Only believe. No one can take a pre-workout supplement and then sit still. Likewise, faith leads to action. Faith is a spiritual pre-work substance. Mix with the Word of God for best results. (Mark 9:23-24; Hebrews 11:1, 6; Mark 5:36; Hebrews 10:23)
Devotional for June 9
Our Help and Shield
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
13 The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. Psalm 33:12-22 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Fitness, talent, and beauty make life easier, but we only fool ourselves when we think “easier” by itself makes life happier. Money is the answer for everything, but money alone will never be enough. Keep money, and anything else that would raise itself up as an idol, out of the heart. There is nothing wrong with the prayer to change the stones into bread in itself. The wrong or the right depends on whether the motive behind it is to obey God or merely to satisfy the belly. So, set your affections on the things that are above. Be watchful over your thoughts and deeds in order to keep your conscience tender and clear. Be quick to cast down, put off, and turn away from everything that doesn’t conform to the Word of God. Jesus Christ is the Word. Meditate on the Word of God all day long and rely on the power of God always. This will keep us on the narrow path with inner peace and great joy. (1 King 13:11-24; Ecclesiastes 7:2, 10:19, 5:10; Proverbs 23:5; Colossians 3:2; Hebrews 12:2; James 4:1-3; 1 John 2:15-16; Mathew 6:24; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Hebrews 11:32-12:1; Matthew 7:7-11; Romans 8:32-39; 1 John 5:13-15; Matthew 6:31-33; 2 Corinthians 10:4-6; John 1: 1-3; Hebrews 11:1-6; Matthew 4:1-11; Ephesians 3:14-21)
Devotional for June 8
Praise God For His Everlasting Lovingkindness
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.
15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me. Psalm 86:11-17 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Achieving your fitness goals can be a lot like watching the grass grow. You will find it hard to stay motivated if all you do is dwell on how far you have to go. Learn to celebrate the small victories along the way. Got an extra rep in today? Acknowledge the achievement and give thanks to God for it. Was your diet spot on yesterday? Good for you. Rejoice and praise God for it. We are commanded to be strong and courageous. Acknowledge the source of all victories by giving God the glory, and receive the encouragement needed to keep moving forward toward your high calling in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:1; 1 Samuel 30:1-6; Joshua 1:8-9; 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24; 1 Corinthians 13:4-13; Philippians 3:3-17; Habakkuk 3:17-18; Psalm 18:31-34; Isaiah 52:7; Psalm 18:28-30, 103:1-5; 1 Chronicles 29:10-13; Psalm 33:16-22; Revelation 7:11-12)
Devotional for June 7
Praise God For His Everlasting Lovingkindness
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.
15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me. Psalm 86:11-17 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Worry can sometimes seem like a 2,000 pound gorilla jumping up and down on your back. Self-help is no help at all. It’s like hiring a fox to guard the chickens. Take it to Lord in prayer and be confident in His ability as the Good Shepherd to care for you. Fight the good fight of faith and enforce the victory over anything that would spark unbelief in the heart. Be diligent. It is so easy to become distracted by our current circumstances, and thereby take our eyes off Jesus Christ. Without constantly reminding ourselves of the truth of His word and promises, we are likely to forget them at just the time when we need to abide in Him the most. Only by the grace of Jesus Christ are we more than conquerors, and that takes faith which works by love. (Matthew 6:26-34; Matthew 12:38-45; Ecclesiastes 4:5; Proverbs 14:1-3; Isaiah 50:10-11; Proverbs 3:5-8; Deuteronomy 8:10-18; Psalm 103:2-5; Isaiah 26:3; Proverbs 16:3; Galatians 5:6; Romans 8:35-39; 1 John 2:15-17; John 14:15-27; Psalm 23; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
Devotional for June 6
Remember the Wonderful Works of the Lord
105 O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
4 Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Psalm 105:1-5 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
We can transform the physical body with diet and exercise. While our whole life can be transformed by the Word of God and faith. The Word of God, which consists of the very thoughts and verbal expressions of God, is the source of unlimited power. The practice of continually thinking God’s thoughts after Him is life transforming. Prayer is our connection to God. Faith is like the powering on of a television or other appliance. The ON/OFF button enables the device to perform as designed. Faith in God is our ON setting, while unbelief is the OFF mode that hinders the flow of grace. One key to effective prayer is to never pray for anything unless you believe God will do it. Believe first, then pray. Faith comes quickest by hearing yourself speak the Word, and unbelief begins as the mind entertains doubt. A doubting thought taken captive and casted down by faith causes no harm. So, doubt your doubts. Hold fast your confession of faith, and let the grace of God have its full flow. (Proverbs 12:10; 1 Timothy 4:8; Romans 12:1-18; 1 Corinthians 13:13; 1 John 4:10; John 3:16-17; James 1:21; 2 Corinthians 10:4-6; Hebrews 4:12; Hebrews 11:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; John 17:17; 1 John 5:4-8; 2 Peter 1:3-11; Hebrews 10:19-23; 1 Peter 5:6-11)
Devotional for June 5
God is Good
107 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
42 The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
43 Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. Psalm 107:1-3, 42-43 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Faith comes by hearing. Time and attention given to the Word of God tunes the ears to hear opportunity knocking. Every opportunity to doubt is also an opportunity to exercise faith. Remember the command to consider the fiery darts that attack your faith as pure joy. This is easy to do when you first remember the faithfulness of Him who has promised that through perseverance, you will be made strong and complete. The temptation to complain about our current circumstances is one such fiery dart that often goes unnoticed. The Holy Bible tells us that even something as routine as eating and drinking, and as constant as the flow of our thoughts and attitudes should all be consistent with faith in God. Fix the eyes on Jesus Christ and rejoice! He has won this victory for us. Jesus Christ our Lord, the captain of our salvation, is completely faithful, trustworthy, reliable, and all powerful. Christ is our source of everlasting strength. (Isaiah 26:4; Revelation 3:22; Ephesians 1:1-21; Revelation 3:20; Ezekiel 36:26; John 14:18-26; Hebrews 10:15-17; Galatians 4:19; John 1:12-17; Hebrews 4:2; Hebrews 11:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15; John 8:31-32; Hebrews 12:1-3; James 1:21-25; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Ephesians 3:14-21)
Devotional for June 4
The Glory of the Lord Endures Forever
13 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches
31 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Psalm 104:1-2, 13-15, 19-24, 31-34 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
We will see little gains from working out if we don’t eat. It takes sufficient protein and adequate time under tension for growing bigger muscles. Likewise, we also need spiritual nutrition and times of testing to increase our faith. The Word of God is spiritual protein and hearing the Word is like weight training. All who come to God through Jesus Christ have faith at least the size of a mustard seed. O ye of little faith, why stay that way? Faith comes by hearing, therefore be quick to speak the Word of God in your thoughts and in your ears. See the wind and the waves with rejoicing. The eyes are easily deceived and feelings are often just lying vanities. Praise and thanksgiving are active expressions of trust in God. Hold fast the confession of your faith and He will bring you through all in perfect peace. (Romans 10:17; Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Joshua 1:8-9; John 8:31-32; Matthew 14:22-31; Mark 11:22-24; 1 Peter 2:2; James 1:2-4; Psalm 42:5; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Peter 3:15; Hebrews 10:23; Isaiah 26:3; 2 Timothy 2:15, 4:1-5, 2:24-25; Jude 1:17-25)
Devotional for June 3
Grace for Joyful Living
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Psalm 19:7-11 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
God never has a need for a plan B at any time. Get quiet and listen. Hear the Lord speak to your soul “Do you believe I can do this? According to your faith be it done unto you.” God works everything out for good for those who love Him. So, be at peace even when your best laid plans fall apart. Nothing surprises God. Absolutely everything is in the hands of God, from the largest galaxy far, far, away, down to the smallest unknown of quantum mechanics, and everything in between. He can completely change your situation in an instant. Trust in His love for you. Is not steel hardened in the fire? Is not a diamond formed under pressure? Does not muscle require resistance to become stronger? Likewise is faith developed…in the fire, under pressure, and with resistance. Trust God our Father. He alone is truly good and infinitely better than the very best of human fathers ever could be. Pray for what you need with the full assurance that comes from knowing that by asking we receive, by seeking we find, and by knocking the door is opened. And if it is delayed, wait for it. Remember the faithfulness of God with thanksgiving even before seeing the requested blessing. Praise Him for His goodness and chase away every fearful and doubting thought. Always ask according to the will of God and the needed grace will come. (Matthew 7:7-11; Mark 9:14-27; Matthew 17:19-21, 9:27-29; Ephesians 1:15-21; Zechariah 3:1-7; Ephesians 2:8-22; 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24; Ephesians 6:10-19; Proverbs 18:21; Matthew 15:15-19; Proverbs 4:18-27; 2 Corinthians 10:4-6; 1 Peter 3:3-4, 4:11)
Devotional for June 2
The Lord Promises Peace for His People
8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. Psalm 5:8-13 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Always start with mastering the basics. The training secrets of Mr. Incredible are useless if you haven’t yet learned to be consistent with your workouts. With the combined knowledge of the entire world in the palm of our hands, rarely is the problem a lack of solutions. It’s not a lack of knowing holding most people back, it’s a lack of doing. Knowledge becomes power only when it is applied. We could have written the book on agriculture, but we will grow only weeds if we never lift a hoe. The simple plain truth is far better than the most appealing lie. The sooner you turn from sin and reach out for the Lord the better. Confess to the Lord, forsake every sin no matter how small, and turn to Him with your whole heart. There is power in the name of Jesus Christ to break every chain. Blessed is the one who enters by the straight gate and follows the narrow way. This is the long game that starts small and leads to eternal life. (Joshua 1:8; Proverbs 19:27; Colossians 2:18-3:7; James 1:22-25; Luke 4:16-21; Matthew 13:1-23; Hosea 10:12; Proverbs 24:30-34; Matthew 7:13-14; 1 John 1:9-10; John 15:5-8; Deuteronomy 30:19; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 2 Timothy 1:7; Psalm 27:4; 1 Peter 5:6-11)
Devotional for June 1
Blessing and Favor of the Lord
8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. Psalm 5:8-13 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Getting started is hard because it means overcoming the inner resistance that comes with establishing good habits. Eat better, stand up more, get busy, move, and sweat just to name a few. Will power is the spark needed to get things started, but it is the fire of desire that keeps things running for the long game. Regardless of the type of seed sown with repetition, it can only produce the fruit of its kind. Good reps build strength and bad habits only weaken the soul. Conformity to the world fills the heart with desires for things that bred bad habits. The heart is a tinderbox and whatever sparks evil desires is playing with strange fire. Watch and pray. Guard the heart by recognizing when to turn it off, when to avert the gaze, and when to walk away. (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Isaiah 61:3; Proverbs 4:23; Mark 14:38; Genesis 4:7; 1 John 2:15-17; Matthew 7:15-20; Galatians 6:7; Romans 12:1-2; Leviticus 10:1-2; 1 Samuel 15:22; Matthew 5:29-30; Matthew 13:45-46; Luke 11:27-28; John 4:24; Psalm 119:1-3; Proverbs 6:23-28; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5; Philippians 4:8-9, 20)
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