#godspresence – herbcotton.org

Can You Live Without Knowing Everything?

God Speaks:

Ecclesiastes 11:5 King James Version (KJV)

5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

King James Version (KJV)

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Listen to God Speak & Obey:

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 King James Version (KJV)

11 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, help us to live our lives in complete dependence upon You.

Father, speak to our hearts and instill within us the disciple to live in Your presence and to walk in the footsteps of Jesus each day of our life on earth.

Father, hasten the day when we show the character traits of those who claim, by faith, Jesus as Savior and Lord of their life. In His precious and royal name, we pray, Amen.

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What Do You Do While You Are Waiting?

Today Somebody Prayed for You

Today’s Bowl of Encouragement by Herb Cotton

Bible Text for Today’s Meditation and Application:

Jude 21 King James Version (KJV)

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain

My Reflections on the Word of God Today:

We tend to spend a lot of time waiting. Can you identify with the condition of waiting for something to happen?

While waiting, I want to suggest that you ask two questions. One, what am I waiting for; and two, am I expecting alone?

What does the Bible say about these two questions that I have posed for your consideration?

Deuteronomy 31:6 King James Version (KJV)

6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

John 16:33 King James Version (KJV)

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

I believe that if we listen to God and spend time with Him in prayer, we will find that waiting can be a joy and not a burden to bear, but a season to rejoice in the God of our salvation.

We need to prepare ourselves with the knowledge that we will always face troubles in this world. That’s the way things are down here. But, we don’t have to live under the circumstances, we can look up, get up and move up to higher ground. We can live in the presence of God today and not tomorrow.

Jude 21 King James Version (KJV)

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Prayer Offered to Our Father in Heaven:

Father God, I pray that You will stir the hearts of Your people to draw closer to You and to live in Your presence all of the days of our life in the world regardless of all of the troubles we face.

Father, give us peace and power in the knowledge and understanding of the times in which we live, and with the assurance that Jesus has overcome the world. In Jesus name, we pray, Amen.

Are You A Member of the Family of God?

Text:

Mark 3:31-35 (ESV)

31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him.

32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.”

33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Observation:

Mary, the mother of Jesus, had other children after the birth of Jesus. However, they did not all believe in Jesus.

John 7:1-5 (ESV)

1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.

2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand.

3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.

4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.”

5 For not even his brothers believed in him.

Our human family, our kinfolk by birth, may not always be in agreement with us, and those family relationships can sometimes be difficult and divisive.

However, there is another kinship that Jesus describes, and that kinship is based on a common relationship with God. This is how Jesus describes it.

Mark 3:35 (ESV)

35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Are you a member of the family of God? The most important thing for God’s people is to be with Him. There is nothing that can compare with abiding in Christ.

Mark 3:14 (ESV)

14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach.

Without God in our life, there is no way for us to make it through this world with all of its troubles, trials, and temptations we face daily.

John 15:5 (ESV)

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, I am so grateful for Your presence and power in the lives of Your people.

Father, help us to be devoted to our spiritual health by living in Your presence daily, and to follow the example of Jesus by being men and women of the Word, and prayer. Father, may we be hearers and doers of the Word. 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.

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The Joy of Living In the Presence of God

Text:

Zephaniah 3:17 (HCSB)

17 Yahweh your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will bring ?you? quietness with His love. He will delight in you with shouts of joy.”

Observation:

When I take inventory of my cup of blessings, there is none that I treasure more that what is described in our focal passage for today’s meditation.

I draw strength, courage, and peace from knowing that Yahweh, my God, is with me.

But, not only is He with me, the Word says, “He will rejoice over you with gladness”.

There is nothing more important to me in life than to be pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.

Therefore, I can live with the confident assurance that nothing can separate me from the love of God. This includes these schemes of the enemy of God, and our souls.

No place can separate me from God.
No person can separate me from God.
No circumstance can separate me from God.

Romans 8:35 (HCSB)

35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Romans 8:37 (HCSB)

37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us.

Prayer:

Father God, I am so grateful for the relationship that You desire to have with Your people, and the extent You went to make it possible.

Titus 3:5 (HCSB)

5 He saved us— not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Father, O the joy of knowing that our God rejoices over His children with gladness, and with love. Father, give us a burning desire in our hearts to rejoice in You, and in the victory You have given us through Jesus our Savior, and Lord. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

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Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

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Do You Realize the Power of Worship?

Text:

John 4:23-24 (KJV)

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Observation:

I have heard the voice of God speaking to me in His still small voice, and I have heard Him speaking to me through His servants in the spoken, and written word.

The message I heard caused my heart to focus on the word near. When we draw close to God everything changes. When we draw near to God, He draws near to us. He welcomes our coming to Him, and He fills the open and trusting heart by occupying our whole heart.

Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

How close are you to God? You are only a step away so why not take that step today? Our response to His presence is our praise of His majesty, might and glory.

Psalm 29:1-2 (KJV)

1 Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Prayer:

Father, we ascribe to Your name the honor and the glory that You alone deserve.

Father, we invite You to fill our whole heart with Your presence and power. Father, when You are present in our life everything changes.

Father, we know that the troubles that we face in this fallen world are all under Your control. Our troubles are no match for Your presence and power in our hearts. Father, we acknowledge that You are on top of all of our troubled waters.

Psalm 29:3 (KJV)

3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.

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Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

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