"Love's Desire"

"My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times." Psalm 119:20

 

I need to break this verse down into everyday, modern English. And when I do it means: Every part of me (all of me- spirit, soul, mind, emotions, passions, the activity of my mind, will and character) desires more than anything else Lord, Your judgments (Your law, Your commands, Your word) all the time.

 

This speaks of an intense desire for God's word. The writer wanted to know God's judgments more than anything else. He didn't want to just memorize them. He didn't want to be able to just quote them. He wanted to know them more than he wanted to know anything else. Why? Where do we find God? Where do we find what He "looks" like, what He desires, what He requires, what His will is, what He wants for us? Where do we get a clearer picture of who He is? From His Word. 

 

The writer was not just saying that he wanted to know the "Bible", he was wanting to know the Author and Subject of the "Bible". He had a deep longing and desire for it-- more than for anything else. And his desire was not just on Sunday morning during church or Wednesday night during Bible study, or during revival services. He wanted it at all times.

 

Does this sound like you? If you are a Christian it should? Our greatest desire should be to know Him. This should be our greatest longing if we follow Him because we follow Him out of love. He loved us so much. He loved us so much that He demonstrated it by dying on the cross for our sins. He only has one desire from us-- love Him with all our hearts, soul, strength and mind. Didn't He say that was the greatest of all His commands. And He went on to say that on this hangs all the other commands. When we truly love Him this way, we will keep all the other commands because they are kept out of love and not out of duty. 

 

The writer was not talking about some religious requirement. He was talking about the desire of the heart. When you love someone, your desire is toward them. Have you ever loved so deeply that you can't eat or sleep? Have you felt like your heart would just explode because you love them so much? This is the same thing the writer is saying. The word translated for break means to be crushed. His whole heart was crushed with such a deep love and desire. Does your love for Jesus consume you? Does it make your heart feel like it could explode with desire for Him? Do you long to know Him in a deeper way? Are you searching to know Him through His word? Or do you love Him less? Do you love Him when it is convenient, when you are in need, when times are hard? 

 

Have a great day. Is Jesus the love of your life and the whole desire of your heart all the time?

 

For further reading:

John 3:16

Romans 5:8

Matthew 22:36-40

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"It Is A Pulpit"

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15

 

Not everyone is called to be a pastor, evangelist, missionary or some other minister. That being the case, many sit down and do nothing for the Kingdom. They think that just because they aren't in a pulpit somewhere preaching the gospel they are exempt. Not so. These were the words of Jesus-- "Go ye". This was a command from Him to us who are His disciples-- not a suggestion or an opinion. 

 

When you look at "go ye", it actually means-- as you are going, preach the gospel. So now it no longer applies to only a certain chosen few. It is a command to all of us who follow Him. This means that we are to "preach" the good news (gospel) of Jesus' love and salvation everywhere we go-- the grocery store, family gatherings, the gas station, at work, the doctors office... everywhere. You have heard the expression, "All the world's a stage"? Well for us it is, all the world is a stage... or rather a "pulpit".

 

Today, wherever you go remember that this is your "pulpit". Ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you. Ask Him if there is someone there that needs a word from Him. Ask Him if there is something He wants you to do or say where you are... from your pulpit.

 

Have a great day. All the world's a stage... or rather a pulpit... in which we are to "preach" the good news of Jesus. 

 

For further reading:

Acts 1:8

John 4:28-30

 

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Enjoy This Day"

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matthew 6:34

 

We live such fast paced lives. We are already thinking about and planning toward tomorrow or next week before we even start this day. Our lives are lived in the future, not the present. Sure there are demands on us that we have to meet that keep us busy with tomorrow so that we can't enjoy today. But this needs to change. 

 

When was the last time you just enjoyed "this day"? When was the last time that you did not allow yourself to be preoccupied with tomorrow and just take time to make the most of today? When was the last time, like the old saying goes, that you just stopped to "smell the roses"? When was the last time that you just sit down with your child and read a book? Or how long has it been since you sit outside in the evening and looked up at the stars? How long has it been since you put aside time to just take notice of all that God has given you today?

 

There is a danger of living too fast a life and thinking about the future instead of taking time to enjoy today. The danger is that we can get so preoccupied with the busyness and what we have to do tomorrow, or a week from now, or a month from now, that we don't take quiet time alone with the Lord each day. Daniel was a very busy man. He had the responsibility of governing under kings. Yet, three times a day he stopped what he was doing and went to God in prayer. He went to Him to seek His counsel, to honor Him, to acknowledge Him, to praise Him. For most of us this is a foreign idea, we do good if we get a quick prayer in while rushing out the door in the morning. This needs to change. 

 

Not only do we need to slow down and enjoy this day, we need to stop and enjoy communion with our Savior everyday. This is why so many are struggling, not knowing what to do or which way to go. We are taking thought of tomorrow, we are taking thought of all we have to do, we are taking thought of the future, but we are not taking thought of the Lord. 

 

Have a great day. Are you so consumed with tomorrow that you aren't enjoying today or the God who made this day? 

 

For further reading:

Daniel 6:10,13

 

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Same Treatment"

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12

 

There is a "Golden Rule"-- Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. It doesn't say-- Do unto others the way they have done unto you. If we would make it our goal to live in such a way-- a way of treating others they same way we want to be treated-- this world would be a different place. 

 

What do your actions say about you? How do they say you want to be treated? Think about it. If you apply this rule to what you do in regard to others, then what are you saying to them? How are you telling them to treat you? If you are unkind, then you are telling them to be unkind to you. If you are cheating someone, abusing someone, lying about someone, taking advantage of someone else, gossiping about another person, refusing to forgive someone, then you are saying that you want others to do the same thing to you. 

 

There is a law, not just a rule, at work here. It is the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Whatever you sow, that is what you will reap. When you do anything to someone else, you are sowing something that you will reap later. If you sow kindness, you will reap kindness. If you sow mercy, you will reap mercy. If you sow hate, you will reap hate. If you sow bitterness, you will reap bitterness. My mother always said, "What goes around, comes around". So how do we keep from reaping the bad? By sowing good "seeds". How do we do that? By treating others the way we want to be treated. 

 

We can't stop the actions of others. We will reap some unpleasant things that we have not sown because of the wickedness in the hearts of others. And just because we treat others in a manner of goodness that we want to be treated with, doesn't mean that everyone will automatically treat you with goodness in return-- some may not. But you can be certain of this, if you do treat others in a way in which you don't want to be treated, you will reap that because it will be like having a sign pinned to yourself that says, "Mistreat Me!" So take heed how you are treating others. And ask yourself, "Is this how I would want them to treat me?"

 

Have a great day. The way you treat others is how you want to be treated.

 

For further reading:

Luke 6:13

Galatians 6:7

 

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.

"Attacked Off Guard"

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

 

I woke up during the middle of the night not feeling well for a minute. Before my eyes could even get open my thoughts started going in a particular direction about what might be happening. What I was thinking was so foreign to me. Where did those thoughts come from? I went back to sleep but the rest of the night I was restless. I kept thinking, even in my dreams, about this. When I woke up this morning, I realized that it was the enemy trying to make me fearful and believe his lies. 

 

This adversary the devil does not "play fair". He comes against you at some of the most unaware times. He will come against you when you are asleep through your dreams. Or wake you up out of sleep like he did me and start his lies. He waits to catch us, snare us and devour us when we are at our weakest. He will try when we are going through an emotional time. He tries when we are going through a time of pain or grief. He waits until our bodies are suffering with some sickness. He will come against us when we have just received bad news and then he will make sure that we receive more bad news on top of that. He wants to catch us off guard when we are preoccupied with other things-- cares and trials of this life. This way he can "sneak in the back door" undetected. 

 

We must stay on guard. We must keep ourselves full of God's word. We must pray over ourselves, our dreams and our subconscious before we go to bed. When we receive bad news, we must immediately pray for grace over our minds. We must daily put on the full armor of God. The enemy attacks us during these times because he knows that other wise he is no match for us because of Christ in us. This is why we must decrease daily so that it is Christ who is living in us at all times-- while we are awake, while we are asleep, while good things are happening in our lives and when bad reports come. "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4.

 

Have a great day. Stay on guard because the enemy is trying to attack you from behind when you lest expect him. 

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 6:11

John 10:10

 

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact unless permission is granted to do otherwise. Please remember to give credit to About the Master's Business Ministry.