| My online devotional today Testimony of SteadfastnessJuly 21 2025, Written By Marilyn Adams |
| Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.Ephesians 6:10 |
| I love the story of the three young Hebrew men. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego stood their ground. The face of the enraged king that they served loomed before them. He demanded that they bow down to the image he had erected.Daniel 3:17-18 reports their reply when the king ordered them to be burned alive: “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace…But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”Those three young men stood fast in the testimony of God’s power to deliver them. They made it clear that their true master was the one true God.Our lives are challenged by unseen forces of evil. Yet we who serve that same one true God, have his almighty resurrection power within us. We do not fight with man-made weapons. Our strategic weapon is the written word of God.Let’s follow Jesus’ example. He withstood the devil through the scripture, God’s written word (Matthew 4:1-11). That is our mighty weapon as well. God’s word that is hidden in our heart, is like an arrow in a hunter’s quiver. When the enemy of our soul comes against us, we will stand through our testimony of steadfastness. Then reaching for our arrow of truth, we destroy and negate his attack. Father God, I am so thankful that you have given me your word to hide in my heart. Thank you for this secret weapon that quenches the lies of the devil’s fiery darts. Thank you for the assurance that no weapon formed against me will prosper. |
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God’s Word Is Pure
Psalm 12:6 says, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”
Yesterday I listened to a message on how prayer is to be our priority
He said, “Prayer is the breath of dependence.”
He talked about the Welch revival. A group of folks were praying. A young deacon read Psalm 24
Then asked the Lord. “Are my hands clean? Are my thoughts pure?”
Our thought life is purified when we bring God’s pure word into our hearts
David wrote Psalm 26. Verse 2 is a prayer of dependence we can use. There is only One who knows the source of our thoughts
It says, “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart.”
Prove means to test. Try means to refine. Our trials are designed to expose the hidden dross that will weaken our faith. 1 Peter 1:7
Unapproachable Light
Memorizing 1 Timothy 6 has been a rich experience. There are such great truths to think about. Verse 15 described the Lord as, “…the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of Lord.”
Verse 16 further described Him, “who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.”
As I was working on verse 16 my mind went into a kaleidoscope of verses. Think about the new Jerusalem. Revelation 21:23 says, “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”
1 Corinthians 15:54 says, “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality…” When we are with the Lord eternally, we will be immortal and can dwell in His unapproachable light. Now, we cannot even look full on at the sun.
What Is Godliness? Part Three
What has been withheld from you because you have acted independent of the Lord? We are called to exemplify Him in every aspect of our lives. Sin always leads us into ungodliness because we are acting without the Lord.
What do you lack? Psalm 34:9-10 says, “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”
The Hebrew word for lack means one who is impoverishing himself. How do you sabotage your relationship with the Lord? One way is to not set Him first. David wrote Psalm 16. Verse 8 says, “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”
Godliness is acknowledging the Lord every moment of our lives. That means to include Him through our thoughts first, which will translate into our actions.
What Is Godliness? Part Two
Remember what happened when Moses encountered two exact situations? In Exodus 17 the children of Israel had no water. In verse 6 the Lord instructed Moses. “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out…”
In Numbers 20 they again had no water. In verse 8 the Lord told Moses, “…speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water…” Moses was angry at the people’s complaining and in ungodliness he disobeyed the Lord.
Verse 11 says, “Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly…” Yet, his act of independence from the Lord cost him. Verse 12 says, “…Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
What Is Godliness? Part One
1 Timothy 6:6 says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” Our church’s small group is going through “Respectable Sins” by Jerry Bridges. His definition of godliness is like one I never heard before. It is living with the constant awareness of our need for the Lord.
It reminds me of John 15:5 that says, “…for without Me you can do nothing.” Yet how many times we live on auto pilot. We often make plans without consulting the Lord.
I love David’s example. Here is a passage I frequently visit in my mind. He was faced with a desperate situation. 2 Samuel 5:19 says, “So David inquired of the Lord…” and the Lord gave him specific directions.
Then the same scene was repeated. David did not go out on his own. Verse 23 says, “Therefore David inquired of the Lord…” and this time the Lord gave him a totally different direction. Both the same situations, but the Lord’s way was not the same.
Harvest Seed
We are to plant with the harvest seed in mind. Though this was written about finances, think of your words as seeds. 2 Corinthians 9:10 in the Amplified says, “And (God) Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your (resources for) sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness…”
Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Are your words producing life-giving seeds, or life-destroying weed seeds? Do folks shrink from the tone of your voiced words, or do they expectantly lean into taking the succulent fruit?
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be with grace…” Ecclesiastes 10:12 says, “The words of the wise man’s mouth are gracious…”
What Blocks Vitality?
| This is my online devotional that was posted today on The Life Project |
| For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.Psalm 32:3 |
| Let’s pick up the context of David’s psalm. It started out as the blessedness of forgiven sin. Then it went into how David’s bones were affected by his unconfessed sin. I encourage you to think about your own life. How healthy are your bones? Here is a verse from a new song the Holy Spirit gave me called “Rejoicing Bones” When I thought about my circumstances I became gloomy inside. My heart was getting heavy and my peace destroyed. Then in Your Word You revealed the secret of health. My bones are affected when my heart is in despair. In verse four David revealed the effects of his unconfessed sin. It says, “For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.” Picture this as a dry creek bed. There is no running water, no vegetation along the bank, no fish swimming, and no animals coming to drink.Psalm 32:5 (Amplified) explains God’s way. It says, “I acknowledge my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord (continually unfolding the past till all is told)—then You (instantly) forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin. Selah (pause, and calmly think of that)!” When we confess our sin, the Lord is quick to forgive us and to cleanse away the guilt and the shame that was blocking our vitality. Lord, I am so grateful that my sinful thoughts are not hidden from you. Help me to always live in the present, being fully aware that you know what is in my heart. Since my bones are affected by my thoughts, help me to stay centered on you in every circumstance of my life. |
God’s Ways Are Unsearchable ~ Part One
Isaiah 40 is a great chapter. I visit it when I need perspective. The words are so picturesque. Verse 12 says, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountain in scales and the hills in a balance?”
Verse 25 says, “To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal? says the Holy One.” Verse 28 says, “…The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.”
Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”
Here is one I love. Job 26:14 says, “Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, and how small a whisper we hear of Him!…”
God’s Counsel Is Immutable ~ Part One
Hebrews 6:17 says, “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it with an oath.” Immutability means unchangeableness.
I love this about the Lord. Ephesians 1:11 says, “In Him we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”
What is God’s will? 2 Peter 3:9 says that He is longsuffering, “…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Jesus died on the cross for all. Everyone without exception has the opportunity to accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior.
Job questioned God, and God answered. Job 38:2 says, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” If you haven’t read this chapter in a while, I encourage you to do so. The marvelous power of God is displayed before Job.
M's Creations 