Devotionals

When Danger Assails by Neville Buchanan

What do you do when confronted by all kinds of problems? In Psalm 93 the psalmist recalibrates his faith. Through eyes of faith, he reaffirms that God is on His throne. Psalm 93:1 (ESV) The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

We do the same when we check the weather and traffic before heading out. Similarly, before every road trip, I can clearly remember my Dad checking the car. He would make sure the gas, battery acid, tires, radiator water, and oil were all “topped up”. Only then would he venture onto the Highway with his family.

One day the King of Syria was greatly troubled because Elisha warned the King of Israel of his every move (2 Kings 6:12). So, he sent an army to annihilate Elisha. Elisha’s servant panicked when he saw this. But Elisha’s response was “those who are with us are more than those who are with them”. He prayed that God would open the man’s eyes. Immediately he saw that “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).

Friend, take a moment and surround yourself with silence. When you can hear your breath, lift your eyes to heaven and you too will see.

Doers of the Word by Paul Watts

One of my enjoyments in this life is getting outdoors to see God’s creation.  As such, I was fortunate recently to visit Niagara Falls again.  There is something about seeing 600,000 gallons of water falling every second from a height of 18 stories.  The turbulence of this amount of water falling at that distance creates strong currents at the foot of the falls.  Amazingly at a short distance away, the water is calmer and shows little effect from the force of the falls.

Is this how we are with God’s message each time we hear it?  Are we moved by the message for only a short time during the week until there is little or no impact in our lives as we get further away from Worship service?  In James 1:22, we are told to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  Don’t let God’s message dissipate during the week; being a true follower of Christ is not
something we should do part of the time.

The Best Is Yet To Come by Andrew Ellis

Whether some realize it or not, the amenities that are available in the world today have never been better. Transportation options, medical care, entertainment options, etc. will continue to improve as the years go on. While some things in this world can be great, it can be easy to get caught up in what this world has to offer. It is important for us to realize that the best is yet to come:

1 Corinthians 2:6-10 says, “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”

What God has to offer is superior to anything this world will ever offer. Each of us has an opportunity to obtain what God has prepared for us. It is important for us to not only keep God’s commandments, but to show our love for Him through our everyday actions. When we experience good things in this world, remember this, the best is yet to come.

No Signal? By Steve Proctor

Ft. Hill seems to have a magical anti-radio wave force field than can only be broken by the strongest of HAM radio signals.  Since there wasn’t a HAM radio to be found I have to say that it was a little strange, and a lot relaxing, this past weekend to be cut off from the world.

Being cut off from the world is not a bad thing. Honestly, we need to be cut off more often.

We are constantly bombarded with negativity.  We have created a sluice that directs the worst of the world directly into our minds.  To be fair, good stuff comes in occasionally but by and large our news-feeds are dictated by the “If it bleeds, it leads” mindset.

Negativity is contagious, and we are subjected to it since our news-feeds have almost constant access to our minds.  It wouldn’t hurt to occasionally cut off that access.  Put down the phone, turn off the TV, close the laptop, and stop the flow of negativity. Remember that what goes in, comes out.

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”