You can also listen to the devotion for each day by calling (205) 795-7755

Monday, 03/15/10

Finding an idol to worship in our city isn’t as hard as you think.  You need only to remember what seems to drive many people today, such as power, pleasure, passion and praise.  These four are listed in the Life Application Study Bible in the first book of Kings, in a discussion about how people could turn away from God.  Here’s how it is explained at 1 Kings 14:18.

The appeal of power is that “people want freedom from the authority of both God and religious leaders.” But, we should be warned that “instead of having power over others, God wants us to have the Holy Spirit’s power to help others.”

The appeal of pleasure is “people act out of vicious and sensuous personalities, thus seeking approval for their degraded lives.” But, “God calls us to seek the kind of pleasure that leads to long-range rewards.”

Tomorrow, the other two idols we can easily worship in today’s society.

Tuesday, 03/16/10

We must guard against idol worship. Today, there are personal idols abounding.  Yesterday we discussed two; power and pleasure. Today, here are two more modern idols.  They are passion, praise and popularity.  The Life Application Study Bible outlines them at 1 Kings 14:18.

The appeal of passion is “that mankind can be reduced to little more than animals. They can be exploited sexually, politically, and economically.” But, “God calls us to redirect our passions to areas that build others up.”

The appeal of praise and popularity is that it is a “reflection of human nature, thus more suitable to people’s culture.” But, “instead of praising ourselves, God calls us to praise him and those who honor him.”

So, will you worship earthly idols or a heavenly God?  Your choice.

Wednesday, 03/17/10

We have rain in the forecast for tomorrow...maybe. We’ll need to consult radio and television for updates to be sure.

That leads to this little essay found in Apples of Gold, published by C. R. Gibson Publishing Company.

“There is nothing more beautiful than a rainbow, but it takes both rain and sunshine to make a rainbow.
If life is to be rounded and many-colored like the rainbow, both joy and sorrow must come to it.
Those who have never known anything but prosperity and pleasure become hard and shallow.
But, those whose prosperity has been mixed with adversity become kind and gracious.”

Jesus tells us that if we love him, and thus love his Father, we can find our rainbow.  He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:9,11)

Thursday, 03/18/10

Just to remind you: the only thing that you must do to be saved is believe that Jesus Christ is your savior and confess your sins to him.  We are saved by faith in Him and thus in God.

Why?  One explanation is offered in a commentary on Romans 3:28 found in the New Application Study Bible.

“Why does God save us by faith alone?  First, faith eliminates the pride of human effort because faith is not a deed that we can do.  Second, faith exalts what God has done, not what people do. Third, faith admits we can’t keep the law or measure up to God’s standards, we need help.  And, fourth, faith is based on our relationship with God, not our performance for God.”

We are saved by trusting what God has done for us, not what we can do for him. We are saved by faith in Him.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 03/19/10-03/21/10

You’ll see some people doing some foolish things this weekend.  Not all of them will be children or young people.  Many foolish acts will be performed by adults.  Acts of immaturity will abound.

So how do we define maturity?  You’ll find this definition in the little book Wings of Silver by C. R. Gibson Publishing.

“This is maturity:
To be able to stick with a job until it is finished,
To be able to bear an injustice without wanting to get even,
To be able to carry money without spending it,
And to do one’s duty without being supervised.”

A Biblical verse says this about maturity.  “Lord, so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.”

Let God speak to your heart as you attend a worship service this weekend and be sure to invite someone to attend with you.

contributed by Wendell Harris