DEVOTIONAL

Successful or EffectiveIt has been through many years of serving, counseling, observing and analyzing my own life as well as the lives of others that I have been led to speak on this subject.

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53:3-7

Today's Scripture text is longer than usual, but oh, what a beautiful picture of grace. It says, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."

Scripture Reading: John 11:40b

John 11:40b says, "If thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God." We find Jesus here scolding Martha for her lack of trust in Him.

Scripture Reading: Romans 6:11

The Word of God teaches us that, as children of God, we are no longer dead in our trespasses and sins. Christ has called us to live in righteousness through His redeeming blood. Through salvation, He has made us alive in Him.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 34:3

In our Scripture text for today, David compels us to magnif the Lord.

I John 2:15-17 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 10:13

If we study Jesus' prayers in the Word of God, we see a picture of weariness in the flesh, a burden for the lost and a sincere concern for the spiritual state of the few who were believers at that time.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Scripture Text: I John 2:15-17 says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

Temptation is Satan's invitation to a life of sin. As he entices us, we must be prepared to resist his invitation.

We live most of our lives based on feelings and emotions. We weep, we smile, we shout, and we clap. Sometimes we get angry, and we may even curse or get violent. We mourn, we get depressed and then sometimes we feel nothing at all. Every thought we have forces one of these characteristics to surface.