Quiet Time: God Is Thinking Of You

God Is Thinking Of You…Right Now

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count. 
– Psalm 40:5

I have a friend who is struggling with a tough addiction. Sometimes he feels overwhelmed and defeated. I believe God’s not done with him yet and that His plans are beyond anything either one of us have considered.

Here are some encouraging scripture verses I shared with him.

(I get the impression that someone else out there needs to hear them too)

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11

Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. – Psalm 40:5

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them! – Psalm 139:17

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. – Isaiah 55:8

Press on in the power of the LORD.

Quiet Time: Be Noble Minded

Be Noble Minded

Using The Straightedge of Scripture

Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. – Acts 17:11

“Douglas, don’t check your brain at the door”, my dad would say when he thought I was being a little too gullible. He taught me to check everything against the straightedge of Scripture. (Knowledge is an obvious “must have” while journeying with Jesus).

I like what a pastor said, “Beloved, the key to adequate living is not the Bible plus a lot of stuff, it is the Word of God pursued with readiness and eagerness and searched out every day of one's life. It's a daily diet...a daily diet.”

I’m so encouraged that many of the visitors to Brother Doug’s Devotions use the blog as a daily quiet time. However, I sincerely pray that the devotions generate a hunger in each of us to dig deeper; to be fearless explorers.

Like the Berean Jews, may we be noble-minded and ready to receive the message God brings with great eagerness while examining the Scriptures to see if what we are taught is true.

In other words, “Don’t check your brain at the door - see if it's so.”

PRAYER POINT: Perhaps, a terrific daily prayer would be to ask the Lord to revive us (Psalm 119:25) and to purify our hearts renewing a steadfast spirit with us (Psalm 51:10). To build in us a desire for the Word like a bottle to a baby (1 Peter 2:2). To cause us to hunger and thirst after righteousness as we never have before (Matthew 5:6). 

Quiet Times: Think On These Things

Think On These Things

Packing for the journey #2

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. – Philippians 4:8

The red digital numbers projected on my bedroom ceiling are just beginning to come into focus and I see that it’s way too early to be awake on a holiday morning. A scripture verse that the Spirit prompted me to memorize a few years past is dancing through my mind to the little tune I gave it. (Sometimes I set scripture to song to help me recall certain passages)

This sort of thing happens to me fairly regularly. I count it a blessing and suppose it is what the Word means when it says that the Holy Spirit will teach and help me to remember the things God has said to me (John 14:26).

Well, since I’m still packing for the life journey with Jesus and deciding what “Dos” I should have along with the “Don’ts” mentioned a couple of blogs back, I figure Philippians 4:8 would be a good one for refining a “Head for Heaven” (see First Things First).

Here’s the plan:

Before watching, listening to, or otherwise taking in or attempting at accomplish anything, I will ask myself the following questions:

1.       (TRUE) Does this square with what the bible says is true? (Psalm 25:10)

2.       (HONORABLE) Does this bring honor to me or the person/thing I’m engaging?(2 Cor. 8:21)

3.       (RIGHT)  Does this turn me from evil to do good? (Psalm 19:8)

4.       (PURE) Does this contaminate or purify me or the person/thing? (Titus 1:15)

5.       (LOVELY) Does this bring beauty? (Psalm 84:1-3)

6.       (GOOD REPUTE) Does this smack of immorality? (Proverbs 3:3-5)

7.       (EXCELLENCE) Does this encourage excellence (virtue and quality)? (2 Peter 1:5)

8.       (PRAISE WORTHY)  Can I praise God for this?(Psalm 117:1-2)

I almost fear thinking where this is headed, because, frankly, some of the stuff I like for entertainment, not that it’s all that bad in the eyes of most people, I’m not so sure would square with the list. And, some of the things that I spend time doing, are now looking like a real waste of time and effort.

“And that’s a good thing”, as my friend Clyde would say.

So, I’m gonna keep packing, because I know I’ll need this for the journey.

Quiet Time: Settle Down

Settle Down

Read: Philippians 4:4-7


6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7 (NAS)

“SETTLE DOWN!” Here it is forty years later and I can still hear my dad’s words bellowing from the driver’s seat to us kids in the back as we traveled on our annual summer road trip. My sister and I loved these long excursions from Florida to Indiana. They were an adventure. Dad liked to travel the back roads, which meant that we often saw things most vacationers never see. Like little known Civil War battle grounds maintained by the local historic societies or deep pits with sheer cliffs that peered down on crystalline blue green water left over from a long forgotten mining operation. But back roads also meant long…long…long periods of travel from one point to another. So, as kids often do, my sister and I became antsy, then rambunctious, and finally downright irritable. That’s when the order to “SETTLE DOWN!” barked from dad, and sometimes from both parents simultaneously! Can you relate? I don’t think many of us are very good at "settling down" these days, but God tells us the best way to do it.

Basically what I hear Him saying to us in Philippians is this: “Don’t be a worrier. I want you to bring everything, and I mean ‘everything’ to Me. Talk to me about your cares, concerns, hopes, and dreams And while you’re talking to Me, thank Me ahead of time. You know I’ll always answer and give you exactly what you need, may-be not what you want, but definitely what you need. As you do this, My peace, peace that you didn’t see coming or understand how it exists, will settle you down in My Son, Jesus Christ as you walk out your faith daily."

God wants us to talk to Him (prayer), listen to Him (read the Word) and rest in Him (simply relax); especially when something’s weighing heavy on our minds.

In other words, “Settle Down.” God’s got this.

Quiet Time: Think Weak - Be Weak

Think Weak – Be Weak

For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you. – Proverbs 23:7

I believe in speaking God’s truth to challenges. Whether it be the motivation to continue a daily fitness routine or facing something a bit more serious; the process is the same. We can face the moment by affirming God’s truth over it, out loud, if possible. “I can do all things through Christ…” (Philippians 4:13), “I am (fill in your challenge here) for the glory of God” (1 Peter 4:11), “Do not fear man…fear God” (Matthew 10:28), or whatever scripture is appropriate for the need of the moment. This helps us not only to meet the challenge with a positive attitude, but also bolsters faith in remembering where our strength lies.

We may not be much to look at by worldly standards, in fact, God likes to use the dauncey (slang for strange, odd, or just plain not cute) to proclaim His glory (1 Corinthians 1:27). The fact is, we may indeed be physically weakened; however, spiritually we are strong, bold, and built for battle.

May I be direct? I think that Satan enjoys it when a believer operates from a position of defeat. It makes that Christian less of a threat and turns him into a weakened wimpy warrior (Ephesians 6:12).

God is the immutable, omniscient, Lord over all, and He is on your side. So, don’t buy the lie. Instead, assert the truth.


Because if you think you’re weak, you will be weak, and you are not weak!