The Lord himself will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forget you. Don't be afraid and don't worry."

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NCV)

If we can come to grips with the reality that we are secure in Christ ... we'll realize that nothing of a temporal nature will ever meet this very real need [for security]. There's no reason to "do" or to "acquire" for the sake of security, because the need has already been met. What I would call the "temporal toys" will never satisfy anyway. Knowing we're secure can also solve the problem of discontent by freeing us to choose to be content.

— Ron Blue -- Taming the Money Monster

Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman Š

September 11

Jesus passes by men of position: "For consider your calling...that there are not many wise according to [human standards], not many mighty, not many noble..." (1 Corinthians 1:26 NAS).

God doesn't need us to tell Him what He needs. The proud are quite good at calling the shots. "Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marvelling, and began to recognize [that they had been] with Jesus" (Acts 4:13 NAS).

Jesus and His disciples held no offices and claimed nothing but that they loved.

Pat Nordman Š

Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions With links to the entire devotion
Spurgeon's Morning for September 11	Spurgeon's Evening for September 11
"Be ye separate." - 2 Corinthians 6:17	"Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies." - Psalms 5:8
The Christian, while in the world, is not to be of the world. He should be distinguished from it in the great object of his life. To him, "to live," should be "Christ." Whether he eats, or drinks, or whatever he does, he should do all to God’s glory.	Men will forgive a thousand faults in others, but they will magnify the most trivial offence in the followers of Jesus. Instead of vainly regretting this, let us turn it to account, and since so many are watching for our halting, let this be a special motive for walking very carefully before God.

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September 11 Eze 37:1 - 39:29

365 days of Bible Readings Linked to Bible Gaitway TM

Current Bible Question

Who is the only man mentioned in the Bible as being naturally bald ?

Previous question and Answer:

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

Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:33)

Today's Devotion

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

Law of Diminishing Returns

by Cathy Vinson

"If I love more, will you love me less."

(1 Cor 12:15)

"He PLACED His love upon the altar." In that same spirit, Paul walked as a servant of Christ. He did not force himself or become a burden to the ones he loved. He preferred great sacrifice to himself than to overstep the purity of Christ within him. He would not push his rights.
Many of his contemporaries did otherwise. What then did Paul discover? The very church he made himself of least burden to esteemed him the LEAST. The Corinthians of all churches seemed to believe his apostleship less credible, certainly beneath the other apostles.

Paul saw he had done a possible disservice to this church. By making himself of no burden, smallness had resulted in their thinking. His ministry of the Gospel had not COST them; they likewise did not receive him as fully.

Why as humans do we ascribe less acclaim to that which does not cost us? That tendency cannot grasp God's love, which by His choice came to us freely with only RECEPTION required. Can't we receive a free gift and then give back WORTH in ourselves?

"You even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face." (2 Cor 11:20)

Let's resist this neurosis. In response to GOD'S kind of free gift, let us avoid our inclination to exhonorate those who exploit us. Let's make every effort to esteem and willingly give ourselves to those who lay their servanthood at our feet and for Christ's sake make themselves of least burden.

Cathy VinsonŠ

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

Why as humans do we ascribe less acclaim to that which does not cost us?

Other Whispers from the Wilderness Devotions are found HERE

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~ Working to Be Seen of Men ~

It is to be feared that many of our protestations of consecration really mean nothing, because we mean that we will do for God what we like to do and what is pleasant to do and nothing more. Some one likens such consecration to a horse that he once possessed:

"I had a horse once that was a trifling horse, one of those highbred, blooded horses; but he would not work at anything in the world, except a red-striped buggy. Hitch him to a wagon, and he would not pull a hen off a roost; he was no good at all. But hitch him to a red-striped buggy, and he would just trot it off at a three-minute gait."

How like many members of the church! Hitch them to a prayer meeting and they won't budge; hitch them to a family prayer and they won't work at all; but Sunday morning hitch them to a red-striped buggy and they will go down the road lickity-spindle!

—Topical Illustrations