Tag: #favor

What Kind of People Make Good Decisions?

Text:

Psalm 25:4-5 (HCSB)

4  Make Your ways known to me, LORD; teach me Your paths.

5  Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long.

Observation:

To make good decisions you need good information. David was experiencing difficulties in his life, but he knew where to go to get good information. This is what David knew about God, and what he knew about God’s will, and purpose for his life.

Psalm 139:13-16 (HCSB)

13  For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14  I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know [this] very well.

15  My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.

16  Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all [my] days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.

In his time of crisis, David knew where to go for help. When you don’t know what to do or where to go, you can find hope and help in the Lord. God has a purpose for your life, and He knows the way for you to fulfill the purpose for which you were made.

Psalm 25:1-2 (HCSB)

1 LORD, I turn to You.

2  My God, I trust in You. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me.

The best decision you can make regarding the next step you should take is to ask the Lord to help you.

Psalm 25:4 (HCSB)

4  Make Your ways known to me, LORD; teach me Your paths.

You can never go wrong when you ask the Lord to help you, and when you walk in the way of the Lord.

Psalm 25:8-10 (HCSB)

8  The LORD is good and upright; therefore He shows sinners the way.

9  He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.

10  All the LORD’s ways [show] faithful love and truth to those who keep His covenant and decrees.

Prayer:

Father God, we glorify Your name. Father, give us a burning desire to seek Your face, to ask for your help, and to do what You tell us to do. Father, when You speak, may we learn to listen, and obey. In the mighty name of Jesus I 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

Are You Walking on the Path of Life that Ends Well?

Text:

Proverbs 3:1-4 (NLT)

1  My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart.

2  If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.

3  Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.

4  Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.

Observation:

In our reading through the Bible this year we have seen in the Proverbs that wisdom is found in a person, Jesus, and in a pathway.

In today’s Proverb we are reminded to never forget the wisdom teachings of parents, and to store those teachings in our heart. This applies not just to children, but to people of all ages. This type of lifestyle promises longevity of life, and satisfaction in life.

There is a verse in today’s focal passage that leaps off the page, and into my heart. I will make it my highest aim to be known as a loyal person, and to seek to make it a daily habit to make deposits of kindness in the lives of those I connect with on a regular basis.

Proverbs 3:3 (NLT)

3  Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.

I am greatly encouraged by this promise concerning those who know Jesus, and walk in the pathway of wisdom.

Proverbs 3:4 (NLT)

4  Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, I am so thankful that the triune God lives in the hearts of Your people.

Father, I pray that each of us will find favor with You, and with people, and that You would be glorified, and others will be blessed. In the mighty name of Jesus I 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

Is Now the Favorable Time for You?

 

Text:

Isaiah 49:8 (ESV)

8  Thus says the LORD: “In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages,

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (ESV)

1  Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

2  For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Observation:

I never cease to be amazed about the reality of God. Last week I wrote about Jesus being our living hope, and the Word of God being our living hope.

Then, that same day the Lord directed my bible study to the living presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s children. That study led me to the passage that is today’s focal passage.

I said to myself, “This is the topic I’m going to use for next Wednesday”. What a way to celebrate my birthday; with the thought of “Now is the favorable time”.

Here is another passage that the Lord spoke into my heart during another bible study a few weeks ago.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (HCSB)

15  Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—

16  making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, I am so thankful for your provisions, power, and peace that I have because of your love, grace, and mercy that has been given to me all of the days of my life.

Father, I look forward to continue the walk on this journey from my earthly residence to my home in glory. Father, thank You for the reminder that now is the favorable time.

Father, I am ready and the door of my life is open for You to fill my life with the divine presence of the triune God. Father, I pray that this will be a prayer that all of Your children can join with me, and say, 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

The Promise of Favor with God and Man

 

Text:

Proverbs 3:3-6 (HCSB)
3 Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

Observation:

Today’s devotional is from the achieves; I wrote this two years ago on my birthday. It has got a lot of page views on my Google Blog a few days ago.

Today is not my birthday, but it is my daughter’s birthday, and I wish I could give her the gift of faith to trust in God for herself; to know God, and to know His power in her life everyday.

Although I can’t give her that gift, my Father in heaven can give her that gift, and each of you who reads or hears this message; He can and will do the same for you.

In Proverbs wisdom is the theme, and the source of wisdom is the LORD. Above anyone or anything else, we need the LORD in our life. We need the LORD to lead and guide us, and to give us His strength to run, and win the race of life.

Proverbs 1:7 (HCSB)
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Wisdom is more than just knowing about the LORD; we must know the LORD, it is also about walking on the right paths.

Living a godly life is not beyond the reach of Christ followers; we just need to know the source for achieving this goal. The answer lies in the words of our text; read them and heed them, and allow the LORD to do in you, for you, and through you what you cannot do without the LORD. If God says it, that settles it.

“‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.”

Prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for being a God who loves me supremely, and cares about me more than anyone on earth below or in the heavens above. Lord, I trust You, and believe every promise of the Word that applies to Your people. Father, give me the grace to love and trust You more. In the mighty name of Jesus I 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