Pastor Tom's Daily Devotional

Matthew 5:5 (NKJV) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the   earth. Some people think that meek means weak: a spineless person without any backbone at all.  But meekness is not weakness.  In the original language, meek is used in bridling a horse, or taming a wild animal. The word meek is a picture of power under control.  So when we talk about a meek person, we are talking about one whose life has been brought under the influence of the Holy Spirit.  God is in control of his or her life. This beatitude tells us that we are to drive our life, yet allow God to be our navigator.  It is like saying, “Jesus, I will drive, but I need you to tell me where to go. If you say turn left, I will turn left.  If you say turn right, I will turn right.  If you say turn around, I will turn around.  I am surrendering my destination to you.” In Proverbs 3:5-6 it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and l...

Matthew 5:4 (NKJV) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. In this beatitude, Jesus is talking about those who mourn over their sin. This is a godly sorrow that produces repentance and leads to salvation.  2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” Do you remember the story of how King David sinned?  He had an affair with Bathsheba, which was wrong in the first place, but in order to cover it up, he had Bathsheba’s husband killed.  Did you know that David felt sorrow, remorse, guilt, and shame for what he had done?  He mourned over his sin.  In fact, in Psalm 51 David expressed how he felt about his sin: Psalms 51:4 (NKJV) Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. In all the evil that David did, God forgave H...

Matthew 5:3 (NKJV) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the   kingdom of heaven. Let us begin today with the first “attitude to be in our lives”: the attitude of humility.  By talking about being “poor in spirit” Jesus is saying that this is the opposite of self-sufficiency.  “Poor in spirit” speaks of those who realize that they are totally helpless and lost apart from God.  The person who is poor in spirit realizes his own utter helplessness without the Lord, and puts his whole trust in God. When we think we are ok because we are a good person, we are depending on our own self-righteousness.  But self-righteousness will not make you happy.  Self-righteousness will not get you into the Kingdom of Heaven. Apart from God, we are totally lost.  It is only by God’s grace that we can be saved.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God...

Matthew 5:1-2 (NKJV) And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a   mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He   opened His mouth and taught them The Beatitudes, or as I like to call them, “Attitudes to be in our lives,” are nine attitudes.  If taken to heart, they can change a person’s life by changing their attitude in life.  Let us take the next few days and let them build within us. Here we see Jesus, as the crowds were growing, not looking for ways to get a bigger crowd, but to get with His disciples and teach them.  He wanted them to be able to go forth with His words and help others.  I like the way that the Message Bible brings out these two verses: Matthew 5:1-2 (MSG) When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds,   he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down 2 and taught his   climbing compa...

Job 19:25-27 (NLTSE) But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. 26 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! 27 I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see   him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought! I know that my Redeemer lives, and His name is Jesus!  One day, if the Lord Jesus does not return and I pass away, this flesh will decay.  But, as Job said, we will see Him again in this flesh, and this thought overwhelmed Job.  Let me tell you, it overwhelms me also! To think that death has no power over a child of God.  That yes, this flesh might decay and go back into the ground, but when He returns, my body will be resurrected and I will see Him in this flesh.  Amazing!  Truly amazing!  Think of what He is saying here.  That every one of our friends and loved ones that are in Christ, who have gone before us, we will see again,...

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NKJV) Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications,   prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for   kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable   life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the   sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to   the knowledge of the truth. God wants us to pray, not just for those we agree with, but for all people, and especially those in authority. We need to take time today, and every day, to pray for our president and those in political office.  We need to pray for those who are over us in other areas as well. We need to pray for our pastors and our bosses.  This scripture says to pray for all men, so I see this as including every person that the Lord puts on our hearts.  One thing that I have found out is if we would take a few minutes and ...