Daily Devotional for Friday April 12, 2019

Have you taken time to count your blessings lately?

(James 1:17)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, help me to get through this day and the challenges that I will be facing today. Guide me, strengthen me, and give me wisdom as I make choices throughout this day. Please watch over my family and those I love in this world, and keep them safe. I love you Lord, and depend upon you each moment of each day. Bless me as I go through the day, living my life for your glory. In the name of Jesus I pray...AMEN!

***IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Over the past month, I have been sharing on the TV program and in the Daily Devotional, the fact that there is a “religion of social justice,” who is part of this religion, and that the only real enemy of this religion are Biblical Christians. I have included links to 2 critical Daily Devotionals on this issue for your reference and to share this important information with others, since most true Believers don’t even realize there is a war going on!!!

Daily Devotional

4/10 https://liveprayer.com/devotional.cfm?id=53986

4/9 https://liveprayer.com/devotional.cfm?id=53985

Every time you turn on the television, pick up a newspaper, or go to an online news source, you are confronted with the evil that exists in this world. In dealing with the day-to-day issues of living in this world, the Daily Devotional often focuses on the evil we face in our lives. It is very easy to get so focused on all that is bad in the world, that we forget to take a moment and reflect on all that is GOOD in the world. Does evil exist? Absolutely. However, there is also much GOOD in the world we live in as well.

Sadly, we can fall into that same trap in our own personal lives. It is so easy to spend our time and energy focusing on all that is wrong with our lives. We rarely take the opportunity to sit back and see all that is right with our lives. Because our problems always seem to be before us and dominate our thoughts and prayers, we forget that there is also much good in our life as well. Today, I want to encourage and challenge you to take a few minutes and look at all the GOOD that is in our world and just as important, all of the GOOD that is in your life!!!

In discussing the evil in the world, I have shared with you that the root of evil is the hearts of men who choose to live their lives in rebellion to God. Evil is NOT from God but those who have chosen to rebel against God! The bible tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” (James 1:17 NIV)

Whatever is good in this world comes from God. Let me put this in a very personal way for you. When you live your life in rebellion to God, you are contributing to the evil in this world. When you live your life in obedience to God, you are contributing to the good in this world. YOU, literally become a vessel of evil or of good.

That is a very heavy statement I just made so I am going to repeat it for you and I want you to take time to meditate on these words today and ask God to help you understand the power and importance of what this means. YOUR LIFE IS EITHER A VESSEL OF EVIL OR A VESSEL OF GOOD. When you live in rebellion to God, you are a vessel of evil. When you live in obedience to God, you are a vessel of good.

I want you to take some time today and really reflect on all that is GOOD in our world. Rather than focusing on all that is bad in the world, I want you to take some time today and simply look at all the good there is around you. Everyday people all over the world are coming to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. So many people all over the world give of themselves to help others who are less fortunate. This planet has so many tremendous resources that allow the vast majority of the people to sustain a wonderful standard of life. We have many tremendous scientific and medical advancements that help us enjoy our life.

Most importantly, we have the incredible blessings of God that allow us to not just live our life but live it abundantly. He has given us His Word to guide us and direct us through this journey of life. We have the precious promises in His Word that we can count on to sustain us throughout our life. We have the incredible opportunity to not only have an intimate relationship with our Creator but to know His love for us. We can wake up each morning knowing that our life is not an accident or coincidence but God has a plan and purpose for each of us. My friend, there is SO MUCH good in this world if we will simply take the time to acknowledge it.

I also want you to take some time today to reflect on your own life. Again, it is so easy to focus on what is wrong with our life, we forget to focus on what is right with our life. Because we have to wake up and face the battles with our finances, with our employment, with our marriage, with our children, with our health, or whatever your battles may be, we tend to forget that there is actually much GOOD in our life. My friend, don’t let your problems keep you from your praise. Here we go again. I know many of you just missed that so let me say it again . . . slowly. DON?T LET YOUR PROBLEMS KEEP YOU FROM YOUR PRAISE!!!

I am not saying that your problems aren’t important or that you should just forget your problems. What I am saying is to not let your problems overwhelm you to the point you don’t take the time to give God the praise for all of His blessings in your life each day. We all have problems in our life. That is simply part of life. However, we all have blessings as well. As a matter of fact, we have blessings in our life that we take for granted and don’t even thank God for. That great old hymn said, “Count your many blessings, see what God hath done. Count your many blessings, name them one by one.” You need to take some time today and do exactly what that great hymn writer suggested and COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!

I love you and care about you so much. It is so easy to fall into the trap of focusing only on the evil in the word, the problems in our life, that we lose sight of all the good in this world we live in and the MANY BLESSINGS God bestows upon us each day. I pray that today you will take a few minutes to reflect on the good in the world and the blessings in your life. God loves you so much. Jesus said, “He came to give life and give life more abundantly.” Sit back and look at all of the good in our world today. Take a few minutes today and reflect on all of the wonderful blessings God has given you.

I want to leave you with the words of our Lord, who just hours before going to the cross told His disciples that in this world they would have trials and tribulations but He also told them, “Be of good cheer for I have overcome this world.” Amen! One day the evil will be gone and all that will be left is good. If you know Christ as your Savior the Bible says that when this life is over, “There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain.” Take time today to acknowledge all of the good that is in this world and in your life!!!

In His love and service,

Your friend, brother, and co-laborer in Christ,

Bill Keller