Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Happy Thanksgiving! That phrase and this holiday brings about a lot of emotions.  In fact, it is often different for different people.  How about you? Some think about time with family and how precious that is.  Some don’t have family, and it really is a lonely time. Some think about the food and all the yummy stuff they will consume.  Others will not think of how much food but of how hungry they are. Some think about what they don’t have or how difficult life is.  While others cannot do anything but thank God for their lives and faith. The contrast of those things reminds me of the truth of the Bible and how the authors will often place one thought against another.  It is a powerful picture of how things impact our lives. Philippians 4:6  NLT   Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Ephesians 5:4  NLT   Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—...

  I am so grateful for what we have learned from Psalms.  Each chapter digs in to the heart of what God is doing in our lives.  It leads us to see that God is worthy and we need Him.  That is the reality.   Psalm 100  NLT   Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! 2  Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. 3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his.  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Lift these truths from that chapter … God made us and we are His.  God is good.  His love and faithfulness endure forever The overflow of our prayers and our walk with God should lead us to be thankful as this Psalm encouraged, and it seems that every this we do...

  Death is something we all have to deal with, and I choose to take a few minutes as we close the week to give you some thoughts and maybe some perspective. Psalm 117:15  NLT  The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die. It is comforting when we know that person we cared about was a Christian.  We know the promise of Scripture that even in death there is spiritual life, future in heaven and being with God. I recently lost my uncle.  His death was difficult but also a blessing because he had been very sick for several months.  Another friend in our church lost her brother in law after a brief battle with cancer.  Last week a man close to our church passed away, and he was young, in his 30’s.  Even though it was some time ago I lost both my parents.  Last evening I was talking with a young lady from our church who still struggles with the death of family members, some recent and some years ago. Death is difficult, but we have a God who loves ...

  Do you know how blessed you are?  When we know we are blessed, we will thankful.  When we know where our blessings come from, we will give God thanks over and over.   Where does this thanks come from?  It comes from deep inside us.  It began with our salvation.  Totally from God and totally of God.  I did nothing to get it, and there is nothing I can do to lose it.  Salvation is one of those things bigger than us and leads to being thankful.   Isaiah is the guy that was willing to do what needed to be done when he saw and heard the need.   Isaiah 6:8  NLT   Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”   That is a powerful statement and a strong commitment.  It is one we can learn from.  Something had to change in Isaiah’s life before he could be the one to go.      He was hurt, convicted, shameful and felt...

  It is amazing.  You know when it happens, and it hits you in a big way.  That is when Scriptures comes alive, and that is when God speaks. Yesterday was one of those days.  It was James 1.  So here are some of the verses from that chapter that I can’t just let sit on the page.  They have to make it to my heart and life. May these verses do the same for you. James 1  NLT 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. 5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea ...

  Colossians 2:7  NLT   Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. It is that time of year once again.  November and thanksgiving.  Just over one week away is the holiday where many will gather to celebrate what we are grateful for.  That is why I step aside for a bit to say a few of the things I am grateful for. I’ll ask you too.  What are you grateful for you?   Being grateful is actually something that points to the fact that you are healthy spiritually and emotionally.  it is easy to be centered on yourself, feeling entitled and even depressed because of what you do not have. Every one can be grateful. I am grateful for God, His salvation and forgiveness, His work in my life and family and the church. I am grateful for my wife, our children, the precious grand children and all of our family, both close by and...

  Recognizing who God is essential for those who choose to follow Him.  There are so many places where God shows up, where we see Him work and how much He loves us. During the sermon yesterday at The Community Fellowship I shared a story within a story that has really gripped my heart and reminded me of how much our God loves us and wants to work in our lives.  Check out this Scripture and story. Luke 9:37-43a  NLT  The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. 39 An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. 40 I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” 41 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the...