The Lord's Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen Luke 11:2-4 Christians think of this prayer as The Lord’s Prayer, the model prayer and the prayer that gives direction. The disciples had asked Jesus to teach them how to pray and He gave them this prayer. Jesus also used parts of this same prayer in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us throughout the Bible to pray without ceasing. When our heart is so heavy with all our problems, this is the time that most people turn to Jesus, however we need to turn to Him also in the good times as well. I am reminded of a story about a small boy who had been having nightmares and his grandmother began saying a prayer for him before he went to sleep. After a few nights his nightmares went away, and after several nights he said to his grandmother “I don’t need to pray tonight, as I no longer have any nightmares, and there is no longer need to have God take care of me.” Later on that night, the little boy woke up crying hysterically; his nightmares had returned. His grandmother rushed to his bedside, and his first words were I want to pray so God can hear me. He then prayed and in just a few minutes he was fast asleep. The little boy learned an important life lesson, and that is that trouble can teach us to pray, as so often we only go to God in prayer, when we have problems. God’s prayer has so much more to offer than to help with problems, as it covers so much of what God promises us. I would encourage each of you to pray to God each and every day of your life in the way that God has instructed us to pray, His prayer. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 25 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Take Time To See People

Take Time To See People “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1st Samuel 16:7 A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag filled with more that a hundred hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn’t look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful precious stone. Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. He immediately realized that he had just thrown away tens of thousands of dollars into the ocean. It’s like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn’t look like much from the outside. It isn’t always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it. We see this person as less important than someone more beautiful, stylish, well known or wealthy. We have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside this person. There is a treasure buried deep inside each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know this person, and if we ask God to show us this person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth. May we not come to the end of our lives and find that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships, because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. Take the time to see the people in your world as God sees them. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 23 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God's Judgment

God’s Judgment “But I will pass judgment on you because you say, I have not sinned.” Jeremiah 2:35 The Bible tells us that someday God is going to judge us for all the sins we have committed. Our book will be opened and all our sins will be recorded in it. There will not be one evil thought, one evil deed or action that will not show up in this book of our lives. There will be no one we can blame for causing us to sin, as only we will be held accountable. When I think of how God will judge us, I am reminded of the two robbers that were crucified on the cross with Jesus. These two robbers had been judged by the authorities and had been sentenced to death along with Jesus. One of these men however saw the true heart of Jesus as He prayed for His accusers, and asked God to forgive them for what they were doing. This man knew that he had sinned and was being punished justly for his crimes, and asked Jesus to remember Him when he came into His kingdom. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43. Jesus knew that this robber had repented and promised him salvation. Even though this man had sinned, and was being punished by man for his sins, God’s judgment reigned superior over the judgment of man. Earthly man could take this man’s life, but Jesus could give him an eternal life. It is not too late to confess your sins and ask God for your salvation. When Jesus suffered and died on the cross, He did this so that you might be saved. Just as the robber gave his heart to Jesus, you can also give your heart to Jesus and be promised your own eternal life. You may not have tomorrow, so it is critical that you ask Jesus for your salvation today. God’s judgment is something that none of us will be able to avoid, and I urge you to consider asking Jesus into your heart today. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 21 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Don't Be Afraid

Don’t Be Afraid “Yet not one of them (sparrows) will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 I find it very uplifting and exciting to see the number of times that Jesus said throughout the Bible, “don’t be afraid”, as seen in the scripture above. This indicates to me that God doesn’t want us to go through life concerned about the worries of the world, but is telling us that we need to have a positive attitude about our life. He is telling us through these scriptures to not give in to Satan, who wants us to be afraid, as we are weak and uncertain about how to deal with situations that we are confronted with, when we are fearful. God wants us to be able to confront our difficulties, to be positive about all their outcomes, but most of all is telling us to trust and have faith in Him, and that He will provide and protect us. Jesus loves us, and places an immense value on us, and does not want us to go through life afraid of what might happen. When the disciples were in the boat and a terrible storm came and threatened to capsize the boat, Jesus awoke and told them to not be afraid, and He calmed the storm. Jesus is here with us during our storms, and will calm the wind and the seas that threaten to wash us under. When we go through our valleys, and do not see how we can ever get back to our mountain tops, Jesus is with us, and tells us to not be afraid, but to be positive, continue to have hope, and continue to have faith and trust in Him. Nothing is impossible with God, as none of our problems are too great for God to handle. Just as He calmed the storm for the disciples He can handle any trial that Satan sends our way. So the next time that you face a trial, look up, and see Jesus and “don’t be afraid.” My Daily Devotional Volume III October 19 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Loves You

God Loves You “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day.” John 6:40 Have you ever thought just how much God loves each of us? Could you imagine sacrificing your own Son to save others and give them an eternal life? This scripture reminds me of the father who had a handicapped son, whose dream was to be in a triathlon. This father loved his son so much that he entered him in a triathlon, and pushed, pulled and carried his son by swimming 2.5 miles, cycling 125 miles and running 26.2 miles. No, they did not finish first or second but they did come in under the deadline. This earthly example showed the love that a father can have for his son. We can also see this in the love that God has for us, as our Heavenly Father is running in a similar race with us. We are all in a race, as the sins of this world have led us to places we should not be in, doing things we should not be doing, and saying things we should not be saying. But God’s love is so strong for us that no matter what sins we have committed, He still sent his Son to die for us so that we can be forgiven and have a new life. This was God’s sacrifice as the blood of Jesus was given as the ultimate price for our sins. However, with the help of Jesus our goal is to win our race, and receive our trophy which is an eternal life. In order to win our race, we need to strive to live a sin free life, and depend on God to help us withstand the temptations to sin. We need to put on the full armor of God, and depend on Him to push, pull, and carry us across the finish line, and claim our reward. I would encourage each of you to think about the love that God has for you, as He wants the best for you. He cares for you, and wants you to be cleansed from your sins, and give you an eternal life. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 17 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Our Place To Serve God

Our Place To Serve God “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them, to the Israelites.” Joshua 1:2 There are many times in our lives when God calls us to go somewhere or do something. During these times He wants us to step out in faith and go and do what He is asking us to do, but these may seem frightening and undoable to us. Many times we miss out on these exciting opportunities because of fear of the unknown or fear of failure. We are reluctant to step out of our comfort zones and let God work through us. I am sure this is what Joshua felt when God spoke these words to him in the scripture above. But Joshua faithfully listened to God and followed Him, and God led them to their promised land. God has a plan for each of us, and wants us to be in specific places at certain times so that He can use us to fulfill our plan. I know that God wanted me and my family where we are today, as this was His plan for my life. I did not expect to be here, and left to my wants and desires I would have been in another place. But God destined me to be here as this was His plan for me, and is using me to witness for Him. We sell ourselves short when we believe that only missionaries can make a huge impact for Christ. God calls all of us to be missionaries, and puts us is our mission field. True service to the Lord is a combination of two things: faith and submission. God has placed us where we are today for a reason, we need to go out in faith and submit ourselves to do His will. We can’t wait until we feel we are where we want to be, and have everything in place that we dreamed about and desired before we begin to serve God. We can serve God now as this is the place God has destined for us to be, and we need to faithfully obey. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 15 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas to Everyone from Bob and Margaret May God Bless all of you and give you His peace and His comfort in the coming year. Christmas Day The Birth of Jesus Luke Chapter 2 “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” This is the day of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who came into this world to suffer and die on the cross for us, and forgive us from our sins. My Daily Devotional Volume Five December 25 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Joseph's Transformation

Joseph’s Transformation “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18 Can you imagine the transformation that Joseph must have had when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream? Joseph was just an ordinary man with ordinary dreams for his life. He was going to get married, start a family, raise his children, and build his carpentry business in a little town called Nazareth. There was nothing unusual in his plans, just a simple life. But when Joseph had first found out that Mary was going to have a baby, he had thought about divorcing her quietly, as he had wanted to be married to her, but being a righteous man did not want to expose her to public disgrace. But God had different plans for him and also for Mary. Most of us can look back at certain moments in our own lives, where we have encountered God, and He has changed everything. It may have been when you were baptized, or when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I know there have been several encounters, in my own life, where God changed everything from what I had planned for myself. During this Christmas Season, don’t forget to do more than just open presents. Open your heart to Christ in a greater way than ever before, and worship Him and let Him transform your life. Your encounter with God can become the most important event that will ever happen to you. Remember that God has already given you the greatest gift possible, when He sent Jesus to earth, and then to die on the cross for your salvation.

Are You Too Busy

Are You Too Busy “She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.” Luke 2:7 In just two more days we are going to celebrate Christmas, and the birth of Jesus, the most momentous occasion in history. But why, on this most important night, were the majority of people like the innkeeper, unaware of what was going on? Angels had appeared to proclaim His arrival. Wise men came from afar to acknowledge His birth. Shepherds were visited by an angel, who announced where the Son of God was born. But, how did the majority of people miss the birth of Jesus? Why did the innkeeper not know that Jesus was to be born that night? I believe the reason is that they were not looking for Him, because they were too busy. This is how people still are today, as we become too busy with the demands and struggles of daily living, that we lose sight of God, and neglect to spend any time getting to know anything about Him. We become too involved in our own pleasures, and don’t try to adjust our time and schedules to make room for God. Even though the shepherds were busy, keeping watch over their flocks, they took time to adjust their busyness and make room for Him. The innkeeper however put his priorities ahead of God and didn't see. I would like to ask each of you if you are looking for God, or are you to busy? For those that are looking for God, the heavens are open, the angels are singing and God is giving you signs. For those who are not looking for God, you are like the innkeeper, as you will not have any room for Him when He comes back again to earth, and are relegating Jesus again to a stable. My Daily Devotional Volume Five December 23 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Simplicity of Christmas

Simplicity of Christmas “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12 This Christmas, like most others, almost all of us will dress up, wrap our presents, and prepare our best meal of the year, to celebrate the greatest of all seasons. But what we miss so often, in the elaborate and glamorous celebration we are accustomed to, is the simplicity of Christmas. Just think of God, becoming flesh, and coming to earth, and living among mankind. When God got ready for Christmas, He undressed, stripped off His finery and apparel, and left His place in eternity, and laid down as a baby in a manager on Christmas. This is the simplicity of Christmas that I want to make you aware of. But if Jesus had not come to earth in this way, and become flesh with us, we would not be able to understand just how much of a sacrifice, He was making on our behalf. There are so many people who don't understand the significance of what God did for us during Christmas. Not everyone will understand its eternal significance in our lives. The commercialization, the presents, the food are just a few of the things, that have gotten us away from the real understanding of what God did during this precious time. We think of it as just another festive time, when we get time off from work and give and get presents. I would encourage each of you this Christmas, to read the story of the birth of Christ, and to think about the significance it has for us. We need to understand that without the birth of Jesus we will not have the promise of salvation. Christmas is a season of simplicity, but it is one of the most important days for all of us. Christmas is the time when God gave His only son to come to earth, and to die on the cross of Calvary, for our sins, to give us His gift of salvation.

Signs Of The Times

Signs Of The Times “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 As we approach the Christmas season we need to be mindful that for hundreds of years before Christ was born, prophecies were given of the Messiah’s conception, birth and promise of salvation for mankind. The scripture above, from the Prophet Isaiah, gave us this account, and the sign when Jesus would be born. When Jesus was born, the sign from God that the prophets had declared should have been obvious to all the world. However, not everyone saw the Star that the Magi saw, nor did everyone see the angels appear and hear them, when they announced the birth of Jesus. There were few that paid any attention, when a young virgin girl named Mary was found with child. Nor did anyone listen, when Joseph told his story of the angel who appeared before him, and spoke to him about Mary’s baby. I am afraid that it is much like that today, as God is moving all around us, with signs of Jesus coming again, and we are still not paying attention or believing. Just as it was in the days of the first Christmas, even with all the signs, not many noticed and were ready for the first coming of Jesus. Today, we have the Bible giving us all the signs of the second coming of Jesus, and we are still not paying attention, or heeding them. This time will be the last coming of Jesus, and is the critical one that we must make sure we are prepared for, as this time we are going to be judged by God, to see if we have been paying attention. There will not be a next time to get prepared for, as this will be the last. It is so important for us to get prepared today, as it could be today or tomorrow, and we need to be ready. My Daily Devotional Volume Six December 21 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be A Contagious Christian

Be A Contagious Christian “Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news, about the Lord Jesus.” Acts 11:20 In the scripture above there was nothing special about these men, as they were not trained evangelists or pastors. We do not even know their names. They are just ordinary people like you and me. However they spoke freely of their Lord and Savior in a positive way and the people responded. In your normal everyday conversation with your family members, your friends, co-workers or anyone else, do you ever talk about your faith and speak freely about God? Do all the people you come into contact with know that you are a Christian? In the vast majority of cases, American Christians today do not speak about their faith in a personal conversational way, even when given an obvious opportunity to tell others about Jesus. In not being outgoing in letting others know about Jesus we may be depriving them of the single opportunity they will have to know about Him and His plan for salvation. It is easy to let people you come into contact with know that you are a Christian, and share your faith and Christian values with them. The Bible tells us to be a contagious Christian, and to spread the good news about God wherever we go. We need to be alert and ready to seize any opportunity to let others know about God. We should not argue with anyone however, and let our faith become a stumbling block to others, but spreading the word of God to others is something that God expects each of us to do. Colossians 4:5-6 “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” My Daily Devotional Volume III October 9 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Abortion

The talk is now all about gun control, but no one is talking about abortion control. Abortions are the leading cause of death in the United states, 4,000 babies are killed each day. Abortions 1962 292 1963 390 1964 823 1965 794 1966 1,028 1967 2,061 1968 4,630 1969 23,680 1970 193,491 1971 485,816 1972 586,760 1973 744,600 1974 898,600 1975 1,034,200 1976 1,179,300 1977 1,316,700 1978 1,409,600 1979 1,497,700 1980 1,553,900 1981 1,577,300 1982 1,573,920 1983 1,575,000 1984 1,577,200 1985 1,588,600 1986 1,574,000 1987 1,559,100 1988 1,590,800 1989 1,566,900 1990 1,608,600 1991 1,556,510 1992 1,528,930 1993 1,495,000 1994 1,423,000 1995 1,359,400 1996 1,360,160 1997 1,335,000 1998 1,319,000 1999 1,314,800 2000 1,312,990 2001 1,291,000 2002 1,269,000 2003 1,250,000 2004 1,222,100 2005 1,206,200

The Greatest Book

The Greatest Book “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 The greatest book on earth is the Bible, as it has outsold every book that has ever been written. According to Biblical scholars it takes approximately 56 hours to read the Bible through completely. If you read 40 chapters a day, you will complete the Bible within 30 days. If you read nine chapters a day in the New Testament you will finish reading the New Testament in 30 days. I know in my life every time I open the Bible there is a new revelation that jumps out at me when I read its scriptures. Even though I have read each verse many times before I am able to understand additional wisdom that God is telling me. The Bible is truly a lamp to my feet and a light for my path, as the scriptures gives me guidance for anything that will occur in my life. I believe that faith comes when you hear God talk through His Holy Word, and the wisdom that you get from the scriptures help you deal with life’s problems. The word of God will help keep you pure, as it will keep you on the right path and not let you give in to the temptations that Satan is constantly bombarding you with. The Bible is God’s word and has been given to us to give us direction and guidance in how to live a godly life, and one that is pleasing to God. We need to go to God’s word daily which will give us the strength to overcome all the adversities that we face, and to give us the faith we need to trust in God for all things. Faith and trust in God is all we need to sustain us, as He promises to provide all our needs. The Bible should be the most important book in all our lives, and the one that we turn to for all the answers. The Bible is God’s word and we need to listen to God and let Him be a lamp unto our feet and a light for our path. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 8 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Devote Time For God

Devote Time For God “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 I have written many times about the use of our time, but was reminded just this week when another friend stated that he did not have time to read his Bible each day. Our time is the one thing that we should all have control over, and is the one thing that we need to use wisely. Time control is all about priorities, and our priorities need to be the things that matter most in our lives. When we have a newborn baby almost everyone gives this new baby their top priority. We rush to it when it cries and watch over it all during the night when it may cough or make any sound. A Christian’s priority must be the same, as God tells us that our number one priority is to love God with all our heart, mind and strength. He must be number one in our lives, and be part of everything we do. In order to find time for God we must control our schedule. We need to wake up every day and have on our schedule the time to spend with God. I believe God expects us to give Him a tithe of our time as well as our money. We need to make time for God, and spend this time reading and studying His word and praying to Him, and thanking Him for everything He has given us. Putting God on our schedule may require some changes. It may mean that we need to get up earlier in the morning or stay up a little later at night. But God needs to be on everyone’s daily schedule, and His time must not be pushed aside by other worldly matters. We cannot relegate God to only a few hours at church on Sunday, but need to make Him a priority in our daily routine and schedule. When you find time for God every day, not just in a passing thought, but a tithe to God where you devote your thoughts entirely on Him, then God will begin to bless you. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 7 Robert William Brock, Jr.

The Biblical View Of Marriage

The Biblical View Of Marriage “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:31-33 The Bible has a very high view of marriage, as it is to be a lifetime plan, not a convenience that can be disregarded as it is being done today. I have seen statistics that state that as many as half of all marriages today end in divorce. This is not the state that God teaches in the Bible as to how marriage is supposed to function. Somewhere along the line the idea of permanence has been thrown aside. Most marriage vows use the phrase “till death do us part”, but so often this vow is thrown by the wayside, and the result is broken families and dysfunctional children that do not have the structure and foundation on which to build their own lives. God wants the family to be a place that gives honor to the marriage vows, where the husband and wife remain faithful to one another, and where minor disagreements and differences are not the grounds for divorce and breaking up the home. It is true that the Bible gives marriages a reason for divorce, but so often marriages of today are breaking up for reasons other than these. I am sure that God is very displeased with our generation today, as the sacred union of marriage is being degraded in this fashion. We can look at the history of Sodom and Gomorrah and see the punishment that God inflicted on that generation, and should learn from this example that God can also punish us as well. We need to give honor to our marriage vows, and follow the word of God in dealing with issues that may arise in the family. What can we expect from our children and grandchildren if we don’t give them an example of what a godly family is like? My Daily Devotional Volume III October 6 Robert William Brock, Jr.

My Path To Heaven

My Path To Heaven “Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.” Proverbs 4:1-2 During the past ten years I have chosen to fill my mind with the Word of God and sound biblical teaching. It helps to keep me walking in the way of the Lord and fulfilling the plan he has for my life. During this time I have been enlightened so much by the wisdom that God has given me. The Bible has become my path to better understand just what kind of life that God wants me and each of you to live. The Bible is our roadmap to a happy and joy filled life, and one that can lead to our everlasting life in heaven with our Lord and Savior. There is nothing greater than to learn God’s wisdom and apply it to our lives. All my devotionals, my books and my teachings have been directed to help my family and all my readers know the importance of what an eternal life means to them, as without the assurance of our home in Heaven there is nothing else that matters. Our time on this earth is only temporary as we are only passing through, but our time in Heaven will be for all eternity. It is difficult to comprehend what Heaven will be like, as there will be no troubles, no trials or heartaches, as only peace and joy will surround us, and this will last forever. What a future to look forward to. I only hope and pray that my family and all my readers will be prepared, as the path is a narrow one that leads to Heaven and Jesus tells us that few will find it. God has revealed this path to me and I am on this path and am looking forward to spending my eternity with God. I would encourage each of you to spend time in God’s word, and find this path for yourself and walk on it every day of your time on this earth, so that you can also spend your eternity with God. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 4 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Jesus Is Coming Soon

Jesus Is Coming Soon “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 Are you aware of the signs of Christ’s return? They are all around us in our world that gives us indications that Christ’s return is soon. Many times we put off doing things that need to be done today, as we have become complacent and believe that we have until tomorrow or next week to get things done. This may not be true as Jesus warns us that tomorrow may never come, as no one knows the day or the hour that Jesus will return. He tells us that His coming will be as swift as the twinkling of the eye. We need to be ready for the return of Jesus, and not be caught unaware by falling into spiritual compromise and a luke-warm faith. We should never gamble that tomorrow will come as usual, and we will have time to repent and ask God for salvation. Today is the day for salvation and everyone that is not right with God must take control of their life and ask God to save their souls before it is too late. We cannot afford to put off until tomorrow something as important as spending all eternity with God. The signs of God’s coming are all around us as the prophesy of the scriptures are being fulfilled every day. There is nothing that is more important in your life than to get right with God and be ready for His coming. The future will be bright and joyful when we are ready and prepared to meet Jesus, but it can be disastrous when we are not prepared. I would encourage each of you to not delay asking Jesus into your hearts as time is running out, and tomorrow may be too late. With Jesus as your Savior there is nothing to fear about your future, as you will be safe in the knowledge that you have an eternal home in heaven with our Lord and Savior. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 3 Robert William Brock, Jr.

A Life Without Limits

A Life Without Limits “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 When I read the scripture above I am reminded that we indeed are free, and that there are no limits to what we can do with God by our side. As I was doing family research on my Great Grand Father I found him to be a perfect example of someone who had no limits. He was a man that had come from humble beginnings, but was raised in a home where Godly family values were followed daily. He was called to the ministry at an early age, and spent his entire life in the southeastern part of Kentucky as a minister and a schoolteacher. He was the first Methodist minister to settle in Kentucky and was the founder of almost all of the Methodist Churches in the westward movement. He was one of the most sought out speakers in the area, and is listed as being one of the most influential men to settle in the eastern part of the state of Kentucky. He certainly was not living a life of confinement and limitation, but was trusting in God to direct his path, and according to all historical documents God had provided him a life without limits. The same is true in our lives as God has not placed any limits on what we can accomplish. When we are following God and His plan there is nothing that can keep us from fulfilling what He has planned for us. Your dreams, ambitions and success in life can all come true when you follow and live your life with God first in all you do. I believe that God will allow us to go beyond our limits, as He sets no boundaries when we are doing His work. When our desire, our efforts and our time and talents are put to the work of God, there is nothing that we can’t accomplish with Him by our side. I would encourage each of you to put God first in your life and follow Him, and your life can also be one without limits, and one that is pleasing to God. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 2 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Commit Fully To Jesus

Commit Fully to Jesus “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” Philippians 3:8 In the previous devotional I talked about following Jesus and the difference He can make in your life and just how He can impact your world. There is a choice each of us has to make if we genuinely choose to follow Jesus and make Him Lord of our lives. I believe we have to give our hearts completely to Him and commit everything we do entirely to Him. I do not believe we can half heartedly commit, and still go our own way and do our own thing. It is all or nothing. I believe when we decide to go along with Jesus we become a part of His life, and He becomes a part of ours. There are many benefits to committing our entire self to following Jesus. God promises us an eternal life, which will last forever after the brief life on earth is over. He promises to give us strength, and will be with us during our trials and troubles. He is our shoulder to cry on, and does not leave us without hope. His mercy and forgiveness is assured no matter what each day brings. God has planned our lives and our purpose in a good and perfect way, and when we follow Him our paths and our steps are easy to follow. God promises us a peace and joy in our lives, even through our disappointments. Just these few promises mentioned above, should be enough to want us to sacrifice our worldly wants and desires and to follow him. Anything that we sacrifice in order to follow Jesus we will get back a thousand-fold in paradise. Our sights must be firmly fixed on the choice to follow Jesus, as there is much more to gain than we will ever lose by not following Him. Don’t make the mistake to not allow Jesus to come into your life, and lose out on all the things He has in store for you. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 1 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Walk With God

Walk With God “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 Have you ever considered that Jesus wants us to walk with Him every day? All of us who have given our lives to Jesus have been invited to follow Him every day. I know that in my situation I resisted following Jesus for many of my younger years, although He was calling out to me. However he did not give up on me and continued calling my name and begging me to follow Him. All during the time I was not following Him I believe I was afraid of the change that I would have to make in my life. However, I now know what I was missing and regret not making this commitment earlier in my life. As the scripture above says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge is understanding. There is no formal education and earning any college degree or diploma, that can describe the wisdom and understanding that Jesus gives us when we begin to follow Him. It is much like going from complete darkness to being able to see again when you discover the wisdom that God grants, when you accept Jesus as your Savior. The Bible, which for me, was difficult to understand and comprehend the true meaning of scriptures, suddenly became a storehouse of knowledge, as God poured out the meaning of each scripture, and enabled me to understand and apply these to my life. It was as if the Bible was written entirely for me, and was giving me a roadmap as to how to live my life, and handle every situation that confronted me. Where God leads us sometimes is not always the easy road. But when we encounter a rough time in our lives, we know that God has led us into a season of testing our faith. Let me encourage each of you to keep following God. Do not turn away from Him. Trust Him and He will strengthen you. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 30 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be A Contaigous Christian

Be a Contagious Christian “Always be prepared to give an answer to every one who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1st Peter 3:15 Most of us have heard stories from various people in our lives that have touched our hearts and impacted our lives. When I read the scripture above I was reminded of the story about a young missionary named Bob Pierce who while on a mission trip to China ran across a young Chinese girl whose widowed mother could not afford to send her to a mission school, and he felt such compassion that he gave all the money he had to help, which was only five dollars. However that was enough to enroll her in the school, and he committed to send money each month for her continued support. After returning to America he began to tell others about the needs he had seen in China, and the story of what he had done to help this young girl. From his story the concept of child sponsorship caught on and began to grow. Today the organization he started, World Vision, has over 500,000 people sponsoring children every month and also supports 100 million people in 99 countries. It has become one of the largest relief agencies in the world. All of us may not have an impressive story such as this to tell others, but if we’re genuine followers of Jesus, we need to tell our story of salvation and what it has meant to us. Our story of our life-changing salvation can have a dramatic impact on those we talk to. Our testimonies can be absolutely contagious in their influence and impact. Real life stories can change minds, touch hearts and impact lives. Your story may impact someone’s life as you share the dramatic transformation it had in your life. It may just be the key that unlocks the heart of some uncommitted person and help them step across the line from skepticism to saving faith and accepting Jesus as their savior. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 28 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Respect Other Christians

Respect Other Christians “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:23 In our society it is not unusual to find someone who is in the process of changing churches for many varied reasons. Many leave because they don’t like what is going on in their churches, others because of personality conflicts, others because of the style of worship and others because of differing opinions concerning the understanding of doctrine. Everyone needs to feel comfortable in their church and with the people that they associate with, as part of the churches mission must be to uplift and encourage fellow brothers and sisters. I believe God cares about our relationship with our churches and with our relationships with the people who attend them. I also believe that there is too much denominational strife between our churches today that is destroying the faith of others. We need to remember that Heaven will be a place where there are not any denominations; there will not be a section for the Catholics, one for the Baptists, one for the Methodists, and another one for the Presbyterians, etc. All of us will be together in one Holy place where there will not be any disagreement or animosity toward others. Until we reach heaven we need to be understanding and show compassion with others points of view of the Bible. We need to always seek God’s wisdom and verify for ourselves what God teaches us and put it into practice. Bitter theological debates about religion can be divisive, and cause others to turn away from God and the church, and must be avoided. We need to hold fast to our own convictions that we have verified as true by studying God’s word for ourselves, and be careful to not cause any one to turn away from God by our actions. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 27 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Check All Things

Check All Things “We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.” Acts 15:24 Faith in God is a wonderful thing to have, as it can get us through many of the trials and troubles that all of us will endure at some point in our lives. By our faith we have become children of God and received our salvation. We need to have faith in the Word of God and trust it, but we always need to make sure that the Word of God comes from our own understanding and make sure that it is right, by verifying it ourselves in the Bible. Too often, however, we as Christians believe in the wrong things that we have heard from others and don’t verify it for ourselves. I have heard pastors, deacons and Sunday school teachers teach the wrong things even though they think they are right. People are quick to believe in gossip about co-workers, friends, neighbors, and our governmental leaders are a target for almost anyone. When we believe misinformation this can lead to slander, we can hurt others by judging them about things that might not be true. How can we protect ourselves and keep from hurting others? One way is to not believe just one side of a story that is told about someone. We need to hear both sides of a story, and then we can understand the situation better. In addition, we can protect ourselves from false doctrine by comparing what we hear to the actual Word of God found in our Bible. We should test everything with the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. James wrote “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5. Let us resolve to not hurt ourselves or others by believing in things that we shouldn’t, but let God give us wisdom. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 26 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Implement God's Word

Implement God’s Word “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” Luke 8:21 This scripture reminds me of a situation that I encountered during a college basketball game, where my coach was telling us how to run an offensive play that would almost certainly produce a score, that would enable us to break up a tied basketball game and give us a victory. He called a time out and told each of us exactly what we were to do during the play and if we each did our job we could win the game. All of my teammates heard his instructions and did exactly what he told us to do, and the result was a score in the last seconds of the ball game and we won. God is telling us in the scripture above that if we hear and obey God’s word, and do what we are told to do we will also be victorious in our life. So many times however we read and know what God is telling us to do, but for some other reason we do not put His words into practice in our lives and we fail. There are instructions throughout the Bible that tell us how to deal with almost any situation we will ever face during our life, but so often we read and know what to do, but do not put God’s wisdom into practice and the result is failure. If you are dealing with issues in your life today that you don’t know how to handle, chances are that God already has a play designed that will allow you to conquer these issues and defeat it. To get the answer it is as easy as opening your Bible and studying it to find out what the answer is and you will be successful. God tells us that there will be trials and troubles in our lives, but He has the answers for these, and that He will help us get through them. I encourage each of you to turn to Jesus during your times of trouble, as He has the answer to deal with your problems. Your job is to put into practice God’s word and follow His instructions. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 25 Robert William Brock, Jr.

I Can Talk To God

I Can Talk To God “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 It was almost 20 years ago that God began talking to me. No, I did not hear his booming voice come down from heaven, but heard Him through gentle whispers. These gentle whispers were enough, however, to get my attention and want to know more about what He was saying to me. Although God was placing His vision in my heart, I hesitated for several years before succumbing to Him and what He was saying. As this time passed I could more clearly see what God wanted me to do, and as this vision became more engrained in my mind and thoughts, I began questioning why God had chosen me to do His work. I had never had thoughts before of what God was asking me to do, and this was completely out of my comfort zone. However, as I began to read and study my Bible I became more at ease as my faith and trust in God began to grow and the task did not seem as large. God continued to talk to me, and still does, in these gentle whispers and continues to lead me and direct me in the fulfillment of my tasks. So often I do not know how these tasks will be carried out, but in all circumstances, as I have forged ahead everything falls into place. Many times I press and push for these tasks to be completed in a time frame I establish, and many times I can become frustrated as God knows when the time is right, and without fail He has always allowed them to be completed. When I now hear these gentle whispers I rush forward without any hesitation to answer God’s call to me, and in all situations God allows these gentle whispers to come to pass. Hearing God’s voice is such an important part of my life now, and I can hardly contain myself as He talks to me and I can talk to Him and get help and answers to any of my problems. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 24 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Our Prayer Time

Our Prayer Time “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Psalm 68:19 Do you pray daily? This is an important question to ask yourself. Each of us needs to set aside time in our daily routine to pray to God. I know that with the pressures on our lives that prayer of any significance beyond the “bless me today” kind of prayer may seem not to be doable in your schedule. However, I believe that God wants us to give Him our tithes in our time as well as our money. This means that we need to spend at least a tenth of our waking time worshiping God. We are to spend time praying, and spend time reading and studying the Bible. Part of this time could be spent on helping others that are in need. Our days should not consist of all our time spent on ourselves and our needs, as God commanded us to love others as we love ourselves. This means our time should not be spent entirely on our pleasures, but some time should be spent to assist, encourage or help someone other than ourselves. But a good part of our worship time should be spent in prayer. During our prayer time we need to thank God for all the blessings that He gives us daily, and also ask Him to give us guidance and wisdom that we can use to better understand and follow what He wants us to do in fulfilling the purpose He has for our lives. Our prayer time should include the Lord’s Prayer as it encompasses all of the things that God tells us are important. We need to pray to the Lord who bears our burdens, about our burdens, for the necessities of life and for mutual encouragement with other believers. We need to always offer praise, affection and love for the God who loves you. We need to understand that God loves to hear the voices of His people, and that He also loves the sound of your voice. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 22 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Fathers Love Your Children

Fathers Love Your Children “The father of a righteous man has great joy, he who has a wise son delights in him.” Proverbs 23:24 This devotional is dedicated to the many fathers that receive my devotionals, and the importance your role is in your family. Various studies conducted by Yale, Johns Hopkins and other groups have documented that the absence of a father is a stronger factor than poverty in contributing to juvenile delinquency. In forty eight cultures around the world crime rates were highest among adults who, as children, had been raised solely by women. A lack of closeness with fathers was the common factor in hypertension, coronary heart disease, malignant tumors, mental illness and suicide. A study of thirty-nine teenage girls suffering from anorexia showed that thirty-six of them had one common denominator, a lack of closeness with their fathers. It is a fact that an emotionally or physically absent father contributes to a child’s low motivation, low self-esteem and susceptibility to group influence and juvenile delinquency. It is clear, fathers are important in the lives of their children, and they need to be there not just physically, but emotionally as well. Being a father myself, I sometimes do not come up to the standard I set for myself, nevertheless, through the years of raising three wonderful children, God has continued to remind me that God’s standard for fatherhood is not perfection, it is love. And although I may have failed in some respect it was not in my love for each of them as this has always been the most important thing in my life. I would encourage each father to make sure that your children see the love you have for them, and demonstrate this to them each and every day during the time you have them. There is not a greater heritage that you can pass on to them than to show them love. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 21 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Will Never Forsake You

God Will Never Forsake You “For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.” Psalm 94:14 There are not many people who go through life without their up’s and down’s. Life is constantly changing, as some days we may be shouting to God, and praising Him for the good things that are happening to us. Then, there will be days where the storm clouds are all around us, and our world seems to be falling apart. We need to have a godly mindset in order to handle these changes, and deal with them properly. If we have our faith and trust in God, and have Him as number one in our lives, we will know that God will never reject us and forsake us. Even when the trials and troubles of life surround us, we will know that God is still there with us. We need to look at each new day, and even each hour, as an opportunity for God to bless us. So often we overlook all the blessings that God sends our way, as we seldom recognize an encouraging word from a friend, or a pat on the back from our boss, or even an unexpected financial blessing, as blessings from God. We can even see the blessings from God by looking at the beautiful blue sky or the large oak tree on our way to work, or the food before us at dinner. God has given us all these blessings, but so often we take them for granted, and do not appreciate them as we should. We need to always remember that God wants the best for us, and even when we may have a trial come our way, God is still there with us. So when we awake each morning we need to look for all the blessings that God has provided, and thank him for these. When our trials come we must not walk in fear, but hold on to the faith and trust that God is with us through all our challenges in life. Look for God’s blessings today and thank Him and trust Him during your challenges, as God will never forsake you. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 18 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Listen To God's Call

Listen to God’s Call “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” 1st Corinthians 1:27 Several months ago Reverend Jerry Falwell passed away, and the Reverend Billy Graham’s health is failing. These two men are some of the greatest evangelical leaders that our nation has had for the past several decades. Neither of them was afraid to speak the truth, and both were dedicated to God and spent their lives making our nation a better place. Neither of these men came from well known families, but had humble beginnings, however God had big plans for each of them and their purpose in life was destined to reach thousands of people and bring them to Christ. These situations are not uncommon as God often chooses the least likely in the world’s eyes. Look at David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons. David was merely a shepherd when Samuel found him, and not even his father suspected that God had chosen him to be king. When we consider the marvelous things that God did through Jerry Falwell and Billy Graham, and see each of them give all the credit to God for what they became, it is wonderful to know that God has a destiny and a purpose for each of us that can enhance God’s kingdom. We may not be famous, but we are not insignificant in God’s eyes, and we need to listen to Him and let Him lead us in the path He wants us to follow. I believe God speaks to all of us and gives us visions as to what we are to do, as God chooses many times the weak to carry out His mission. I would encourage each of you to listen to God when He speaks to you and sacrifice all you have to do His bidding. We will all be amazed at what God can do through each of us when we heed and listen to Him and obey and follow His call and will for our life. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 17 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God's Stand On Sin

God’s Stand On Sin “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:1-2 The above scripture was David’s humble prayer for forgiveness and cleansing of his sins. We see many scriptures throughout the Bible where David and others were asking God to forgive them when they had sinned against God. Even as David had sinned when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, sin is a transgression of a command from God, and thus all sin is against God, whether it has injured another human being or not. There is no justification for a Christian to continue to go on sinning after he has accepted Jesus as his savior. 1st John 3:9 “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” All Christians need to take heed, and begin to ask God for wisdom and guidance in their daily life, to give them the strength and courage to live a life that is pleasing in the sight of God. There is no excuse for sin in your daily life when you have accepted Jesus into your heart. When we stand before God at our Day of Judgment there is no excuse that we will be able to bring to the table, that can defend our reason for sin. God has given us His commands that we are to follow, and the Bible clearly spells out how we are to live our lives obeying and following these commands. Our lives need to be characterized not by sin, but by doing what is right, which is what we must practice in our daily living. Our focus each and every day must be to do what is pleasing in the sight of God, and our actions and our thoughts must demonstrate this as we are a witness to God in all we do. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 16 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be A Witness For God

Be A Witness For God “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1st Peter 3:12 During all my years in Health Care Administration it was always so obvious just how much the eyes of all my employees were on me. Corporate America has a way of taking a toll on a Christian, as almost all business settings have similar environments, consisting of backstabbing, rumor mills, brownnosing up to the boss and pushing to get ahead. With all the emphasis to move up the corporate ladder it is a wonder that any work gets accomplished with all the individual agendas among the employees. If you are a Christian working in this environment you come even more under the watchful eye and scrutiny of all the other members of the workforce. They watch to see if you are prone to lose your cool, to become angry or to say words that are disrespectful to others when things do not go your way. Any kind of behavior that is unbecoming of a Christian gives others room to doubt your actual Christianity. A Christian has a very big responsibility in their workplace to be a person of character at all times, and in all situations. You cannot be caring and respectful one day and uncaring and disrespectful the next. Your daily walk, your actions and your behavior quickly tell others the true person you are, and you will either be known as a true witness for God or you will not. There is little room for error if you are not truly walking and being a witness for God as people will quickly find you out. I would encourage each of you before you go out into your workplace each day, to ask God to give you the patience, the understanding and ability to conduct yourselves in the way that will be pleasing to God, as you are His witness wherever you go. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 14 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Use Words Wisely

Use Words Wisely “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11 Have you ever thought about your choice of words that you use daily? Just being able to say the right word, the helpful word, the encouraging, correcting, guiding, blessing word is like apples of gold set forth in a stunning and beautiful way as the scripture above indicates. There is something incredibly powerful about our words, especially when the right word is said in the right way at the right moment. We all need to take time to reflect on the nature of our own speech and the words that we use. We need to ask ourselves if our words reveal us to be a believer, blesser, builder, encourager, teacher, counselor, consoler and friend, which is what our words need to convey to others. If we find that our words convey us as a grumbler, complainer, criticizer or blamer we need to try to adjust our attitude, as this is not the nature that God would want us to have and convey to others. James 3:9 “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.” Perhaps you may find that you are a little bit of all these things, the up-lifter and encourager at certain times, and a demoralizer and discourager at other times. God wants us to be a positive influence at all times in our lives; to be uplifting and encouraging; to be faithful in all things, and to be a witness of God’s grace wherever we are and in whatever we do. We must guard our use of words so that they always show the love in our hearts. Your words can carry a powerful message, and be a blessing to others, and you must allow the Holy Spirit to be the master of your tongue, so that what you say, when you say it, and how you say it, may build people and honor your Lord with apples of gold in a setting of silver. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 13 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Sow Good Seeds

Sow Good Seeds “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.” Matthew 13:24-26 In a nearby city there is an annual festival called the Johnny Appleseed Festival named after the legendary character that supposedly went around the country planting apple seeds. This is a fun festival where hundreds of families get together each fall to celebrate this historic event. The scripture above also tells us a story about planting seeds, and the result of the type of seed we sow in our families. Parents have the choice of sowing good seeds like the wheat, or bad seeds like the weeds in their homes and families. The dysfunctional families that are springing up all around us are prime examples where the parents have sown weeds in their homes, and they are choking the life out of families today. The divorce rate is growing astronomically in our society. The weeds of contention, strife, hostility and unkind words are so prevalent in families today, that the children that come from these broken homes carry this baggage to their own families and the trend continues. I recently heard a program from one of the leading pastors in the country about disciplining unruly children, and how oftentimes the cause of these children’s behavioral problems are “learned behavior”. He stated that 99.9% of this learned behavior comes from home life. I would encourage all parents to begin to get these bad seeds out of your family, and begin to sow love, peace and joy in your family instead. We must begin to be the living examples for our children in our daily walk, and bring God back into our homes and reverse this trend. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 12 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Visions From God

Visions from God “Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” Nehemiah 2:17 I love the story of Nehemiah who had the great vision of rebuilding the walls and the city of Jerusalem seventy years after King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it. Nehemiah traveled to Jerusalem, which was a city he had never seen, and went out by night to survey the wall and the city. He inspected all that needed to be repaired and scoped out what materials and manpower would be needed to complete the project. Nehemiah was a man of vision, and a man that had his plans in order to know the steps that would be necessary to rebuild the wall and the city. I believe that all of us need to have our visions firmly implanted into our minds as to what God is leading us to do. I know that God has given me the vision for my ministry, and through His direction and guidance I am seeing a tremendous result as I implement His plan for my life. The thing that I discovered that made Nehemiah so successful in getting his vision accomplished was that he planned in advance every task and every job, and organized and worked together with many others to get the job done. A vision without a plan is only a wish, but with a plan it can become a reality. I have heard many people throughout the years say they have a vision of something they want to happen, but so often this vision does not come to fruition because they do not have a plan. God will put many visions into your mind, big ones and small ones, visions for your family, your place of work, and your community. When God places these visions in your mind just remember that planning will turn these visions into reality, and God will give you direction and wisdom to make these plans come true. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 10 Robert William Brock, Jr.

The Return Of Christ

The Return of Christ “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” 1st Thessalonians 5:2 How close are we to the return of Jesus Christ? What are the signs that tell us that his return is near? The most thrilling event in all of human history is yet to come, as our Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth in His power and glory to set up His kingdom that will last 1,000 years. Most Christian scholars believe that His return is soon. Even unbelievers are taking a closer look at biblical prophecies that predict the end of all things. Without question the Bible is very clear about the subject of Jesus’ coming again and how it should affect believers today. In the scripture above the Apostle Peter is telling us that the return of Jesus will be like a thief in the night, as no one knows the time or day of this great event. I strongly believe that all Christians need to take a hard look at their daily Christian life and their lifestyle to make sure that their lives are in order, to be one of the chosen people on this great judgment day. If you find that there are things in your life that are not pleasing to God, this is the time to change the things that are not as they should be according to God’s word. This is something that we must not put off any longer as we may have done in the past. There is nothing more important than making sure our home in heaven is guaranteed, and that we have committed the rest of our life to serving God and obeying His commands. I would encourage each of you to prepare your hearts to receive God’s word, and allow the Holy Spirit to ignite a passion in you for Christ’s return. We need to ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance and renew our personal devotion to Him, and further prepare ourselves for that great and glorious day, and the return of our Lord. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 9 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Is Faithful

God is Faithful “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4 William Penn, the founder of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was well liked by the Indians. Once they told him he could have as much of their land as he could walk on foot in a single day. So, early the next morning he started out and walked until late that night. When he finally went to claim his land, the Indians were greatly surprised for they really didn’t think he would take them seriously. But they kept their promise and gave him a large area which today is part of the city of Philadelphia. William Penn simply believed what they said, and found the Indians to be faithful to their words. I can certainly count on God to be faithful to His words in my life. There are many times during each of our lives when we are disappointed with others, as they have let us down and not lived up to their promises to us. These disappointments can color our outlook on life, and can even change the way we see God. I know several family members that have turned their backs on God because of disappointments in their lives and now they blame God for these disappointments. They are missing so much as God was not to blame for any of these disappointments, but their hearts have been hardened to the point that they have forsaken God. Each of us is going to be faced with disappointments throughout our lives, and when these disappointments come we must not allow them to cause us to doubt God, as He continues to be faithful to those who believe in Him. When times of trouble face us, we need to turn to God even more, and depend upon Him to let us endure and be victorious. We can depend upon God, who is faithful to those who believe. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 8 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Jesus Will Return Soon

Jesus Will Return Soon “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2nd Corinthians 6:2 I believe that too many people in today’s society do not take seriously the importance of being ready if Jesus should return today. They are too busy with their daily routines and supporting, in most instances, lifestyles that they cannot afford. I believe that these folks have their priorities completely out of order as they are looking at the things of the world which will mean nothing to them in determining where they will spend all eternity. The Bible tells us that things of this earth will rust and pass away, and are only temporal things, but an everlasting life will last for all eternity. There are several questions we need to ask ourselves. Are we personally ready for the return of Jesus? Have we accepted Him as our Savior or have we been to busy with other priorities on our to-do list? All of us need to really think about our priorities and get our life right with God. We do not know the year, the day or the hour that Jesus might return, but we do know that Jesus will be coming one day, and it is so important that we be ready for this day. We cannot continue to put off thinking about this day and using the excuse that we will take time for God next year or next week, when we get our other priorities taken care of. It may be too late then as God is not going to give us a warning so that we can get ready at the last minute. We must begin to get our house in order today, and not put off something as important as our salvation and our future. It is so imperative for all of us to share the importance of the return of Jesus, and let our children, our families, our friends and neighbors know the importance of being ready for his return, and what is at stake for them. Jesus is going to return soon, and we must be prepared and ready. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 6 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Forget The Past

Forget the Past “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Philippians 3:13 So many times when I have counseled friends, fellow church brothers and sisters and neighbors about various problems and issues in their lives, the primary cause of the majority of their problems and issues is that they are not able to forget the past. In today’s society so many marriages begin with baggage left over from broken homes, such as abuse, drug and alcohol addiction and divorce that the foundation is not strong enough to weather any kind of problems and issues that families can face. When godly family core values are not present in a family, children grow up without a foundation in which to build their families on, and when issues and problems arise they are not equipped to know how to handle them. Paul tells us in the scripture above that this baggage needs to be forgotten, and that we need to look at what lies ahead. I have seen people live with their past, and it places them in a dark and lonely arena. There is no life in the sea of regrets and hurts, as there is only a place of hopelessness and despair. Instead of staying in the past God wants us to look ahead to each new day with a fresh hope in what we can accomplish and to depend on Him for all our needs. The Bible tells us that His mercies are new and fresh every morning, and that His grace is sufficient for this day. We can see how God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness as He gave fresh manna daily during their journey. We can trust Him to give us what we need each day and look forward to living one day at a time. The years ahead can be the dawning of grand and glorious days for you if you follow God’s word to forget the past and depend upon Him for your future. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 5 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving. Let Us Give Thanks “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” Psalm 95:2 The last Thursday of November, Thanksgiving Day, along with many of our holidays, is observed by most Americans as a day of feasting. It is sandwiched between Halloween, a day that has become a day relegated to ghosts, witches, demons and other wicked creatures, and Christmas, which signifies the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. Today, millions of Americans regard Thanksgiving Day only as the day before they head off to the malls to begin their shopping for Christmas. Somehow our perception of Thanksgiving Day has gone askew, as we’ve forgotten the reason for celebration of that first Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day historically was a time of feasting for the pilgrims and Indians. In the early 1600’s the pilgrims had only been in the United States several years, when they hosted the first feast to celebrate life with their Indian friends, and give thanks to God for His provision in their difficult circumstances. Thanksgiving Day should be a time that each of us should give thanks to God for what He has given and blessed us with. We as Americans are extremely blessed, and Thanksgiving should be a time when we show our gratitude to others by sharing some of our blessings with them. It should be a time when we share our love with a special friend, and show the people around us that we care about them. We should make it a time when we focus on God, and thank Him for our material wealth, our health, our country, our church and our families. It should be a time of thanking God for everything He has provided to us.

Do You Need A Makeover

Do You Need A Makeover “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8 The scripture above is such a powerful verse as it tells us that when we become closer to God, He will reciprocate and draw closer to us. This reminds me of some of the programs on television where people are having makeovers that are supposed to change their lives. They are attempting to change their appearances and behaviors to become a new person which is going to change them forever. Although their outward appearances may be enhanced and their attitudes about themselves may be uplifted, it is their inward beings that need to be changed. God can give us a complete makeover when we draw ourselves closer to Him. He can renew us and make us a new person. He can change a lifeless person from the inside, and make him a completely new being. God tells us that when we want to become more like Him, we must spend more time with Him for that to happen. In order to have a complete makeover we must devote more time to God. We can do this in our prayer life, in our thoughts and in our daily lives and actions. We can practice love with our fellow man; we can forgive others that have harmed us and done wrong to us; we can read and study God’s Holy Word and get His wisdom; we can begin to help our fellow man by showing our love, and helping to provide for their needs. There are many ways that God teaches us throughout the Bible where we can draw closer to God. When we reach out to God He will reach out to us. Our lives will change, and the fruits of the Spirit that He promises us will begin to spring up in our lives, and we will experience the love that God has for us. When we reach out to God, and begin to live our lives with Him being first in all we do, we can then experience an extreme makeover that will last for all eternity. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 2 Robert William Brock, Jr.

We Can Take Back Our Nation

We Can Take Back Our Nation “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” 2nd Peter 3:13 There has been much discussion in recent days and years about the coming of the end of time, and the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. No one knows the day or the hour of Jesus’ return, but according to Biblical accounts the prophesies of the Bible are being fulfilled each day. Our great country is turning their back on God and His teachings, and I am sure that God is disappointed with what He is seeing. As we look back on the history of the people of Israel we can see that when God became dissatisfied with what was going on in the land He destroyed it. This is seen when God destroyed the earth and allowed only Noah and his family to survive and repopulate the earth. We can see what God did again with the accounts of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, as He destroyed them. With the sexual immorality, drugs, abortion and dysfunctional families that is so prevalent in our society today, and the overall turning away from any Christian moral family values, our nation is again in danger of God taking His revenge against us. It is time for all parents to begin to take a stand and reverse this trend in our society by bringing back godly family values to their homes, and restoring these godly values in their everyday actions and teach these values to their children. Parents can reclaim this great nation by returning to the biblical principles of the Bible, and practicing these principles in their everyday lives. If we continue this downward spiral our children and grandchildren are going to feel and see the wrath of Almighty God come against them and see His wrath. It is time for parents to wake up and begin to take the action needed to teach our children about God and begin to live a life that is pleasing to God. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 1 Robert William Brock, Jr.

A Child's Family Fortune

A Child’s Family Fortune “My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.” Proverbs 23:15 Don’t you wish that all parents could experience the joy from the scripture above as their children would speak and live a life that is pleasing to God? All parents could experience this joy and happiness when they leave their children with the “Family Fortune” I discussed in the previous devotional. As parents, we cannot force our children to know and serve God, but we can, however, minimize the possibility of them going astray and maximize their potential to love God by living a godly life before them. The Bible tells us that it is the responsibility of every parent to pass on the eternal riches of knowing and honoring God to their children. There is no doubt that parents are the most powerful influence upon their child’s spiritual development. At some point however, as the child matures they must begin to take ownership and possess the godly heritage for themselves. A youth must initially receive and begin to live by faith in the Lord Jesus on their own. Making the transition from “passive” to “possessive” toward their spiritual heritage is not easy for some, but for others it is a natural process in their spiritual development. The fact is, most youth and young adults are going to be severely tested in their faith and love for God as they come into their own. They are going to be tempted by peer pressure and unfortunately by their teachers and other influential adults in our society today. The statistics tell us that many of our young people are failing the “test” of faith once they launch out on their own. I know that for me, and I hope that for all of you, this is one “test” that we as parents cannot allow our young people to fail. Parents must leave their children a “Family Fortune” that will follow them always. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 31 Robert William Brock, Jr.

The Family Fortune

The Family Fortune “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 When I look at our society today I see so many families who are dysfunctional and their children are left to find out about God on their own. This creates a cycle where our children imitate their parents and have their own dysfunctional family. I believe that as Christian parents, giving a godly heritage to our children is a deep-rooted core value that is necessary to keep families together and stop this devastating trend in families today. Whenever we hear the words, “Family Fortune,” we immediately think of the wealthy of our culture. But we have something to give our children of greater value than money, assets and mansions. We have a “Family Fortune” from our Heavenly Father to pass on to our children. It is a fortune that far exceeds all earthly riches. It is the riches of a godly life lived and worked out in front of our children on a daily basis. The Biblical story of the prodigal son illustrates the impact of a godly parent on his children. Though the father was rich in earthly treasure, he was even richer in spiritual treasure. When both sons went astray, one to extreme carnality and the other to extreme judgmentalism, it was the godly life of the father that was the catalyst for change in their lives. Both sons eventually returned to the godly wisdom, counsel and lifestyle of their father who raised them to do what was right in the sight of the Lord. He had given his sons more than money and wealth. He gave them something that rescued them from the corruption of their own soul. He gave them a godly heritage. Your prayers, lifestyle and unconditional love is a major part of what God uses to influence the direction and destiny of your children, and will enable parents to give their children a godly heritage, and a family fortune that will lead them to an eternal life. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 30 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Seek The Fruits Of The Spirit

Seek The Fruits Of The Spirit “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 Have you ever thought about what comes out of us when the pressure of life comes upon us? That question is something that we all need to ask ourselves and take a close look at what the real answer is. If the fruit of the Spirit and the righteousness of the Lord do not come out, then we need to allow the Lord to do some work in our life. Jesus tells us that the fruit of the Spirit should be love, joy, peace longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, and should be shown coming from us at all times. Are these the fruits that flow from your mouth and your actions, when the trials of life come upon you? What comes out of us reveal the true character and nature that is inside us to others, and if we do not exhibit these fruits in our times of stress we need to earnestly seek Jesus to change things in our lives. If you find yourself lacking in this regard, and desire to change and want to become a person who resembles Christ in your actions and speech there are two things that you must do. First get in the Word. That means to read and study your Bible, and begin to put the wisdom and knowledge that you find to practice in your every day life. When we put God’s word in our heart we are able to stand against sin and act with the character of Christ, when we are feeling the pressure of the world trying to squeeze us. Second, we need to obey the scripture above and get hungry and thirsty for this righteousness. If you are filled with the righteousness of God, then the only thing that will pour out of you when the pressures of life come will be the righteousness of the Lord. All the righteousness you have filled yourself with, will now come out and you will become a true witness for Christ by your conduct. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 29 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be An Encourager

Be An Encourager “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1st Thessalonians 5:11 Having spent my entire 45 year career in administration I have encountered many people, including many managers who were critical of almost anything and anybody they met. These people were very negative individuals and hardly every had anything positive to say about anything or anybody. These same individuals always seemed to be ones that were unhappy with themselves and never had any joy in their lives. I am sure each of you has people in your lives at this time that are similar to the ones I am describing. I have always believed that Jesus wants us to be encouragers instead of being critical, complainers and negative, and I have never condoned this kind of behavior with the people I supervised. The Bible gives us many scriptures, such as the one above, where we are to always be uplifting and to always build each other up. No matter how rough your day is today, speak words that uplift and encourage those around you. Encourage others when you notice them doing a good job or a good deed. You can do this with all the people you come into contact with, such as store clerks, auto mechanics, food service employees, your friends and neighbors. Always give compliments for good service and good works and deeds. You can change your own life and your own attitude by choosing to speak positive words. We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds when we become encouragers instead of critics. You will become an ambassador for Jesus when you begin to embrace this habit as people will begin to see Christ in you, and His righteousness will begin to shine upon you. You will be in God’s favor when you choose to bless others through your kind words. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 28 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Let God Protect You

Let God Protect You “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” 1st John 5:18-19 The above scripture is another warning from God about the importance of removing any sin from our life, as it tells us that anyone born of God does not continue to sin. The devil is all around us, enticing and luring us into temptation, and wanting us to sin in our daily walk with God. The world is an evil place and Jesus tells us it is under the control of Satan. However God tells us throughout the Bible how we are to resist Satan and his attacks on us, and in his Holy Word gives us the wisdom and knowledge to withstand Satan’s attacks against us. It is not easy to live with the temptations that surrounds us without the help of God, but when we truly have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and have put God as number one in our lives, he promises that he will give us the strength and ability to endure all the obstacles we will face and let us be victorious in our lives. He tells us that we need to arm ourselves with the armor of God and with his help we can overcome all the temptations that Satan will put in front of us. Reading our Bibles and discerning the wisdom of God’s Holy word will be our shield to withstand Satan’s attacks against us. We need to constantly be on our guard and think and live each moment and hour of our daily lives with the thought that Jesus is watching our every move and knows our every thought. There is too much at stake in our lives to let Satan entice us and influence our lives and cause us to miss an eternal life in Heaven. I would encourage each of you to live every minute of your life for God and let him lead and guide you in your journey to an eternal life. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 27 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Your Life Is In The Balance

Your Life Is In The Balance “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 10:26 This is another powerful scripture that Jesus gives us that tells us that once we have received Jesus into our hearts that we must change our ways and not continue in our sinful ways. The wages of sin is death and will lead to our eternal destruction. When we accept Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Savior he forgives all our sins and allows us to start a new life and a new beginning. We are forgiven of all our past sins and now need to make God first in our lives. We must now begin to obey God’s commands, and this must now become the most important thing in our life. I am afraid that many people do not put God first in their lives as is evidenced from their actions and behavior, even though they show up at church on Sunday. God needs to be first in all our lives, throughout our entire week, not just on Sunday. We need to devote time to him every day and in everything we do. Our lives must revolve around him. How much time do you devote to God daily, either through prayer or reading the Bible, and spending on the concerns of others? Jesus tells us that his number one commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and also to love your neighbor as yourself. I would encourage each of you to reflect back on your daily walk with God to see if you are truly living up to God’s greatest command for your life. It is not too late to begin to honor God and make him number one in your life. An eternal life with God must be your goal, and only you are able to make this become a reality, as the truth is before you and your life is in the balance. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 26 Robert William Brock, Jr

Our Purpose In Life

Our Purpose In Life “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2nd Corinthians 5:5 God has a plan and a purpose for your life and this plan and purpose was known by Him before you were born and still in your mother’s womb. It should be your main objective in life to find out what God’s will for your life is, and to work towards meeting this objective. God will lead you to fulfill this purpose if you will let Him lead and direct your life, in everything you do. One of the first steps you must make is to fully accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. When you accept Jesus and ask Him to come into your heart He is ready to take you to the next step in finding your purpose in life. When you accept Jesus you are going to make Him number one in your life. You are going to obey and follow His commands and live your life in a way that will be pleasing to Him. You will cast aside all the worldly pleasures and focus your future to doing His will. This does not mean that everything will be rosy in your future, but with your destination, which is heaven, in front of you, you must forge ahead despite any setbacks. There will be challenges ahead, as Satan knows what is happening and will come against you with all his schemes, but you must not let setbacks determine the final outcome which is a place reserved for you in heaven. You must now determine what is important in serving God and make Him number one in your life. You have complete control of your time and your life, and only you can determine what your real priorities are. God tells each of us what His chief priorities are and all of us need to make His priorities our chief priorities. The will of God must be the most important thing to us every minute of every day. Our goal must be to serve God. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 24 Robert William Brock, Jr.

The Gift Of Leadership

The Gift of Leadership “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Romans 12:6-8 I believe that God gives each of us gifts to use throughout our lives such as indicated in the Scripture above. The gift of leadership is one which I would like to discuss at this time. A leader has the power and ability to do great things, if and when he is given this gift by the power of our Holy God. We can see that God gave many of the great men of the Bible this power of leadership and through them he set an example for what the power of leadership can do. David was a great leader, and when he followed the will of God he conquered many kingdoms and his nation prospered. Moses, a man of humble beginnings became a great leader and let the people of Israel out of bondage and into their promised land. All of his problems, such as his speech, did not hinder his gift of leadership. If God has given you the gift of leadership, this is something to be proud of, as this is one of God’s gifts that can change the destiny of mankind if the will of God is followed. Wars have been won, nations have been conquered, organizations have prospered, lifestyles have been altered and people’s lives have been changed forever, all because leaders have used this great gift of leadership from God. If God has bestowed this gift upon you, remember to govern diligently and keep God first and foremost in your life and let him lead and direct your path and be a witness to others that God’s will is directing your life. My Daily Devotional Volume IIi August 22 Robert William Brock, Jr.

The Road To Heaven

The Road to Heaven “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” 1st John 3:5-6 This is a powerful scripture and one that every new Christian needs to embrace. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God promises to take away our past sins and forgive us. He puts into our hearts the desire to be righteous from that point forward, and live a life that would be pleasing to Him. The sins of our past are now forgiven, and we are to move forward in our life, living and obeying the commands of God. We must now make God first and foremost in our daily lives, and follow His will in all things that we do. There is no more room in our life to continue to sin, as we did before we were saved and accepted Him. Our thoughts, our behavior and our actions must now be centered around Jesus and following and obeying His commands. The Bible tells us that the road is narrow that leads to Heaven, and few will find it, but wide is the road that leads to destruction. The Christian that finds this narrow road will be the ones that seek His commands and live them out in their daily life. The road to Heaven is given to us in God’s Holy Word, and we must begin to embrace God’s commands for our lives and live each day holding these truths in our hearts and displaying them in our thoughts and actions. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our lives will be changed, and our focus will now be on serving Him and not on the things of the world. Obeying God’s commands must now become the number one priority in our lives, and we must go forward with the knowledge that one day we will stand before God and give account of all we have done. We must commit our life to Jesus. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 21 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Seek God's Word

Seek God’s Word “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2nd Timothy 4:3 In these perilous times we live in, it is so important to know the Word of God, so we can discern what the real truth of God really is. So often we try to find reasons that suit our own desires, and follow teachings and beliefs that give us justification to do what we want to do. There is only one way that each of us can be assured that we are following the real Word of God, and that is to seek the wisdom given to us throughout the Bible for ourselves. There are answers for almost any situation that we will ever encounter throughout God’s Holy word, and these answers will be given to us when we seek them. It is extremely important to spend time each day seeking this wisdom and then applying this knowledge to our daily living. God’s commands will take us to a new level when we consistently apply them to our lives. When we make God number one in our lives, and seek Him daily, He will open the floodgates to this wisdom and fill our hearts with the knowledge that we need, in order to bring peace and joy to our lives. The more time we spend with Him daily, in seeking this wisdom the more understanding we will receive in return. God’s wisdom will enable us to grow and mature in our spiritual walk, and will give us the assurance that how we are living our life is pleasing to Him. When we live each day with God first in our lives, we will begin to experience the overflowing blessings that He will bestow on us. Our lives will change, our attitudes will improve, things will be brighter and we will now have hope for our future. God can make a difference in our lives if we seek him. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 20 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God May Be Speaking To You

God May Be Speaking To You “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 5:7 Throughout our lives I believe God speaks to us. We may not receive his words through an audible loud voice or through visions or dreams where we are struck with awe. I believe that God can speak softly to us through gentle whispers, and through our thoughts. God places His will for our lives in our hearts and keeps reminding us of His plan for us. He tells us that He knows all our thoughts, and knows all about us, even before we were born. God’s plan and will for our lives is imbedded in our hearts, and is engrained in our minds from the beginning of our lives, but so often we do not open ourselves up enough to let His words come through. I know that I had heard these gentle whispers from God long before I opened my heart and really let His words sink in. Many times it takes difficult situations and trials in our lives before God gets our attention to allow Him to talk to us. Many times it takes a health issue, financial issue or a relationship issue to bring us to the realization that we cannot do it on our own, and need God’s help to bring us out of our despair and right our ship and allow us to continue. This is how God so often got the attention of the people of Israel, as before they really heard and began to obey God they suffered difficult times and situations where there was no place to turn to except God. Many times God needs to get our attention before we begin to hear Him. If you are in a situation at this moment, maybe this is the time that you need to turn to God for help. This may be the moment that you realize that you cannot handle the situation by yourself and need God’s help to right your ship. God is always there for you, and if you ask Him for help He can calm your storms and take away your fears. He is waiting for you to respond, as this may be your time. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 18 Robert William Brock, Jr.