Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  This weekend we finished chapter 9 in our walk through Romans; it also included the first few verses of chapter 10.  So in today’s devotion I will hit some of the highlights of that message.  It centered around being a Christian has everything to do with faith and God seeking us and not living by the law and mankind seeking to make themselves right before God. Romans 10:4  NLT   For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. Christ did for us what we can not do for ourselves, yet so many people seek other ways to be made right with God and to connect to God.  Often that seeking God is through the law or man made rules. Ephesians 2:8-9  NIV   For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.  Faith alone because of God’s grace.  And His grace...

  There are so many ways that we can hear from God.  We hear through reading the word.  We hear through the testimony of friends.  We hear through worship.  We hear through quiet time with the Lord and the voice of the Spirit in us.  There are many ways. Yet the greatest way to hear and to know the way and work of God is through the Word of God.  The Bible is our best link to God as well as the best source for the growth we need as His children. Take some time today to look to and listen to what God says in the Bible about our life as a believer.  These are random verses that speak to me.  Check them out and take the ones that stick out to you, think on them, read them more and keep on listening and following what God says. Philippians 4:6-8  NLT  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything w...

  Today’s e-devotion is from the Navigators and was shared earlier this month.  This is good stuff from LeRoy Eims as he shares from 2 Samuel about well spoken words.  Read on and be blessed. Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  In 2 Samuel 19, we see David snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. After his army triumphed over the rebellion of Absalom, David was in tears. His men had won the battle, but he was making them feel as if they’d lost. It’s normal for a father to grieve the death of his son, but there was a problem here. The men in the army who had fought in this battle saw David’s tears and assumed he was angry with them. The Bible says, “The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle” (2 Samuel 19:3). I wonder how often we do the same thing with our kids. Bill...

  I love to travel.  In fact there have been times in life, over 5 decades, where I have enjoyed being out on the road, seeing things, enjoying scenery and even taking in life. From the backroads of Oklahoma to the foothills of Virginia I have enjoyed the paths we have traveled.  Even further from the high mountains of Colorado to the paths with potholes in Cuba I have enjoyed the roads. This relates to our spiritual lives as well.  We are all on one road or another.  In this e-devotion let’s take roads that the Bible tells us about. Matthew 7:13-14  NLT   “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. We each have to make a choice.  The wide road of destruction or the narrow road of life. Proverbs 3:5-6  NLT   Trust in the Lord with all your heart;...

  Yesterday was Father's day, and I grateful and blessed to be a father to three great children.  Also Julie and I were blessed with great and godly fathers.  We have so much to be thankful for. That is why I take some time the first of this week to point you to the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon who was the son of King David.  There are so many things we can talk about when it comes to the example of great and godly Fathers. Here is just one place in Scripture that reminds me of what a godly father is like.  Read these verses and take note of what a godly father is like. 2 Chronicles 1:1,7-12  NLT  1 Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him very powerful. … 7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” 8 Solomon replied to God, “You showed great and faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place...

  Final thoughts.  Wait.  I am not talking about the end of it all, but it is the end of the week.  Take this as a challenge to start the weekend with some encouragement to hear from God and believe some of the most important truths we are given. Read through these and mark the truths that stand out to you.  It is amazing to understand how God uses these things, and more, to strengthen our faith and help us walk daily with God. Read on.  Be challenged. Joshua 1:7-8  NLT   Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Psalm 139:17-18  NLT   How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  Th...