"Add The Suffix"

"Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great."  Psalm 18:35

Adding the suffix "ness" to the end of an adjective converts it to an abstract noun.  By doing so it now means the "state or quality" of that adjective.  Have you noticed how many words we use in reference to the Lord that end in "ness"?  I was thinking about that this morning. 

We know that God is kind, but He shows kindness to humanity.  He is faithful; therefore, we can trust in His faithfulness to do what He says He will do.  He is great.  We can see His greatness displayed in all of creation.  He is good, His goodness is seen in His dealings with mankind.  He is a merciful, forgiving God who bestows forgiveness on those who humble themselves in repentance before Him.  He is gentle.  We see His gentleness in His treatment of us.  He is not harsh with us.  He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, so we call Him "Your Highness".

These words all describe who this Wonderful, Mighty God is, but when we use the suffix "ness" with it, it shows us that this is more than just who He is, but how He deals with us.  God deals with us according to His nature and character.  I for one and so thankful that He deals with me this way.  If you are feeling condemned, if you are feeling unloved, if you are feeling like God hates you and is out to get you, then you are not being dealt with by Him.  It is either your own flesh or the devil who is dealing with you.  The "Ness" lets us know that.

Have a great day.  God deals with us according to His character.  The suffix "ness" added to His character describes the way God deals with us. 

For further reading:
Psalm 92:2; 117:2
2 Samuel 22:36

"Help In Every Area"

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.   My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1,2

Did you notice that the verse does not describe any particular area of help?  It just said help.  It is because when we need help it is not always restricted to one area.  We may need help spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially, or with relationships.  We might need help in dealing with a besetting sin.  We might need help in making a decision.  This is why the verse does not specify what kind of help.  The Lord wants us to know that whatever kind of help we need it is found in Him.  He is our Helper.

What do you need help with today?  Look to the Lord.  He has your help-- He is your Helper.  It doesn't matter what area the need you have is in, He will help you.  He specializes in meeting every need.

Have a great day.  Do you need help?  The Lord is the Helper in every area of need you may have.

For further reading:
Hebrews 13:6
Philippians 4:19   

"He Is Not Divided"

"Is Christ divided?"  1 Corinthians 1:13a

So many people want Jesus as Savior but are not willing to follow Him as Lord.  They want Him to save them from their sins.  They want "fire insurance" from hell.  They want to have the "membership card" that says they are a Christian so they can go to heaven.  Well, it doesn't work that way.

Jesus is not divided.  You can't "compartmentalize" Him.  He is not Savior and also Lord.  He is Lord and Savior.  (He is the Lord who Saves.)  If you receive Him for one, you receive Him for both.  You can't have part of Him and not all of Him.

You say He is your Savior.  If He is, then He is also your Lord because He is One not two-- He is not divided.  He is not like a dessert table where you can pick and choose what you want and how much you want.  He is One-- if you have Him, you got Him all.

Are you following Jesus?  Are you still the master of your own life, or is He?  Are you still calling the shots in your life?  Are you doing what you want to do?  Are you letting Him lead you?  If you say He is your Savior but are not following Him as your Lord, then it is very doubtful that He is actually your Savior--- because you can't divide Him.  You better check to make sure!

Have a great day.  Jesus is not divided.  If He is your Savior, then He is your Lord also.  Is He?

For further reading:
2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:18

"Used By God"

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" 1 Corinthians 1:27

Don't say that God can't use you.  Look at the list of characters He used in the Bible to fulfill His purposes.  He used John the Baptist-- a wild looking sort of guy, dressed in animal skins with long hair living in the wilderness.  He used Gideon a coward.  He used a shepherd boy, David, and made him a king. He used a murderer, Moses, to lead His people out of Egypt.  He used Paul, a persecutor of Christians.  He used a teenage girl to give birth to the Messiah. 

He doesn't call only the educated, the older, the strong, the wise, the rich.  He calls whomever He chooses.  He is an "equal opportunity Employer".  He will use whoever has a yielded heart and desire.  He will use whoever makes themselves available to Him.  He will use those who say, "Here am I.  Lord, send me."  If you "fit that bill", then you are a candidate for Him to use you to do His will.  More than likely, you are already being used by Him and aren't aware of it because you are looking for Him to do some grand and glorious work through you.  Giving a cup of cold water to a thirsty person is being used by Him.  Sharing your lunch with a hungry person is being used by Him.  Being a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or giving a smile to someone is being used by Him. 

Have a great day.  Don't say that God can't use you because of this or that.  If you make yourself available to Him, He will use you and is already using you. 

"The Words You Are Saying"

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:24

"I will rejoice".  This has to do with the state of your heart, but it also has to do with the words of your mouth.  Your words should have the evidence of "rejoicing".  That means your words should be happy words, words of praise, words of thanksgiving, words of peace, words of edification and encouragement.  They should be words of blessings, words that express joy, praise and faith.

"I will rejoice".  Rejoicing does not contain words of doubt, fear, or unbelief.  They are not words of murmuring, criticizing, bitterness and complaining.  They are not words of moaning and self-pity, gloom, despair, fretting or hopelessness.   

What will your words be today?  What words will you speak?  What will come out of your mouth?  Will your speech be full of words of rejoicing or will you speak negative words of despair?

Have a great day.  What words will come out of your mouth today?  Words of rejoicing?

For further reading:
Psalm 19:14; 34:1; 51:15
Proverbs 8:8

Coffee Break Update

Good morning, all. I know you have been wondering why I have not been sending out the devotional over the past several weeks. Some have contacted me to find out. Most of those who are on Facebook already know. Several weeks ago, I had a pretty bad fall. I was in town and tripped in a parking lot over a speed bump. I landed very hard on the asphalt. I wound up having to go to the emergency room. I had x-rays on my arm, ribs and knee (15 x-rays in all). Thankfully, the x-rays only showed a fractured arm. But I was unable to walk on my leg for a few days. Long story short... I was not able to use my hand for a while, so it was hard to type, or do anything, one handed. This is why I did not send out an explanation as to why I was not sending out the Coffee Break. I am much better, but my arm is still fractured, and I am still in pain on occasion. My hand still hurts when I use it too much. I will be going back to the doctor for more x-rays in another week. 

I praise God for protecting me during the fall. It could have been much worse. I could have had multiple broken bones, etc. God is good. He has been with me and is healing my body and giving me strength. I hope to start back sending out the Coffee Break this week. If you don't get one for a day or two, you will understand. Thank you all for the prayers. Our God is so wonderful. I give Him glory and am rejoicing in tribulation!! Have a blessed day!!