To prevent the frustration of falling behind, which most of us tend to do when following a Bible reading plan, each month of this plan gives you only twenty-five readings. Today we start a few “free days” . We encourage you to catch up on any readings you may have missed this month.
If you have finished the month’s readings, you can use these final days of the month to study the passages that challenged or intrigued you.
Daily Devotion
PRESS ON
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 KJV
“So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:4 NLT
“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 NLT
On Sunday we sang about the promises of God, how He’s a covenant keeping God, and that He is not finished with writing our story. As long as we remain in this world, life is going to happen. We look forward to all of the good things each day has to offer; unfortunately, some of the poor things in life can’t easily be avoided. Once we decided to step out in faith through obedience to the Word of God and followed the plan of salvation, we were grafted into His Kingdom and have become apart of His covenant people. We now have a mission to go forth and preach the gospel. However, as we continue to live for the Lord, we are not exempt from all suffering. BUT He promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us. That we wouldn’t go through anything that we cannot handle.
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT
Remember His promises! Remember that He is faithful. That He is good and His mercy endures forever. Keep your eyes on Him!
“Yet I still dare to HOPE when I remember this:” Lamentations 3:21 NLT
What is “this”?
- The Lord’s love never ends
- His mercies never cease
- Because of His love, we are not consumed
- He is compassionate
- His mercies are new every morning.
THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR MERCY!
- He is good to those who wait (or depend) on Him and to those who seek Him.
As you press through life’s ups and downs, God is able to show compassion and mercy. As you keep your eyes on Him, He is able to work things out His way which is far greater than our own ways.
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” Ephesians 3:20 KJV
What great thing you think He can do, He actually can do greater.
In Jeremiah 18, we read about the potter’s house. The potter had a jar that didn’t turn out the way he hoped. So what did he do? He crushed it into a lump of clay and had to start over. In this context, God was referring to Israel. He told Jeremiah that He would uproot the nation if they didn’t renounce their evil ways. The children of Israel were scattered but God promised restoration. He was still willing to regather them EVEN after they had sinned against Him.
For us, I believe that we too feel crushed and broken and we feel like a lump of clay; worthless. But that’s not where the story ends. The potter was just starting over. God is able to use that lump of clay because it’s moldable and now has the ability to be made into something better than it was.
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6 KJV
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”Romans 8:18 KJV
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” 1 Peter 5:10 KJV
We’re standing on His promises. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. What He has said, He will do. And He is not finished yet.
Sometimes it’s going to take a fresh start, a clean slate, a bit of discomfort, and a whole lot of pressing but eventually, the resulting product will be beautiful and worthy of being used for the glory of God. So press on Lord! Press on people of God. You are in the hands of the Potter. Everything will be all right.
~Christina DeSagun