Vimy Ridge Baptist Church

10/30/2022

Are You Standing in a Spiritual Rut?

“Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12 ESV)
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Everyone has at least one favorite rut that’s comfortable, familiar and undemanding. If you stay in it long enough, you think that’s all there is to life. Spiritual “ruts” can be just as debilitating. This devotional thought challenges you to examine your spiritual walk for areas where you are stuck and have put your relationship with God on auto-pilot.

How can you tell if you are in a Spiritual “Rut”?

Humans are creatures of habit and can get attached to routines. While repeated patterns of doing things are essential, if put on autopilot, their effectiveness diminishes. Consider your worship practices: Are you going through the motions? Are you stuck worshipping without much thought, believing you have the perfect Christian life and witness and unwilling to try new ways to praise and honor Christ?

The Scripture for today’s devotional thought cautions us to watch out for Spiritual Ruts. If we take Christ for granted and believe we have arrived in our Christian walk and need not do anything else, we may very well fall flat on our faces. There is also the danger of judging others who wish to praise God differently than the way we do. We assume that our way of worship is the “right” way and anything else is ungodly; so we shun and despise anyone who “rocks the boat” with their praise.

How to get out of a Spiritual “Rut.”

Diligently seeking God is the only way to get out of a religious rut. He will help you see things differently and give you a new attitude that is refreshing and attractive. People will gravitate to you hoping a little of your enthusiasm and positive mindset for God will rub off on them. Times with God will be exciting and stimulating as you make conscious decisions to learn from Him in every encounter.

What is God asking you to do about your spiritual ruts?

10/29/2022

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10/29/2022

Drop Your Wayward Thoughts in a Bottle

“…Be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.” (Proverbs 4:20 ESV)
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Do constant thoughts, “to-do” lists and various details of upcoming events intrude in your quiet time with God? You start to spend moments of silent reflection with Him, but a stray wayward thought invades the silence and draws your attention away from His Word and Presence. This daily devotional suggests one way to prepare for worship when you have a lot of things on your mind.

Control the Distractions

The above Scripture urges us to concentrate on God’s Words and think about what He is saying. For the most part, you cannot resolve any conflicts, plan your day or start and finish a task while at the same time trying to communicate with God. Any attempt to do so will distract you from focused attention on The Holy Spirit’s Teaching as you prayerfully learn what God has planned for you today.
There is one way you can physically remove distracting thoughts that interfere with your quiet time and worship. You can prepare for moments with God by recording your thoughts on paper and putting them out of sight and mind in a jar. You may have to do this frequently during your daily devotional time, but if you are consistent, the number of wayward thoughts will diminish. Here’s how to do it.

1. Get strips of paper or use “Post-it” notes to write your wayward thoughts. Use one piece for each idea that pops into your mind. Note down as many as you can.

2. Fold each strip of paper and place in a Mason Jar or other container with a lid. Seal the jar and place it out of sight.

3. Pray and ask God to keep these thoughts from interfering with your time together. If any intrude while you are praying, stop, write them down and resume praying.

4. Now, forget about these thoughts and enjoy your time with God.

How can this daily devotional help you prepare for worship and quiet times with God?

10/29/2022

10/28/2022

“Don’t put it off. Do it now. Don’t rest until you do.” (Proverbs 6:4 TLB)
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Procrastination or putting off until another time to do something essential is a problem we all have in some area of our lives. It usually happens when we are too busy, too lazy, the task is boring or uninteresting, or we’re just overwhelmed. In this short devotional, we will take a look at what Scripture says about procrastination and how we are to manage it.
Don’t Put it Off! Do it Now
The Living Bible is very expressive at rendering the translation for today’s Scripture. It can’t get any clearer—stop putting off things; do them immediately! The verse also states don’t rest until you finish. So, why do we procrastinate and find it challenging to get things done right away? Here are a few reasons:

• Last minute frenzy. When you wait until the last minute to get things done, you can become anxious and stressed and unable to do your best work. Additionally, you may cause others to worry who are waiting for the completion of the task, and you can end up with poor quality results.
• More pleasurable pursuits. If a task is boring or uninteresting, you may lack the motivation to complete it. You would prefer to do something fun or spend time socializing. Unwisely thinking you’ve got all the time in the world to start and finish the job, the delay causes you to miss deadlines.
• Worry and Fear. You’re too focused on the possibility of failure rather than what you will learn along the way.

You CAN Overcome Procrastination
By the Power of the Holy Spirit, you can eliminate procrastination and accomplish everything you need to do today! The strategies in this short devotional will help you achieve your goals God’s Way.

1. Ask the Lord to give you focus and discipline to use your time wisely to complete the task or project. Break it into manageable pieces and begin immediately to tackle it one piece at a time.
2. Seek His Guidance before stopping to relax or have fun. The Lord will show you when to take a break to relax or have fun.

How can you use the strategies in this short devotional to overcome procrastination?

10/28/2022

Don't you just LOVE when dr appointments interrupt your computer time?!?!? At least I had time to read my devotion at 6am before heading out.

“…Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6 ESV)

If you are willing, the Spirit of the Lord can accomplish extraordinary things for His Kingdom through you today. Even if you are talented and can do a lot by yourself, you are not capable of doing God’s Work on your own. Do you want to know how He does this?

Today’s Scripture answers the question, “How?” By His Spirit, God provides all you need to do His Will. His way of doing things involves planting ideas in your thoughts, and longings in your heart, and if you prayerfully seek Him for direction and guidance, He gives you the strength to fulfill your life’s calling right now instead of at some future point.

So, what about today’s work? Trust Him and seek His desires for your tasks today. Look for His direction moment-by-moment. Surrender your way of doing things and wait for His Extraordinary Power to fill you with the capacity to complete assignments for His Glory.

What do you get from letting His Spirit work through you? You will find rest while doing the tasks, and soul satisfaction when you finish.

What does God want to do through you today, and how can you surrender to His Spirit to accomplish it?

10/26/2022

“Keep me as the apple of Your Eye.” (Psalm 17:8)
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There are differing interpretations of the expression, “apple of the eye.” Some are profound and lead to an in-depth study, but the best interpretation for this short devotional is “something or someone that one cherishes above all others”. In Psalm 17, David speaks about how much God treasures him. That he asks God to “keep” on cherishing him, suggests that he desires to remain at the center of God’s affection and care.
I like to imagine myself in the center of God’s affections and as the apple of His Eye. It comforts me and lets me know that Someone loves and cherishes me. When I feel lonely or depressed, I speak this verse out loud to remind myself that God takes great pleasure in me. He gives me a vision of a cherished daughter curled in His Lap as He lovingly wipes away my tears and soothes me to rest in Him.

How about you? Do you know what it’s like to be the apple of God’s Eye as described in this short devotional?