Blinded By The Future

Blinded By The Future “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it.” Isaiah 43:18-19 The other day as I was doing our daily mail route I was reminded how often our past blinds us from our future. After experiencing several weeks of overcast and rainy days, suddenly the bright rays of the sun were shining so brightly through the window of my car that they momentarily blinded me. To regain my vision I began looking back through my rear view mirror. This “blinding encounter” made me think about life, and how so often we take our eyes off of the road ahead, and the good things that God is doing in our lives. We begin looking back in the mirror, and so often we take our eyes off of God and we see ourselves and our past in the mirror. It is these times when we begin looking back that we see the past and the mistakes we have made, the dashed dreams, the expectations that weren’t met, and all the disappointments of our lives. We are too often blinded by what God has in store for us in the future that we revert to looking back into our past. This is what the Israelites did when they were in the wilderness, as they were so blinded by what lay ahead of them that they continued to look back at their past. God has a plan for each of us, and wants us to look at the bright road ahead that He has planned for us. He does not want us to be trapped in the past, but to look at the shining future He has in store for us. Today I would encourage each of you to think about what is binding you to your past, and forget it, but focus instead on God’s shining light in front of you and your future. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.” My Daily Devotional Volume III March 19 Robert William Brock, Jr.

The Fear Of Failure

The Fear Of Failure “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.” 1st Chronicles 28:20 Fear of failure is something almost all of us deal with on a daily basis. We fear that we will fail in our finances, in our relationships, in our families and most of all in our own abilities to deal with life in general. I am reminded of the Ford Motor Company, who in 1958 decided to launch one of the most promoted cars that they had ever produced. The word Edsel has become associated almost synonymous with the word failure. The Edsel was designed to be the car of the future and much of Fords future success depended upon this new automobile. But, alas the Edsel simply didn’t sell, so after three disappointing years and millions of lost dollars, Ford discontinued production of the Edsel. So many of us can relate to this scenario, because just like the Edsel, we had plans for success, but somewhere along the way things got off track. Like most of the problems we face, failure has its roots in the bad decisions we have made all during our lives. And, like most bad decisions, we are filled with shame and fear that others will find out. To admit failure is to admit that something in our lives is out of control—and we don’t like to do that. We should never deny the fact that we are human and make mistakes, as it is only when we face our mistakes can the healing process begin. There is strength in numbers and sometimes the only way to deal with failure is through confession and accountability to other believers. So many people think they are alone, but you aren’t as God is with you. God gives us His wisdom in dealing with failure. James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed.” My Daily Devotional Volume III March 17 Robert William Brock, Jr.

We Need To Hear God

We Need To Hear God “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” Matthew 13:14 So often throughout our lives as Christian’s we hear God’s word taught to us every Sunday, but many times we don’t really understand what it really is saying to us. I recall a funny story that I believe illustrates this so well. An elderly couple was sitting by a romantic fireside one evening when the husband looked over at his wife and said, “After fifty years, I’ve found you tried and true.” The wife’s hearing wasn’t very good, so she said, “What?” He repeated a little louder, “After fifty years, I’ve found you tried and true.” Thinking she heard him this time she replied, “After fifty years I’m tired of you too.” The beautiful moment was confused not by a lack of communication, but rather by the inability to hear clearly, as neither had their hearing aids. Let me assure you that after fifty years of marriage, this couple eventually got their conversation back on the right track. Nevertheless, a spiritual lesson can be learned from this funny story. The problem we face in hearing God is not a lack of communication on God’s part. Usually, our inability to hear God is caused by obstructions getting in our way. So often we become distracted by the worries of this world, and the deceitfulness of wealth that makes us take our eyes off God and our trust in Him, and rely instead on our own self and our own abilities. We must never forget God’s word that tells us that He controls our lives and directs our paths. It is when we begin to go our own way, disregarding God’s word, and His promises that He will provide all our needs, that we fall short. When we begin to trust in God and obey His commands we all can hear the Lord say, “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” Matthew 13:16 My Daily Devotional Volume III March 15 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be Wise Not Foolish

Be Wise Not Foolish “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17 In the hectic, stressful and time constrained lifestyles that so many people find themselves in today, many people are missing out on opportunities to fully live for God in this evil environment. The scripture above tells us that the foolish person not only misses opportunities to make wise use of their time, but does not understand what the true will of God is and what His purpose is for them. God tells us in the first chapter of Ephesians that He has chosen us and predestined us to be His followers, and given us the opportunity to receive salvation and inherit an eternal life. Unfortunately, however, so many people do not take advantage of this opportunity, and squander their time and abilities pursuing their own selfish interests. They get so caught up in the things of this world, such as wealth, self indulgence, and greed that they forget about the most important thing in life; which is seeking the Kingdom of God and the rewards that it offers. There is nothing that can surpass the knowledge that when we follow the will of God, and take every opportunity to live our lives the way that He commands us to live, that our reward of an eternal life will outweigh any other material possession we would ever possess. When we go out into the world each day we should be so extremely careful to live our lives in a way that would be pleasing to God. We need to be wise and consider the rewards that await us when we follow God and know His will for our lives. Ephesians 1:4 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” My Daily Devotional Volume III March 13 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Obeying God

Obeying God “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” Isaiah 48:18 The people of Israel have been a stubborn people, having been chosen by God, but repeatedly resisting following and obeying God’s commands. They have been protected and rescued many times by the compassion of God, but have also been humiliated and defeated often when they turned their eyes from God. The scripture above puts into context the promise that God gave them if they would simply follow His commandments. However they did not learn from their mistakes and continued their inconsistent pattern and behavior. They remind me of a Charlie Brown story where he and Lucy were sailing on a cruise ship. Lucy, the great philosopher that she is, said, “You know, Charlie Brown life is like a cruise ship. Some people take their deck chairs to the back of the ship to see where they have been. And some people take their deck chairs to the front of the ship to see where they are going.” What kind of person are you, Charlie Brown?” He pauses, and then says, “I’m the kind of person who can’t get my deck chair open.” Unfortunately so many people today are like Charlie Brown, as they have not looked at the past to see what happens when they do not obey God’s commands. They also have not looked forward to know what could happen when they believe and trust in God and obey His commands. They are still trying to get their deck chairs open, and therefore are still adrift, not knowing which way to go. I would advise each of you to look at your past and learn from it, and then change your ways and look to the future and get right with God. Isaiah 51:3 “But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.” My Daily Devotional Volume III March 11 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Unsinkable With God

Unsinkable With God “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:29-30 So often we find ourselves in the same position as Peter was in the scripture above, as we want to accomplish great things with God’s help. We get ourselves in a positive frame of mind and think we can do and accomplish our goals and objectives and do the things that God has placed on our hearts. Then just as Peter did we begin to look around, and see the dangers and the frightening circumstances that Satan has placed in our way. Our faith starts to waiver, and we begin to sink just as Peter did. I can remember reading about the Titanic, which was the largest, most luxurious ocean liner of its time and was called “unsinkable” by most people. However during its first voyage from England to New York City in 1912, the huge ship hit an iceberg and sank with 1,500 passengers and crew losing their lives in the frigid North Atlantic waters. When we begin to look at our successes and begin to feel superior about our own abilities, so often we ignore the fact that our success was due to God allowing us to achieve it. We begin to feel unsinkable, like the Titanic. But Satan is always going to make us aware of the icebergs and hidden dangers that can wreck our witness and our ministry. There is only one way to safely navigate life, and that is to keep our eyes on Jesus. We cannot depend upon our own abilities or the circumstances around us. It is only when we keep our faith and trust in God that we will successfully complete our journey. Psalm 69:1-2 “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.” My Daily Devotional Volume III March 9 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Is Merciful

God Is Merciful “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21 What would we do if our children disobeyed our rules of the family and acted so badly that we asked them to leave? This is the situation that God found himself in when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. Imagine the situation. God’s one household condition had been broken, as Adam and Even had succumbed to the temptations of Satan, and had sinned. God did ask them to leave His garden, but before He sends them on their way He makes them clothes. Even while He was disciplining them He showed mercy on them. No matter what is happening in your life, God will never withdraw His love from you, but will always have mercy on you. Adam and Eve had sinned but God still had mercy on them. There are not any of us who have not sinned and come short of the glory of God, but God will have mercy on us as well. He will not send us out to never be reconciled to Him, as He loves us too much. He will welcome us back into His household with open arms, when we turn our hearts and our lives over to Him. There is a time of reconciliation with Christ that He longs for each of us to find in our own lives. No matter how much we have wandered away from the household, and succumbed to the temptations of Satan, there is nothing that will keep Jesus from accepting us back into His fold. He will have mercy on us, and forgive us of all of these sins, and provide new clothes for us. We all need to know that through faith in Jesus Christ we are all clothed with the presence of God who will never forsake us and who loves to shower us with daily acts of mercy. Romans 13:14 “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” My Daily Devotional Volume III March 8 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Humility A Key To Success

Humility A Key To Success “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” Romans 12:3 Have you ever thought about what God’s will is for you and what He expects from you during your life? I believe God wants each of us to grow in our faith both spiritually and morally throughout our lives. Each of us can experience this growth by reading our Bible’s and becoming closer to our Lord and Savior. God has a plan for each of us, and we grow throughout our life to fulfill the plans He has for us. God tells us all our days were ordained before we ever came to be; He knows our every thoughts and actions even before they happen. Each of us has been given gifts by God that we are to develop and use during our lives to benefit others around us. So often however we develop an attitude that we do not need God to achieve success in our lives. We go our own ways and leave God out, and strive to do it our own way. We begin to take pride in our own abilities when we seem to have our life under control and things are going our way. The thing that we often forget is that whatever we achieve in life is due to God allowing us to achieve it, and it is not achieved by our own efforts. We become prideful and think of ourselves greater than we should. The scripture above tells us that we are in absolute dependence upon God, and to not give ourselves credit for our successes, but to give Him praise for our achievements. We must become humble, and realize that God is in control of all things, and not depend upon our own resources. Pride can be a sin when we think that we are above all others, and don’t realize that God is still in control. Luke 18:14 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” My Daily Devotional Volume III March 6 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Let God Be Your Guide

Let God Be Your Guide “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2nd Corinthians 12:10 “Lord, I need your help to get through this?” “Why is this happening to me?” “Have you forsaken me during this time in my life?’ Do these questions sound familiar? More than likely, either you or someone you know has recently expressed these thoughts. In the scripture above and most of the 12th and 13th chapters of 2nd Corinthians the Apostle Paul was talking about the difficulties he had faced in his life. He talks about the time he spent in prison; the times he was beaten; the times he had to flee for his life and all the difficulties he faced because of his faith as a Christian and believer in God. Paul called it “his thorn”, which was a messenger of Satan, who tormented him. God tells us throughout the Bible that we will all face times of troubles and difficulties in our lives; that we will all be tested. Each of us has our “own thorns”, as Satan is always on the job to torment us and try to take away our faith in God. Job also faced so many difficulties during his life that most men would succumb and give up to the kinds of problems he faced. Both Paul and Job persevered however, and did not give in to the trials and tribulations they faced, but remained steadfast and did not waver in their trust and faith in God. As you go out each day to face your trials and troubles, keep your eyes focused on God and don’t give up and let Satan get the best of you. Let God be your shield and your comfort, and let Him lead you to your mountain top where you will reign supreme by trusting in Him as your Savior. You will be victorious in all your struggles when God is at your side. Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” My Daily Devotional Volume III March 4 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Become A Conqueror

Become a Conqueror “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” Galatians 4:7 Have you ever considered that we no longer have to become a slave to the problems of this world, but can become a conqueror and heir to the throne of God? To do this is easy as we only have to turn our hearts over to God and believe and trust in Him. We can become a winner in life instead of a loser. When Joshua and Caleb were sent to scout out the Promised Land they saw a land flowing with milk and honey. The other ten men saw only a land filled with giants. They were defeated before they ever began. A Christian needs to talk about winning, and concentrate on the opportunities, not the obstacles. Start praising God for what you have, not what you intend or want to have. When we begin to think positive about our lives we begin to change, but we have to make our minds up to change. God has given you the power of choice: the power to direct your thinking and your actions. Begin to build up your self confidence, by depending upon the Lord. Stop complaining about your circumstances, your health problems, your relationships, your finances and other problems, and begin to see the good things that you have going. See the good things in life as Joshua and Caleb did. When you dwell in despair and gloom and can only see the giants, you are falling into the devils trap, but when you dare to step out in faith, and become positive about life you are living a life that God wants you to live. God wants you to succeed and not fail, and when you have faith and set your eyes upon God you cannot fail. You will become victorious in your life and not succumb to a life of misery. 1st Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 28 Robert William Brock, Jr.

What Will Heaven Be Like

What Will Heaven Be Like “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.” Matthew13:44 Have you ever wondered what heaven will be like? The Kingdom of heaven is of such great value that one should be willing to give up all he has in order to gain it. Jesus did not imply that one can purchase the kingdom with money or good deeds. Having been in the medical field for 45 years I recall a story about a sick man who asked his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room, “Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.” Very quietly, the doctor said, “I don’t know. You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side’, said the man.” The doctor was holding the handle of the door; and on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, his dog sprang into the room, and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, “Did you notice my dog? He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing—I know my Master is there and that is enough.” I believe this is the way that we need to approach death, and what is on the other side. Our Master will be there to welcome us home, and greet us with open arms. God promises us an eternal life where we will live with Him. We are only passing through this life, but a better life awaits us. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we are assuring ourselves of a better life, where we will spend our eternity with our Master. 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 everlasting life.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 25 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Sow Seeds Of Righteousness

Sow Seeds of Righteousness “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12 As mentioned in the previous devotional it is so important to sow the right kind of seeds in our lives. The Bible gives us the wisdom and knowledge to do what is right in the eyes of God, and we must be careful to follow and do the will of God throughout our lives. We need to be careful what seeds we plant, for it will determine what we will reap tomorrow. The seeds we now scatter will make life worse or better for us, or for the ones that come after us, such as our children and grandchildren. Someday we will enjoy the fruits, or we will pay for the bad choices we make. If we plant honesty, we will reap trust. If we plant goodness, we will reap friends. If we plant humility, we will reap greatness. If we plant perseverance, we will reap victory. If we plant hard work, we will reap success. If we plant forgiveness, we will reap reconciliation. And if we plant faith, we will reap miracles. Whatever we sow, while obeying God’s commands we will reap God’s blessing in our lives. God’s word is the path that we need to follow during our lives, and His ways are straight and will lead us to success in whatever we do in life, as God loves us and wants the best for us. So be careful each day to do God’s will for your life. Plant the seeds, wherever you go, that will bring God’s favor upon you. Plant the seeds of kindness, caring, compassion, and love for others today, and your harvest will be one that will be overflowing with blessings from God. Matthew 13:1 “Still other seed fell on good soil where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 24 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Think Before You Speak

Think Before You Speak “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3 King David knew the importance of his words, and that they came from the heart, as indicated in the scripture above. This was his plea asking God to keep him from speaking, desiring or doing what was evil. The words that we speak come from our hearts, and Satan knows that if our hearts are unclean and not pure, that the words that come from our mouths will not be clean and pure, and can hurt and harm others. How many times have we spoken words that have hurt others, simply because we have not thought about what we are saying? This is a common occurrence in many of our conversations with friends, business associates and even family. We say things without thinking, which damage and hurt others. Thinking before we speak can be a great way to control our tongues, and also let us evaluate what is in our hearts. It is difficult to always think about what we say before we say it, but a little thought before we speak could prevent many of these instances. Since the tongue is so difficult to control, anyone who controls it perfectly gains control of himself in all other areas of life as well. The source of the tongue’s evil is the devil, and we must guard ourselves against letting the devil gain control of our hearts and our tongues. When we have the proper attitude about our fellow man and love them as we love ourselves, as Jesus commanded us to do, we will be well on our way to begin controlling our hearts. God tells us to keep our thoughts on the good things that are pure, noble, excellent, lovely and trustworthy and think about these things. When we keep our minds on God we can control our tongues. James 3:9 “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 22 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Seek God's Wisdom

Seek God’s Wisdom “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1-5 This is a powerful scripture as it tells us that if we can store up God’s word in our hearts we can help to avoid sin in our lives. The words of God teach us the good things in life and how to avoid the evil things of this world. When we have the wisdom of God’s word stored away in our minds, we will also know the course of action to follow in dealing with our many issues and troubles that we all face. His words will lead us on the paths of righteousness, and keep us from the paths of destruction. Wisdom will save us from the enticements of men to follow perverse ways, and from the temptations of Satan that lead us astray. Wisdom is such an important thing to discern from the word of God, as King Solomon desired wisdom more than anything else that God granted him. Just think that if we knew the full wisdom of God what a different person we would be. Think about how our lives would be changed. In the scripture above God tells us that if we will call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, that we can all find this knowledge of God. This is powerful, as if we can harness the wisdom of God, we will know how to deal with the many problems and issues we face on this earth, and as stated in the previous devotional will have God to help us deal with these. So today I urge each of you to seek God’s wisdom and put it into practice in your lives. Proverbs 2:6 “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 21 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Is Always There

God Is Always There “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.” Psalm 145:18-19 With all the pressure that goes on in our lives on a daily basis, it is so comforting to know that we have someone who will always be near to us that we can call on in our time of trouble. I know that during my life I have kept many of my troubles to myself, and did not share these with even my closest friends and many times even with my family. I believe many people are like this as they try to do things themselves and rely on their own abilities to solve their problems and difficulties. However God is always there to hear our prayers and listen to us. I have found it so easy to share my burdens with God, as I only have to close my eyes and let my thoughts express my feelings to Him. I know that God hears us when we open our hearts to Him in this way. We can all go to God in this manner; when we are in our cars, at our jobs, relaxing, working in our yards or doing anything. We can reach God during any of these times by simply talking to God with our thoughts. For even the simplest matter that affects us, we need to call on Him. It only takes a moment to close your eyes and ask God for help and guidance in dealing with your issues. God already knows your distress as He knows all about you, but by opening yourselves up to Him in this way, you are letting Him into your lives and His power will begin to work. When you begin to get into a habit of turning your issues over to God, you will begin to feel His presence and His power can then be unleashed. Don’t continue to depend upon your own abilities to deal with your situations, but let God help you and give you strength. Psalm 145:20 “The Lord watches over all who love him.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 20 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Is In Control

God Is In Control “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 Gardening and working in my flowers is one of my favorite pastimes. I spend many hours each week in my yard, mowing, planting flowers, watering and keeping my landscaping as best I can. However with all the tender loving care I give to my plants, they can be beset with many different kinds of mold, mildew, bugs, beetles, worms and many other diseases that can kill them, or keep them from developing into the beautiful plants that they can be. No matter how much I care for and tend to their needs, many of them will wither and die each year or not produce as they should. This cycle reminds me so much of what our life is like as so often there is nothing that is permanent around us. We can spend our entire lives accumulating wealth, building relationships, friendships, job security and almost any other material things, and as with my flowers they can disappear almost instantly. The fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters that we read about in our newspapers on a daily basis can destroy any of the treasures we have worked our entire life to accumulate. This indicates just how vulnerable we are, and just how little lack of control we really have on this earth. However there is one thing that is constant, and that is the control that God has over all His creations. His word, His promises, and His love for us never changes, and have always been there for us in the past, and will always be there in the future. It will never die or wither away like my flowers, but will always be within our reach. The word of our God will stand forever and will provide and protect us through all our trials. Isaiah 40:29 “He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 16 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Love Your Enemies

Love your Enemies “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:44 Recently I saw a scene from a movie about a middle-aged woman, driving a big, new, expensive car that was waiting to pull into a long awaited parking space, when suddenly, a young girl in a small sports car zoomed in ahead of her. The woman angrily asked why she had done that when she could tell she was trying to park there. The young woman’s response was “Face it lady, we’re younger and faster.” The young woman then entered the store. When she came out a few minutes later, she found the older woman using her big new car as a battering ram, backing up, and repeatedly ramming her little car. The young woman very angrily asked her why she was wrecking her precious sports car. The older woman responded, “Face it, I’m older and I have more insurance.” This scene reminded me that so often in life we take pleasure in exacting revenge when we have been wronged by someone. “Nothing is quite as sweet as getting even,” one saying goes. But as the legendary feuds of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s remind us, revenge only ups the ante and leads to unforeseen and bitter heartbreaks. God tells us, however, that we should be loving those individuals rather than lashing out in hatred and vengeance. While this may not make sense in human wisdom, our character under fire is often God’s way of giving us an opportunity to share His grace with someone who needs it most. Our lives are representative of the love of Christ. So when revenge is in our hearts and displayed in our actions, what does that say about our faith in a Lord who died for our sins and our love for those who are lost and have not received His salvation? 1st Peter 3:9 “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 12 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Provides Our Needs

God Provides Our Needs “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 In the scripture above the apostle Paul was telling the Philippians that Christ Jesus would provide for them in all situations if they continued to follow His word and obey His commands. How do we get all our needs met? I recall a test that one of my hospitals gave all new applicants for an administrative position. You are driving along on a wild stormy night. You pass a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus: 1. An old lady who is about to die. 2. An old friend who once saved your life. 3. The perfect man (or woman) you have been dreaming about. Which one would you choose, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car? You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first, or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again. The candidate who was hired had no trouble coming up with his answer. His answer was, “I would give the car keys to my old friend, and let him take the old lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the woman of my dreams.” Most of you probably tried to meet the needs of only one of the people, not thinking how you could meet all their needs. It’s very much the way we feel about God. Most of us are people who gets pleasure from trying to meet the needs of people around us. But, so often we fall short. That’s why I’m so very thankful to have a God who can not only meet all my needs, but also the needs of everyone else I come into contact with. Romans 12:13 “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 11 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Knows All Things

God Knows all Things “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7 Someday we are all going to stand before the throne of God and be judged on our life. This will be our day when the book of our life will be opened for God to look at and judge us on. I recently saw a story that I believe tells how God will account for all our actions. It was almost time for school to dismiss and a mother noticed it looked like rain. So she drove toward the school to pick up her eight-year old daughter. She turned down the street to see her daughter running towards her down the sidewalk. A lightening bolt flashed and the little girl looked up towards the sky, smiled and then began running towards her mother’s car. Another lightening bolt flashed and again the little girl looked towards the sky, smiled and resumed running. This happened several more times until the little girl finally arrived at where her mother was parked. Her mom immediately inquired as to the strange behavior, “Why did you keep stopping and smiling at the sky,” she asked her daughter. “I had to, mommy, God was taking my picture.” God knows all the things that we do throughout our lives. He knows our thoughts, our actions and our behavior and all the things about us. There is nothing concerning our behavior and actions that we can hide, or even think about that is hidden from His sight. We need to keep this in mind throughout our day and remind ourselves that God, like the little girl, is keeping snapshots of our lives and one day will have these pictures in our files for all to see and be judged on. Life can be hard sometimes to always do what is good and just in the sight of God, but just remember the afterlife can be harder. Romans 13:12 “The night is nearly over, the day is almost here.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 9 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Humble Beginnings

Humble Beginnings “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.” 1st Corinthians 1:26 When I think about the scripture above I think of the many great wonders of our modern civilization that have come from the minds and actions of individuals that were not of noble birth or wealth or had fame to make them who they became. D. L. Moody, one of the great evangelists in our history was an orphan, but did great things. Abraham Lincoln, one of our greatest presidents, came from humble beginnings but impacted the world. Even Jesus was born in a manger, the most humble beginning for anyone. I have seen people throughout my life that have risen from humble beginnings to become great men and women and impact others by their achievements. There is one thing in common that I believe all of these great achievers have, and that is that they have used the gifts and talents that God has given them to their fullest extent. Each of us has been given gifts and talents from God, and if we put them to use in our lives, God will multiply these, and the fruits of our labor will result in great harvests. When you evaluate yourself see if you are using your gifts and talents to the fullest extent possible. Think about the following sentence and apply it to your life. “If you look at what you do not have in life, you don’t have anything. If you look at what you have in life, you have everything.” God has no boundaries on what we can become and the impact we can have on the world around us. Our life is a gift from God and we need to get the most from it by making it the best we can become. 1st Corinthians 1:30 “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 7 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Answers Our Prayers

God Answers Our Prayers “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:14 These past several years I have received hundreds of responses to my daily devotionals that I send out daily, from people asking for prayer for sickness, relationships, family issues and many other requests for prayer. I can recall a recent request for prayer for a young new born baby that had severe lung problems, and was not expected to live out the week. Her mother was asking anyone to pray for her newborn baby and had sent e-mails to anyone she knew. I believe God heard all the prayers that everyone was praying for this young baby, as miraculously this baby almost recovered overnight and was released from the hospital within a few days. I believe God hears our prayer and tells us that when two or more are gathered in His name, and requests anything that it will be done for them. God has the power to heal any hurts, troubles and trials we are going through in our lives, and will answer our prayers when we go to Him with our hearts surrendered. So many people only turn to God when they are in trouble or have problems they cannot handle by themselves, which is unfortunate, as we should go to God in our good times as well, but it is so comforting to know that He is always there to comfort us and hear us at all times regardless. There is no one that can do what God can do, to take away our hurts and trials and make us whole again. Our parents cannot do this, our bosses cannot do this; there is no one but God that can restore us. So today when you have troubles and mountains in front of you, turn to God for your healing, and go to Him in prayer and He will hear you and give you peace. John 14:13 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the father.” My Daily Devotional Volume III February 6 Robert William Brock, Jr.