+DEV+ Confession Begets Peace

 

May 24, 2022 at 12:35 AM CST

Topic: +DEV+  Confession Begets Peace




Confession Begets Peace


"I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."   Isaiah 57:15b


Scripture Focus:Psalm 51:6-10


Both King Saul and King David committed great wrongs in their lives. However, David pursued transformation so God would make him a better man. With a contrite heart, he confessed his sin. Saul pursued an impressive image fueled by fear and pride. In the process, he sabotaged genuine fellowship with the Lord. 


Think of it like the story of an attractive waterfront home that came on the market not far from where I live. People poured into the spectacular house to view it. Within hours there were multiple offers. During the home inspection, it was discovered that much of the structure had been eaten away by termites! In the inspector's words, "The only thing holding this house up is the wallpaper!" The "impressive" home was bulldozed. 


That's what we are like when we invest energy trying to be impressive. Good behavior can earn us a lot of positive attention. But we are little more than the house undermined by termites. The Lord knows us through and through. 


Despite our sin, He loves us. Because of our sin, He saves us.  


Insight: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2a)




It is our hopes and prayers that these devotions will bring people to Jesus as Savior and have a deeper meaningful relationship with the Lord.


If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.




Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you feel led to become a prayer partner or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=lVWtcmOoaZ9GZpaB-NmPMcxGFZNKEHz614BebUf4sI4vcg_jAcYtF6_524IQDwRGUw29G7CCHjK-bLKw

Or contact us by replying to this email.


Michael D. Inman


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

+DEV+ A Rich Peace

  April 20, 2022 at 2:00 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     A Rich Peace A Rich Peace "LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us."       Isaiah 26:12 Scripture Focus: Mark 10:17-27 It's ironic that the wealthy man who was eager to learn how to inherit eternal life was standing in the very presence of the way to     the Father. Looking for another rule to follow and keep, he was bewildered by Jesus' reply. The Lord doesn't expect everyone to give away all they own. But for this young man, asking him to do so exposed the idols of his heart. He believed salvation could be obtained through human effort, and     if parting with his wealth was necessary, then eternal life appeared unreachable.   Jesus did not condemn the rich man but looked at him with love. He understood his struggle. The world has always     taught us that our security is in wealth. A life of luxury certainly does not lend itself to seeking God for help since it creates
Read more

+DEV+ A New Heart

  Jun 6, 2022 at 12:55 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     A New Heart A New Heart "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26     Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 36:22-38 When I first met Stanley, he was in his mid-50s and had spent more years behind bars than free. He had a very difficult time realizing he could be forgiven for committing yet another crime. However, God was working on his heart through prayer, Scripture, and books like Forgive and Forget. This book includes these powerful words: "To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you" (Lewis Smedes, 1984).     Gradually, Stanley did find forgiveness through Jesus. He also discovered that God was transforming his heart and placing a new spirit within him. God removed Stanleys’ stone heart and replaced it with a "heart of flesh." Soon Ezekiel 36:26 became Stanleys' favorite verse in
Read more

+DEV+ Gifts of Peace

  May 18, 2022 at 1:50 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     Gifts of Peace Gifts of Peace "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching."       Hebrews 10:24-25 Scripture Focus: 1Corinthians 12:14-27 We are God's children, created to uniquely use our spiritual gifts for "the common good" (see 1 Corinthians 12:7) of the church and for His glory.   Sometimes we struggle to recognize what our gifts are. Two friends of ours stepped away from traditional pastoring to begin what they've called a "listening ministry." They go out and simply listen to what has made a person's heart break. Some stories are fresh. Some have been bottled up for decades and never shared. When their pain is validated, it is somehow made lighter. Our friends have found a way to share Jesus through their ministry, using their gifts for "t
Read more