Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Broken.  In pain.  Alone.  This world is so broken, and the enemy, our enemy is doing a successful job of helping us go further down in to depression.  That is why it is time for a change.  It is time for the truth.  It is time for a lift.  By knowing and holding truth changes things and lives and you and I will change and be changed.  I need that.  God has changed us.  He loves us and desires to comfort us and give us strength each and every day, yet we often choose to stay alone, feel alone and even to believe lies.  Listen, you are not alone, and God is for you because he loves you. We were MADE TO LOVE.  We are going to strive to make sure all we do is bathed in this truth from God AND showing you are made to love others.  Jesus said it this way. 1 John 4:19  NASB We love, because He first loved us. Romans 5:8   NASB But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while...

  1 Peter 2:9  NASB But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; You and I have been called out of darkness and in to light.  That is no small task.  It is also not something we need to overlook.  Have you been in places where it seemed really dark?  It might be that night where you are outside or driving, and there seems to be no light or no moon or just simply overwhelmingly dark.  These nights seems few and far between, but we have had them from time to time. Again, we have been called out of darkness.  So, why do we stay in darkness?  Why do we choose what gives us deeper problems and leads to less understanding?  It happens.  It happens because we have an enemy that wants to keep us in darkness. You have been called to light.  You and I have been called out of t...

  Psalm 46:10  NLT “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” This last seven days has seemed more than just a week.  Julie and I have been quarantined because we have had covid.  But it is almost over.   We were visiting our new granddaughter and her parents last week when I started not feeling well.  After that only Julie and myself tested positive.  It is our experience that we have very few and mild symptoms.  That could be because we are vaccinated.  That could be because of other reasons, but for whatever we were sick for only a few days. What have I learned over the last seven days?  Thanks for asking. First, the world is still moving around us, but we have had to press pause, take the sideline, or sit still for a little while.  We have to be ready to get back in the swing of it when the time comes.  It didn’t wait for us.   I will be ready to get b...

Don’t stop doing what you made a commitment to so early in the year.  I am not asking if you made some resolutions or promises, but I do ask if you had a desire to do some things that will make you stronger and guide you to be a Jesus follower. The Bible has become some things to me that reminds me to never stop don’t turn back and keep learning.  Watch how the word of God and some special verses stand out for me and for others. Ephesians 4:21-24  NLT Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. To go a new direction you have leave the old direction.  God wants to renew us.  He is remaking me each and every day.   John 1:12  NLT But to all who believed him and a...

  Today I revisit something I have shared at the first of almost every year the last decade, maybe longer.  It is my conviction that reading the Bible each and every day will change each and every day. The Bible changes us because it is God’s word and His letter and love to each of us who choose to Him.  I want to follow.  How about you?  Who do you know where God is and how He works?  The best answer is His word. Job 23:11  NLT For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. I ran across something from Pastor John Piper on this subject that makes a lot of sense. Piper shared: I have never met a mature, fruitful, strong, spiritually discerning Christian who is not full of Scripture, devoted to regular meditation on Scripture, and given to storing it in the heart through Bible memorization — and that’s not a coincidence. … reading and meditating on and understanding and memorizing and enjoying the Scriptures is abso...

I learn a lot from the people that God sends my way.  Through the years I can point you to all different kinds of people.  Some have been older.  Some have been young.  Some of them had great means in this world.  Some of them had very little as far as the world counts. What I do know is that God is working in each of these relationships.  Watch and let God work.  Listen and don’t miss all that He is doing. Philippians 2:13  NLT For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Some times He is working in us.  Some times He is working around us.  But always He is working.  Take that reality letting it soak in and change your life, your thinking, directing your actions and even softening your heart toward God. That is why I take some time to tell you about my friend Fred Harrington.  Today is his funeral, and my mind and heart are overflowing with all that Fred has taught me about life and ab...

This is the first devotion of the new year, 2022 which is set to be an incredible year.  There are so many things I would like to share with you, and I even had a plan to go through a series.  But I have some things on my heart that I need to move through for the next couple days. First, I have been amazed that we have avoided the covid-19 virus, but it has hit our home with only mild symptoms as of this weekend.  I was to officiate a wedding on Saturday and lead our church in the first worship of the near year, but all of that gets pushed to the side while we are quarantined.  Kind of puts things in perspective.  I am grateful for those who stand in for us, serve us and especially those who keep us encouraged and taken care of.  We will get through this.  God is still good. Second, I learned early Saturday that our dear friend Fred Harrington had passed away during the night.  I plan to write tomorrow about Fred and his faith journey.  He ha...