Tag Archive | God

Thanks & Praise

Aug1

Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.
1 Chronicles 29:13 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/1ch.29.13.NASB1995

When was the last time you thanked God? Praised His name? On Sunday? Or is it an everyday occurrence?

What a wonderful gift to give to our Lord, to acknowledge His blessings as they happen with thankfulness and praise. I have found that the more I thank God the more I see things to be thankful for and that is worth praising Him.

🌹Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Hebrews 13:15 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.13.15.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Attributes of Wisdom

Jul31

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
James 3:17 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.17.NASB1995

These attributes of wisdom sound vaguely familiar to the fruit of the Spirit, don’t they? Another affirmation that wisdom is from God through His Holy Spirit living in us.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/gal.5.22-23.NASB1995

🌹And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 3:18 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.18.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

The Gentleness of Wisdom

Jul30

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
James 3:13 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.13.NASB1995

Gentleness of wisdom is humbleness in serving, teaching, mentoring, living – in all we do. We are not to boast of the wisdom we have because wisdom is from God Himself.

For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 2:6 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.2.6.NASB1995

🌹But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.1.5.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon https://indasharonjesus.org

Fruit Bearing Heart

Jul29

Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?
Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
James 3:11-12 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.11-12.NASB1995

The mouth reveals what’s in the heart,
for the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. Jesus said, “I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus said you will know others by the fruit they bear. Every good tree will bear good fruit, but a bad tree will bear bad fruit. We bear the fruit of what resides in us.
Matthew 12:34b, 36-37/Matthew 7:16-18, NASB1995 (Paraphrase)

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
John 15:4 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.15.4.NASB1995

Who resides in you? Jesus our “I”?

🌹Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:2 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.15.2.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Parable of The Sower

Jul28

Matthew 13:3-9; Mark 4:3-9; Luke 8:5-8

The parable of the sower must be a very important story for it to be recorded three times in the Bible.

I had the privilege last week to share from the book of Matthew this parable with 35 children ages 9-12. At the end of the week they were asked, “Which heart are you?”.

Verses 3-4: The hard heart. Hears but doesn’t listen so as to apply it to the heart.

Verses 5-6: The stony or rocky heart. Receives the word with great joy but no roots in the word of God are grown so it dies.

Verse 7: The heart of thorns. This heart hears but selfish desires and fears choke out the word.

These three hearts bear no fruit for the kingdom of God.

Verse 8: The healthy heart of good soil hears, understands, and does good works, bearing fruit for God’s kingdom.

God makes our heart good so we understand His word and produce fruit. The fruit begins in us by the Spirit of God. We understand and grow spiritually by His word. We obey God’s word. We tell others about Jesus. We are a caring, loving person.

A heart that desires to know Jesus more and more everyday will grow in knowledge of His word and follow Him in obedience to His word.

Which soil are you?

🌹He who has ears, let him hear (listen).”
Matthew 13:9 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.13.9.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

My Exceeding Joy

Jul18

O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.
Psalms 43:3-4 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.43.3-4.NASB1995

🌹May God be your exceeding joy as you take time to dwell with Him, causing your heart to overflow with praise! Then let the light of His truth lead you through your day.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

P.S.  I will be away from internet access next week so I will probably not be able to respond back to you on next week’s devotions until the following week. Just know I appreciate your time to read, like, and remark on my posts. Have a wonderful week and may God bless you.
– Sharon

Ouch, That Stings!

Jul17

For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;
James 3:7-9 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.7-9.NASB1995

“With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men”; mankind created in the image of God.
(Genesis 1:27 NASB1995)

If that doesn’t sting . . . OUCH!

🌹from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
James 3:10 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.10.NASB1995

🙏Lord God, forgive me for speaking without thinking first. I ask forgiveness for words that have hurt instead of encouraged, torn down instead of building up, cursed instead of blessed. I pray my words would always bring honor and glory to Your name, in Whom I pray. Amen.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Fiery Tongue Defiles

Jul16

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
James 3:5b-6 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.5-6.NASB1995

But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:36 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.12.36.NASB1995

🌹For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.¹
Proverbs 26:20 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.26.20.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

¹Recommended reading: Proverbs 26:21-28

The Tongue Speaks the Heart

Jul15

For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in (word) what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
James 3:2 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.2.NASB1995

The tongue. An amazing organ of the body. It has several purposes but is most used for speaking. What rolls off the tongue can be painful, joyful, rude, nice, degrading, encouraging, etc. We have all been at both ends of words spoken, the speaker and the receiver. We are all guilty and all have been affected by words.

Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.
So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
James 3:3-5a NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.2-5.NASB1995

The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
Matthew 12:34b NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.12.34.NASB1995

What are you filling your heart with?

🌹For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:37 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.12.37.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Confident Teaching

Jul14

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.
James 3:1 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.1.NASB1995

Those who teach should first teach themselves.
Do we try to teach others and yet do not adhere to the the Bible by following the ways of our Lord?
A teachers goal in instruction is to love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Beware that we do not turn aside to fruitless discussion and speak of things we do not understand.
Romans 2:17-23/1 Timothy 1:5-8 NASB1995

God takes teaching others very seriously. Adherence to God’s Word, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is of utmost importance for teachers, for they will incur a greater condemnation.

🌹Rejoice that God has chosen you to be a teacher. Just be aware it comes with high expectations. Rely upon the Master.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org