Devos for may 24th (by Jordan W.)

“His mercy endures forever” (Psalms 136)

Some songs get stuck in your head and others get stuck in your heart.  This was the case for Israel in Psalms chapter 136.  Stubborn Israel, whose unfaithfulness was at times legendary, takes to heart the great mercy that God had shown them.  And, they don’t just sing it, they proclaim it over and over again.

The song describes every significant event in their history and after each event, they proclaim, “His mercy endures forever”.   But, was it really necessary for them to say it 26 times in 26 verses?  To them it was, because the mercy of God trailed their every step.  His mercy defined them as a nation.

It was mercy that compelled Him to strike Egypt and lead his people out of bondage.

It was in mercy that He divided the waters of the red sea so that Israel could cross safely.

It was His mercy that provided His people a land that they could call their own.

But, that was all in the past and they were not just talking about the past.  They said that “His mercy endures forever”.  And long after this song was written, the world saw His enduring mercy again.  They saw it when He opened the eyes of the blind man, touched the leper, befriended the outcast, restored the cripple, raised the dead, and died alone on a cross for you and for me.  Mercy, always mercy and it endures forever…  Even now.

There are times when our feet tread in places so dark that we are ashamed to admit that we have been… “ His mercy endures forever”.

There are times when our temptations consume us and the enemy wins…  “His mercy endures forever”.

There are times when we are no better than the Romans who struck him or Peter who denied him, and for all of these times and more… “His mercy endures forever”.

No matter where we find ourselves and no matter what mess we got ourselves into, we need to hear these words, we need to cling onto them and know that He is not willing to give up on us.  Let these words get stuck in your head like the chorus to your favorite song.  “His mercy endures forever”.  And as you cling onto these words for this moment, know that after you are gone they will still trail off into eternity.

Prayer:

Please remind us daily that your mercy goes deeper than our deepest, darkest sin.

Devos special friday the 13th edition (by Hannah)

1 Thessalonians 1:2-9
In this part of Scripture the author who is the apostle Paul was encouraging a group of believers and sharing with them how their strong faith in the Lord is shining bright for all of those around them and people all around the city have heard of this mighty Savior. He tells them they live godly lives and are a great example to other believers. After I read these verses I thought what Paul was saying could be used to set standards in my own life. Not that I need to live my life so I can be better than people but with the mindset of with strong faith and actions that speak louder than my words I could be a warrior for Christ and make a difference in my sphere of influence. I need to be a good example for my friends that don’t know this awesome Jesus that I know.
Prayer:
Father I am so thankful for all that you do for me and my family. I would be lost and hurting without you. I pray for strength to stand tall even when the enemy tries pushing me over. I pray for boldness to speak your words to my lost friends and family. I ask that you would guide me in my every day decisions. I love you with all of my heart and I want to be a better person for you. Amen.

Devos for May 3rd (by Joy Berg)

1 Chronicles 17

What an amazing chapter!  David comes up with this really "good" idea to build a house for God.  Nathan, the prophet, thought it was a "good" idea too.  God had different plans. Psalm 139:16 says that every day has been ordained for our lives before we are born. How many good idea's do we come up with in our lives that really just keep us from accomplishing what the Lord has for us? That very night the Lord appears to Nathan the prophet and tell him to go have a chat with David, to let him know HIS plans for David's life. That David was not going to build a house for God, but told him some incredible insights into what God had in store for David. I love David's response to this message from the Lord.  He sits before the Lord and says this in verse 23 "Now, O Lord, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever and do as You have spoken!" Instead of following his own thoughts (even though they were good) David surrenders to the Lord and prays that the will of God be established in his life! Are we listening? Are we paying attention to the prophetic voice in our lives? Are we surrendered to the will of God? Or do we choose to do it our way? 
I choose Your will for my life Lord.  I choose Your perfect plan ordained for me even before I was born.  I trust that you are good and that what Your desire for me is good. I completely surrender to Your will for my life Lord.  I love you Father.