Alan's Devotionals

 

 

If you were hoping that I would identify who the beast is from Revelation chapter thirteen, you will be disappointed. I have no idea who the beast is. I remember growing up, the talk about the mark of the beast. And I found it disturbing. No one is able to buy or sell without the mark on their forehead or hand. There has been talk lately about chip technology that could possibly beconnected, but I am not going to worry about it. I have avoided the 666 number for years. Even when I was living away from God, I kept away from that number. Just in case. Instead of worrying about the beast and the mark of the beast, I choose to stay close to the Lord. I trust Him and His Holy Spirit’s ability to steer me clear of anything that would compromise my faith.   

   

I do like this last verse from our psalm for today. The whole psalm is about giving glory to the Lord and the power of the Lord’s voice. And at the very end of the psalm is this promise. At first glance, it doesn’t seem to fit. But it’s there, and it’s a promise worth taking hold of.  

   

“The Lord will give strength to His people.” What a great promise. And here is a helpful hint. Don’t look for a feeling of strength to determine whether this is true in your life. The Lord works from the inside out. He starts with the spirit, our inner man. Jesus said that His words were spirit and life and that our flesh did not profit. Jesus was talking about His words not registering with the people in the sixth chapter of John. Jesus said it is the Spirit that gives life. He had been talking to the people about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, and they were balking and walking away. Of course, Jesus was not referring to His literal flesh and blood; that would be cannibalism. So He was speaking of spiritually receiving His body and blood, which were given for us.   

So when we see a promise of God giving strength, don’t look for a feeling first. Thank God for giving you His strength and receive that in your life before you feel a thing. Remember, Christianity is not feelings based; it’s faith based.   

   

The same principle applies to receiving His peace. I used to try to feel peace to see if I had received it into my life. Now, instead of trying to feel peace, I thank God for His peace and trust that He has given me peace in my heart. We are His people, and He has blessed us with strength and peace. Now we thank Him and go about our day rejoicing in His strength and peace. I realize this is so different from the way we have been accustomed to living. But in God’s kingdom, we walk differently. In this world’s operating system, we feel and believe. In God’s kingdom, we believe and thank God first, regardless of feelings. We trust that God and His Word are a higher reality than what we feel.   

   

Thank You, Lord, for giving me strength and peace for today. I live differently, trusting You and Your Word above all else.