Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Mark 8:23-25  NASB   Taking the man who was blind by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting in his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, for I see them like trees, walking around.” 25 Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.   We know and believe that God is the healer.  Do you believe that?  I am grateful that fact removes our doubts and even our own troubles.   But do we walk away from God in the middle of His healing or working in our lives?  I confess that might be the case several times in my life, and it may be the same for you.   The man in these verses had a problem with his eye sight, but Jesus began to heal his eyes.  In the process everything was blurry.  He wasn’t completely healed.   When we walk away from God, when we stop ...

  The unknown is what we all fear, but if we have hope and faith in God, the unknown is not something to be feared.  We know who is in control.  But the world is in crisis, in so many places.  Struggle seems to be all around.  Yet we have hope.   We know that the author of chaos and confusion is our enemy, Satan.  We know that our only hope in our Savior, the encourager, Jesus.  Which one are we going to believe?   What we believe about God guides our view.  Literally real hope gives us perspective.  Having hope that is based on someone bigger thank us gives perspective.  With hope we see further, can go further and we deal with lots less chaos.   Hebrews 6:19  NLT This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.   Hope is strong.  Hope is anchor for us.  Hope is from Jesus.  We need that anchor to keep us stranding.  Conti...

  There is a problem when we stop listening.  Some people can’t hear as they may have a health problem keeping them from being able to hear everything or maybe just certain sounds.   My sweet wife tells me that I have “selective hearing” where I hear only what I want to hear.  That is also a problem.  I should to be listening all the time, but we often teach ourselves who and what to listen to.   Think about listening to God.  If we are honest, many of us have at some point stopped listening to God.  He speaks all the time and for our good.  Yet in the middle of sin or stress and struggle we have stopped listening.    Listen up.  God is always speaking.  Hearing what God says will change us and our situations.  Listen in as we can trust what God says.  His plan for us is perfect.   Acts 3:22  NLT Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.  Lis...

  Emotions are often tough to deal with.  If we look around us, and around the world, there are so many things going on.  Many of them will impact our lives.   They might not impact our house or family.  They might not impact the weather either, but they just might impact our emotions.   Topics like these run through my mind, and what I know is that God meets our needs.   God uses many different ways to meet out needs and to deal with our emotions.  I will choose to trust God.  What I need to do is to be encouraged and encourage others who follow God to stay faithful.   Be faithful daily in your time with God.  Be faithful to the people God has put in your life.  Be faithful with the resources you have been given.  Be faithful and be generous in the support of your church.    The the things that rattle us and bring suffering don’t seem to let up.  It might be the political world, som...

  Have you ever been overwhelmed by how much God loves you and what He has done for you?  Most of us who choose to walk with Jesus find ourselves at that place, overwhelmed by the goodness of God. Think about that as you read some of these verses… 1 Timothy 1:14  NLT   Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. 2 Thessalonians 1:3  NLT   Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 1 Corinthians 1:30  NLT   God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. All three of those verses seem to overflow our thinking and even what we believe about God.  he is gracious and is working.  He has united us with what is most important. That is where I leave you understand...

  There is the problem that hits our faith when we don’t understand the presence of God.  The enemy tells us we are alone, and we are way off of our journey with God, without help and helpless.  Yet that could not be further from the truth that God gives us.   There is a reason for everything.  The reason for the wilderness was the Promised Land.  The people of God were set to inherit the greatest piece of land on the earth.  They needed to know that God was with them and for them.  Often they acted like God was no where around.   The presence of God is the most powerful truth a believe can hold.  His presence will save us from heartache.  To believe what God says and to practice His presence will help our lives turn out much different.    God is with us today like He was in the past.  The Holy Spirit has arrived and is involved in our lives.   We have the Spirit of God, the presence...

  Do not be afraid, for the Lord our God will be with you! I am praying that whatever may come your way, you would know… and feel the height and depth and width and never ending love of God! May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you!  May the Lord place His presence upon you and give you peace! … Those three things are on a card that sits on my desk, right in front of my computer.  I received this card at the Raceway Ministries conference this past January, and it has been a reminder of so much.  I am grateful.   God intends and plans things in our lives.  He actually plans the things of our lives, and it is good for us to trust God.  That is why I need, and you need, reminders like this card so often. Earlier this week I was reading my daily Scripture and came across the prayer that is on the card.  It reminded me of His presence, His goodness and so much more.  May we lean...

  Love the old hymns.  Sometimes I wake up with something on my mind or even a song.  Today was one of those days.  So, let me share what I had on my mind.  Just maybe it will help you and me walk a little stronger in faith and closer to the Father. Leaning on the Everlasting Arms What a fellowship, what a joy divine Leaning on the everlasting arms What a blessedness, what a peace is mine… What have I to dread, what have I to fear Leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near… Leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus… Leaning on the everlasting arms Leaning, leaning Safe and secure from all alarms Leaning, leaning Leaning on the everlasting arms Powerful song from my children, and even further back.  May it be a powerful word and truth that we hold to as tight as possible believing what God has said.   Proverbs 3:5-6  NLT   Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all y...

  Peace is important.  Few people have much peace   How we find true, lasting peace?  The kind of peace that covers us, our families and goes even further.     Peace doesn’t come from something we do or from something we are.  True peace comes from the one who is peace.  Jesus.  Knowing Jesus, trusting Him and walking with Him on a daily basis brings peace in to our lives.   It is at times when peace seems furthest from us that we must seek it in ways and in places where peace isn’t present.  Walk it out and see how peace becomes a reality.   John 14:27  NASB Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.   Peace comes from God, from trusting God.  Lay down our struggles and trouble so we can have true peace.    Psalm 85:8  NASB I will hear what God the Lord will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to H...