Daily Disciples Devotional - December 22

December 22

Today's Reading:  Psalms 40-42; Acts 27:1-26
Today's Thoughts: Are You Listening?

Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return. I listened and heard, But they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, 'What have I done?' Everyone turned to his own course, As the horse rushes into the battle. Jeremiah 8:5-6 

It seems that today in the Christian church there are two main groups: those who feel condemned and unworthy to the point of being consistently depressed, or those who feel as if they are pretty good people leading good lives. Both of these ends of the spectrum are dangerously deceiving. The prophet Jeremiah warned the people to turn from their wickedness and return to the Lord. But Jerusalem carried out their temple rituals to the extent that they really thought they were doing just fine. “What have I done?” They were deceived in their thoughts and were perpetually slipping farther away from God. This happens when we start to really believe that we are not that sinful, just because we are doing religious activities. The farther we get from God, the harder it is to repent and change.

We live in a world that is filled with deceit and wickedness. The world tells us that pretty much everything is acceptable. If it feels good, then do it. It you feel bad for doing it, then take a pill or do something to make yourself feel better. We have permission from the world to do whatever it takes to make ourselves feel better. Yet, so often, we end up feeling much worse. From the heights of happiness to the depths of depression we swing. And if we are not careful, we wake up one day wondering what happened. “What have I done?”

The Christian walk is one day at a time. Some days are better than others, but everyday belongs to the Lord. The only way to walk with the Lord consistently is to spend time with Him every day. When times are hard and depression creeps in, do not look for the instant fix offered by the world. Turn to the Lord. When you feel good about yourself or things in your life, turn to the Lord and give Him thanks. None of us want to feel badly, but when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, we must be willing to repent and to turn from our sin. As we walk daily with the Lord, these convictions keep us from falling into deceitful ways of thinking. Ask the Lord today to help you answer the question: What have I done? You may be surprised at the answer. Listen to the Lord and be willing to change as He guides you.

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Daily Disciples Ministries, Inc., founded by Tonilee Adamson and Bobbye Brooks, embraces a vision to reach the world for Christ by teaching others how to be His daily disciples. Their mission is to evangelize the lost and to re-awaken the saved to live lives empowered by the Word of God and His Holy Spirit, and to teach and to train those who desire to grow, to serve and to have all that God has for them…encouraging everyone to be a daily disciple of Jesus Christ. From Bible studies to daily devotionals to daily radio programs to a comprehensive discipleshipprogram, Bobbye  & Tonilee have a passion to help others apply the Word of God to their lives every day.