Show Compassion

Show Compassion “We are to continually walk in love being guided by love and following love.” 2 John 1:6 I have a good friend whom I have known for almost 24 years now who attends church with us each Sunday. I had noticed for about two weeks that something seemed to be bothering him, and asked him if everything was all right. After hesitating for a few minutes, which is not like him, he said that he was worried about some recent lab tests, and was afraid that it was cancer. He described his symptoms, and I spent several minutes talking with him. While I am not a Physician I have spent 45 plus years in health care, and attended most of the medical staff meetings where various diseases and symptoms are discussed, and the symptoms he was describing were very similar to the symptoms I have heard many physicians describe and talk about, and they were usually not associated with cancer. I related all of this information on to my friend and it seemed to make him feel much better about the problem. I called him later on during the week several times to find out if he had gotten the results which he said he had not gotten them yet. A couple of days later he called to tell me that his test results had come back negative. He was very happy and said I had been the only one that seemed to be concerned about him. This may seem like a very small thing, but I believe this is just one of the ways we can find to reach out to others and show them that we care about them. We all need someone from time to time to talk to about our little problems, and things that are bothering us. A little compassion shown to a friend, is something that we can provide. God wants us to be there for people who are hurting, and need some compassion or help during their times of trouble. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 30

Strive For Excellence

Strive For Excellence “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. Colossians 3:23-25 God wants us to be people of integrity and excellence. We need to be honorable and trustworthy in all our dealings. A person of integrity is honest and open to all the people he meets. He does not have any ulterior motives or hidden agendas and treats everyone with respect. He keeps his word in all things he does, and is the same in public as he is in private. Each one of us is constantly put in situations where our integrity is tested. How do we react when a clerk mistakenly gives us too much change for something we purchased? Do we keep the money or immediately tell the clerk that she made a mistake, and give it back? No matter what we do we must always be fair. The way we conduct ourselves with friends, neighbors, coworkers, and others we come into contact with reflects upon our character and our integrity. Most people are content to being average, but we need to be better than average and go the extra mile to help someone. I believe that God does not want us to just be average, and settle for mediocrity. He wants us to strive for excellence in all that we do. He does not want us to do just enough to barely get by, or to do what everybody else is doing. I believe God wants each of us to be the example and the frontrunner in whatever we do. He wants us to stand out in the crowd by showing people that we are a cut above, in our integrity, character, attitude, and the way we conduct our lives. God blesses excellence, character and integrity in your life, but he doesn’t bless mediocrity, He wants you to be special. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 29

Thank You God

Thank You God ”Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 Today is my birthday and is a day I want to give thanks to God. God has blessed me with a long life and so far pretty good health. From the time I can remember, I was raised in a wonderful Christian family by a mother, and grandparents who loved me very much. They were the kind of parents that watched over me with great care, protected me, provided for me, and most of all gave me love. I could not have asked for a more wonderful family than I was raised up in. Then one day I met the most wonderful person in the world, my wife. She is the most beautiful and precious person that God could ever have sent to me. I have had over forty eight years to spend with her, and these have been the happiest days of my life. We have three wonderful children and six precious grandchildren. God has blessed me tremendously during our life together. He has allowed me to earn a good living in health care administration, which I have enjoyed, and has allowed me to be able to serve others while raising my own family. But most of all I want to thank God for saving my soul, and giving me peace, joy and contentment in my life. He has been patient with me at times, and has been there in my times of trouble. He has been there to pick me up when I was down, and was there also during my times of joy. He has been with my family and protected them over the years, and now they are all born again Christians. I now thank God for blessing me and my family throughout the years, and give him praise for his kindness, patience, love and goodness that he has shown me over these seventy one years. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 28

Disappointments

Disappointments “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 Disappointment is something that each of us will be faced with at some time in our lives. We will find disappointment in our family life, business life and in our everyday associations with our friends, neighbors, and with most of the people we come into contact with. Living with disappointment is something that each of us must be equipped to do. No matter how much faith we have in people, each of us is going to encounter somebody or something that will question our faith. Our ability to deal with these disappointments is one of the cornerstones of our well being, and building of our self esteem and attitudes. Our friends, neighbors, family, business associates and all the people we come into contact with, will be watching us to see how we handle and conduct ourselves in dealing with these disappointments. Many of our disappointments have the potential to derail us and wreck our faith. It is vital that you recognize in advance that disappointments will come, and that you must learn how to stay on track and deal with them when they do. One of the key things we must realize is that God has a reason for many of the disappointments and things that happen in our lives. God has a plan for us, and all the things, which we call disappointments, is only one piece to a giant puzzle which we may or may not ever realize and see the end result. Our disappointments, pains, and hurts are only a tiny piece of this large puzzle. When our disappointments come this is the time that we must learn to trust him even more, and to rely on the knowledge that the tragedy or hurt was part of his great plan for us. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 27

You Must Forgive

You Must Forgive “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:15 The word forgiveness is one of the most used words in the Bible, and has several different connotations depending upon how it is used. These meanings are used by Jesus to describe the forgiveness of our sins, if we turn our lives over to him, and trust him for our salvation. Another meaning of forgiveness is where we are asked to forgive others who may have done wrong to us, or injured us in some way, and the process whereby we need to put this in our past and let go of the hurt and forgive them This is one of the more difficult things to overcome, but if we are not able to overcome this obstacle, it will be difficult for us to have the real peace and joy in our lives that we are looking for. It is so easy for all of us to make excuses and use the phrase “it’s not my fault” to describe our current situation. Forgiveness will relieve our hurts and pains of the past. It will bring back the happiness and joy in our lives. If we have bitterness in our hearts we cannot have the happiness and joy in our lives that we desire. Once we decide to release the bitterness we have stored and let it go, we will then be able to reap God’s blessings. Bitterness and pent up anger for something that has happened in our past will keep God from operating in our lives, and will keep our prayers from being answered. We must learn to forgive to be free. Forgiveness is a choice, but it is not an option if we want to live a happy life. In the above scripture Jesus promises us that if forgive others that sin against us, he will also forgive us. What better reason do we have to forgive others so that our sins will also be forgiven? If you have someone you need to forgive, do it today. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 26

Show Respect To All

Show Respect To All “Show proper respect to everyone.” 1st Peter 2:17 Respect is one of the most important things that any of us can do to show people that we care about them. It does not take any effort or training to demonstrate respect for our fellow man. Just being courteous and polite to everyone is a simple form of being respectful to others, and is a rule we should all follow with people we meet. Jesus emphasizes that we must show respect in so many ways throughout the Bible that I feel it is one of the most important things we can do to make others feel that we care about them. As a parent this is one of the traits I have emphasized with our children, as much as any we have ever taught them, is that they need to be respectful of all people they come into contact with. Our goal in life needs to make sure we treat our fellow man with respect regardless of what we perceive their status in life is. We should not treat the rich man any better than we do the less fortunate man, as in God’s eyes the poor man would probably be the most worthy. How we treat other people can have a great impact on the degree of blessings, and the favor of God we are experiencing in our own lives. We need to ask ourselves several questions. Are we good to people? Are we kind and considerate? Do we listen to them when they ask for help or advice, or do we act uninterested and turn them off? Do we go out of our way to do a good deed for someone we see that needs a helping hand? We should never judge any person we meet as only God can judge them. What kind of Christian can we be, if we pick and choose who we want to make feel good about themselves, and leave others with the feeling that we do not care about them. Show proper respect to all you meet today. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 25

Reach Out To Others

Reach Out To Others “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today.” Hebrews 3:13 I believe one of the best things each of us can do when we are having problems of our own, is to help solve somebody else’s problem. No matter how bad we feel, or how bad we think our problems are, somebody else is in a much worse position, and has bigger problems than we have. Finding these people and helping them is going to make us feel much better, and will also give us joy that we have been able to help our fellow man. God wants us to be an encourager, to be a giver, to use our talent that he gave us. We can only do this is we get our eyes off ourselves, and focus on what we can do for others. We must become givers instead of takers. If we get our minds off our own problems, and begin to help others, we won’t have to worry about our own needs. God will take care of them for us. If we help and care for the needs of others God promises to watch over us and care for us also. What better way to get our own needs met? There is so much need in all our communities that most people just pass by on a daily basis. No one seems to care about their fellow man, as they are too busy with their careers, their sporting events and all the other things that occupy their time. With all the need that is around us, people do not have the time or desire to spend just a few hours a week looking for ways to help others less fortunate. We need to be aware of the needs in our communities, and should be the first ones to be there to assist others. There is nothing that will provide you with the kind of satisfaction that you will have after helping someone in this fashion, and providing their needs. Reach out today to others, and God will bless you. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 24

You Can't Outgive God

You Can't Outgive God “You loved the world so much, you gave your only begotten Son to die for our sins so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 We all have grown up with the saying that “It is more blessed to give than receive.” There is probably not any more truer words than these to follow each and every day of our lives, and if each of us could follow this example we would be overflowing with blessings from God. God sets the standard for the ultimate gift, when he gave his son Jesus to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins. This was the ultimate gift that could be given to anyone. The majority of the Bible is based on the philosophy of giving. Christ commanded us to give, and give freely. To give freely is an invitation to a glorious and abundant life. If a person gets his attitude toward money right, it will help straighten out almost every other area of his life. Do you realize just how much we are a slave to our money? Some people spend their entire lives serving their money, often without even realizing it. Jesus warned us in Matthew 6:24 that “You cannot serve both God and Money.” The chief motive of the selfish person is “Get.”, while the chief motive of the dedicated Christian should be “Give”. Jesus said to “Give, and it will be given to you”. The Bible also teaches us that blessings follow those who give liberally. I have heard numerous people state over the years that they were always afraid to put to the test God’s promise to bless those who are generous. Then when they decided to tithe (to give a tenth of their income) in accordance with the Bible’s standard, they began to prosper. They discovered what countless others have known for years, and that is that you cannot out give God. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 23

Working Together

Working Together “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22: It is important for each of us to develop our ability to be able to work with others both in our families and in the business world. We cannot exist by ourselves, and it is essential that we be able to communicate with, and be able to work side by side with other individuals throughout our lives. Much of this ability is taught to us by our parents. If we have been given a good framework as to how we need to treat and respect our fellow man, it will be an easier task for all of us. The old saying “a family that plays together stays together” is probably one that we should never forget. If we learn to work together as a family on the family goals and objectives we will teach our children many lessons about working as a team. These lessons will help each of us relate better with our fellow employees later on in life during our careers, and with our friends and neighbors, and people we come into contact with each and every day. I believe that the way we treat our fellow man will have a great impact on the way God will favor us with his blessings throughout our lives. Our primary goal as parents should be to train our children in the way they should conduct their lives, and instill in them the moral values so that they will be prepared to manage and train their own children. If we provide a home that has a true faith in God, and demonstrate this to them by letting them see how we conduct our lives in a way that is pleasing to God, they will be well prepared to live their lives for God also. It is our responsibility as parents to provide this leadership to them, and we must do everything to give our children the best chance possible in order to survive in the world as it is today. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 22

Sowing Our Seeds

Sowing Our Seeds “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously.” 2nd Corinthians 9:6 I have always wondered as I grew up, and have always been amazed at the thought of how something as large as a mighty oak tree could be produced by a small seed, the size of the end of my finger. This tiny seed planted in usually infertile ground by the wind and rain, has grown from this tiny seed to a magnificent huge oak tree. This has impressed me over the years, that many of the things we have accomplished during our lives, once started out as tiny seeds that were nurtured and tilled, and now are magnificent trees in their own rights. I have seen our children grow up from our tiny beautiful babies, to be wonderful mature human beings, and are now producing their blooms and starting their own families. I have thought of the seeds I have planted over my life. Have I been the Johnny Appleseed in my family, and business and planted many seeds, or have I been the one to sit back and watch others plant the seeds. Only the people who sow seeds will reap a harvest. All throughout the Bible, we find the principle of sowing and reaping, and just as a farmer must plant his seeds before he can reap a harvest, we too must plant some good seeds in the fields of our families, careers, businesses, and personal relationships with our friends, neighbors and others we come into contact with. If we want happiness and joy in our lives, and have a positive attitude we must sow our seeds in order to produce what we want to harvest. If we will always follow the will of God and let him direct our way, we will know the right seeds to plant and know the seeds that will produce the right harvest. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 21

Fellowship With God

Fellowship With God “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7 Do you have the right fellowship with God in your daily life? Does God lead and direct you in the path you need to follow? These are important questions for you to ask yourself, as your future could depend on what your fellowship is with God. When you asked Jesus into your heart, your life changed, as you walked out of darkness into the light, out of a life filled with sin, to a life without sin. He expects you now to be perfected and holy in the sight of God. You need daily fellowship with God in order to live the life that He wants you to follow. Christian fellowship is more than attending Church — it is “assimilating” into the body of believers, becoming “one” in worshiping, loving, caring and sharing. According to the scripture above, fellowship is not an optional matter for believers. For the blood of Jesus Christ to have its continual cleansing effect over our sins, we must remain attached to Christ. If we sever fellowship with God, we risk cutting off the circulation of the cleansing blood! Keep in mind, salvation is based on “faith,” and is not earned by performing “works” such as attending Church (Eph. 2:8-9). But fellowship with Christ’s body, the church, is critical in helping to sustain your faith by providing ministry, encouragement, and an atmosphere of spiritual “cleansing” and growth. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is obviously the basis for the forgiveness of our sins, and the Bible indicates that we must have a proper relationship with Christ. Fellowship with the body of Christ is not just an option, but is critical to our continued survival as Christians. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 20

I Am Blessed

I Am Blessed “She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 3:17 Almost 49 years ago on July 10, 1965 I became the luckiest man alive as this was the day that I became the husband to the most beautiful and precious woman I have ever met. This day was the beginning of a love that has grown day by day, and year by year. Margaret has been the most precious gift that God could ever have given me, as my life has been blessed with her presence. God made her especially for me, and knew that she was what I needed in my life. She had been there to encourage me, when I have been down; she has comforted me in times of sickness; she has been there to share my joy and happiness when times were good, but most of all she was so influential in bringing me to salvation. We all need someone who we would like to imitate and pattern our lives after. We need someone that is a model of what each of us should want to be like, and she has been my model. I always had a role model to follow, as she was the best example of what each person should strive for in their lives. My parents and grandparents gave me this example before we were married, and Margaret has been my example after we were married. Her actions and behavior during this time has never wavered and has been there as a constant reminder of what God could do for me. We have talked over the years about what we would do different if we could live our lives over again, and I have always said I would not want to change anything about my life, as I could not make my life any better than it has been. There has not been a day in these forty seven years that I have not thanked God for giving me this wonderful person to share my life with. I am blessed. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 19

Meeting God

Meeting God “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway” Proverbs 8:34 If we’re going to be effective in hearing God and successful in walking with God, we have to develop certain habits. Staying close to God requires that we develop the habit of spending quiet time with Him. Developing that habit is critical to our growth in Christ. If we are going to be effective in hearing God, we have to do certain things over and over again. That is something called our daily devotions. When you do this, God will begin speaking to you. Successful people develop habits that unsuccessful people are unwilling to commit to. Jesus made it a habit to spend time with the Father. You can celebrate God in a crowd, but you can only know God one-on-one. You need to develop a habit of coming to Him one-on-one. You need to decide when is the best time for you to spend time with him, by reading the Bible, and seeing what He is saying to you. God is speaking to you through the Bible. The best time to meet with God is: When You are at Your Best. If your best is in the evening, then meet with Him in the evening. If your best time is in the morning, you meet with Him in the morning. God deserves the best part of our day, not the leftovers when I’m tired and I say, “Oh, I have to read. I need to read chapter … oh, this is so boring.” Reading the Bible is not boring. It is because I’m so tired that it seems boring. God deserves the best part of our day, and not only the best of our day; He deserve our best every day. Develop the habit of meeting God every day, and spending time with Him, praying to Him and reading His Holy Word. God expects us to come to Him daily, and to hear him, as He will lead and guide us to fulfill the plan He has for us. Have a meeting with God every day. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 18

Math That Works

Math That Works "For the Grace of God that brings Salvation has appeared to all men" Titus 2:11 I was never really good at math in high school or college, but I managed to get by, but I was far from being a scholar of it. However, having said that, I want to give you a math problem, and if you answer it correctly it will save your life, give you peace, give you comfort, and give you a guide that will lead and direct your path for the rest of your life. There will never be an easier problem to solve, and all of you can solve it, even if you have never taken a math class. If you take the Grace of God, and you add it to Salvation, what is your answer? If any of you were stumped, I will give you the answer. The answer is an Eternal Life. There may be many who do not believe this, or they would be eager to do the math themselves. We only receive the answer by trusting In Christ and making Him our Lord and Savior. We can't buy it because it is free. Jesus paid the price on Calvary's Cross for you and me. It is a free Gift from God, and the greatest gift we will ever receive, better than any Christmas or Birthday present you ever got. This math makes sense, as there is nothing lost, but so much to be gained, as when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we not only receive God's Grace, we also receive His Salvation. Now when you put Grace and Salvation together, you receive Eternal Life. Now that is one math problem that is No problem. Have you accepted what Christ did at the Cross for your sins today, my friend? If not, bow your head, and say, "Dear Lord Jesus, Come into my heart and Save me today, at this very hour, and forgive me of all my sins." When you mean that prayer, you have just solved the greatest math equation of all time! Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 17

Peace Declared

Peace Declared "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3 When France and England were at war, a French vessel had gone off on a long whaling voyage, but soon found they were short of water. They were near an English port, but were afraid that they would be taken captive if they docked there. They were spotted by sailors stationed there, who saw their distress signal, and sent word to them that they need not be afraid, that the war was over, and peace had been declared. But they hesitated for fear it was a trick, until they were near death, and finally were forced to dock. There they found that peace had actually been declared, and that the war was actually over. There are so many people today, like these sailors, who don't believe that peace was made for them, when Jesus died on the Cross. Jesus made peace, and now He wants us to enjoy it, and to believe in Him. There are no strings that keep us from accepting God's peace, and His salvation. But as long as we depend upon ourselves, and our own ability there are so many that feel they do not need God's gift. They fail to take into account that their current life is short, and will disappear as a mist in the wind. Death is just around the corner, and there is no promise that they will see tomorrow. It is the eternal life that they are missing out on, as unless they accept Jesus as their Savior, there is no hope and no future. Don't put off asking for, and accepting God's free gift of an eternal life, and also His peace and His comfort in your life. Your war will be over, your enemies defeated, and you will be at peace, as you will now have God on your side, who will lead and direct your life, to withstand the temptations of Satan. When Jesus arose from the grave, he said, "Peace be unto you." Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 16

Don't Conform

Don't Conform “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11 I am sure that many of you are faced with situations today, where you are being influenced by the surroundings you are in. It could be your place of work, your school, your family, your friends, or the neighborhood where you live. You cannot change many of the influences in your life, but if you compare this to a field full of weeds, and in the middle of this field of weeds, there is a beautiful sunflower rising above the weeds. This sunflower has not stopped blooming, because of its surroundings, and this has not kept it from being as radiant and beautiful as it is. You need to use the same reasoning as this in your circumstances, as you can live among a bunch of weeds, but this must not let that stop you from blooming, or from being happy, and contented where you are. You cannot control the traffic on a busy highway, or all the shoppers in a large mall either. You cannot fix everything. Your positive attitude about your life and your circumstances and your own abilities, will keep you blooming wherever you may be. This attitude will be catching, and will rub off on the people you meet, and will be your way of helping influence the attitude of others. You are no better than the other complainers and grumblers, and people who are not happy, if you conform to their standards and have your own pity party. You must overcome the negativism that surrounds you, and be the sunflower that is blooming in the field of weeds. You must be the lighthouse that stands out above the rolling seas, and be the beacon for others to follow. God has commanded you to be an ambassador for Him in all you do, do your job, and stand out. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 15

Be Happy

Be Happy “God will give to each person according to what he has done, but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good.” Romans 2:6 The right attitude we have about ourselves will enable us to choose the kind of life we will have. Our lives can be happy ones where we have a true joy and peace, or it can be one where we are constantly battling depression, worry and can only see trouble in our path. I have always felt that God’s plan for our lives is that we will be joyful, peaceful, and contented, and that he would let us have an abundant life. We must strive to get our attitude to the point where we feel good about ourselves, and finding the inner peace that will enable us to be the happy individuals we would like to be. This does not mean that we will not have obstacles in our path that will try to rob us of our happiness and joy, but by being able to harness the positive attitude, and focus our inner self and energies to a positive position, we will be able to avert these obstacles and bypass them, and ultimately have this inner happiness and peace. I believe happiness is a choice we make each day we live. When we get up in the morning we can choose to be happy and enjoy our day. It is our responsibility to choose to be happy, as it is only if we are happy that we will be able to fully do God’s will for our lives. It will be impossible to witness for God if we are grumbling, complaining, and unhappy with everything and everybody we meet. God is counting on us to be a positive influence on the people we encounter during our day. By speaking a word of encouragement, giving a warm smile, or having a positive attitude is the way all of us can let our lights shine, and have a positive influence on the people we come into contact with. God wants you to be happy. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 14

Be A Good Listener

Be A Good Listener “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” Proverbs 1:5 All throughout the Bible we see scriptures that indicate that Jesus was a good listener. I have experienced the importance of being a good listener, throughout my business career, as I learned so much from my employees, as to what their needs were, and then I could react and make my hospital a better place. It is extremely important to be a good listener for your family members. If your children are made to feel that they can come to you, and have your undivided attention and tell you anything that is on their minds, or things that are troubling them, they will keep you informed as to their activities, and up to date with things in their lives. This time when they are communicating with you, should be the time when they feel you care about them, and are there and willing to listen and offer advice and help if it is asked of you. This is the time you have where you can offer reinforcement to your true values, and the values that the family is operating under. These times should always be positive times, and times where the children feel free and open to discuss any subject that is on their minds. You do not want to use this time to lecture, or to enforce other guidelines on them, as these times must be used for the purposes the children came to talk to you about. If you try to use this as the time to get other points across, they will quickly see this, and will not come to talk to you about the things that are going on in their lives. It is important to always make these times, "their times," and listen to them. Being a good listener is also especially important when dealing with your friends, neighbors and other people you meet on a daily basis. Being a good listener is a gift from God. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 13

Think Positive

Think Positive "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 Are you a positive thinker or a negative thinker? This is so important as this defines you in so many ways throughout your life, as to the effect you have on others. This is a story about a positive thinking farmer and a negative thinking farmer. When rain fell on the land, the positive farmer would say, “Thank you, Lord, for watering our crops.” The negative farmer would say, “Yeah, but if this rain keeps up, it’s going to rot the roots away, and we’re never going to have a harvest. The sun came out and the positive farmer said, “Thank you, Lord, for the sunshine. Our crops are getting the vitamins and minerals they need. We’re going to have a great harvest this year. ”The negative farmer said, “Yeah, but if it keeps this up, it’s going to scorch those plants. We’re never going to make a living. ”One day the two farmers went goose hunting together, and the positive farmer brought along his new bird dog. He was so proud of that dog, he couldn’t wait to show him off. They went out in a small boat and waited. Before long, a big goose flew overhead. Boom! The positive farmer brought the bird down in the middle of the lake. He turned to his friend and said, “Now watch what this dog can do.” The dog jumped out of the boat and ran on top of the water, picked up the goose, ran back all the way on top of the water, and put the goose down perfectly in the boat. The positive farmer was beaming from ear to ear. He turned to his friend, and said, “What did you think of that?”The negative farmer just shook his head in disgust. “Just what I thought,” he said. “That dog can’t even swim.” God's best for you is to have you be a positive influence on others, not a negative influence. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 12

God's Goals

God's Goals “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” Colossians 3:23 I have written many devotionals about working as hard as we can to accomplish our goals and objectives, as I feel this is what God tells us throughout the Bible. We cannot sit back and think that everything will be given to us on a silver platter, but we have to earn everything we have, and with God going with us every step of the way, we can succeed. Our goals and objectives in life must be aligned with God's plan for us, but we must put forth an effort. Just like the example of the Parable of the Talents, the men that were successful worked to make God's gifts grow. They did not bury them in the sand, but made them grow by their work. There will always be roadblocks put in our way that will test us, but we must not be afraid and lose our focus. Using our common sense in making the majority of the decisions will usually be enough to push aside most of these roadblocks. On some of the tougher roadblocks we may have to change direction, as to how we will accomplish our goals, but we cannot lose sight of what we want the final outcome to be. Although I set goals for myself that I can accomplish all by myself, I am not bashful in seeking advice from a friend or family member as to how to overcome an obstacle in my path. I have found that people like to offer advice as to handle a particular situation and in many instances their suggestion will be the answer to overcoming the obstacle. However, I now put my faith and trust in God to lead and guide me, to reach the goals and objectives that God and I have agreed upon for my life. Work with God's goals and you can succeed. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 11

Value Your Time

Value Your Time “Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.” Ecclesiastes 8:5 I have always been one to always be on time for any appointment. I have always thought that if I tell someone I will be there at a specific time, I like to be there on time, and in most cases get there much earlier than I need to, and usually spend time in everybody’s waiting room reading magazines for a few minutes. Being on time helps to promote your character, and indicates that you are a man of your word. I believe it also shows respect to whoever you are meeting, in that you felt they were important enough to be on time. People are impatient and waiting for someone who is not on time, is one of the little things that can really upset many people and ruin their day. If I can do my part in keeping someone from feeling this way, I feel it is my duty to do everything to keep my time arranged, whereby I am on time and at the place where I am supposed to be. I believe this respect of other people, in that we think enough of them to be on time, helps define our character. I know that there are circumstances where things happen that will cause us to be late for an appointment, but these should be the exception and not the rule. If we find that we are constantly being late for appointments, we need to make the necessary adjustment to get this corrected. By making small adjustments in our behavior we can affect and influence others in a positive manner, and builds our character. People need to feel that we respect them and being late for appointments, I believe shows a lack of respect for them. So when you are scheduling your time take into account the time of others as you can have a positive influence on them. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 10

Homesick For Heaven

Homesick For Heaven "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." 2nd Corinthians 5:1 I have a dear friend, who has spent the past several years in terrible pain, due to cancer, which has spread throughout her body, and the radiation treatments leave her weak and exhausted. Her husband passed away several years ago, and she is struggling and just getting by each day. She recently sent me an e-mail asking me to pray for her, and stated that she was homesick for Heaven. Our life on earth is so often filled with trials and troubles, and often reaches the point that we just want it to end, and rid ourselves of the pain and struggles we face in our daily lives. We should all be homesick for Heaven, and long to be there, as there will be no more pain and suffering to bear. I know that during the past several years as my age is catching up with me, and the pains throughout my body seem to be more frequent, I also am getting more homesick for Heaven. It is a wonderful feeling to know that there is something better waiting for me, when this life is over. Physical death does not bother me any longer, as it only holds the promise of a new perfect body in Heaven where I will live eternally with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I have always thought that each of us has a hole in our heart that only God can fill. That hole can never be filled completely until we are in our eternal home with the Lord. When I look at scriptures such as the one above, I am encouraged knowing that what lies ahead for me, and the great reunions I will have with my loved ones that have gone ahead. I believe God has designed us to be homesick for Heaven, and we will never be at peace until we share Heaven with Him. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 9

Test Yourself

Test Yourself “Each one should test his own actions then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each should carry his own load.” Galatians 6:4 I feel it is extremely important to continually test ourselves to see if we are doing the things that God intended for us to do. I believe if we can get in a habit of evaluating ourselves on a daily basis, we will find that there will be times we did something that we felt proud of, and there will be times we did things that we were not proud of, and also would not be pleasing in the sight of God. It is also important to test yourself as to how well you accomplished what you set out to do. This is the importance of having goals and objectives. By beginning each day with, for example, the goal of being a positive influence on the people you met, it is equally as important to know if you accomplished your goal or fell short. These do not have to be major situations, but could simply be a friendly conversation at the local coffee shop with a waitress. Did you leave the waitress with comments that would be uplifting to her or did you grumble about the wait to get your coffee? By handling a situation as simple as this in an uplifting manner, could have set the tone for her day. Consider all of these times when you came into contact with your fellow man, and evaluate these encounters as to whether you left a positive impact on them or a negative impact. After doing this daily assessment of your encounters, and how you reacted to each of them for several days, you will begin to become much more aware of the times you reacted badly, and hopefully will begin to see a pattern which will indicate that there is room for improvement in the way you dealt with each of these situations. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 8

Attitude Adjustment

Attitude Adjustment “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:13 What kind of attitude do you have each morning when you wake up? This is an important question for you to consider, as your attitude often determines what is in your heart. By simply getting focused at the beginning of each day on the proper attitude we need to have, can have a tremendous effect on our families, our fellow employees, our schoolmates and on everyone we meet. Our attitudes affect others around us and we can either be a positive influence or a negative influence on all the people we come into contact with. God wants us to be a positive influence on all the people we meet, and not be a deterrent or negative influence on anyone. There are eight criteria listed below which I think is necessary to have the right attitude. 1. We need to wake up each day with the thought of being happy for the day. Happiness is a choice we each make in our own lives. 2. Don’t let the little things get you down. These are the killers that will rob your day of its happiness, and will keep you from reaching your potential for the day. Don’t let the traffic jam or the spilled cup of coffee ruin your day. 3. Don’t worry about things you cannot change. Let God take control of these circumstances Be content and happy and keep your attitude positive. 4. Appreciate today as it is, as you will never be able to live it again. Live it to its fullest. Make sure you have your attitude adjusted to be happy and not let anyone take away your joy for the day. 5. Learn to smile for your health. Smiling is the best way to get yourself geared up for your day. It will make you feel better and keep you in the proper frame of mind for the day. 6. Be content where you are. God has put you in your job, in your city, in your family, in your neighborhood for a reason. He knows all about you. Be content and trust him for the answers. 7. Trust God for the answers to the obstacles that you will face for the day and he will provide you with the wisdom to meet these challenges and deal with them successfully. 8. And most of all forget the past. Whatever happened yesterday or last week or last year is gone. Nothing you can do will change the hurt, disappointments and circumstances that have happened in the past. You can’t do anything about it so forget it and plan for the day ahead and the future. The future is the only thing we can influence. Our attitude is so important as people need to see God in us, by the way we speak, by our behavior and actions, and the way we treat others. Each day we have opportunities to minister to others, and having the right attitude is just one of the attributes we need to have to do this effectively. We have God's great commission to fulfill. By putting ourselves in the best frame of mind at the beginning of the day, we have equipped ourselves to put our best foot forward, and given ourselves the best opportunity possible. If you get up in the morning in a terrible mood, the best thing you can do is find a place and spend some time with the Lord. By learning to seek God quickly when we sense any attitude or behavior that is not Christ like, will help us prepare ourselves each day, and be the witness that God wants us to be. Just remember that your attitude is one of the first things people will notice about you, they will like you or not like you because of your attitude. Put on the best smile you can, and let your attitude be pleasing to God and others. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 7

God's Gifts

God's Gifts “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. Peter 4:10 I have always liked the Parable of the Talents in the Bible where Jesus gave three men the same amount of money, and told them that He would return to see how they handled it. One man did not use the talent, did not make any effort to use it, and his talent was taken away. I believe that God has given each of us a gift or talent, not in the form of money as indicated in the scripture above. Whether we use this God given gift or talent to its fullest extent will depend upon our ability to grow our talent, instead of allowing it to remain hidden and dormant, and to be taken away from us because of underutilization, or non use. I believe many of us will discover that our talent lies in an area of our lives that we feel we have problems with, and if we do not face the problem and overcome it, we will never be able to use our talent the way God wants us to. I know that in order to use the talent God gave me, I had to overcome a severe speech problem as I was growing up. It has taken much effort on my part to overcome this obstacle, but I feel that I have now conquered it. God has a purpose in the way he uses each one of us, and it is our responsibility to step up, put in whatever effort we need to, and overcome any obstacle, in order to use the talents and gifts he has given us. If we do this God will reward us by adding additional talents. I feel that God will put obstacles in our path to test us, to see if we are willing to put forth an effort to use our gifts, but if we sit back and weep and feel sorry for ourselves during these times, and do not overcome the problems we face he will take our gifts and talents away from us. Use God's gifts and talents wisely. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 6

The Joy Of The Lord

The Joy Of The Lord “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:17 For so many years of my life I did not know what God's will was for me. I changed jobs several times, and moved from one state to another. I thought all of these changes was something I was making happen, but I now believe that God has put me here at this place in my life for a reason, and that all the circumstances that have occurred in my life to this point, have been to fulfill his plan for me. I can recall reading an article by Billy Graham a few years ago which said that when our hearts are surrendered totally to the will of God, then we delight in seeing him use us in any way he pleases. Our plans and desires begin to agree with his, and we accept his direction in our lives. I know that my life has changed as I am doing the will of God, and I am at peace. Our sense of joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment in life increases, no matter what the circumstances, if we are in the center of God’s will. I only know that I have never had the understanding about my life, and what the true purpose of my life had been until now, and the wonderful feeling I now have about myself and what I want to accomplish in my remaining years. I believe I have the "Joy of the Lord" in my heart as I am doing His will. The Christian life is a joyful life, as Christianity was never meant to be something to make people miserable. The ministry of Jesus Christ was one of joy. The Bible teaches us that a life of inner peace is a Christian’s birthright. What a witness to the world Christians would be if only they were happier people, as joy is one of the marks of a true believer in Christ. Do you have the "Joy of the Lord" in you, and will others see the joy of Christ in your life today? Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 5

God's Recipe

God's Recipe "Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right." Proverbs 8:6 This past weekend my wife and I baked our favorite cake, a three layer coconut cake, which we do several times a year, on special occasions. As I was mixing the ingredients, I thought about all the things that we were adding to the mixture. We added raw eggs, cooking oil, baking soda, flour and many other ingredients to the mixture, each of which by themselves, would not be good and taste terribly, but when mixed together, and then baked are delicious. As we mixed all these ingredients together, this made me think that God works the same way in our lives. We experience bad times during our lives, when things do not go well, as we have times of sickness, times of bad relationships, times of stress, times of doubt, times of sorrow, and times when many other situations take away our happiness. However, there are many times during life when we are happy, when we are joyful, when everything seems to fit together, when we are content and things just seem right in all aspects of our lives. But God knows that when He puts all of the good times, and all of the bad times, all in His order, they always work for good. All of our life experiences work together to make us what we are, and to have us at the place that God wants us to be. During the bad times and the good times God is molding us and making us to be the people we are today. If you are experiencing either of these situations, either the good times or the bad times, in your life today, just remember that God is still in control. Be content where you are, but know that God is all knowing and knows where you are, and wants you to continue to trust in Him, and in His time will make something wonderful. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 4

God's Dreams

God's Dreams “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24 I believe God places dreams in our hearts. He speaks through us in gentle whispers all throughout our lives, telling us what our purpose is and what His plans are for each of us. I know that God spoke to me in this manner throughout my life, as He put His dreams in me. I have realized this so much during these past several years, as the dreams and visions God placed on my heart did not come from me, but from Him. My entire ministry has been based on the dreams that God gave me through these gentle whispers. I caught God’s visions and dreams, and have spent the most successful years, and joy filled time of my life, fulfilling God’s dreams. God had a plan for me and my life, and He revealed His dreams and visions to me. All the doors have been opened to make these dreams and visions become realities. I did not have the knowledge or wisdom to make these dreams come true, but I had the faith and trust in God, and knew that He would let these come to fruition. All of these dreams and visions that God has given me, have come true because I have trusted and had faith. When God puts a dream in your heart, listen to it, and go forth as Noah did. Don’t question it, but undertake it with all your might, give it your full commitment, and it will come true. Our biggest challenge will be to step out in faith, into the unknown, and let God take charge. He will lead us to make the right decisions, and give us the wisdom and knowledge, to put into place the steps that will enable our dreams and visions to come true. As we see our dreams begin to become realities, God will give us peace and joy in our lives. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 3

Is Your Home Blessed

Is Your Home Blessed “The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.” Proverbs 3:33 If God is present in the home the house will be blessed, but if God is not present in the home the house will be cursed. God provides the guidance throughout the Bible, for the mother and father to use to teach their children. He gives us all the instruction and guidance we will ever need, to live a successful and Godly life, and set the example for our children to follow. Proverbs 22:6 “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” When we turn our lives over to God, and begin to do His will, He will let great things happen. Doors will begin to be opened, and His blessing will begin to flow in our lives. We will have the peace and joy that He promises. He will give us guidance, and we will have peace in all the things that we do, as we will be living our lives following His commands and doing His will. Psalm 37:23-24 “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” By trusting in God and obeying His commands for your life He gives you the promise that he will watch over you, and help you with the decisions you will make today, and every day of your life. In His Word He gives you the way you are to live your life each day, and how you are to love and respect your fellow man. By following His commands and obeying His will, He will show you the way and make your steps firm. Although you may stumble from time to time in your daily life, God will not confront you with obstacles and burdens you cannot bear. If you live your life in a way that is pleasing to Him, He promises to watch over you, and protect you from harm, and will let you prosper. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 2

Plan Your Time Wisely

Plan Your Time Wisely “But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.” Isaiah 32:8 So often as I have counseled people over the years, I have found that most of them have not taken the time to really set down and analyze how they use their time. There are only twenty four hours in a day, and after the time for sleep is deducted, there is only a certain amount of time that we have control over. This is the time that each of us need to use wisely, and apply this time to the things that are important to each of us. When we wisely use our time to apply to the things that matter most to us, such as our families, we will see amazing results begin to happen. Relationships with our wife, our children and our families overall, will begin to flourish and grow, and our life will become more complete. When we reduce the time we spend on ourselves, and on our own pleasures, and apply this time towards God, our families and others as God tells us to, our lives will begin to change dramatically. I believe that good stewardship according to the Bible, is when we have control over our time, and tithe a part of our time to God, the same as we do our money. So many Americans now spend so much of their time pursuing hobbies, pastimes and pleasures that there is not very much time in their day left over for their real priorities. How often do we hear people say that “there is just not enough time in the day to get anything done?” This will not happen if you have your priorities set properly, and if you plan your time to first apply all your time to your real priorities. If you do not know what you value most in your life, and allocate your time to these values, you will find that your time will be wasted, and your real priorities will not be given the consideration they need to have. Plan your time wisely. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six November 1