Devotions

October 18

GO GENTLY THROUGH THIS DAY, keeping your eyes on Me.  I will open up the way before you, as you take steps of trust along your path.  Sometimes the way before you appears to be blocked.  If you focus on the obstacle or search for a way around it, you will probably go off course.  Instead, focus on Me, the Shepherd who is leading you along your life-journey.  Before you know it, the “obstacle” will be behind you and you will hardly know how you passed through it. 

That is the secret of success in My kingdom.  Although you remain aware of the visible world around you, your primary awareness is of Me.  When the road before you looks rocky, you can trust Me to get you through that rough patch.  My Presence enables you to face each day with confidence.

John 10:14-15; Isaiah 26:7

October 19

COME TO ME with your defenses down, ready to be blessed and filled with My Presence.  Relax, and feel the relief of being totally open and authentic with Me.  You have nothing to hide and nothing to disclose, because I know everything about you already.  You can have no other relationship like this one.  Take time to savor its richness, basking in My golden Light. 

One of the worst consequences of the Fall is the elaborate barriers people erect between themselves and others.  Facades abound in the world, even in My Body, the church.  Sometimes, church is the last place where people feel free to be themselves.  They cover up with Sunday clothes and Sunday smiles.  They feel relief when they leave because of the strain of false fellowship.  The best antidote to this artificial atmosphere is practicing My Presence at church.  Let your primary focus be communing with Me, worshipping Me, glorifying Me.  Then you will be able to smile at others with My Joy and love them with My Love.

1 John 1:5-7; Exodus 33:14; Philippians 4:8-9

October 20

I AM YOUR LIVING GOD, far more abundantly alive than most vivacious person you know.  The human body is wonderfully crafted, but gravity and the inevitable effects of aging weigh it down.  Even the most superb athlete cannot maintain his fitness over many decades.  Lasting abundant life can be found in Me alone.  Do not be anxious about the weakness of your body.  Instead, view it as the prelude to My infusing energy into your being. 

As you identify more and more fully with Me, My Life becomes increasingly intertwined with yours.  Though the process of aging continues, inwardly you grow stronger with the passing years.  Those who live close to Me develop an inner aliveness that makes them seem youthful in spite of their years.  Let My Life shine through you, as you walk in the Light with Me.

Psalm 139:14; Colossians 1:2; 1 John 1:7

October 21

TO LIVE in My Presence consistently, you must expose and expel your rebellious tendencies.  When something interferes with your plans or desires, you tend to resent the interference.  Try to become aware of each resentment, however petty it may seem.  Ask My Spirit to increase your awareness of resentful feelings.  Bring them boldly into the Light of My Presence, so that I can free you from them. 

The ultimate solution to rebellious tendencies is submission to My authority over you…The best response to losses or thwarted hopes is praise:  The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord.  Remember that all good things—your possessions, your family and friends, your health and abilities, your time—are gifts from Me.  Instead of feeling entitled to all these blessings, respond to them with gratitude.  Be prepared to let go of anything I take from you, but never let go of My hand!

Psalm 139:23-24; 1 Peter 5:6; Job 1:21(NKJV)

October 22

NO MATTER WHAT your circumstances may be, you can find Joy in My Presence.  On some days Joy is generously strewn along your life-path, glistening in the sunlight.  On days like that, being content is as simple as breathing the next breath or taking the next step.  Other days are overcast and gloomy; you feel the strain of the journey, which seems endless.  Dull gray rocks greet your gaze and cause your feet to ache.  Yet Joy is till attainable.  Search for it as hidden treasure. 

Begin by remembering that I have created this day; it is not a chance occurrence.  Recall that I am present with you whether you sense My Presence or not.  Then, start talking with Me about whatever is on your mind.  Rejoice in the fact that I understand you perfectly, and I know exactly what you are experiencing.  As you continue communicating with Me, your mood will gradually lighten.  Awareness of My marvelous Companionship can infuse Joy into the grayest day.

Psalm 21:6; Proverbs 2:4

October 23

AS YOU TURN YOUR ATTENTION to Me, feel the Light of My Presence shining upon you.  Open your mind and heart to receive My heavenly smile of approval.  Let My gold-tinged Love wash over you and soal into the depths of your being.  As you are increasingly filled with My Being, you experience joyous union with Me:  I in you, and you in Me.  Your Joy-in-Me and My Joy-in-you become intertwined and inseparable.  I suffer your soul with Joy in My Presence; at My right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

John 17:20-23; Psalm 16:11(NKJV)

October 24

LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES of Peace.  Learn to unwind whenever possible, resting in the Presence of your Shepherd.  This electronic age keeps My children “wired” much of the time, too tense to find Me in the midst of their moments.  I built into your very being the need for rest.  How twisted the world has become when people feel guilty about meeting this basic need!  How much time and energy they waste by being always on the go, rather than taking time to seek My direction for their lives. 

I have called you to walk with Me down paths of Peace.  I want you to blaze a trail for others who desire to live in My peaceful Presence.  I have chosen you less for your strengths than for your weaknesses, which amplify your need for Me.  Depend on Me more and more, and I will shower Peace on all your paths.

Psalm 23:1-3; Genesis 2:2-3; Luke 1:79

October 25

I AM GOD WITH YOU, for all time and throughout eternity.  Don’t let the familiarity of that concept numb its impact on your consciousness.  My perpetual Presence with you can be a continual source of Joy, springing up and flowing out in streams of abundant Life.  Let your mind reverberate with meanings of My Names:  Jesus—the Lord saves, and Emmanuel—God with us.  Strive to remain conscious of My Presence even in your busiest moments.  Talk with Me about whatever delights you, whatever upsets you, whatever is on your mind.  These tiny steps of daily discipline, taken one after the other, will keep you close to Me on the path of Life.

Matthew 1:21, 23; Acts 2:28

October 26

COME TO ME when you are hurting, and I will soothe your pain.  Come to Me when you are joyful, and I will share your Joy, multiplying it many times over.  I am All you need, just when you need it.  Your deepest desires find fulfillment in Me alone. 

This is the age of self-help.  Bookstores abound with books about “taking care of number one”, making oneself the center of all things.  The main goal of these methodologies is to become self-sufficient and confident.  You, however, have been called to take a “road less traveled”:  continual dependence on Me.  True confidence comes from knowing you are complete in My Presence.  Everything you need has its counterpart in Me.

John 15:5; James 1:4

October 27

AS YOU BECOME increasingly aware of My Presence, you find it easier to discern the way you should go.  This is one of the practical benefits of living close to Me.  Instead of wondering about what is on the road ahead or worrying about what you should do it…or when…, you can concentrate on staying in communication with Me.  When you actually arrive at a choice-point, I will show you which direction to go. 

Many people are so preoccupied with future plans and decisions that they fail to see choices they need to make today.  Without any conscious awareness, they make their habitual responses.  People who live this way find a dullness creeping into their lives.  They sleepwalk through their days, following well-worn paths of routine. 

I, the Creator of the universe, am the most creative Being imaginable.  I will not leave you circling in deeply rutted paths.  Instead, I will lead you along fresh trails of adventure, revealing to you things you did not know.  Stay in communication with Me.  Follow My guiding Presence.

Psalm 32:8; Genesis 1:1

October 28

DO NOT EXPECT to be treated fairly in this life.  People will say and do hurtful things to you, things that you don’t deserve.  When someone mistreats you, try to view it as an opportunity to grow in grace.  See how quickly you can forgive the one who has wounded you.  Don’t be concerned about setting the record straight.  Instead of obsessing about other people’s opinions of you, keep your focus on Me.  Ultimately, it is My view of you that counts. 

As you concentrate on relating to Me, remember that I have clothes you in My righteousness and holiness.  I see you attired in these radiant garments, which I bought for you with My blood.  This also is not fair; it is pure gift.  When others treat you unfairly, remember that My ways with you are much better than fair.  My ways are Peace and Love, which I have poured out into your heart by My Spirit.

Colossians 3:13; Isaiah 61:10; Ephesians 1:7-8; Romans 5:5

October 29

LINGER IN MY PRESENCE A WHILE.  Rein in your impulses to plunge into the day’s activities.  Beginning your day alone with Me is essential preparation for success.  A great athlete takes time to prepare himself mentally for the feat ahead of him before he moves a muscle.  Similarly, your time of being still in My Presence equips you for the day ahead of you.  Only I know what will happen to you this day.  I have arranged the events you will encounter as you go along your way. If you are not adequately equipped for the journey, you will grow weary and lose heart.  Relax with Me while I ready you for action.

Ephesians 2:10; Hebrews 12:3

October 30

I AM WITH YOU.  I am with you.  I am with you.  Heaven’s bells continually peal with that promise of My Presence.  Some people never hear those bells because their minds are earthbound and their hearts are closed to Me.  Others hear the bells only once or twice in their lifetimes, in rare moments of seeking Me above all else.  My desire is that My “sheep” hear My voice continually, for I am the ever-present Shepherd. 

Quietness is the classroom where you learn to hear My voice.  Beginners need a quiet place in order to still their minds.  As you advance in this discipline, you gradually learn to carry the stillness with you wherever you go.  When you step back into the mainstream of life, strain to hear those glorious bells:  I am with you. I am with you.  I am with you.

Jeremiah 29:12-13; John 10:14, 27-28

October 31

LEARN TO LISTEN TO ME even while you are listening to other people.  As they open their souls to your scrutiny, you are on holy ground.  You need the help of My Spirit to respond appropriately.  Ask Him to think through you, live through you, love through you.  My own Being is alive within you in the Person of the Holy Spirit.  If you respond to others’ needs through your unaided thought processes, you offer them dry crumbs.  When the Spirit empowers your listening and speaking, My streams of living water flow through you to other people.  Be a channel of My Love, Joy, and Peace by listening to Me as you listen to others.

Exodus 3:5; 1 Corinthians 6:19; John 7:38-39

 

 

 

 

 (Taken from "Jesus Calling" Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young - An Inspirational Dayspring Daybrightner)