faithingod – Page 2 – herbcotton.org

Is It Now Time for You?

Text:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)

1 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

Observation:

Who do you want to be? What are the goals for your life? Who do you want to be with? Where do you want to be? When will you move?

This morning I had a wonderful start to my day. I’m in the process of re-dreaming the fulfilling of my purpose for being alive. It is so exciting, and so rewarding. God is so real in my life; He loves me, and I love Him. He loved me first.

There is so much potential that is planted within us by the God who made us. It is waiting to be unlocked, and unleashed. God has done His part; the next step is ours, and we have the freedom to take it.

Do you realize that the key is in your hands, and the door is standing before you; it is locked, but you have the key. The key is God given, and it is exercised by faith.

You have everything that you need; faith in God is the key that will unlock the door to you fulfilling your God given purpose.

What is hindering you from becoming all that God made you to be? It only takes one step of faith to move you in the direction of fulfilling your purpose. You have the freedom, and the faith to take one step. Just do it, and watch what happens.

Romans 8:31 (KJV)

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Are you willing to take the next step? Are you willing to pray this prayer?

Prayer:

Lord, I believe in you with my whole heart. Lord, I declare that you are able, and I submit, and say that I am willing to take the next step in becoming the person you made me to be. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.

Father, I see now time as being my time. I believe it, and I receive it. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Luke 1:37 (KJV)

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

—

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Listen to all of the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

The Reality and Rewards of Faith In God

Text:

Hebrews 11:1 (HCSB)

1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.

Hebrews 11:6 (HCSB)

6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

Observation:

The lyrics of this gospel hymn is ringing in my heart as I think about the greatness, and goodness of the Lord.

“Have you any rivers

That seem uncrossable?

And have you any mountain

That you cannot tunnel through?

God specializes

In things thought impossible

And He will do what no other

No other power but holy power can do”.

I am so thankful for the gift of saving faith. I will never forget the day that God’s love and forgiveness; God’s grace, and mercy, found me.

How do you get the faith that pleases God?

Romans 10:17 (HCSB)

17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.

Notice this illuminating verse.

Isaiah 53:1 (HCSB)

1 Who has believed what we have heard? And who has the arm of the LORD been revealed to?

The faith that pleases God includes three steps.

Hearing
Believing
Receiving

The Bible says that the Gospel of Christ was written for this reason.

John 20:31 (HCSB)

31 But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name.

Before you deny Christ, read the Gospel of John. God is speaking. Are you listening?

When we have biblical faith in God, everything changes. True belief results in change of belief and behavior.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP)

17 Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, I unite my heart and voice with all who believe in Jesus. Father, I am so thankful for the reality, and the rewards of faith in the true and living God. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

—

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Listen to all of the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

Do You Have Something to Thank God For?

Text:

Psalm 108:1 (NLT)

1 My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!

Observation:

In this Psalm David gives three things in his heart that results in him singing praise to God with his whole heart.

Have you experienced a recent great victory in your life, and you can say with a confident heart that God did it for you? When God does something amazing in your life, why not give Him the praise that He alone deserves?

Psalm 108:3-5 (NLT)

3 I will thank you, LORD, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.

4 For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.

Notice that David said, “I will sing your praises among the nations”. Next, David did something we all need to do more of; he listened to God, and heard God’s answer to his prayer.

Psalm 108:6-7 (NLT)

6 Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power.

7 God has promised this by his holiness: “I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth.

Finally, we find that God leads us to be more than conquerers through His almighty power.

Psalm 108:10 (ESV)

10 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

Have you experienced a victory in your life that you can say what David said to the Lord?

Psalm 108:13 (ESV)

13 With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

Prayer:

Father God, I delight to lift my voice in the highest praise my heart can muster. Father, from the depths of my heart I will praise You, I will listen to You, and I will be more than conquerer through Your almighty power that lives in me. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

What I Learned About Worrying, and How to Overcome It

Text:

Matthew 6:25-34 (NLT)

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,

29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’

32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Observation:

Most people know that worry is destructive. However, we seem to lack the ability to resist the temptation to worry when we face difficulties in life. We know better, but we do it anyway.

I have a thorn in the flesh to remind me of the consequence of worrying. It happened about 45 years ago. I was at home recovering from surgery because of a gastric ulcer, and a pastor came to my home, and shared today’s text with me.

I cannot say that I have not worried a day since then. However, I can say that when throughs of worry come into my head, I replace them with faith in God. The antidote for worry is to trust in God. God loves you, and will provide for your needs.

Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Prayer:

Father, I praise and thank You for being a God who cares, and provides for Your people.

Matthew 6:27 (NLT)

27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Father, we know better than to worry; Father, remind us ,like You reminded Your servant Abraham, over and over about Your promises. Father, give us sufficient faith to trust You today, and leave all of our tomorrows in Your trusted, and faithful hands. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

—

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

What is the Most Dangerous Weapon in the Hands of Man?

Text:

James 3:5-8 (ESV)

5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,

8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Observation:

The most common answer to the question asked in the title is nuclear weapons; especially in the hands of people with evil desires to kill and destroy innocent people.

However, our focal passage for today describes a weapon that has destroyed more lives than all the wars of the world. It is the tongue, and we all have one.

In my reading today, I read Psalm 5. In this Psalm David talks about the enemies he was facing, and he knew that they could destroy him, but he also knew that God could deliver him.

In times like these there is great profit in looking to the Psalms for encouragement.

Are you a child of God? Then why not turn to the Lord in prayer, and put your troubles, and worries in His hand. David turned to the Lord in prayer.

Psalm 5:1-3 (ESV)

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.

2 Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.

3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

Prayer:

Father, we love and adore You. Father, if we ever needed You, we sure do need You now. Father, we associate ourselves with David in the final words of his lament before You.

Psalm 5:11-12 (ESV)

11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Father, we look to You for protections and deliverance. Father, we rejoice not in winning, but we rejoice in You. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

—

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

How to Live in Victory in a Trouble Filled World?

Text:

Psalm 3:3-6 (ESV)

3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

4 I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

Observation:

When I see the word but in the bible it gets my attention. I want to know what went before, and what comes after. I want to know what the but is there for.

This is what comes before:

Psalm 3:1-2 (ESV)

1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;

2 many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah

In this Psalm David laments over his son Absalom, who has risen up against his father. You don’t have to be downcast, and defeated when you know the Lord. You can do what David did.

In his anguish, David cried out to the God of his salvation. And, in the Lord he found hope and help. When your faith is activated, your fears have to go. The Lord can turn sleepless nights into restful sleep, and He can turn strife into peace.

Psalm 3:3 (HCSB)

3 But You, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head.

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be You name. Father, I am so thankful to be able to call You, our Father, and know that You hear and answer the prayers of Your beloved people. Father, in times like these, I look to You; I seek Your face.

Psalm 46:1 (ESV)

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Father, I pray that any who are facing defeat, adversity, or trouble in their lives; that they would cry out to You in the manner that David cried out to You, and find in You hope and help. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

Are You Walking Daily With God?

Text:

Genesis 5:21-24 (NLT)

21 When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah.

22 After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters.

23 Enoch lived 365 years,

24 walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.

Observation:

In today’s focal passage we are introduced to a man named Enoch. He was human like all men, but he was different; he was a godly man. His name describes his life; it means dedicated.

There are three things that leaped off the page, and into my heart as I read this passage.

Enoch lived in close fellowship with God.
Enoch walked in close fellowship with God.
One day God took him home to live with Him.

Hebrews 11:5-6 (NLT)

5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—”he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.

6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Prayer:

Father, I look up to the heavens today, and I give praise and thanksgiving to You for You are a great God, and a loving, and good Father.

Father, I ask You to stir up the gift of faith that is within us, and that each of us would become people of faith who walk in close fellowship with You all of the days of our life. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

Do You Know Why You Should Never Give Up?

Text:

Hebrews 6:9-12 (HCSB)
9 Even though we are speaking this way, dear friends, in your case we are confident of the better things connected with salvation.

10 For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you showed for His name when you served the saints—and you continue to serve them.

11 Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope,
12 so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.

Observation:

One of the things that keeps hope alive in my life regardless of the circumstances I encounter is the hope that fills my heart, and it is this, “God is not unjust, and he is not forgetful”. Friends will forget you, and fail you, but God will never do either.

If you are a child of God, you have the iron clad promise that what God says in his word he will do. God is trustworthy; a promise made is a promise kept.

Yes, life is hard, but God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. I know one who will agree, and he is David.

Psalm 37:25 (HCSB)
25 I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread.

Love for God and his children, hope in the promises of God, faith in God and the patience to wait on God will get you safely to the finish line. The word for today is perseverance; never give in, and never give up. God is faithful to the end; he is God on the mountain, and God in the valley.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful to you that the circumstances of life do not determine my destiny; I am so glad I have a choice, and I have decided to follow Jesus. Father, not just part of the way, but all the way as my Savior leads me and guides me.

Father God, I am so blessed to know that I am in the hands of my Maker and my Keeper. Father, there is no place I would rather be than in the hands of my Lord and my God. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

What Is the Condition of Your Mind?

Text:

Isaiah 26:3-4 (HCSB)

3 You will keep the mind ?that is? dependent ?on You? in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.

4 Trust in the LORD forever, because in Yah, the LORD, is an everlasting rock!

Observation:

The condition of you mind depends upon who you are dependent on, and who you are putting your trust in.

Notice what the Bible says. God will keep the mind that is dependent on Him in perfect peace if that person is trusting in God. That is how I read the verse. How do you read it? Have you received it?

What you believe, and who you believe in, will determine the condition of your life.

No matter what you are going through in your life, there is nothing that is impossible with God.

Romans 3:3-4 (HCSB)

3 What then? If some did not believe, will their unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness?

4 Absolutely not! God must be true, even if everyone is a liar, as it is written: That You may be justified in Your words and triumph when You judge.

This is what God said through the voice of The Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 26:4 (HCSB)

4 Trust in the LORD forever, because in Yah, the LORD, is an everlasting rock!

Prayer:

Father God, I praise and honor you for your greatness and your goodness. Lord, I am so glad that you loved me first.

Father, I am so grateful that your love is forever. Father, I am so thankful that you give to your people perfect peace, and that peace is forever. I trust in You, and I depend upon you with my whole heart. We, the people of God, who agree, say a hearty and full throat, Amen.

—

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

Where Do You Turn When You Experience Unrest?

Text:

John 10:10 (HCSB)

10 A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Observation:

There are times in our life when the Lord keeps bringing the same topic to our mind. The word peace is the word that the Lord keeps talking to me about. So, when God speaks, I listen.

This passage was the one that triggered my meditation today. It is an Old Testament passage.

Leviticus 26:6 (HCSB)

6 I will give peace to the land, and you will lie down with nothing to frighten ?you?. I will remove dangerous animals from the land, and no sword will pass through your land.

This is what the New Testament says about the Old Testament.

Romans 15:4 (HCSB)

4 For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.

No matter what trial or trouble you may be facing in this season of your life; don’t give up, and don’t despair. When you feel down, and the weight of your troubles seem too much to bear, that is the time when you have the greatest blessing just a step and a look away.

What should you do? The hymn writer Helen Howarth Lemmel said it this way in the song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”.

“O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.”

If you take your eyes off of yourself, and turn your eyes upon Jesus, you will find in Him all that you need to align your heart to receive and enjoy the life giving and soul peace of Jesus in You. Remember Jesus made this promise, which has your name written on it.

Hebrews 13:5 (HCSB)

5 Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.

Prayer:

Father, I exalt Your name, and give You the glory that only You deserve. Father, I am so thankful that You are the rock on which I can build my life upon.

Father, I’m grateful that there is never a moment when You are not present with Your people.

Father, what an encouragement this is as we face the trials, troubles, and temptations we encounter in this fallen world. Father, we need and we have the peace of God within us. Let those who agree and are appreciative say, Amen.

—

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry