Daily Devotional for Sunday December 8, 2013
Enjoying the Peace, Joy, and Abundance This Life Can Offer
(Leviticus 26:5; Deuteronomy 30:9; Isaiah 30:23; Amos 9:13)
***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, do the souls of aborted babies go to be with our Lord in heaven? Do the souls of children (ie: for example the ones at Sandy Hook school) who die before they are able to ask Jesus to come into their lives, or in the case of Noah Pozner (who was Jewish) get to go to heaven?
ANSWER: Yes and yes! Salvation is by our faith in Christ and God's grace, Ephesians 2:8,9. Babies and young children who die and aren't old enough to understand their sinful nature, will be in Heaven due to God's grace.
I realize that much of what I write each day is geared to those who are in the midst of the storms of life, or warnings of the traps satan has layed designed to kill, steal, and destroy your life. Today, I want to address the vast majority who are reading this who are NOT in a crisis and enjoying the peace, joy, and abundance that this life can offer.
I think it is important from time to time to focus on the fact that we do go through seasons of our life when things are going good. The reality is, God gives us periods of our life when we can enjoy the abundance this life can offer. That does not mean everything is perfect, it never is. But we are not facing great trials and we don't feel like the walls of life are closing in around us.
The important message that I want you to hear today is that when you are in this season, a season of calm, a season of peace, you don't neglect your daily relationship with the Lord. It is very easy for us to take for granted our daily time with the Lord when things are going well in our life. During those times we may not be as motivated to read the Word, to pray, to just have that special time with Him. There may not be the fervor or passion about our daily contact with the Lord as there is when we are in a crisis.
I want to encourage you today that during those periods of calm in your life, to continue to be diligent in your daily walk with the Lord. Like any relationship, it is only as strong as what you put into it. Also, there will always be trials and tribulations in this life. Enjoy those seasons of peace, but know without a doubt that there will be challenges in the future and you will need to be able to call upon your faith at those times. Your daily connection with the Lord through the Word, through prayer, is how you keep your faith strong.
I love you and care about you so much. I think the Christian life is inaccurately portrayed as one of continual crisis and need. Because it is usually only in that time of great need people contact Liveprayer, I am guilty of sometimes focusing too much on that aspect of our lives. The fact is most people today are NOT in crisis, their lives are NOT falling apart, they are NOT fighting great battles in their life. Most who read this today are enjoying their life and in the midst of a time of great peace and joy.
I will be praying for you today. Praying that you enjoy this season of peace and joy. God gives us these seasons so that we can experience the real abundance this life can offer. You can't really know the peace of this life unless you intimately know the Prince of Peace. You can't really know the joy of this life unless you know the Author of joy. You can't really know the abundance of this life unless you know the One who came to give us this life more abundantly.
Life is NOT all about pain and misery, but can be wonderful. I pray today that you will enjoy this wonderful life, but never neglect your daily relationship with the Lord since it is only because of, and with HIM that it is wonderful!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller