Devotionals

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Welcome to this satuday unofficial edition of the verse of the week. This is really more of a passage for Good Friday and Easter that the Lord showed me this morning, in Psalm 31, as well we in the end of Matthew, not sure where yet. But its an illustration of what our God did for us, and how to give God our all, because He gave us OUR life :)

"Into Your hands, I commit my spirit."
-Psalm 31:5, Matthew 27:50

I will actually share some more of Psalm 31 with you, and I think everyone reading this knows Matthew 27 where Jesus was crucified, so I don't think I have to rewrite all of that, just note the similarities of the two passages, and in your mind, and compare what is happening in each one.

"In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame, deliver me in your righteousness, Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue, be my rock of refuge; a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me. Free me from the trap that is set before me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit, redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth."-Psalm 31:1-5

I wonder if Jesus was going over the psalms in His mind as He was being crucified, as He recited some lines from them, and told His father that He commited His spirit into His hands.

TOTAL OBEDIENCE

Jesus was human and He was tempted in every way, but He was perfect, and He had Gods grace to do even the most painful of all task, die for the sins of mankind. No one ever has to do what Jesus did, it's been done, but God WILL ask us to deny ourselves and commit our spirits into His hands. Commiting our lives to God is NOT a bad thing, its really a very good thing, because no one can care for and lead us as God Himself can. The only problem is, we have so many earthly desires of the flesh that speak to us, as well as the voice of God calling to us.

HOW DO WE MAKE GODS VOICE LOUDER THAN THE OTHERS?

We don't have to, it already is :) However, somehow, we tune it out! We listen to ourselves. When we are in the "desert" and the devil is tempting us, we don't always fight back with God's words like Jesus did. Sometimes, its just easier to give in, and listen to our desires that the devil plays on. However, when we get down on our knees, and ask God to help us to resist the temptation, we are giving things over to Him, and He is able to help us.

An example for me has been this past week. Now, I am a Christian, and I know it is wrong to gossip, and I never do it. HOWEVER, I do have an awful habit of LISTENING to gossip. Thats no better, though listening is more subtle than repeating it, its still a sin. So this week, I have been tempted by the enemy many times to eavesdrop. God is not always subtle, He did try to help! Once, when two ladies were gossiping, one of the babies started to cry. I very politley(and quietly) told the little fellow to "keep it down, I'm trying to hear!" Another time, the music was on in the room, and I couldn't go turn it off, because that would be too obvious, so I was stuck not hearing anything that happened! Did you all know that when people gossip they WHISPER so as no one else will hear them? Imagine that! Here was the Lord trying to protect me, and yet, I was still letting the devil lead me into temptation.

IN HIS FRAILITY, HE DIED FOR OURS

The Lord knows we are weak. He knows that I, a woman who writes for Him, sings to Him, and worships Him is very weak in flesh and spirit, and I am controlled by evil desires of the heart, and the devils whispers. By the blood of the Lamb, we are freed from sin, and when we commit our spirit to the Living God, His power begins to work in our lives. He takes weak, broken men and woman, and lives through them, when they are willing to give it all to Him. Take a moment and think of all of your charactar flaws. The things about yourself that you do not like and want to change. Your loving Father in Heaven sent His son to die for YOU, for ALL that you are....He gave HIS All, for ALL of us. He sent Jesus to be tempted as we are tempted so He understands. Isn't it great how our God is not just our Redeemer, but Consoler? He gets it! He knows our hearts, and wants to help us to grow in Him, and know Him better. This Easter season, remember how precious you are to God. the God of the Universe DELIGHTS in you, and He loves you enough to give His own life.....and He would do it again......

DEAR LORD-WE THANK YOU THAT YOU LOVE US SOOOO MUCH THAT YOU SENT JESUS TO DIE FOR US, IN OUR PLACE. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON CALVARY WITH THE THEIFS AND MURDERERS, BECAUSE THATS WHO WE ARE. WE ARE NO BETTER THAN THEY WERE, BUT YOU DIED SO WE MAY HAVE A SECOND CHANCE TO BE WITH YOU, FOR ETERNITY. HELP US TO SEE HOW MUCH OUR LIVES ARE WORTH, AND HELP US TO COMMIT OUR LIVES TO YOU, SO YOU MAY WORK IN US TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD THE TRUTH OF THE RISEN SAVIOUR, AND HIS LOVE FOR MANKIND.
IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME

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