Quote from Forum Archives on May 9, 2003, 4:00 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Today I'd like to share with you a message from the Quiet Walk
Devotional series from Walk Through the Bible ministries, made
available for Email lists by Crosswalk.com and the Salem Web
Network. This message is about consciously turning and returning
to the Lord our God.

Earlier this week, we discussed an appropriate set of actions
and attitudes when we feel that someone has taken advantage of
us and we feel exploited.

Where we've gone wrong is that we search for significance, we
search for love, we search for power, influence, comfort, and
pleasures, and other things, but we've done so without seeking
God first in those things. We tend to get into a cycle, where we
sin, then we fall to that sin and end up serving someone or
something else, then we suffer the consequences of our actions
(the judgment), then we realize our error turn away from it,
call upon God, He saves us from what we've done (though the
consequences remain), then we are humbled and silenced. Sadly,
we all tend to repeat this pattern, sometimes in the same things,
sometimes in other things, but we tend to get caught in this
cycle.

I believe that God wants us to have the best possible life
experience, which includes plenty of comfort, pleasure,
fulfillment, and the things we crave. I believe that such things
are what God intended, otherwise God would not have created such
strong urges within us for such things. But God has also created
a vacuum within us, a void that only He can fill and satisfy. We
go wrong because we seek to fill our voids in other ways besides
seeking God first.

Today's message deals with these issues from a somewhat different
perspective. This message identifies our pattern of behavior,
calls us to obedience, demonstrates God's grace and patience with
us, yet calls us to something more.

Will you respond to God, earnestly seeking Him, giving God credit
for all that He has done (instead of just being demanding of God,
insisting on this or that in prayers, without being truly
appreciative of what He has already done for each of us)? God
knows our needs, and He wants to hear from us, including our
needs, but God also desires grateful devotion, a joyful and
thankful heart, a repentant spirit when we do fall short, and an
eagerness to praise Him and draw near to Him.

Dear Lord,

Help me through each day, and enable me to be a disciple who is
not only willing to follow You, but one who is willing to serve,
to obey, to give, following Your wonderful humble example. Teach
me and help me to seek You first and love You with all of my
being, then help me to tap into the power of Your love. I
believe that once I appreciate You, the choices that I make will
flow out of a response to Your amazing love.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian
____________________________________________________________

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Q U I E T W A L K D E V O T I O N A L
by Walk Thru the Bible

May 9

Judges 2
The Israelites begin worshiping Baal, a god of Canaan.

INSIGHT
There is a distinct pattern of events that begins to unfold in
Judges. The children of Israel fall into sin and begin
worshiping other gods. Sin is followed by servitude. The Lord
causes other nations to rise up in judgment and enslave Israel.
Israel cries out to God for deliverance, and the Lord delivers
them by raising up a judge to lead them to victory. Then the
land has rest until that judge dies and the cycle begins again:
sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence. Sin is
always followed by bondage. Repentance frees.

PRAYER
. Because God always honors our obedience to Him, we praise Him:
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty, Who cover Yourself with
light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain... May the glory of
the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more...
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:1-2, 31, 35).

. Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this
confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from
sin: There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not
sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of
Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15).

. Pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do
not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but
the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians
4:17-18).

. As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
. greater wisdom for living,
. the needs of your family,
. your activities for the day.
. Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

Quiet Walk is published by Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, Inc.
in Atlanta, GA. If you would like to see other resources from
Walk Thru the Bible, such daily devotionals, devotional Bibles,
devotional books, videos and live, in-church seminars, please
click here:
link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.17.11658.1.293748

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=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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