My Journey - 4/28 thru 5/8/2010

It has been a busy time the last eleven days. With presenting the "God's Love" programs, church activities, and family life, the time has flown by. I want to share one special devotional for each of these days and how God has touched me as I was experiencing Him through this time. What I find with being busy, yes even busy for the Lord, I must be careful that I don't squeeze Him out of my 24 hour day.

God's insight to me:

As I read this line from Charles Stanley's devotional what stood out was two words, "to seek", "It is possible for believers to seek victory over life's Goliaths with wrong motives." We as believers can seek all we want, but if it is not for God's glory we will be doing a lot of seeking and waiting. Also how many times have you tried to bargain with God? I have and it doesn't work. Why, because it is for ourselves and not for Him!

What Max Lucado wrote in his 4/29 devotional hits right on the mark. I have found in this worldly life, family, friends, co-workers and yes, even church family will let you down or turn away now and then. But not God! He has never left me nor forsaked me. Thank You, Dear Father!!!

A. B. Simpson writes about a "Love believeth all things." In the last paragraph he writes the words, "mind and heart of Christ". My friends, that is what is being called Christ-like. As I strive each day for that, I find life more fullfilling and understandable. All because of Him!

In the Streams from the Desert devotional I loved the written words, "an echo from the throne and a whisper from the heart of God." As Christians aren't you excited that we have our prayers answered that way? I am. Daily I tell people, "Most people do not understand just how blessed I am." My friends, constantly with my walk with Christ, He is whispering to my heart. Do I deserve it? Not at all, but by His Grace and love He claimed and forgave me. Thank You Jesus!

As I read Adrian Rogers devotional about your Bible coming alive, I am constantly working on that. I remember last week my dog was having some problems. He wasn't sleeping which meant I wasn't sleeping. Being very attached to my little furry friend, I was worried about his well being. The Lord spoke to my heart and said, "Go to my Word!" I picked up my Bible and opened it to Psalm 1:1-2. It begins "Blessed is the man", God told me not to worry it will be alright for as I read the remainder of the verse, who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 1:2 But his delight is only in the Law of Jehovah; and in His Law he meditates day and night. Praise God!

In the Mighty Forest devotional by Vonette Bright it speaks of the Church. As our Pastor has stated several times, "we are not in this alone!" We are the Body of Christ. We are here to fulfill His purpose for us and bring glory to the Father. I can only speak for myself for I know my life became more fruitful once I got my eyes off myself and on to others. I will always remember the phrase, "I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw someone who had no feet!"

Adrian Rogers wrote, "God stepped from behind the curtain of nowhere and stood upon the platform of nothing and spoke a world into existence." If you can grasp that then you can understand what I tell the shut-ins at the various nursing homes, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Read Mr. Roger's last for sentences and as a believer what are you worried about? It's about Him, not us!!! Just give Him thanks for choosing us, way before we chose Him. Have you?

This is a good time to follow with Charles Spurgeon's devotional. He writes "If God be your God, and Christ your Christ, the Lord has a special, peculiar favour to you; you are the object of his choice, accepted in his beloved Son." I say Amen to that!!!

As I read F. B. Meyers devotional the 23rd Psalm verse 1 came to mind, "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want". My friends, with Him I have no wants.

Max Lucado's devotional about mercy brought to my mind the thought of this criminal that was hanging on a cross next to Jesus, Did he hear about Him before he was crucified for his crime? It was in his final moments on this earth that he finally understood who Jesus was. Do you understand? If you are not sure ask Jesus now to make Himself real to you. Your life will never be the same. Ask Jesus into your heart and you also will be in Paradise.

How fitting that this last devotional by Charles Stanley is about mom's! I am typing this on the morning of Mother's Day. Our Pastor has often spoke of his grandmother and how she would pray everyday, for everyone. Yep, everyone! A long prayer that must have been. But what an impact it made on him. I believe it was before he was a Christian, but his grandmother didn't wait for that. She knew the importance of prayer, like so many other mom's do! This being Mother's Day I want to close with a poem I wrote for my mom, after she had passed on. Oh, if only I could of read it to her before she went to her heavenly home. But I know she has heard me recite it many times, with Jesus at her side.

To My Mother

My mother was a special person,
who always gave from the heart.
She never asked for anything
even the day we had to part.

I always felt special when near her
for she always heard my cry.
And when I felt discouraged,
I had to only look in her eyes.
They had a way of saying
without me asking why
life is always worth living,
never give up and always try.

Besides being my mother
she was also my best friend.
My love for her is eternal
and I pray we'll meet again.

All my love,
Your son Ed

From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott

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April 28th, 2010
The Importance of Right Motives Dr. Charles Stanley
1 Samuel 17:20-40

David found King Saul's hefty reward for Goliath's defeat interesting—in fact, he asked to have it repeated twice (vv. 26, 30). Money, freedom, and a pretty girl would make almost any teenage boy take notice! However, though David was young, he was not foolhardy. The reward was a nice perk, but it wasn't the young shepherd's motivation.

David's reason for standing against Goliath was to serve the Lord. The boy openly expressed his disdain for the giant: "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" (1 Sam. 17:26). Challenging the chosen nation, Israel, was the same as defying the Lord Himself. David was prepared to defend Yahweh's holy name and His people, even against this fearsome warrior. A right and holy motive gives a person confidence to obey God, even if doing so defies human wisdom.

It is possible for believers to seek victory over life's Goliaths with wrong motives. A lot of reasons that sound good are actually selfish. I'm tired of being in this mess. Or Lord, I can't run away, so You'll have to remove this problem. Some people try to bargain their way out of tight spots: If I had more money, then I'd give more to the church. Those promises are rarely fulfilled.

The right motive for facing a problem is a desire to follow, serve, and honor God, no matter what. Life's Goliaths do not just tax our comfort or wellbeing; these challenges can impede our obedient walk with the Lord. He will give victory to those who stand strong in His name.

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April 29th, 2010

God is for You By Max Lucado
“God is the strength of my heart.” Psalm 73:26, NKJV

God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps. Listen for Him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He’ll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up. God is for you.

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April 30th, 2010

"Love believeth all things" (I. Cor. xiii. 7). by A. B. Simpson

Beautiful is the expression in the Book of Isaiah which reflects with exceeding sweetness the love of our dear Lord. He said, "They are My people, children that will not lie; so He was their Saviour." They did lie, but He would not believe it. At least He speaks as if He would not believe it in the greatness of His love, because they were His people.

He has not seen iniquity in Jacob nor perversity in Israel. There is plenty of it to see, and the devil sees it all, and a good many people are only too glad to see it; but the dear Father will not see it. He covers it with His love and the precious blood of His dear atoning Son. Such a wonderful love ought surely to make us gentler to others, and more anxious to cause our Father less need to hide His loving eyes from our imperfections and faults.

If we have the mind and heart of Christ, we shall clothe even the world with those graces which faith can claim for them, and try our best to count them as if they were real, and by love and prayer we shall at length make them real. "Love believeth all things."
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May 1st, 2010
What Cannot Be Uttered from Mrs. Charles Cowman Devotional - Streams in the Desert

"Likewise also the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what to pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Rom. 8:26, 27).

This is the deep mystery of prayer. This is the delicate divine mechanism which words cannot interpret, and which theology cannot explain, but which the humblest believer knows even when he does not understand.

Oh, the burdens that we love to bear and cannot understand! Oh, the inarticulate out-reachings of our hearts for things we cannot comprehend! And yet we know they are an echo from the throne and a whisper from the heart of God. It is often a groan rather than a song, a burden rather than a buoyant wing. But it is a blessed burden, and it is a groan whose undertone is praise and unutterable joy. It is "a groaning which cannot be uttered." We could not ourselves express it always, and sometimes we do not understand any more than that God is praying in us, for something that needs His touch and that He understands.

And so we can just pour out the fullness of our heart, the burden of our spirit, the sorrow that crushes us, and know that He hears, He loves, He understands, He receives; and He separates from our prayer all that is imperfect, ignorant and wrong, and presents the rest, with the incense of the great High Priest, before the throne on high; and our prayer is heard, accepted and answered in His name. --A. B. Simpson

It is not necessary to be always speaking to God or always hearing from God, to have communion with Him; there is an inarticulate fellowship more sweet than words. The little child can sit all day long beside its busy mother and, although few words are spoken on either side, and both are busy, the one at his absorbing play, the other at her engrossing work, yet both are in perfect fellowship. He knows that she is there, and she knows that he is all right. So the saint and the Saviour can go on for hours in the silent fellowship of love, and he be busy about the most common things, and yet conscious that every little thing he does is touched with the complexion of His presence, and the sense of His approval and blessing.

And then, when pressed with burdens and troubles too complicated to put into words and too mysterious to tell or understand, how sweet it is to fall back into His blessed arms, and just sob out the sorrow that we cannot speak! --Selected
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May 2nd, 2010
Making Your Bible Come Alive by Adrian Rogers

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

Why is it that sometimes when we read the Bible we leave our common sense at the door? You don't just pick up a book, open it at random, and start reading in the middle of a paragraph. The book wouldn't make any sense.

In order to understand and get the full appreciation for the book, we read it sequentially and in paragraphs or units.

When you read the Bible, read for quality not quantity. Don't see how much of the Bible you can read. See how much of the Bible you can assimilate and apply! Maybe what you need to do is spend a week studying one verse.

In your Bible reading today, stop and ask yourself:
"What is God telling ME?"
Not "what does this say?"
But "what is God saying to me?"

Then seek to put that into practice today.

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May 3rd, 2010
Mighty Forest by Vonette Bright

“Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

The huge Sequoia trees of California tower as much as 300 feet above ground.
Some were alive when Jesus walked on the earth.

Strangely, these massive giants have unusually shallow root systems.
But you won’t find these redwoods standing alone.
They grow in clusters because high winds would otherwise quickly uproot them.
Their intertwining roots provide support against the storms.

Friend, in this world, you can expect the storms of life.
But as the Church, the Body of Christ, we must support one another through tough times.

Don’t be too proud to admit your need.
And when you try to go it alone, you are in the greatest danger of falling.

Yes, friend, the Church is a mighty forest only when you assist others through the storms.

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May 4th, 2010
God's Omnipotence in Creation by Adrian Rogers

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1

An eloquent preacher said, "God stepped from behind the curtain of nowhere and stood upon the platform of nothing and spoke a world into existence." God is the creator of all that your hand can touch, your eye can see, your ears can hear, and your nose can smell. If you see a watch, I hope you assume there's a watchmaker. And if you see the precise atomic flux of the universe, I hope you don't believe that happened by chance. The evolutionists believe that if you take billions of years and add time plus chance, that you can turn frogs into princes. In school they call that fairy tales. In the laboratory they call it science.

God spoke your life into existence. His Word sustains your breath. His Word can silence your breath. Thank Him for your life today!

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May 5th, 2010
A devotional by Charles Spurgeon
“I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
- 2Co_6:16

What a sweet title: “My people!” What a cheering revelation: “Their God!” How much of meaning is couched in those two words, “My people!” Here is speciality. The whole world is God’s; the heaven, even the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s, and he reigneth among the children of men; but of those whom he hath chosen, whom he hath purchased to himself, he saith what he saith not of others-”My people.” In this word there is the idea of proprietorship. In a special manner the “Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.” All the nations upon earth are his; the whole world is in his power; yet are his people, his chosen, more especially his possession; for he has done more for them than others; he has bought them with his blood; he has brought them nigh to himself; he has set his great heart upon them; he has loved them with an everlasting love, a love which many waters cannot quench, and which the revolutions of time shall never suffice in the least degree to diminish. Dear friends, can you, by faith, see yourselves in that number? Can you look up to heaven and say, “My Lord and my God: mine by that sweet relationship which entitles me to call thee Father; mine by that hallowed fellowship which I delight to hold with thee when thou art pleased to manifest thyself unto me as thou dost not unto the world?” Canst thou read the Book of Inspiration, and find there the indentures of thy salvation? Canst thou read thy title writ in precious blood? Canst thou, by humble faith, lay hold of Jesus’ garments, and say, “My Christ”? If thou canst, then God saith of thee, and of others like thee, “My people;” for, if God be your God, and Christ your Christ, the Lord has a special, peculiar favour to you; you are the object of his choice, accepted in his beloved Son.

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May 6th, 2010
GOD'S PROVISION by F. B. Meyer
"Give us this day our daily bread."-- Mat_6:11.

IF YOU want daily bread, and would pray for it aright, you must ask as a child; and you must put first, before your own satisfaction, the Hallowing of God's Name, and the doing of His Will. Implicitly you suggest that if He gives you bread, you will use the strength it gives for His service.
Let us ever think of God as the bountiful and generous Giver. Too often He has been described as hard and austere, and as a result, men dread God, and only think of Him when they have done wrong. But we should describe Him as the All-Giver, who gives all things to all with the most royal generosity. He gives sunbeams and dewdrops, showers and rainbows, grace and glory, His beloved Son and His Spirit, human love and friendship, the daily spreading of our table, the provision of all that we need for life and godliness. Whether we wake or sleep, whether we are evil or good, whether we are pleasing to Him or not; to those who forget and blaspheme Him equally as to the saints and martyrs of the Church, God gives with both hands, pressed down and running over. We cannot buy, we do not merit, we cannot claim, but we may rely on Him to give. God is Love; and Love cannot refrain from giving, or it ceases to be Love.
Yet how low God stoops! He is so great, that His greatness is unsearchable. He dwells in the high and lofty place. His sun is ninety-seven millions of miles away from our earth; He has filled the heavens with countless constellations, for each of which He has a name. He puts the Himalaya into a scale, and the islands are as dust in His balances; but Jesus has taught us to say, "Our Father, give us bread!" When we get troubled about the immensity of heaven and the distances of the universe, let us come back to the discourse, of which this prayer is part, and which tells us that the great God thinks about the clothing of the lilies, the down on a butterfly's wings, the food of the young lions in the forest, the store of acorns that squirrels accumulate for their provision. It is wonderful to remember that from the first days of man's sojourn on earth, our Father has been laying up stores for us. Though we may be among the youngest children of Time, we come to a table as richly plenished and provided as those who first tasted of His bounty. "Fear not, it is your Father's good pleasure to give."

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, let me not be anxious about to-morrow's provision or path, but trust Thee to provide and lead for to-day. Open Thine hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing. AMEN.

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May 7th, 2010
Jesus Gives Mercy By Max Lucado
“Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43

A condemned criminal was sent to his death by his country. In his final moments, he asked for mercy. Had he asked for mercy from the people, it would have been denied . . . But it wasn’t to these he turned for grace. He turned instead to the bloodied form of the One who hung on the cross next to his and pleaded, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus answered by saying, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

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May 8-9th, 2010
A Praying Mom by Charles Stanley
1 Samuel 2:1-10

Hannah experienced great sorrow prior to the birth of her son Samuel. Through that difficult time, however, she demonstrated a strong love for God and a dependence on Him through prayer.

Samuel had a mother who loved the Lord deeply. In fact, Hannah saw herself as God's handmaiden, whose life was in service to Him (1 Sam. 1:11). Even when her misery was overwhelming, she acknowledged how important He was to her, and she modeled a godly lifestyle.

We are commanded to love the Lord with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30) and to give Him first place in our lives (Deut. 5:7). If we love God, we will make sure our children know about Him and understand the importance of a relationship with Him through Christ. Our lives, though flawed, will reveal the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Samuel was blessed because Hannah was a woman of prayer. Her first recorded petition stemmed from misery, while the second came from a heart rejoicing over the Lord's answer to her cries. A praying mother gives high priority to bringing family concerns before God. I remember my mom kneeling with me by my bed to pray. I can still recall the phrases she used and the things she talked over with Him.

Children need committed parents who 1) demonstrate love toward both the family and God, and 2) help them experience the power and joy of prayer (James 5:16 niv). Even one parent can make a powerful difference when Christ is the center of the home. I know my mom did.


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