Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun..

Psalm 37:4-6 NIV

More people would live to a ripe old age if they weren't too busy providing for it.

— Anomymous

Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman ©

September 9

"I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me...I said, `Here am I, here am I" (Isaiah 65:1). "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). He writes on our seeking hearts, "I am Love."

We can lose Him but He will never lose us. Someone wrote, "[Love] is righteousness and benevolence acting in harmony." God is just and good, and He wants us to be happy. He is the only one who knows what is best for us.

This is an energy verse for the Christian; the motivating factor for the person who professes His name: "Jesus first loved me!"

September 10

"What are you willing to give me...?" (Matthew 26:15a).

Imagine, Judas is asking the chief priests how much they are willing to give himto betray his Lord. Judas, who once loved and believed in Jesus, is now ready to commit the meanest crime on earth, all for thirty pieces of silver.

The weeds in Judas' garden were greed, lack of insight and ingratitude of the highest order. Even being with Jesus who daily sacrificed Himself for others did not convince Judas of his own selfserving ways. Yet who are we to judge Judas, for we serve self daily. How many times a day do we ask, "What are you willing to give me...What do I get?"

Pat Nordman ©

Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions With links to the entire devotion
Spurgeon's Morning for September 9	Spurgeon's Evening for September 9
"I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not." - Jeremiah 33:3	"And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment." - Revelation 4:4
There are heights in experimental knowledge of the things of God which the eagle’s eye of acumen and philosophic thought hath never seen: God alone can bear us there; but the chariot in which he takes us up, and the fiery steeds with which that chariot is dragged, are prevailing prayers.	The condition of glorified spirits in heaven is that of nearness to Christ, clear vision of his glory, constant access to his court, and familiar fellowship with his person: nor is there any difference in this respect between one saint and another, but all the people of God, apostles, martyrs, ministers, or private and obscure Christians, shall all be seated near the throne, where they shall for ever gaze upon their exalted Lord, and be satisfied with his love.
Spurgeon's Morning for September 10	Spurgeon's Evening for September 10
"And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him." - Mark 3:13	"Evening wolves." Habakkuk 1:8
The call of Christ’s servants comes from above. Jesus stands on the mountain, evermore above the world in holiness, earnestness, love and power. Those whom he calls must go up the mountain to him, they must seek to rise to his level by living in constant communion with him.	The evening wolf, infuriated by a day of hunger, was fiercer and more ravenous than he would have been in the morning. ... Great Shepherd, slay these evening wolves, and bid thy sheep lie down in green pastures, undisturbed by insatiable unbelief.

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September 9 Eze 29:1 - 32:32
September 10 Eze 33:1 - 36:38

365 days of Bible Readings Linked to Bible Gaitway TM

Current Bible Question

What king of Babylon was driven from his palace to live in the wilderness where he let his hair grow long and shaggy?

Previous question and Answer:

How many days was Noah on the Ark before it started to rain?

Seven (Genesis 7:1,4)

Today's Devotion

But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
Job 16:5 (NIV)

Knowing the Man You're With

by Cathy Vinson

"And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Save, Lord; we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. And the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? "

(Matthew 8:23-27)

In reading Matthew, Jesus has just clarified the cost of following Him...a guaranteed no dwelling and the immediacy of leaving even the service of a deceased father. There is something foreign and serious that starts gripping us as we "leave." We relentlessly pull out the stakes and roots of support that have been sewn into a commmunity. Now who we are hemmed into becomes more in focus. These are the ones also going forward, followers (a+koloutheo = union, likeness to + in the way).

The first steps into the wobbly boat brings more reality to the departure. You're entering and you're getting stuck. You've cut everything from shore, and the surrounding water decides for you that there is no escape. You now look upon who you have shut yourself into. Who are you with?

These strong senses come to bear out in a relocation. It's now you, your spouse(?), your children(?). Who are these people you are setting off with? You're finding out.

To their honor an obvious silence surrounds the Disciples who entered the boat. It simply says they "followed Him" (vs 23). No clamoring or protesting from them nor applause from the onlookers. May Heaven reward them.

Whatever one might fear, there is something about getting on that boat. You're on it for WHATEVER happens, and that's exactly what happened..."a furious storm came upon the lake" (vs 24). No parent, no boss, no bank account, no home, no stable ground: only Jesus.

So ruthless of a lesson to teach obedient followers! But is it into such a setting that the Reward of Life only comes? What is their gain? They were WITH Jesus, closed in unto Him and the storm pressing in! They were in a prime position to see the Man. Their cost of obedience put them into such a situation to come face-to-face with Life. And there He was, the One who calms the storm...they had become stuck beyond all their sorrow to a "manner of man" (vs 27) even beyond that.

Cathy Vinson©

Send a note to Cathy Vinson , the writer of this devotion.

The first steps into the wobbly boat brings more reality to the departure. You're entering and you're getting stuck. You've cut everything from shore, and the surrounding water decides for you that there is no escape. You now look upon who you have shut yourself into. Who are you with?

Other Whispers from the Wilderness Devotions are found HERE

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~ Sitting Still ~

Dressed as a rag doll, Melody Schick, 24, sat with a teddy bear cradled in her left arm and staring into space from a revolving platform. Only her eyes moved. Then, five hours and 43 boring minutes later she rose slowly and tried to smile. Miss Schick was seeking to beat the world record for sitting still! The previous record was 5 hours and 32 minutes. The record attempt took place at a Dallas shopping center as hundreds of shoppers watched.

There are surely some saints in the Church who could compete for that record. They have been sitting still -- metaphorically if not literally -- for years. They never become involved in the work of the local church. They criticize the church frequently, but they never participate in the program.