February 29, 2024 - Devotion

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

DEVOTION

Be fully devoted to God (1 Chronicles 28:9)

Worship God with devotion (1 Chronicles 29:9)

Be devoted to prayer (Psalm 5:3)

Let your life be devoted to God(Romans 12:1-2)

Since there are no scheduled reading for leap day I chose a topic from the link to look at. Feel free to do this one or pick your own reading at the link above or use some other reading plan and share what you read and your thoughts in the comments.

Psalm 5:3 Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.

    Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

When I wake up in the morning I usually pray "Thank you Lord for giving me another day. Direct my thought words and actions that something I may say or do would bring someone closer to you." Then I will pray for whatever and whoever is on my heart. This morning after reading this I spent some more time in prayer. I love the words "and wait expectantly." When we pray we know that God listens and that He answers, but we need to live like we expect Him to answer especially when we are praying according to what we already know that His will is. For example if He has told you and confirmed through bible reading, prayer time, circumstances and other believers to do something then you know that He will enable you to do it.

I am thinking about Kino. I know that God had told me to trust my gut and do whatever I can to help Him. He also told me that it was not going to be easy or quick. He and I often talk about trusting God's will and timing but we also talk about how he hopes to do things when he is here as we wait expectantly. I love this reminder to me to pray knowing that God will do it and in my prayer time expecting it as I pray. Because sometimes Kino will say if it is God's will that he does not ever leave where he is then that is okay because God knows best. I think we need to be more consistent in expecting God to do what He said and continue to wait expectantly.

Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

I have memorized these verses in the NIV. It is my most recent memory verse. It was interesting to read them in the NLT version. I really enjoyed it but it makes me want to compare the translations. "I plead with you"(NLT) instead of "I urge you" (NIV). Plead has an urgent and heartfelt feeling that I like. "In view of God's mercy" (NIV) compared to "because of all he has done for you" (NLT). I like the NIV better on this one. Showing us His mercy is the greatest thing that He has done for us. It makes all other things possible. "to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship." (NIV) "Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." The first parts of these are a lot alike. But "your true and proper worship" is what "he will find acceptable" so I like both of these. I think it is important to remember that we should do things that are proper but not because it is the right thing to do but it is what will please God. And when we do that with our bodies then it must also include our thoughts, words and actions. "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." (NLT) says the same thing as "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (NIV) but is easier to understand. I do prefer the NIV's use of the word conform verses the NLT with copy. Conforming to me speaks deeper than the actions of copying. When we conform we are changing our way of thinking and that changes our actions. You can copy the ways of the world with actions before your way of thinking changes. But I guess for some people it does work that way and we must be weary of both our thoughts and our actions. If we allow the world to influence what we think then our actions are sure to follow and if we act like the world does as to fit in, it will change our thinking so do not conform to the patterns of the world in thought word or deed. Instead allow God to transform us by renewing our minds (NIV) when He does then it will change the way we think (NLT). "Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (NLT) But you will also be able to "test and approve what God's will is" (NIV) When we are seeking God's we must be able to discern what His will is, and these verses tell us how to do that. God's will is always in line with the word of God and will not ever deviate from that no matter what the world says and if we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to Him, we will be in the word often so that we can know and understand His teaching. As we know it, we can live by it in our thoughts words and actions and when we do that, we will be able to function in the will of God.

Each day consecrate yourself to the Lord and He will direct you.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways submit to him and he will direct your path. Prov 3:5-6 ---My first memory verse