The Power Of Prayer

The Power of Prayer “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19 During these past ten years as I have been sending out my daily devotionals, there have been few days that I do not have dozens of people replying and asking for prayer for some family member or problem they are having in their lives. I keep a prayer list of people who are asking for prayer and always respond to them with a copy of other devotionals that I have written that may relate to what they are asking prayer for. Almost all of these appear to give encouragement to these people who are having difficulties in their lives at this moment, and seem to encourage them and give them some sense of peace as to what is happening in their lives. I believe that we all can be an encouragement to others in their time of trouble and need. I have found that so many people get so engrossed in their own trials and troubles, that many times they do not take the time to help others that are in need. As the above scripture says when any two of us agree about anything you ask for it will be done for you. The power of prayer can accomplish wonderful results when we take the time to earnestly pray with someone, and come together and ask God for relief for people who are having difficulties. The gift of encouragement is a great gift that God has given many people that can benefit others so greatly. Just letting someone know that you are praying for them uplifts them and encourages them and enables them to handle these situations better. Look around you today and be an encourager to someone and uplift them with your prayers. Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 1 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be Content

Be Content “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1st Thessalonians 5:16 So often in life we find ourselves not being contented with our situations. We find ourselves unhappy, and begin complaining about what we think is a raw deal that we have been given. I recall a story that I read that illustrates this very well. There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. “He’s always there for me”, she said. She stated that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend. One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she could see everything, including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, “now that you can see the world, will you marry me?” The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying, “Just take care of my eyes dear.” This is how so many people change when their status changes. Only a few remember what life was like before, and who’s always been there even in the most painful situations. Life is a gift that each of us should be happy with, and even though we may think we have been dealt a bad hand, we need to be content and joyful with what we have. Before we think of pointing the finger or condemning another, remember that not one of us is without sin, and we all answer to one maker. So when depressing thoughts seem to get you down, put a smile on your face and thank God that you’re alive and still around. Learn to be content with your life and where God has placed you. Life is a gift, live it, enjoy it, celebrate it, and fulfill God’s plan for you. 2nd Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.” My Daily Devotional Volume III January 31 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Determine Your Mission

Determine your Mission “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14 Your joy in life is determined by doing what you love. I have observed so many people over the years, who appear to not enjoy life, and are mired down in an existence where they are unhappy and many times depressed. I believe a good clue to what each of our gift and talent God gave us, is the things we love. What do you love to do? What do you love to talk about? What would you do with your life if money was not a factor? When we love what we do we become focused on it, and devote the time and our talent to better ourselves, and become better at whatever we love. We need to establish our mission in life. When we look at the life of Jesus we see that His mission was to save all mankind. He stayed focused on this mission and did not waver. He associated with fishermen, tax collectors, doctors, lawyers and religious leaders during His ministry, but He did not lose His focus. When we love something and are focused on our mission in life, we will succeed as we will devote our time and talent to it. I believe that broken focus is the real reason so many men fail in their lives. I have heard people say that they had spent their entire life working on a job that made them miserable. When you ask them why they have worked for thirty years, many will answer that “it is only ten minutes from my house, and in three years I will receive a gold watch, when I retire.” They have wasted their entire life doing something that they did not enjoy, and not fulfilled the mission of God. God has placed in us a specific design and purpose and we should remain focused on this mission. Ecclesiastes 3:13 “And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.” My Daily Devotional Volume III January 28 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Become More Humble

Become More Humble “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James: 4:6 Most of us have just gotten over the Christmas season which celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior. As we now get into the New Year we begin to think more about ourselves, and many times forget to think about the humble beginnings of Jesus. Jesus chose to come to this earth in the lowliest manner. He chose a manger to be born in, a workman’s home to live in, the most common clothes to wear and the simplest foods to eat. If Jesus chose this lifestyle, shouldn’t we, who profess to be His followers, be satisfied with the same. It is called being humble; accepting the simplest things in life. The hunger for material things, and the pride of life have a way of interfering with our spiritual well-being. They tend to take our minds off God’s work. Instead of always reaching for another blessing from God, we are reaching for the proverbial brass ring. The things of God become hazy and we forget about them, as we focus on worldly things. Is this an accurate description of you? Do you demand the newest and finest clothes, automobiles, homes, furniture, etc? Here was Jesus, the King of Kings—satisfied with nothing—worldly things didn’t interest Him. Spiritual things did. If we start our new year by following His greatest commandment which was to love God with all our hearts, and to love our fellow man as we love ourselves, we would be off to a great beginning, in our quest to be more like Jesus in our own spirituality. This would put our focus back to where it needs to be, and away from our selfish wants and desires. We would become more humble which would be pleasing to God. Psalm 13:7-8 “One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat.” My Daily Devotional Volume III January 27 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Stewardship

Stewardship “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.” Proverbs 21:13 I have written many devotionals over the years about stewardship, mostly dealing with the power of money. However, I am totally convinced that God intends us to be a good steward of our time and our talents as well. Most people think about the parable of the talents as relating to money, but I believe Jesus intended it to equally apply to our time, our gifts and our talents. It is so easy for people to become absorbed in themselves and forget others. His greatest commandment told us to love God and also to love others as we love ourselves. Proverbs 11:24 “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” If we bury our gifts and talents in the sand like the man who was given one talent, and not use it and multiply it, God will punish us as He did the unfaithful servant. “You wicked, lazy servant. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” I strongly feel that if we do not use our gifts and talents God will take these away from us and leave us in despair and depressed. I believe we see this in our society today as God has taken the joy out of people’s lives and replaced it with despair and depression. We see people becoming more and more dependent upon antidepressants to soothe and calm them down. I feel that if they were using what God gave them He would let them have peace and joy in their lives, and they would be experiencing God’s blessings in their lives instead of being depressed. Stewardship according to God is more than simply giving of our money; it is giving of ourselves which will produce God’s blessings. “Proverbs 11:25 “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” My Daily Devotional Volume III January 25 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Let God Lead The Way

Let God Lead The Way “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.” Isaiah 41:6 We all have our dreams of what the future holds for us; it may be our dreams for our business, our family, our retirement or many other dreams of where we want to be in life. Our dreams keep us alive, inspired and moving forward. We need to keep in mind that we are not in this alone, as if our dreams are also God’s dreams, He will be there to hold our hand, as we continue to grow and rise to greater heights with His assistance. As we are traveling down the road of life, we shouldn’t worry about where we are going, but who we are following. We can go our own way and stumble along, many times getting off course, or we can follow God and stay on course. Many times we are uncertain about which path to follow when we try to do it ourselves, but when we follow God He will illuminate our way. Do you know where God is leading you? Are you uncertain about the path to take? Don’t worry for a minute for you have the Bible to guide you. You have God’s word as your road map. Obey the counsel provided within its pages, and you will find the right path which will lead to success. When we try to walk in the darkness, without a flashlight we will stumble and fall, but when we follow God’s word, it is like a light that will guide us, and every obstacle in our path will become visible. The Bible can become our flashlight and lead us on the right path. So when you think about your dreams and what the future holds for you, turn to God and align your dreams and visions with His will for your life, and He will guide you to fulfill and make them come true. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” My Daily Devotional Volume III January 24 Robert William Brock, Jr.

We Must Confess Our Sins

We Must Confess Our Sins “I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5 During our life we all make mistakes, many times, rather innocently. I recall an incident where I borrowed a tool from one of my neighbors to use for a few hours and forgot to return it until months later when I was cleaning the garage and found it. I had promised him I would return it within a few hours. I apologized and it caused no great harm. It was just an innocent mistake, but many times we make mistakes that are not innocent mistakes. We speak words that hurt people, do deeds that are wrong, have thoughts that are inappropriate, deceitful and or hurtful. According to the Bible these non-innocent mistakes in thought, word or deed are called sin, and the consequences of these mistakes are always negative. God wants us to confess our sins to Him, as stated in the above scripture. We are to openly acknowledge these mistakes and admit the truth about ourselves to God, who is both holy and loving. Each of us need to examine ourselves, and spend some time reflecting on our own lives, and ask God to help us see ourselves as we really are. We may find that sometimes we do not like what we see, and may need to ask God for forgiveness. We may need to confess our sins and commit ourselves to the Lord, when we discover that we have “missed the mark” and made mistakes. We may find that we need to ask God to help us walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him, and guard our thoughts, our words and our deeds so that we do not continue to do things that are not pleasing to God. God will forgive us of all our sins, as He is a forgiving God. 1st John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” My Daily Devotional Volume III January 23 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Learn To Be Patient

Learn to be Patient “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 Patience is something that is difficult for many people. I have struggled with patience throughout my life, as I have wanted things done in my time frame, and have found it difficult to wait. We all have dreams and visions of what we want our life to be like, and want these to become realities now instead of next week or next year. I have learned over the years however that the waiting process is not all bad, as in the waiting process God is molding me to become more like Him, and teaching me to put my trust and faith in Him, instead of relying on my own abilities. About 6 years ago during a routine annual physical exam by my doctor the x-ray showed a suspicious growth on my adrenal gland. Although my doctor decided to just watch it for a period of time, and have an x-ray every 6 months to see if it was growing, this was the first time in my life that I was threatened by something as serious as this. Fortunately the size of the growth has remained constant and has not gotten larger, however having to wait for the results of the x-ray every 6 months has taught me to be patient, and that I am not invincible as I had always thought. Although the waiting throughout this entire process is not pleasant, my faith and trust in God has increased. I have learned to really trust in the Lord more during this time and put it into His hands. Today I know with surety that there is nothing that is impossible with God. Habakkuk 2:2-3 “And the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables that they may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” My Daily Devotional Volume III January 22 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Nothing Is Impossible With God

Nothing is Impossible with God “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 I am not sure how people cope without having God in their lives, but many are, or at least trying. These are not the days to be running around without Him. I know that in my own situation it is Christ who strengthens me, because if I relied on my own strength, I would not be able to do it alone. There is a popular Christian song “I Walk by Faith” which should be the theme song of everyone, as it gives each of us the message that our faith should be built on God and our trust in Him. When troubles beset us and it seems that there is no way out, this song should give us inspiration to put our trust in the only one that can change our lives and give us hope and a future. When we walk by faith, discouragement will burn away like dew when the sun comes up. Where there was confusion and bewilderment, there will be clear sailing and calm seas. God is there to give us strength to face any adversity in our life. There is not any problem or obstacle too great for God to conquer. God has also given us this power because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ to overcome our fears and problems. We have been given authority in Jesus’ name, to speak to the mountains that we face. As we command the mountains of sickness, despair, hopelessness and discouragement to be removed, they will be replaced with the fullness of God’s blessings. We need to know that God is in control and we can reach out in faith, believing and receiving the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, which will make each one of us completely whole. Matthew 17:20 “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” My Daily Devotional Volume III January 20 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Do Not Be Discouraged

Do Not Be Discouraged

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Isaiah 43:2

We are all going to have times of trouble in our lives, but we have God’s promise that He will be there to comfort us at all times. The Lord is faithful and He will see us through our troubles and trials. Our strength comes from Jesus, and although our troubles sometimes seem to overcome and overwhelm us, He will not forsake us, as He promises us in the scripture above. Our problems and trials cannot cripple the love He has for us; it cannot shatter our hope; it cannot corrode our faith; it cannot destroy our friendships; it cannot suppress our memories; it cannot silence our courage; it cannot invade our souls; it cannot conquer the Spirit but most of all it cannot steal our eternal life. We need to stand on God’s promise when we face our trials and troubles, and realize who is really in control. Our God is in control, and although we don’t sometimes understand all things that happen to us, we need to put our complete faith and trust in Him. God can heal all wounds and take away the hurt. He can make us whole again, and restore and renew us if we will only trust in Him. Without God in our life we would be swept away in the troubles of life, and would not be able to withstand the hurts and pains that befall us. We can all find the peace, contentment, joy and love that God can bring, in knowing and trusting in Him, even through our difficult times. So if you are struggling with something right now, look up, not out in the world for help, and God will help you to overcome. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”
My Daily Devotional Volume III
January 19
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Learn To Forgive

Learn to Forgive

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32

This is not a perfect world, as we all make mistakes. Your business is not a perfect business. Your friendships are not flawless. Those who work with you will make errors. I recall a story I read years ago. An up and coming young assistant to the president of a large corporation made a costly mistake. It cost the company $50,000.00. He was devastated and brought his letter of resignation to the president explaining, “I realize what a dumb thing I did. I am very sorry. I know that it cost the company $50,000.00. Here is my letter of resignation.” “Are you crazy?” the president replied. “I have been teaching you and educating you every week. Now, you have made a big mistake. I have just invested $50,000.00 in your education and you are going to leave? No, sir. You are not going to leave. You have cost me too much to lose my investment in you.” He stayed and later became the president of the company. We must always remember that we will all make mistakes, but forgiveness makes a future possible. Great leaders accept the responsibility for their people. If you are going to have extraordinary success in your business and your life, be strong and courageous enough to take the responsibility for the mistakes of those in the process of learning from you. Jesus was our supreme example as He taught us that no man is perfect, and that we are all prone to make mistakes, but He was always willing to forgive us for these mistakes. We need to be willing to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and learn to forgive others also. Peter denied Jesus three times, and yet Jesus lovingly said, Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.”
My Daily Devotional Volume III
January 17
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Discovering God's Plan

Discovering God’s Plan

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Many times we do not understand why things happen the way they do in certain situations. We make our plans in life and have our course plotted, but situations develop that lead us in a different path than what we had planned. I believe this is the intervention of God directing our paths, and leading us where He wants us to be. I can recall when I began to research our family history, and record information about my father and grandparents history, I found that they always read their Bibles on a daily basis. I began to discover some of the scriptures that they referred to and had marked in their Bibles. As I began reading the scriptures they had marked, I began to see that they had lived their lives based on these scriptures. Even though they have now been gone many years their memories have still not been forgotten in our community. People still talk about them every time we go back to visit our family, and the kind of people they were. They had built up a legacy that has followed them for many generations, and I became enamored with the thought that everyone should be remembered in this fashion. This led me to begin my own Bible study, and really was the start to my developing a closer relationship with Jesus. This is not something that I had planned, but my search for history about my ancestors was the beginning of my study of the Bible. God had intervened in my life through this simple research, and this has now become an obsession with me, resulting in my daily devotionals and publishing thirteen books all devoted to serving God. Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”
My Daily Devotional Volume III
January 16
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Overcoming Discouragement

Overcoming Discouragement

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
2nd Thessalonians 2:16-17

With all the trials and troubles that we face in our daily lives we will all get discouraged at some time. Discouragement can become contagious and affect the people around us, our coworkers, our friends and even our families. Discouragement keeps us from being effective for God, as we cannot witness to others when we are downtrodden and at our wits end. It can cause us to isolate ourselves, and focus on our own trials and troubles instead of seeing the needs of others. Discouragement can cause us to lose our perspective about others, as we only see our dark valleys and the storm clouds hanging over our heads. This is what happened to the people of Israel, as they assumed their situation was hopeless, and could not foresee how God would deliver them from their plight. They became physically and mentally exhausted not being able to see the good things that lay ahead. We need to realize that when we become discouraged that God still hears us, and so often this is when we begin to seek God for His deliverance. So often it takes trials and tribulations to befall us before we will begin to seek God and ask for help. When things are going good in our lives, we don’t go to God and thank Him for our blessings, but when the storm clouds roll in, we turn our eyes to heaven and ask for His help. God only wants one thing in return for His assistance in helping us with our problems, and that is to offer ourselves to Him, and to ask Him into our hearts. John 6:35 “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
My Daily Devotional Volume III
January 15
Robert William Brock, Jr.

The Law Of Simplicity

The Law of Simplicity

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”
1st Timothy 6:6-7

As we have just completed the Christmas season I now reflect back and see how this blessed holiday season has been commercialized. Instead of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, it has been relegated to a time of hoping we get many of our material needs met, such as the newest computer game, clothes, shoes, etc. So many people fall into this trap and forget that Jesus is the one that will supply all our needs. When we look around us we see many people in the world without even the basic necessities of life, while we enjoy nice houses, cars, cable TV, computers and articles that we rarely use. Still many of us are not content with what God has given us. I have heard our churches tell us about the many spiritual disciplines over the year such as daily bible reading, prayer giving, and forgiveness, but there is another discipline that does not get mentioned very often in our churches, and that is the discipline of simplicity. We should not become obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses, but should be obsessed with God and His love for us. When God is our focus, our lives will become simpler, and we become content. Contentment leads to true thanksgiving and to a simpler life. The apostle Paul gives us good advice in the following scripture. Philippians 4:11-13 “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
My Daily Devotional Volume III
January 14
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Wintertime

Wintertime

“Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?
Job 12:12

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was a young man, just married and embarking on my new life with my wife. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all, as I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams—but, here it is—the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? And where did my youth go? But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I’m not sure how long it will last—this I know, that when it’s over—I am waiting for a new life to begin with Jesus. I look forward to my new life and a new beginning. Yes, I have regrets in my past life, such as things I should have done, but I have many things I’m happy to have done, and would do them all over again. So, if you’re not in your winter yet—let me remind you, that your winter will be here faster than you think. Life goes by so quickly, so do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not. You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life—so live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember. Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. Make it one that you will have the assurance that you will have a new life in Christ Jesus, by asking Him into your heart, so that your new life will be an eternal life, with no winter in your future. Proverbs 3:1:2 “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.”
My Daily Devotional Volume III
January 13
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Seek God Early

Seek God Early

“Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is light.”
1st Samuel 29:10

Have you ever noticed the biographies of many of the famous successful men in our country and seen that most have one thing in common? They start their day early, usually getting up before most people do. We all think more clearly in the morning. We can focus. Our day is uncluttered early in the morning before the pressures of everyday life begin to take its toll. As we accumulate the emotions and stress of others throughout the day, the quality of our work usually deteriorates. Many champions in the sporting world begin early in the morning with their workouts and practice. Jesus also rose early. Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Jesus consulted his Heavenly Father before he consulted anyone else. He pursued the influence of God—early. Your life style may be an exception to this rule. Many people work all night, and use their day time for sleeping. But, for the most part, most of us have discovered that the greatest hours of our day are early, uncluttered with the demands of others. Jesus knew this and devoted this time to worshipping and praying. If this is our most productive time we should devote this time to God. When we give God our best time, we will be stronger in our relationship with Him, and will have more control over our time. God has given us gifts and talents that can be put to better use in our most productive time. We need to seek Jesus in order for him to motivate and use us in the best time possible. Exodus 8:20 “Then the Lord said to Moses, Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh.”
My Daily Devotional Volume III
January 12
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Staying Happy

Staying Happy

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31

This past week I had a few days when I felt down and a little bit gloomy. Nothing major was wrong that I could put a finger on, but my joy and enthusiasm was missing. Possibly it was just that some of my major projects were now completed, and I was not able to keep myself uplifted. I began to think there were many people in the Bible that were like this as King David wrote many of the Psalms expressing times when he was down. Psalm 42:5 “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” I then went to one of my board meetings where one of my friends said “Where is your enthusiasm, the spring in your step that you normally have?” My friend was joking, but this made me think that everything was good in my life, my health was good, my family was happy, we had a nice house, financial security, and what else should I want. Those of us who know the Lord should have the most wonderful reason of all to be thankful and joyful. Jesus loves all of us, even when we have our bad days. He died on the cross, and rose from the grave so that we can have eternal life. With my friends help I now have my enthusiasm back, and the spring in my step has returned. I am sure I will have other gloomy days, but knowing Christ, and remembering what he did for me will bring the joy and enthusiasm back to our lives. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
My Daily Devotional Volume III
January 10
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Battling Discouragement

Battling Discouragement

“A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
Proverbs 18:14

So often in life we become discouraged, as the pressures of everyday living leave us with the feeling that everything is against us. We become easily hurt and offended. We become suspicious of others, and have a fear of failure. We begin to withdraw from others, and even begin to withdraw from God. We can begin to lose our confidence in ourselves and our own abilities, which causes us to want to back away, as we don’t want to be rejected. A good example of this can be seen in the life of Moses, who had a confidence problem, and a creditability problem as to his ability to communicate effectively, and also felt inadequate to lead others, but God provided him with the power to overcome these deficiencies, and provided him with a helper, Aaron, who was able to help him. When God calls us to do his will, we need to be able to step out, and sometimes get outside our comfort zones to fulfill his plan for us. God wants to use us regardless of our past, and what we think may handicap us from making his plans come true. When God calls us, our focus should be on doing his will, not thinking about our limitations, as God will enable us to overcome our limitations, and empower us with whatever we need to fulfill his mission. When we go out in faith and trust in God to do His work, he will provide us with the power, strength and energy to complete His mission. God will open the doors for us in all our endeavors, when we venture out to do his will. Don’t let discouragement get you down, but trust in God to provide you with the strength to overcome. Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
My Daily Devotional Volume III
January 9
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be A Witness For God

Be a witness for God

“I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”
John 3:5

Salvation is not achieved by human effort or merit but comes through God’s mercy alone. God’s plan is that all men have the opportunity to be born again, and the gospel of salvation has been heard throughout our nation. There is no excuse for anyone in our country to not have had the privilege of hearing about God. We all have been given the choice to accept Jesus as our savior, however so many have turned their backs on this offer of eternal life. As Christians we have the responsibility to continue the quest to bring non believers to accept Christ as their savior. We all have opportunities each day to be a witness for Jesus to the people we come into contact with. Our jobs, our neighborhoods and our friends, all provide us the opportunity to be a witness for God wherever we go. Our acts of kindness, encouragement, giving, compassion and love for our fellow man are examples of how we can be a witness. All of us are evangelists for God wherever we go, and our duty is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. To bring someone to the Kingdom of God should be one of our primary objectives each day, and we should seek out opportunities all around us to complete this objective. The field is ripe for harvest but the workers are few. It is easy to be an example for God’s spirit in our lives by our actions, our speech and our behavior. We must walk the talk daily and obey God and his commands, and when we do we will stand out in the crowd as a beacon for someone that is lost. We will be able to be their lighthouse, and draw them toward God by our actions and behavior. John 3:3 “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
My Daily Devotional Volume III
January 6
Robert William Brock, Jr.

When Your Hut's On Fire

When Your Hut's On Fire

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me."
John 14:1

I am sure that many of you have seen the story of the man who was shipwrecked on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed constantly for God to rescue him, but each day as he scanned the horizon, no boats were in sight. He eventually managed to build a small hut out of driftwood, to provide shelter. One day while out scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames. With smoke rolling to the sky, he felt the worse had happened, and that God had forsaken him. He cried out, "God, how could you do this to me." Early the next morning, he awoke to the sound of a ship approaching the island. When his rescuers reached him, he asked them how did you find me? "We saw your smoke signal, they replied. So often in life we are like this, as when bad times come, and they will, we cannot give up hope. God always knows what is happening in our life, and we must not give up faith and trust that he will provide for us, in all our situations. We must continue to press forward in our prayers, and our relationship to Him, and trust in His promises that He will provide all that we need. He will never forsake us or leave us. It is so easy to let the worries of the world get the best of us, and feel that we are alone, and that there is not a solution to our problems. We want the problems to go away immediately, in our time frame, and in our own design, but we often don't realize that God has His own plans for our life, and in His time and in His own way, will always provide for us, as long as we trust and have faith. So the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God, who will give you victory over your situation.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
July 13
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Jesus Is The Only Way

Jesus Is The Only Way

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me."
John 14:6

Have you ever gone on a trip and gotten lost? Most people have a good road map, or now even a GPS system that keeps them on the right path, but even the best system doesn't mean that you will not get lost sometime in your life. In your spiritual journey not all roads lead to God, as some might suggest. There are roadblocks all along the way, that keeps man from reaching God--the roadblocks of sin. However God knew that mortal man would get lost, so He provided the Bible to all of us. The Bible is the ultimate roadmap, as it tells us where all the roadblocks are, it provides all the directions we need to steer us in the right direction. It even gives us detours, when we are tempted and confronted with the sin that Satan places in front of us. But most of all God tells us what our final destination will be, which is our eternal home in Heaven. He also gives us the ultimate GPS system, the Holy Spirit, to lead and guide us to reach our final destination. Jesus did not say, "I am one of many roads to God." What He did say was "I am the way." We cannot get to the final destination that God wants us to reach, without letting Jesus take control and guide us. Satan is too powerful, and will place too many roadblocks in your path which will lead you astray. It is only when we allow the Holy Spirit to be in complete control of all that we do, that we will reach our final destination. This should be such an easy decision for all of you to make, as God will tell you where you are to go, and then guide you on all the right paths to reach your destination. You will never have to worry about getting lost again, when you accept Jesus as your savior, and He will lead you to the father.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
July 12
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Your Secret Garden

Your Secret Garden

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:10

Today, I heard a wonderful sermon preached by one of my closest friends, which caused me to think about my own life, and if I was doing enough to be the kind of person God wants me to be. His message was titled "Your Journey Into Your Secret Garden," and as he posed the question to the congregation, "Where will I go this week to share my passion for God", I thought about just how little we do to share our passion for God. The busyness of the world, meetings, hobbies, sports, and a multitude of other trivial interruptions keep us from fully sharing our passion for God with others. His advice was to stop and smell the roses in our own lives, and evaluate just how much time we spend in our own relationship with God. How much time do we spend in prayer, and reading our Bible on a daily basis? Are we only Sunday morning Christians, or do we keep our relationship with God all during the week? It is during the time we spend alone with God that He speaks to us, and provides us wisdom and understanding to meet the challenges of life. Do we walk in the spiritual garden with the Holy Spirit, and let it lead us on the path where God wants us to go? It is not about our attendance at church--or what we do at church, rather it is all about our own spiritual relationship with God. Before Jesus was arrested, the apostles were found asleep in the garden. This makes me wonder have we fallen asleep in our gardens, and are not up to the task of doing all we can to keep our passion for Jesus alive. Maybe it is time for all of us to have a wakeup call, as if we are not walking with God now, will we be ready to walk with Him for our triumphal entry into heaven.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
July11
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Put God In Control

Put God In Control

"For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end."
Psalm 48:14

Today, I want to ask you who is in control of your life, God or Satan? I hope and pray that God is in control of your life, as if He is you have the promise of a bright future, one that will last for all eternity. I hope you realize that God wants so much to be in control of your life, that He even sent His only son to die on the cross for you. During my business career, many times I found myself having to fly across the country on various business trips, and during these times I was always relying on the pilot of the plane to guide me and get me to my destination safely. Fortunately, they always did their job, but I never had complete trust and faith in them, but with God, there is never any doubt that He will not provide for me. You must realize that when God is in control of your life, there is never any doubt or lack of faith. You are 100% assured that He will guide you in all your paths, and watch over and protect you, in all circumstances. God knows us, and knows all things about us, even the number of hairs on our heads. He knows our thoughts, and even what the future holds for us. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses, and He knows what is best for us. What a promise and a gift to know that if we turn our life over to Him, that He will lead and guide us throughout our life. Just knowing that God only wants the best for us, and will provide only the best, should be all the assurance we need to put Him in control of our lives. The only thing missing is that you must ask Him to take control of your life. You have to make the choice and choose Him, by asking Jesus into your heart. You cannot imagine the peace and joy, and the comfort you will have, when you submit yourself to Him, and let Him take control of your life.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
July 9
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Are You A Conqueror

Are You A Conqueror

"In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Romans 8:37

Do you feel like a conqueror each day, or do you feel defeated by the world? This is an important question to ask yourself, as if you feel like the world has gotten the best of you, let me assure you that you are not where God wants you to be. In the scripture above God is telling you that you need to be victorious in all that you do. If you have truly asked Jesus to be your savior, you have the Holy Spirit to guide you and resist all the temptations that Satan sends your way. I love the old song Onward Christian Soldiers marching as to war, as we are in a war each day with Satan, as he is constantly mounting an attack against us. His attacks can be furious, and can leave us with a defeated attitude. We are no good as ambassadors to God, if we go out into the world each day with a feeling that the world has gotten the best of us. You need to realize that God wants you to go out each day, with a smile on your face, showing others that you meet, that you have a God that has your back, and one that will let you defeat all the fiery arrows that Satan is sending against you. God wants us to live victorious lives---lives that are constantly conquering sin. There is only one way to have victory over sin, and that is to walk so closely with Christ, that sin does not dominate your life. The reason that having God by your side, is that the closer you walk with God, the farther you are from Satan. The Bible tells us "Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:7-8. If you want to be a conqueror, pray, read your Bible and draw closer to God. Ask yourself this question, "is the devil farther away from you today than he was last week? If not, why?
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
July 8
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Making The Right Choices

Making The Right Choices

"I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.."
Deuteronomy 30:19

Each day that we live we make choices, and these choices can be either good ones, that will be pleasing to God, or ones that are pleasing to the devil. The scripture above plainly tells us that all these choices can be blessings, or they can be curses, and that they will lead to either life or death. Satan is alive in our world and is tempting us in every conceivable way to make the wrong choices. It is much easier to conform to the world, than to resist the temptation that confront us daily. It is easier to tell a white lie, because we do not want to be bothered by an unwanted phone call during a sporting event we are watching. It is easier to look the other way when we see someone hungry, than it is to give them money for food. It is easier to not share our faith, than it is to step out of our comfort zone and tell someone about Jesus. We all make countless choices each day, but do we make the right ones? God knows all the choices we make, as nothing is hidden from His sight. The good news is that we can all be rewarded by making good choices. The Bible gives us the roadmap for the kind of choices we need to make, as all of God's commandments are found there. He tells us how we are to react to all of the situations we face during our day, and gives us the right answers. It is much like studying for a test in high school, as God gives us all the answers to the questions before we even take the test. So why don't we make all the right decisions, and make a perfect score each day. The reason why we don't, is because Satan is also giving us another choice, and one that so often is easier to choose. Following Satan will lead to death, but following God will lead to life, an eternal life in Heaven.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
July 7
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Witnessing For God

Witnessing For God

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."
Romans 12:9

In your daily walk are you a good influence on others or a bad influence? This is such an important question to ask yourself today, as I have found that most Christians have little or no influence for good upon others. In most workplaces the people that surround you do not even know that you are a Christian. Having spent 45 plus years in health care, it was rare to see someone profess their faith with their fellow employees. For most of my career, I was one of these Sunday Morning Christians, who went to church on Sunday, but the rest of the week kept my light covered, and no one knew about my God. I therefore missed countless opportunities to share my faith with my fellow employees, and be the positive influence on them that I should have been. Fortunately, God spoke to me before it was too late, and I became the influence that I should have been throughout my career. It is only by a life of obedience to the Holy Spirit that we are able to be a positive influence for others. Often times we must step out of our comfort zones, as there are many times throughout our busy days where we have opportunities to be a witness for God. This daily commitment to obey God's Great Commission requires us to be fully dedicated to Christ, and to be in constant fellowship with Him. We must constantly deny self and always refuse to compromise in matters of honesty, integrity, and morality to be an effective witness for Christ. We can make a difference in our world when we follow this important scripture, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2. Think about this today, is the world changing you...or are you changing the world?
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
July 6
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Our Security Blanket

Our Security Blanket

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I serve."
Psalm 91:2

The society we live in today is full of uncertainty, as things are always changing, and in most cases for the worse. We see governments collapse, stock markets plummet, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wars, and many other calamities wreck havoc on our world. Even though we see all these things happening around us, we all seek security, as deep within each of us is a yearning for some sense of peace, contentment, and the hope that everything will be all right. So often we don't have the faith and trust to believe in God's promises that He will provide for us, and that all our needs will be met. Our needs are often not the needs that God talks about, as we want more and more of the earthly things, the pleasures of life, more money, a bigger house, a better car. The Bible tells us to be content where we are, and in whatever we do, but we spend much of our time and talents devoted to acquiring more earthly treasures. The Bible also warns us that these earthly treasure will someday rust and rot away, and not to spend our efforts trying to accumulate them. We need to realize that all we accumulate on this earth, will not help us when we stand before our God to be judged on the day of judgment. What we need to concentrate on in this life, is to build a solid foundation, one that cannot be shaken, by all the calamities around us, but one that will last for all eternity. We need to realize that God never changes. His love does not change, and neither do His promises. This is why we can look to Him for the security and stability we all seek. King David knew the secret: "He who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
July 5
Robert William Brock, Jr.