faith

Devotional for December 24

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

The Lord of Hosts Is with Us

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Psalm 46:4-7 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

Some days will be tough. Some days it will be hard to get started. Some days you may not feel like doing anything. Feeling good is like running with a strong tailwind pushing you forward. Fatigue is like a strong headwind that makes every little step difficult. We all sometimes get tired and feel like doing nothing. Let such contrary feelings be your que to take a knee and face inward toward God. Remember that God never changes. Faith doesn’t depend on how we feel. Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness is the first of all prerequisites. Rejoice and praise Him for His wonderful goodness especially in the mist of circumstances that are less than idea. Less than idea only means less than comfortable for us, because everything is always comfortably under the control of God. He has promised to work out all things for our good. Take the uncomfortable, inconvenient, and the painful while holding on to the faith that knows God will somehow work it out for good. Therefore, take whatever God allows without complaining, whining, or feeling sorry for yourself. Pick up your cross daily and follow Jesus. Such wisdom is what allowed the saints of old to safely pass through any fire, to always stand up after being knocked down, and able to bear unbearable burdens. The peace of the Lord is the very eye of every storm. In the mist of fatigue, worry, and agitation, turn to the Lord and be still. Rest in His peace. Learning to be at peace in the mist of all the stormy circumstances of life prepares us well for every good work.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 29; Revelation 15

Zechariah 11; John 14

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in me the gifts of faith, hope, and love; and, that I may obtain what you promise, make me love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

faith

Devotional for December 23

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

It Is Written

6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. Psalm 40:6-8 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

If you have ever been unable to stop yourself from crying while watching a movie you knew to be fictional, you’ve had a real experience of what is unreal. Vicarious experiences such as these are the real danger of movies, television, music, and video games. It’s because our brains learn from them just as it learns from all real-life experiences. Even a surface understanding of neuroscience and the plasticity of the brain reveals that the brain is changed through cinematic sinful deeds enacted and watched for entertainment. We become indifferent to the name of the Lord routinely being taken in vain, and the glorification of all sorts of wickedness while manipulating the consequences for climatic effect. God is not mocked. The Hollywood tabloids are filled with scandal after scandal of the actors and singers that reap the effects of the wickedness they continually portray for entertainment. It is a rare entertainer indeed that escapes the reality that comes along with a life of make believe under the bright lights. Even though these people are idolized by millions, they are often just blind pawns miss-leading the masses. It is wise to consider where a star is pointing before choosing to follow.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 27-28; Revelation 14

Zechariah 10; John 13

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in me the gifts of faith, hope, and love; and, that I may obtain what you promise, make me love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

faith

Devotional for December 22

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

He Holds Our Souls in Life

8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
17 I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. Psalm 66:8-13, 17-20 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

Hope is the fuel that keeps the candle of the spirit shining bright in the soul. Hope is a firm conviction that future grace and mercy will be. Difficulties and troubles are common in this world, and hope makes it possible to bear and pass through them all. Stand firm then, with faith and love as your body armor, hope as your helmet of salvation, and keep your right hand in the hand of Almighty God. Be strong.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 26; Revelation 13

Zechariah 9; John 12

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in me the gifts of faith, hope, and love; and, that I may obtain what you promise, make me love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

faith

Devotional for December 21

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Wait on the Lord

147 Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. Psalm 147:1-12 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

The illusion of youth is that being young will last forever. Looking young and being youthful are not necessarily the same thing. We can try as hard as we like to look young forever, but little by little it will only slip through the fingers with each passing year. It is far better to work to maintain youthful function and to not be unduly concerned with our wrinkles and gray hairs. Physical perfection in the prime of youth may be pleasing to the eye, but it does not make beautiful. Let the beauty of the Lord shine from within, and what was once considered the physical effects of aging can be cheerfully embraced and enhanced. The carnal mind, being spiritually blind, judges only by the outward appearance. We are re-created in Jesus Christ to be holy and without blemish. Such beauty is pleasing to the Lord and of much greater worth than mere outward appearance.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 25; Revelation 12

Zechariah 8; John 11

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Purify my conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in me a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and fore ever. Amen.

faith

Devotional for December 20

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

The Eye of the Lord is Upon Those Who Fear Him

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 33:13-22 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

Exercise is important, but do we perfect the body for personal pride, the adoration of women, and the praise of men? May God forbid. Just as the Lord had need of the donkey, we have need of the body in this life. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. Therefore, we are commanded by God not to be conformed to it. Each of us is to present the body as a living sacrifice set apart as a chosen vessel in the service of the Lord. The Lord is our shepherd. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. If we believe that He does not speak to us, we call Him a liar. God forbid we do this just because there has always been those who falsely claimed to have heard Him speak. This fact in no way invalidates the Scriptures about the Good Shepherd speaking to His sheep. How can we hear if we don’t believe He speaks? There are many strange voices in the world today to be sure. Some say do this, some say do that, some say live like this, and some say live like that. We all need to decide who we are going to trust. First choose to believe the Word of God. Next hold on by faith through the testing of it, and the assurance of knowing that we know Him who is Faithful and True comes later. This is the divine order. We come to know the voice of people close to us by the character, quality, and tone of his or her voice. We come to know the Lord in just the same way.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 24; Revelation 11

Zechariah 7; John 10

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Purify my conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in me a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and fore ever. Amen.

faith

Devotional for December 19

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Who Can Stand in His Holy Place

24 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Psalm 24:1-6 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

Some may be helped by being told how to eat better and how to exercise properly. Many more are likely to be helped by following a living example of how to eat and how to exercise. Talk without action really is cheap. Few will hear unless the talk is also seen in the walk. If this be true with things that are easily seen like diet and exercise, how much more so is it true for the unseen things of God that we profess to believe. We come to know the only true God through the Holy Scriptures, and faith must precede understanding. Truth in the inward parts is meant to be a like a lit candle set on a candlestick for all to see. True light shines through love expressed in deeds. To make love known, it must be made visible through actions. May the love of God in us be seen by all of those around us through all we say and do. In this way, we glorify God through Christ Jesus who loves us and gave Himself for our redemption.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 22-23; Revelation 10

Zechariah 6; John 9

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Purify my conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in me a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and fore ever. Amen.

faith

Devotional for December 18

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

You, O God, Have Heard Me

1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. Psalm 61:1-5 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

Life in this present world is just preparation for what will last forever. Even if one should live to be 120 years old, this life would still represent just one tiny grain of sand on the endless beach of eternity. Not everyone believes this though. Unbelievers will think it strange when you don’t care for talking about the filth they have been watching, or the rhythm and profanity they continually blast in their cars that can be heard 50 feet away. It has been said that birds of a feather flock together. It is true. Thus, it is necessary to leave the chickens pecking around in the dirt behind, if you would soar with the eagles. Leave all those so-called friends that want you to join them in poisoning the body, polluting the mind, and defiling the spirit. Woe unto those who refuse to believe. If they repent not, only darkness and suffering shall be their portion. The end will suddenly come upon them like a thief in the night, when the last trumpet sounds, the books will be opened, and then everyone will be rewarded accordingly. Woe to them, but blessed are those who have been converted by belief in Jesus Christ kept with a child-like faith. They shall know the truth and the truth shall set them free. This is the promise for this life, and in the next there will be a warm welcome into paradise for all eternity.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 21; Revelation 9

Zechariah 5; John 8

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Purify my conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in me a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and fore ever. Amen.

Daily Writing Prompt

Plan Well and Take it As it comes

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment
Daily writing prompt
Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?
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Grass grows slow when all you do is sit around watching it. It’s funny how much quicker each year seems to pass the older I get. This time last year I pictured I would be an IFBB pro by now. That’s going to take a little longer. I also pictured that I would blog daily. With only a handful of days in the year left, by the grace of God that one is nearly accomplished. However, I didn’t picture publishing a series of journals with writing prompts this time last year. I’m very thankful for being able to publish these journals, and I’m pushing hard to have the series completed by the turn of the new year. Neither was I expecting a new job this time last year. Sometimes unexpected blessings are the best kind of all.

To quote a line from one of my favorite poems: “Life is funny with its twists and turns, as every one of us sometimes learns.” Plan the best course you can. Work it until the door closes. Then look around for the next best way and step to it. That’s how living is done.

(1 Corinthians 16:13-14; Matthew 24:42-51)

faith

Devotional for December 17

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Reap with Shouts of Joy

126 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.
5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

Pray, because everything depends on God. Work, because everything depends on us. These are NOT contradictory statements. They are opposites sides of the same profound truth. Our part is to pray and work confidently knowing that all power belongs to God.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 19-20; Revelation 8

Zechariah 4; John 7

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Purify my conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in me a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and fore ever. Amen.

Daily Writing Prompt

The Art of Kindness

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment
Daily writing prompt
What skills or lessons have you learned recently?
View all responses

Not that I have mastered or perfected kindness, but I have been forced to pursue it more eagerly in the past week. A perfect storm at work left one of my co-workers in tears and hurt from something I said. This puzzled me as it was not a threat, I never raised my voice, it was not said in anger, and it was certainly not meant to hurt her. After praying about this incident, I’ve come see now that the situation required more calm than I had at that very moment. Though I was not angry, my intensity level was cranked up to about 10. I was at no time out of control, but what I didn’t realize is that my high arousal state was being broadcast by my posture, my facial expression, and all my non-verbal communication. At that point, it mattered little what I said. My normal cool energy was red hot and it burned her. Hindsight has enabled me to see that the kindest thing I could have done in that situation was to walk away without saying anything. It would have been far better to confront her later after my normal state of peace had returned.

If there is a key to kindness, it is being sensitive to the needs of others. This is something that has never been easy or natural for me to do. My co-worker has the same need to feel safe at work just like all the rest of us. When I reflect on the incident and try to see if from her point of view, I see how she could have taken my intensity for anger and my posture as threatening. Had I been more concerned about her need than I was about letting my solution to the problem being known, the resulting fractured relationship could have been avoided.

Now my thoughts dwell on how I can make amends come Monday morning.

(Ephesians 4:29-32; Matthew 7:12)