

Today's devotion is kind of an extension of yesterday's. It talks about how we should be thankful about everything. Most importantly thankful for His Peace and Presence. That is how He comforts people. And the way to receive those gifts even more in their fullness, is to thank God for them all the time.

We can never spend too much time begin thankful and praising God. That is one of our number one purposes here is to praise Him for all of His greatness. That keeps you in a good relationship with Him, and it keeps the blessing flowing.

Luke 24:36 (NLT)

And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.

Matthew 28:20 (NLT)

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Hebrews 13:15 (NLT)

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.