Oct Devotions

[Colleen Davis]

10/2/06 Each Day Matters

“You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God.” 1 Peter 2:9 God’s Word

Let’s spend a lifetime making our heavenly Father proud.

Use you uniqueness to do so. You exited the womb called. Don’t see yourself as a product of your parents’ DNA, but rather as a brand-new idea from heaven.

Make a big deal out of God. Become who you are for him! Has he not transferred you from a dull, death-destined life to a rich, heaven-bound adventure? Remember, “You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God.” And do so every day of your life.

With God, every day matters, every person counts.

And that includes you.

From “Cure for the Common Life” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/3/06 What Will You Bring

“If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right.” 1 John 1:9

In order for the cross of Christ to be the cross of your life, you and I need to bring something to the hill.

We have seen what Jesus brought. With scarred hands he offered forgiveness. Through torn skin he promised acceptance. He took the path to take us home. He wore our garment to give us his own. We have seen the gifts he brought.

Now we ask, what will we bring?....

Why don’t you start with your bad moments? Those bad habits? Leave them at the cross. Your selfish moods and white lies? Give them to God. Your binges and bigotries? God wants them all. Every flop, every failure. He wants every single one. Why? Because he know we can’t live with them

From “He Chose the Nails” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/4/06 Watch and Pray

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Mark 14:18 NIV

“Watch.” They don’t come any more practical than that. Watch. Stay alert. Keep your eyes open. When you see sin coming, duck. When you anticipate an awkward encounter, turn around. When you sense temptation, go the other way.

All Jesus is saying is “Pay attention.” You know your weaknesses. You also know the situations in which your weaknesses are most vulnerable. Stay out of those situations. Back seats. Late hours. Movie theaters. Whatever it is that gives Satan a foothold in your life, stay away from it. Watch out!

“Pray.” Prayer isn’t telling God anything new. There is not a sinner nor a saint who would surprise him. What prayer does is invite God to walk the shadowy pathways of life with us. Prayer is asking God to watch ahead for falling trees and tumbling boulders and to bring up the rear, guarding our backside from the poison darts of the devil.

From “No Wonder They Call Him the Savior” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/5/06 Perfect Love

“Perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4L17 NKJV

Have you ever gone to the grocery on an empty stomach? You’re a sitting duck. You buy everything you don’t need. Doesn’t matter if it is good for you—you just want to fill your tummy. When you’re lonely, you do the same in life, pulling stuff off the shelf, not because you need it, but because you are hungry for love.

Why do we do it? Because we fear facing life alone. For fear of not fitting in, we take the drugs. For fear of standing out, we wear the clothes. For fear of appearing small, we go into debt and buy the house. For fear of going unnoticed, we dress to seduce or to impress. For fear of not being loved, we search for love in all the wrong places.

But that changes when we discover God’s perfect love. And “perfect love casts out fear.”

From “Traveling Light” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/6/06 Run to Him!

“His love has taken over our lives; God’s faithful ways are eternal” Psalm 117:2 The Message

God’s love for you is not dependent on how you look, how you think, how you act, or how perfect you are. His love is absolutely nonnegotiable and nonreturnable. Ours is a faithful God.

No matter what you do, no matter how far you fall, no matter how ugly you become, God has a relentless, undying, unfathomable, unquenchable love from which you cannot be separated. Ever!

Run to Jesus. Jesus wants you to go to him. He wants to become the most important person in your life, the greatest love you’ll ever know. He wants you to love him so much that there’s no room in your heart and in your life for sin. Invite him to take up residence in your heart.

From “The Inspirational Study Bible” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/7/06 Working to Please God

“Work as if you were serving the Lord, not as if you were serving only men and women.” Ephesians 6:7

What if everyone worked with God in mind? Suppose no one worked to satisfy self or please the bottom line but everyone worked to please God.

Many occupations would instantly cease: drug trafficking, thievery, prostitution, nightclub and casino management. Certain careers, by their nature, cannot please God. These would cease.

Certain behaviors would cease as well. If I’m repairing a car for God, I’m not going to overcharge his children. If I’m painting a wall for God, you think I’m going to use paint thinner?

Imagine if everyone worked for the audience of One. Every nurse, thoughtful. Every officer, careful. Every professor, insightful. Every teacher, hopeful. Every lawyer, skillful.

Impossible? Not entirely. All we need is someone to start a worldwide revolution. Might as well be us.

From “Cure for the Common Life” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/8/06 Keep Walking…

With Me along the path I have chosen for you. Your desire to live close to Me is a delight to My heart. I could instantly grant you the spiritual riches you desire, but that is not My way for you.

Together we will forge a pathway up the high mountain. The journey is arduous at times, and you are weak. Someday you will dance lightfooted on the high peaks; but for now, your walk is often plodding and heavy.

All I require of you is to take the next step, clinging to My Hand for strength and direction.
Though the path is difficult and the scenery dull at the moment, there are sparkling surprises just around the bend. Stay on the path I have selected for you. It is truly the path of Life.

“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he make his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall.” Psalm 37:23-24

From “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young

[Colleen Davis]

10/9/06 I Want You…

To experience the reaches of your salvation: the Joy of being loved constantly and unconditionally. You make a practice of judging yourself, based on how you look or behave or feel. If you like what you see in the mirror, you feel a bit more worthy of My Love. When things are going smoothly and your performance seems adequate, you find it easier to believe you are My beloved child. When you feel discouraged, you tend to look inward so you can correct whatever is wrong.

Instead of trying to “fix” yourself, fix your gaze on Me, the Lover of your soul. Rather than using your energy to judge yourself, redirect it to praising Me. Remember that I see you clothed in My righteousness, radiant in My perfect love.

“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your eyes on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” Hebrews 3:1

“in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:7-8

From “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young

[Colleen Davis]

10/10/06 Whenever You Feel Distant….

from Me, whisper My Name in loving trust. This simple prayer can restore your awareness of My Presence.

My Name is constantly abused in the world, where people use it as a curse word. This verbal assault reaches all the way to heaven; every word is heard and recorded.

When you trustingly whisper My Name, My aching ears are soothed. The grating rancor of the world’s blasphemies cannot compete with a trusting child’s utterance: “Jesus.” The power of My Name to bless both you and Me is beyond your understanding.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is not other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

From “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young

[Colleen Davis]

10/11/06 I Am Training You in Steadiness

Too many things interrupt your awareness of Me. I know that you live in a world of sight and sound, but you must not be a slave to those stimuli. Awareness of Me can continue in all circumstances, no matter what happens. This is the steadiness I desire for you.

Don’t let unexpected events throw you off course. Rather, respond calmly and confidently, remembering that I am with you. As soon as something grabs your attention, talk with Me about it. Thus I share your joys and your problems; I help you to cope with whatever is before you. This is how I live in you ad work through you. This is the way of Peace.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

From “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young

[Colleen Davis]

10/12/06 When I Give You…
no special guidance, stay where you are. Concentrate on doing your everyday tasks in awareness of My Presence with you. The Joy of My Presence will sine on you, as you do everything for Me. Thus you invite Me into every aspect of your life. Through collaborating with Me in all things, you allow My Life to merge with yours. This is the secret not only of joyful living but also of victorious living. I designed you to depend on Me moment by moment, recognizing that apart from Me you can do nothing.

Be thankful for quiet days, when nothing special seems to be happening. Instead of being bored by the lack of action, use times of routine to seek My Face. Although this is an invisible transaction, it speaks volumes in spiritual realms. Moreover, you are richly blessed when you walk trustingly with me through the routines of your day.

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalm 105:4
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23

From “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young

[Colleen Davis]

10/13/06 I Have Promised…
to meet all your needs according to My glorious riches. Your deepest, most constant need is for Me Peace. I have planted Peace in the garden of your heart, where I live; but there are weeds growing there too; pride, worry, selfishness, unbelief.

I am the Gardener and I am working to rid your heart of these weeks. I do My work in various ways. When you sit quietly with Me, I shine the Light of My Presence directly into your heart. In this heavenly Light, Peace grows abundantly and weeds die away. Thank Me for troublesome situations; the Peace they can produce far outweighs the trials you endure.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

From “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young

[Colleen Davis]

10/14/06 Find Rest

“Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams’ horns. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around,” 2 Chronicles 15:12-15

Father, I have worked so hard and I have given all I’ve got. I see in the Bible that the Israelites found rest when they sought “You with all their heart and with all of their soul.” There is a place of rest in You that I have not entered into yet. There is an ability to rest in Your presence that I’ve not yet found. Teach me Lord to give You first place in my life. “Teach me to seek You with all my heart and with all my soul—and to find Your rest.

Thank You, Lord, for ordaining times of rest for Your people. Thank You for calling me to a season of rest, even in the midst of my hectic life. I am here to learn from You, Lord. Teach me to rest.
From “Woman Thou Art Loosed Bible” by T. D. Jakes

The holiday season is quickly approaching and at our church it begins with the pumpkin patch (funds raised support our teens), which is in full swing. Some of you are busy raising babies and/or small children, for some of you, it's your children’s school activities, others have full work schedules and some of you have a busy retired life. Let's remember to find time to seek him daily and He will give us the rest we all so desperately need to get us through the busy days ahead.

[Colleen Davis]

10/15/06 Is It Loving?

“[Love] is not rude.” 1 Corinthians 13:5

When defining what love is not, Paul put rudeness on the list. “It is not rude.” The Greek word for rude means shameful or disgraceful behavior.

An example of rudeness was recently taken before the courts in Minnesota. A man fell out of his canoe and lost his temper. Though the river was lined with vacationing families, he polluted the air with obscenities. Some of those families sue him. He said, “I have my rights.”

God calls us to a higher, more noble concern. Not “What are my rights?” but “What is loving?”

Do you have the right to dominate a conversation? Yes, but is it loving to do so?

Is it within your rights to bark at the clerk or snap at the kids? Yes. But is it loving to acts this way?

From “A Love Worth Giving” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/16/06 Love Is Patient

“Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do.” James 1:4

Sometime ago our church staff attended a leadership conference. Especially interest in one class, I arrived early and snagged a front row seat. As the speaker began, however, I was distracted by a couple of voices in the back of the room. Two guys were mumbling to each other. I was giving serious thought to shooting a glare over m shoulder when the speaker offered an explanation. “Forgive me,” he said, “I forgot to explain why the two fellows at the back of the class are talking. One of them is an elder at a new church in Romania. He has traveled here to learn about church leadership. But he doesn’t speak English, so the message is being translated.”

All of a sudden everything changed. Patience replaced impatience. Why? Because patience always hitches a ride with understanding. “A man of understanding holds his tongue.” (Proverbs 11;12). Don’t miss the connection between understanding and patience. Before you blow up, listen up. Before you strike out, tune in.

From “A Love Worth Giving” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/17/06 The Power to Love

“This is what God commands…that we love each other.” 1 John 3:23

Does bumping into certain people leave you brittle, breakable, and fruitless? Do you easily fall apart? If so, your love may be grounded in the wrong soil. It may be rooted in their love (which is fickle) or in your resolve to love (which is frail). John urges us to “rely on the love God has for us” (1 John 4:16). He alone is the power source.

Many people tell us to love. Only God gives us the power to do so.

We know what God wants us to do. “This is what God commands:…that we love each other” (1 John 3:23). But how can we? How can we be kind to the vow breakers? To those who are unkind to us? How can we be patient with people who have the warmth of a vulture and the tenderness of a porcupine ? How can we forgive the moneygrubbers and backstabbers we meet, love and marry? How can we love as God loves? We want to. We long to. But how can we?

By living loved.

From “A Love Worth Giving” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/18/06 A Positive Power

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21

Nathaniel Hawthorne came home heartbroken. He’d just been fired from his job in the custom house. His wife, rather than responding with anxiety, surprised him with joy. “Now you can write your book!”

He wasn’t so positive. “And what shall we live on while I’m writing it?”

To his amazement she opened a drawer and revealed a wad of money she’d saved out of her housekeeping budget. “I always knew you were a man of genius,” she told him. “I always knew you’d write a masterpiece.”

She believed in her husband. And because she did, he wrote. And because he wrote, every library in America has a copy of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

You have the power to change someone’s life simply by the words that you speak. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

From “A Love Worth Giving” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/19/06 Store Up the Sweet

“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable…if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Change the thoughts, and you change the person. If today’s thoughts are tomorrow’s actions, what happens when we fill our minds with thoughts of God’s love? Will standing beneath the downpour of his grace change the way we feel about others?

Paul says absolutely! It’s not enough to keep the bad stuff out. We’ve got to let the good stuff in. It’s not enough to keep no list of wrongs. We have to cultivate a list of blessing: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Thinking conveys the idea of pondering—studying and focusing, allowing what is viewed to have an impact on us.

Rather than store up the sour, store up the sweet.

From “A Love Worth Giving” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/20/06 Love Doesn’t Boast

“Love does not boast, it is not proud.” 1 Corinthians 13:4

The humble heart honors others.

Is Jesus not our example? Content to be known as a carpenter. Happy to be mistaken for the gardener. He served his followers by washing their feet. He serves us by doing the same. Each morning he gifts us with beauty. Each Sunday he calls us to his table. Each moment he dwells in our hearts. And does he not speak of the day when he as “the master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at the table, and he will serve the” (Luke 12:37)?

If Jesus is so willing to honor us, can we not do the same for others? Make people a priority. Accept your part in his plan. Be quick to share the applause. And, most of all, regard others as more important than yourself. Love does. For love “does not boast, it is not proud.”

From “A Love Worth Giving” by Max Lucado

[Colleen Davis]

10/21/06 The Body of Believers

“Let us not [forsake] the assemblying of ourselves together.” Hebrews 10:23-25

Everybody on earth wants to be loved and to love someone. When you feel as if you are connected to someone who appreciates you, values you, and loves you, you have feelings of deep tranquility and calm…

Every person in the body of Christ has been given a unique personality, set of abilities and skills, at least one ministry gift, and natural talents. God expects each of us to share these unique attributes with other believers in a loving, generous way so needs within a particular body of believers will be met and the gospel will be extended to those outside the church. We need one another in the church. We are part of one another.

From “God’s Way Day by Day” by Charles Stanley

[Colleen Davis]

10/21/06 The Body of Believers

“Let us not give up meeting together....” Hebrews 10:23-25

Everybody on earth wants to be loved and to love someone. When you feel as if you are connected to someone who appreciates you, values you, and loves you, you have feelings of deep tranquility and calm…

Every person in the body of Christ has been given a unique personality, set of abilities and skills, at least one ministry gift, and natural talents. God expects each of us to share these unique attributes with other believers in a loving, generous way so needs within a particular body of believers will be met and the gospel will be extended to those outside the church. We need one another in the church. We are part of one another.

From “God’s Way Day by Day” by Charles Stanley

[Colleen Davis]

10/23/06 Finding Wisdom

“Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding.” Proverbs 10:13

God’s promise is that those who love and search for wisdom will find it.

We must take responsibility for applying wisdom to our lives. Those who walk in wisdom feel a responsibility for their actions and use of time. They know they have been given a limited quantity of minutes, hours, days, months, and years.

They know they must spend those hours in a way that produces the largest amount of good. They also know that God has entrusted them with certain material resources that must be used to maximally further God’s purposes on the earth.

From “God’s Way Day by Day” by Charles Stanley

For those who study the Nazarene quarterly I had no idea today's SS lesson was on wisdom when I typed the devotions for the week yesterday. Isn't that amazing! It must be one of those "neon lights" when He is trying to get my attention.

[Colleen Davis]

10/24/06 Failure and Success

“He who has the Son has life.” 1 John 5:12

The difference between those who have succeeded in spite of their failures and those who have allowed their failures to create low self-worth is this: those who have succeeded have not internalized their failures. They have not thought less of themselves personally for having failed.

They have refused to think of themselves as failures or worthless. Failure is something they have done but not something they are. This is a huge difference. In some cases, failures have spurred them on to try harder or to explore new avenues. Those who allow failure to be internalized often give up in the failures and refuse to take the risk of failing again.

One of the most important lessons you will ever learn is this: failure is something you do, not something you are.

From “God’s Way Day by Day” by Charles Stanley

[Colleen Davis]

10/25/06 Called by God

“All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

That verse clearly tells us that God has a purpose for each one of us. He calls us to it. But to be one who qualifies as “those who are called” implies that we are walking in that calling, obeying God, and yielding to the direction of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis.

If we are truly being obedient to God’s commands and we are following His purpose for our lives to the best of our abilities, then God is fully committed to working all things together for our good—both our eternal rewards and our earthly blessings.

From “God’s Way Day by Day” by Charles Stanley

[Colleen Davis]

10/26/06 Based on Belief

“Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Psalm 2:12

Your relationship with God is not based upon your good deeds. It is not based upon your offering of a blood sacrifice at a designated shrine, your doing a series of charitable acts of kindness, or your belonging to a particular denomination. It is not based upon anything that you produce, achieve, or earn.

Rather, your relationship with God is based upon belief—believing that Jesus Christ is God’s Son come in the flesh and that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Behavior is the substance of religion. Belief is the substance of relationship.

From “God’s Way Day by Day” by Charles Stanley

[Colleen Davis]

10/27/06 Uniquely You

“Do not neglect the gift that is in you.” 1 Timothy 4:14

At the time you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, God gave you certain spiritual gifts to use in ministry to others. The way in which you express those gifts is uniquely linked to the talents He has given you and the skills He has helped you develop.

Nobody who has lived before you has been just like you. No one alive on earth today is just like you, not even a sibling who is your twin. Nobody who will ever live will be just like you, including your children. You are a unique and very special creation of God, designed for a particular purpose on this earth that God has had in mind from eternity past. Accept who God made you to be!

From “God’s Way Day by Day” by Charles Stanley

[Colleen Davis]

10/28/06 Words Don’t Work

“By grace you have been saved through faith…not by works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2;8-9

Man’s works don’t impress God. He responds to humility, faith, and expressions of thanksgiving and praise. God isn’t impressed with what you accomplish, earn, or acquire. Be it money, things, fame, or beauty. God wants a relationship to be established and to grow, you must come to Him in humility and ask Him to forgive your past sin nature, to change your nature so that you will no longer desire to sin, and to help you live the life He desires for you, not the life you map out for yourself.

God wants a walking-and-talking relationship with you. Your appearance, your status before others, and your performance matter little to God. He is concerned about the state of your heart.

From “God’s Way Day by Day” by Charles Stanley

[Colleen Davis]

10/29/06 When the Time of Testing Comes

“But he knows where I am going. And when he has tested me like gold in a fire, he will pronounce me innocent.” Job 23:10

Jesus warned us, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” All good things, however, come with a price. Few items of value are initially free of imperfections.

In the fires of refinement, gold is repeatedly heated to its melting point so impurities can be skimmed off. The resulting metal is then deemed pure and worthy.

When a loved one succumbs to an illness or a job loss threatens to turn the world upside-down, the temptation to despair or find inappropriate methods of dealing with the test now brings us to our melting point.

Still, we have a loving Father, a Master Jeweler whose skill at refining our hidden treasure ensures we will become what He desires us to be. The only thing He asks of us is to trust His skill. So surrendered, the end of our journey will find us golden.

God will lovingly accomplish what He wills for your life.

By Dan Edelen from “A Cup of Comfort” by James S. Bell & Stephen R. Clark

[Colleen Davis]

10/30/06 We Have a Hope

“He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4

It’s a fact. Pain, death, sorrow, and despair are all a part of this world. There’s no way around it. They are unavoidable.

On April 14-15, 1912, one of the most tragic and devastating events in history occurred; the sinking of the British luxury liner Titanic. There was death, sorrow, panic, despair. It’s estimated that 1,500 lives were lost.

And it is only one of the tragic events of history. There have been countless more on a large scale, and even on a more individual scale. Perhaps even now you are going through a difficult time.

Still, there is good news even in the midst of trouble. Our lives on earth are temporary; a mere blip on the timeline of eternity. God promises that, when we reach our heavenly home, there will be no more sorrow, or death, or crying, or pain. All of it will be gone forever!

You have something wonderful to look forward to.


By Wendy Ann Dunham from “A Cup of Comfort” by James S. Bell & Stephen R. Clark

[Colleen Davis]

10/31/06 Carving Pumpkins

“The Lord is good. When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge. And he know everyone who trusts in him.” Nahum 1:7

Ellie labored over the pattern, putting the finishing touches on her cat pumpkin carving. She set the pumpkin on the floor and walked away, forgetting to keep an eye on her puppy, distracted by something else. The carving lost its head to a puppy attack.

She looked to me to wipe the tears and fix the mess. Onto a small leftover pumpkin, I traced the pattern of the cat’s head and carved a new head. Toothpicks were used to suture the new head to the original carving.

I also get busy and distracted, forgetting to take head of things that are greater priorities for my time and thoughts. Fortunately, my Father in heaven is there to pickup us the pieces and carve out new beginnings after I mess up, and I start anew.

God can forgive your mistakes and help you start fresh.

By Amy Carr from “A Cup of Comfort” by James S. Bell & Stephen R. Clark