Day 22: October 22nd, 2009 - - Proverbs 29:6

“POINTS TO PONDER” – Day 22
Written by M. Hall
Please feel free to agree or disagree with points made, and feel free to comment if so desired. If you would like, you could write your own thoughts on the verse of the day, and include that in your own comments below. Thank you and may you be blessed!! =)

Evil people are trapped by their own sin, but good people can sing and be happy. Proverbs 29:6 NCV

Did you know that your sin can trap you? But, there is a way out -- only God can set you free. I am glad to be considered a good person, for I can sing and be happy all day long. We just spoke in our last devotional about praising in all circumstances, and especially in challenges. WOW! What a day I had today… challenges galore with the precious little preschoolers. I needed to keep my cool, remain calm and peaceful and also joyful. That was a struggle and a half, having screaming, jumping, running, spitting Preschoolers inside on a rainy day. But as I said, I appreciate challenges. I was thinking to how my day would be without those challenging children, and I would really miss them. Deep down they are very precious and sweet children, who just have a rough time every now and then. Some of them have to get up really early and be dropped off at daycare early, and they are there all day long, and that in itself can be trying on a little body. So I always empathize with them, which poses to be a problem sometimes, and ignoring the behaviour doesn’t always work. But we managed to get through the day, as challenges help me increase faith, which helps me increase perseverance and patience! YAY GOD! A few of the mom’s even commented how I could remain so patient. It’s all God! =) Praise Jesus! But getting back to the Scripture above, I am a good person, and therefore I can sing and be happy in crazy circumstances.


Paul and Silas were put into prison, and while they were chained they sang praises to God. God sent an angel to unlock the cell doors, but not one of the men escaped. The guard came back very worried that he would be killed if the men escaped, and Paul reassured him that they all were there. Then Paul and Silas went to the guard’s home, and all his family was saved. WOW! The power of our praise, it can change the atmosphere! It has been said on many occasions that worship changes the atmosphere and attitude of those around. We should be able to notice other Christians just by their attitude and when they walk into a room the atmosphere changes. It should be the same with us and our Christian walk.


Getting back to the dreaded first part of the verse, ‘Evil people are trapped by their own sin’, I am reminded of a drama that our youth group drama team performed years ago called ‘The Chair’. The silent drama starts with an empty chair on the stage, and there is a sign on the chair that says ‘Do Not Touch!’ Several people walk by the chair and notice it, and then walk back one at a time to the chair. The first guy touches the chair, and smacks it with his hands, not getting stuck, then he chuckles and does it again, and he gets stuck. He starts to walk away, but the chair comes with him. Someone else comes by, and the guy is struggling to get his hand off the chair. They offer him assistance, and get stuck to the chair as well. A cute girl walks by and the two look masculine and manly pretending there is nothing wrong, but continue still to try and get free from the chair. The girl offers to help, but they don’t want any help. The girl walks on. Another person comes by and sees them struggling, offers help, sees the sign, touches the chair and gets stuck to the chair. Yet another person comes along, sees the chair, and the sign, and the others smiling and such, and then walks over to touch the chair, and the others silently act out ‘No don’t sit down’ by shaking their heads and they try to get them not to touch the chair. They end up sitting on the chair. The drama stage now has a bunch of people pretending to be stuck to the chair. A person with a Bible comes along and sees the chair of people. They are struggling, and so they look in their Bible, and show the people a verse, and act out leading them in prayer. The people on the chair pray one by one, some of the last ones still doubting. They roll their eyes; shake their heads, etc… while one by one the ones who pray are released from the chair. Finally, the last person (who was the first person) gets unstuck, and they all do a happy dance, and the ‘Christian’ kicks the chair over, and stuck on the bottom of the chair is the word ‘SIN’. Then the Christian reads the scripture found in James 1:14-15, “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” It’s really powerful! It was one of my favourite ones to dramatize. I usually played the ‘Christian girl’. We cannot let ourselves get dragged away and enticed. For as we see it all leads to death and I choose life. As we have said before, and I’m sure you have heard many times, it all comes down to our choice. God gave us the power to choose. We have our own free will, and its that selfish fleshly mind-set that takes over and allows us to become enticed, and allows sin to conceive, which gives birth to death. Which is redundant in itself, but makes a lot of sense. Choose life with me today! Freedom = Life!


We can truly sing, ‘I Am Free’…



I <3 the NEWSBOYS!
Prayer: Lord, we thank You once again for all You do for us. Forgive us once again for the sins we have committed in thought, word and deed, intentionally and unintentionally, so that we may boldly enter Your throne-room. Thank You for giving us a way out from our sin, so that we are no longer trapped by it. Thank You for the freedom we can have through Your Spirit. Thank you for creating us to be good people. We praise You and we honour You, we sing and worship You for who You are, and what You’ve done. We will try to strive for complete joy in every circumstance, knowing that You walk beside us, and even carry us along the way. Thank You Lord that when we do look back and see one set of footprints, that you don’t let our hearts get discouraged, but that You encourage us, by reminding us that You carry us through those times of trouble. I ask for wisdom and discernment, to assist us when temptation comes our way. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, in the name of JESUS, AMEN!

Be blessed and keep the smile on your face, the twinkle in your eye, and the love of Jesus in your hearts! <3 Shine and worship our Father in the darkness around you! Declare your FREEDOM in CHRIST!

Day 21: October 21st, 2009 - - James 1:2-4

“POINTS TO PONDER” – Day 21Written by M. HallPlease feel free to agree or disagree with points made, and feel free to comment if so desired.
If you would like, you could write your own thoughts on the verse of the day, and include that in your own comments below. Thank you and may you be blessed!! =)

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4 (The Message)

My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need. James 1:2-4 (NCV)

WOW… I am finally coming to realize that God has been using this very verse in my life for quite some time now, and I have finally gotten a hold of more of this revelation. I always knew the verse was there, and knew it was a good one to try to follow, and did try to have JOY in all circumstances, but never really thought much about the rest of this verse. I know in my own life, I love challenges. Some challenges do get frustrating, let me tell you, but for the most part I think life would be pretty boring without them. For those of you who don’t know me, I am an Early Childhood Educator, and I work with Preschoolers. These children range in age from 2½ to 5½ years old, and some of them can be very challenging. I am realizing now that this verse is a very important one in my life.

I usually am a very patient person, but when something has been tested over and over and over, my patience feels like it’s whittling away and I have to pray and seek God for more. I am trying to live out my life as open and ‘real’ as I can. I am not one person one place and another person somewhere else. I am ‘Me’ wherever I am. I am a very compassionate, and empathetic person, which helps me to ‘give people chances’ more often than some other personalities. Yet it also frustrates me, because I am also assertive, and don’t like when people seem to have to get their own way to be happy. I hate tantrums! (Who doesn’t?) LOL! My personality and characteristics do not match (according to textbooks and studies), as I can be very enthusiastic and outgoing, and extroverted, and assertive; yet I can also be very quiet, observant, introverted & passive. After doing many personality and character tests and quizzes, my two highest are opposites each other on the scales.
I always remember a statement from a VBS or March Break outreach that we did when I was in Youth regarding your character, and finding out who you really are; “If you want to know who you are, you must first know Jesus!” This statement is sooooooo true, and you do have to have that relationship to gain the whole revelation. I know that I am ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Psalm 139:14), and that God created me to be who I am, with all my flaws, character traits, gifts, personality traits, talents, and more. He made ME like that for a purpose. I am beginning to understand that purpose more and more as I continue to seek Him and His will for my life, not my own.

I thank God for the increase in FAITH that I have, and the increase in PATIENCE that I have been given. I love the Lord with all my heart, and I am not afraid to tell you that, or to live my life according to that truth! If you walk each day of your life, transparent, in a ‘real’ way that shows your true colours, people will trust you more, and see the Light of Jesus that comes from the inside out. I pray that I can be an example to the little lives that are in my care each day at work, and also at church. I also pray that I can be an example to the adults I meet each day, and work with, play with, pray with, worship with, learn with, shop with, etc. I pray that YOU can live your life as ‘an open book’ as well, where people can see the ‘Light of Jesus’ shining in your heart too. (If you don’t have this ‘Light’… you can! If you do not know Jesus as your personal friend, brother, and Saviour then please do not hesitate any further. Take that step today - - It’s as simple as A.B.C., & it only takes a moment, to change your life forever. If you so desire, you can re-commit your life to Him as well too ~ it's never too late, while you are alive anyway.
A - - Admit to God you are a sinner, and repent and turn away from your sin
B - - Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He gave His life for you and me
C- - Confess your faith in Jesus as your Saviour and your Lord forevermore

This simple prayer will change you from the inside out.
The verse today says, ‘then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need’. We will never ever truly be perfect, until we walk on those Heavenly streets, but we can be made perfect only through the power of the Holy Spirit. God will complete the good work that He started in you, and if that good work has challenges along the way, step up to those challenges remembering the verse, ‘I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13’. How many things can you do?? ALL things… Isn’t that an amazing truth all in itself? Do you have the FAITH to believe this? Do you have the PATIENCE and PERSEVERANCE to press on through the challenges that come your way? If so, God promises us that we ‘will have everything [we] need’. Amen and hallelujah! Amen means ‘so be it’ for those of you who may not know. Thank you Lord, for Your promises that will be fulfilled and completed.
God we put our trust in You, and lean not on our own understandings, and we acknowledge you, so that You may make our paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Prayer: Father God, we thank You again for Your Word, the living Word that we can put our full trust in. We thank you that we can put our full trust in You as well as your words and promises. All your promises are Yes, and Amen! Help us to accept all our flaws and traits, and to walk in the ones that You have called us to do. Help us step into the roles and traits that you have placed in our lives, and help us not to covet other’s personality traits and gifts. You have made us in Your image, and to fulfill Your purposes. Help us to set aside or throw away some of our own desires, to take up the desires of Your heart. Increase our faith, and our patience as we will walk through many trials and challenges. Help us continue to gain exciting revelations from Your Word, to teach us and equip us. Give us the words to use as we teach and equip others! Let Your anointing fall on us, as we seek Your will. We ask all these things in the name of JESUS, AMEN!
Be blessed, and be a blessing, and be filled with the JOY of the Lord as you face challenges of many kinds!

Day 17: October 17th, 2009 - - Proverbs 15:13

“POINTS TO PONDER” – Day 17Written by M. Hall
Please feel free to agree or disagree with points made, and feel free to comment if so desired. If you would like, you could write your own thoughts on the verse of the day, and include that in your own comments below. Thank you and may you be blessed!! =)
“Happiness makes a person smile, but sadness can break a person's spirit.” Proverbs 15:13

According to Wikipedia, here is the definition of happiness. ‘Happiness is a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy.’ Did you know that it takes more muscles to frown then it does to smile? Happiness is not just having a smile on your face it’s actually feeling happy and content. How does one feel happy and content in a world of sadness, despair, and discouragement? It’s simple, have the joy of the Lord, for it is your strength. Joy is more than just having happiness though.

“Some people spread happiness wherever they go, and some whenever they go” is an interesting quote by Oscar Wilde. I believe it is a choice. It is definitely a state of mind, but it’s also a mindset. You have to physically and mentally change your mind to happy. Feelings do come, and feelings do go, but in essence, we have to choose how to feel. God has given us all feelings, but to some, he made their hearts more open to other’s feelings. Empathy is seldom found in the world anymore. Putting other’s feelings above your own, and comforting others in their time of need. Some people spread joy and happiness wherever they go. I choose to try and do this. Some people have mentioned to me on several occasions that it’s hard not to smile when I am around. Some family members and friends have called me ‘a breath of fresh air’, which I don’t take lightly or boast about. I am not boasting in saying that I am usually a happy person and like to share that happiness with everyone. I also have the JOY of the Lord in my Spirit, so I can be happy in most circumstances. When I get angry or emotionally stressed, I find myself getting frustrated at myself more than anything, because I allow my heart, mind and spirit to lose that feeling of happiness. But, I never lose the JOY!

Today’s verse says, ‘Sadness can break a person’s spirit’. Anger and sadness try to creep their little selves into our minds, spirits and hearts. When we allow them to creep in and ‘make a home’, that’s when things like depression set in as well. There is a verse in the Bible that talks about demons, and when anger & sadness get a hold of you, they are a form of demonic power that satan has over your life, and it brings more trouble like depression, and then that brings more trouble. "When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest, but it doesn't find it. So the spirit says, 'I will go back to the house I left.' When the spirit comes back, it finds the house still empty, swept clean, and made neat. Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits even more evil than it is, and they go in and live there. So the person has even more trouble than before. It is the same way with the evil people who live today." (Matthew 12:43-45 NCV) I stated above that I lose the feeling of happiness, because it is that, just a feeling. But I never lose the JOY, because I still have Jesus in my heart, and He is my peace. His joy is truly my strength, and I can use that supernatural strength to push away those feelings of stress, anger, sadness, frustration & defeat. The verse above found in Matthew, says just that, when you allow anger and sadness to live in your heart, and then ‘clean house’ and you get rid of them. You need to fill that ‘empty clean house’ with something else, like Jesus. He is the only thing that can fill that God-shaped void. It’s good to make your heart, and life ‘clean and neat’, but if you leave it empty, then those evil spirits can come back, and see it empty and go get more spirits to come and fill you. Who wants a life like that? Not me!

Are you experiencing sadness right now? Anger? Jealousy? Depression? Do you find it breaking your spirit? Take a stand! Get strength to fight! Not of your own power, but supernatural power that can help you achieve victory over your situations! If you have a relationship with Jesus, then it’s a little easier for you to grab a hold of that power. However, if you do not have that JOY that I spoke of, then you have just an additional step. ASK HIM IN TODAY! He is standing at your heart’s door, just waiting to come in, and help you ‘clean house’. He will fill that empty God-shaped void that’s inside. There is another quote that comes to mind about having faith in God, and the door to your heart. “Fear knocked. Faith answered. No one was there.” WOW! Powerful quote eh? I just read on a blog, that FEAR can be summed up into an acronym, F.E.A.R. - 'False Evidence Appearing Real'. So cool! WOW! God is sooooo amazing! We truly need to take Him at His Word. His Words will never return void. The words to a song are now coming to mind, 'I Walk by Faith' from my youth group days. (see YOU TUBE videos following the prayer below)

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, the giver of JOY and happiness, we thank you for your love and faithfulness. We need only walk in faith to believe that You will do the things You say You will do. God, I thank you that You are healing us as we read/say this prayer, and ‘cleaning house’. Father, I accept that I am a sinner, and know that I have done, and will do more wrongs in my life. However I believe that You sent Your Son Jesus into this world to die for our sins. I believe that He rose again, and sits with You in Heavenly places, and that He will return one day for His bride. God I also believe in the Holy Spirit and the power He gives, which also gives me JOY. I thank you that the JOY of the Lord is my strength. Help us be over-comers today! Lord, I thank you that You are who You say You are, and You will and can do exceedingly and abundantly more than we think or ask. Jesus, come in and fill the God-shaped void in my life, and help me to have the faith to scare off the devil when he knocks at my door. I pray a blessing on each person who is praying/reading this right now. In JESUS’ name, AMEN!

Here's a YOU TUBE video of the song by Maranatha singers... 'No weapon formed against me shall prosper... If my God is for me, tell me who can be against me.'




Here's another "walk by faith" song by Jeremy Camp! AWESOME!! =) 'I will walk by faith, even when I cannot see'.

Be blessed, and be a blessing!

Day 14: October 14th, 2009 - - Psalm 23 pt2 "The Lord is my Shepherd"

“POINTS TO PONDER” – Day 14
Written by M. Hall
Please feel free to agree or disagree with points made, and feel free to comment if so desired. If you would like, you could write your own thoughts on the verse of the day, and include that in your own comments below. Thank you and may you be blessed!! =)

(Continuation from DAY 13)
“The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water.He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that are right for the good of his name. Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me. Your rod and your shepherd's staff comfort me. You prepare a meal for me in front of my enemies. You pour oil of blessing on my head; you fill my cup to overflowing. Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”
Psalm 23:1-6

The next part of the verse says, “You prepare a meal for me in front of my enemies.”YAY! I don’t know about you, but this excites me. Actually I was being sarcastic at first, but somehow I am also serious at the same time. God has created me to love challenges, I don’t know how, and I don’t know why for certain, but I have realized the fact and have accepted the challenge. ‘Enemies’ are not always just the devil or his demons, although we are wrestling against spiritual forces, and not things of the flesh. A sheep’s enemy is usually a predator, another animal which thinks it is more powerful than it is. (which in most case is true, as the sheep is pretty weak) However, as we have discovered we are not flying under the radar with our own strength. We have the strength of the King! We have the Shepherd on our side. This is why the Shepherd can usually defeat the predator such as a bear or a lion. These animals (or other people in our lives) try to make the sheep feel inferior or stupid. They want the sheep to feel unworthy, and helpless, so that they will be weak enough to attack. There are people like that in this world unfortunately, and you need to take a stand in the power & authority that you have through Jesus Christ, You need to plead the blood of Jesus over yourself, and your family EACH day. His blood covers and cleanses, and changes us.

The Father gave His Son, and His shed blood has cleansing power. However He also gave us the power through the Holy Spirit. The oil represents anointing of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:8, it says “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you - -.” This leads us to the last part of the verse in Psalm 23, “You pour oil of blessing on my head; you fill my cup to overflowing. Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” I thank the Lord for His goodness and love daily, or at least I try to. I try to be an example for the children that I teach, that they will see the love I have for the Lord, and want to have that same relationship. I am so happy that I have the promise to live in the house of the Lord forever, if I obey His commands and live according to His will. Praise the Lord our Shepherd! I wanna’ be a sheep, how about you???

It reminds me of a kids song we sing usually at Christmas, “I just wanna’ be a sheep” I wonder if that song is on YOU TUBE somewhere - - - I guess I can add it if I find it, because here in Ontario we got some snow tonight… so that makes me think of Christmas! LOL!



PRAYER: Oh God, our Shepherd thank you for calling us to be sheep. We love being a part of your ‘flock’. Help us to take this Psalm to heart, and to truly hear what You are saying to us. Thank You most of all, for giving of Your sacrificial lamb, Your Son Jesus. He paid a price He did not owe, and we owed a price we could not pay. Lord I pray that you will help us live by the power of Your Holy Spirit, and stop trying to do things in our own power. I praise you Lord that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Bless my brothers and sisters in the faith, and bless those who have yet to make that decision to take You as their Shepherd and follow you throughout their lives. Continue to keep us safe in your loving and disciplining arms. Help us to not be afraid of troubles that come, nor to be afraid of those times in the valley or the times where You must use Your rod to refine us. We praise you and honour You Lord, and we pray all these things in the powerful name of Your Son Jesus, AMEN!