Be Renewed

Be Renewed "I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily." Hosea 14:5 I remember going out into the woods in the very early morning with my grandfather, and feeling the dew falling on the leaves, trees and grass and being wet almost like it had been raining. The dew is a source of freshness, as it is nature's provision for renewing the face of the earth. The grass, the leaves and everything it falls on is refreshed and renewed because of the dew and its regenerated value. It falls at night, and without it much of the vegetation would wither and die. It is this great value of the dew which is so often recognized in the Scriptures. It is used as the symbol of spiritual refreshing. Just as nature is bathed in dew, so can the Lord renew us. Titus 3:5 tells us of spiritual refreshing connected with "renewing of the Holy Ghost." Many Christian do not recognize the importance of the heavenly dew in their lives, and as a result they lack freshness and vigor. Their spirits are drooping for lack of dew, and something to refresh them each day. It is like a laboring man attempting to do his day's work without eating, or a servant of God attempting to minister without eating of the heavenly manna. It does no suffice to have spiritual nourishment occasionally, as every day you must receive the renewing of the Holy Ghost. You can feel your whole being renewed with the vigor and freshness of the presence of God. During the still and quietness of the night, when the grass and leaves are still, you are also ready to receive the refreshing and invigorating bath; as the spiritual dew comes from lingering in God's presence. Get still before Him, get in His presence, pray to Him and thank Him for all His blessings. Wait before God until you feel saturated with His presence; then go forth in the hours ahead with the conscious freshness and vigor of Christ. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 31

Arise And Shine

Arise And Shine "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." Isaiah 60:1 Some of my fondest memories are of my grandfather, and the time we spent together camping out in the woods, either squirrel or rabbit hunting or training our beagle puppies. We would make a campfire and fry bacon or sausage and eggs, or other food which always tasted so good. The scent of the cooking food and the smell of the logs burning on the campfire is something that I will never forget. When you wake up after camping deep in the woods, the first sense to attract our attention each morning is smell. The aromatic whiffs of food cooked over an open flame are a wonderful treat to awakening senses. The savory aroma of bacon, sausage, and especially a fresh pot of coffee, gently moves through the forest and rests overhead just long enough to rouse any sleeping camper and produce a memory like no other. Each of us has moments like these, and these classic times of pleasure that provide a platform for memories of our past that are special to us still lingers in our minds. The first call of the morning brings us into a new day and helps to set the pace and tone for the tasks ahead. Could it be that as followers of Christ, we experience wake-up calls in our lives that are for more than just reminiscing? Our wake-up calls, lessons learned, and "deserts crossed" with God's help and presence, can turn these experiences into opportunities that allow God's loving plans for our lives to shine through us to a lost and depraved world. Isaiah shouted, "Arise, shine!" We need to get up each day and share the joy of knowing Christ with others. There are many who would otherwise never awaken to become a child of God unless you share the joy of knowing Christ with them. Become the aroma of Christ today with all you meet. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 30

Brock's Birthday

Brock's Birthday "If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?" 1st Corinthians 9:11 Today is the birthday of my first grandson, Brock Elliott Ford, who will be 24 today. Brock, has been a real blessing to me and Margaret, as Pamela and Tim, his mother and father, have lived close to us ever since Brock was born. We have watched him grow, and grow and grow, until he is now a man almost 6'5'. Brock has always had such a kind, gentle and loving heart, and is such a reminder to me as to what the presence of God can do in the life of a young boy, as they are growing up. Brock has grown up in a home where God has been the center of the home, and in this environment Brock knows what the presence of God can do. His family has always attended church, and have always been actively involved in all the church activities. Brock has always been around friends, that have had the same Christian values as were practiced in his own home, and these values have now become part of his own life. This is how God intended a family to function; one centered around God, and one that practices and lives by godly values. When children are raised in this kind of environment, they know right from wrong, and when temptations begin to invade their lives, they know when to step back, and turn away from them. We are so proud of the fine young man that God has placed in our life, and as he ventures out into the world, we know that God is walking with him, and will be there to watch over him and protect him. Brock, we pray that you will always keep your eyes on Jesus, and continue to develop an even closer relationship with Him in the years ahead. We love you Brock, and now place you in God's hands where we will let Him fulfill the plans He has for you. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 29

You Are Not Alone

You Are Not Alone "The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;" Deuteronomy 1:30 This scripture is an important one, that tells us that God is there with us each step of our way through life. I want you to realize that at one time or another in life you going to have battles you will have to fight, and mountains you will have to climb. The battles are not necessarily physical battles, as they may be battles with health, with a relationship that has gone bad, with financial issues, with a job loss, but these are battles none the less, and as you fight these battles there are times when you will feel like you are all alone in fighting them. When there are mountains and challenges before you it becomes difficult to try to navigate them on your own, and you may realize that you need help to get through what you are facing. It is then that you should remember all that the Lord has done in your life, and how He has always been there for you, keeping and blessing you even when you did not know how you were going to make it. Just remember that the Lord our God goes before us, and He will fight for us, just as He did for all His people in Egypt right before their eyes. I encourage you today to remember that no matter what it is you are facing, and how difficult it may be, the Lord who goes before you will fight for you. When you are facing battles and challenges of life, do not give up and become discouraged, but allow God to go with you to do battle. The Lord will make a way for you, even when it seems there is no way He will open doors for you, and lead you on the right paths. All you have to do is trust and have faith in Him to see you through. Just like the Lord did for His people in the desert He will do it again for you, and deliver you from your struggles and lead you to your promised land.. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 28

Trust God For Your Victory

Trust God for Your Victory “He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.” Psalm 112:7-8 How often do we hear bad news, that someone has died, lost their jobs, developed a serious illness, a marriage has broken up, and many other instances where serious issues have developed in people's lives? Many times it is difficult to know how to respond to these problems, and know how to counsel someone. When tragedies face us, many times we do not know where to turn to, and what to do in these circumstances. The scripture above should give solace to us, as God tells us that if our heart is secure in him that we should have no fear. Even though we may not see how the situations will be resolved, we need to face these trying times with the assurance that God is in control, and lean on His everlasting arms for protection and guidance to get through these issues. We must always remember that God knows all things and is aware of what we are going through, and tells us that He will not place burdens on us too heavy for us to bear. God tells us that we will be tested throughout our lives in order to let us know that we are not in control, but that He is. During these rough times we need to be steadfast in our faith and trust in Him, as God will let us triumph over our problems. We must continue to thank Him and believe in Him for our deliverance. I can recall times when I have had issues in my life which I did not know how to handle at the time, but by being faithful and trusting in God for the answer He provided the solutions to my problems, many times with better results than before the problems began. I would encourage each of you, that when you face challenges in your life, to not give up on God, but continue to believe and trust in Him for your victory. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 27

Be Persistent

Be Persistent "Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming." Luke 18:4-5 We have a little dog named Teddy, that I found on the side of the road about 7 years ago. He has been an important part of our family and is our family greeter, and loves to meet people at the door and let them pet him. Teddy is rather impatient however, when it comes to getting his daily treats, or if he gets out of water, or wants to go outside. He will jump into our laps, or sit and stare at us until we get what he wants. He reminds me of the story of the persistent widow, who kept coming back to Jesus over and over asking Him for justice against her adversary. Jesus tells us in this parable that we must not give up if our prayers are not met, in the time frame that we want them to be answered. We need to continually be praying for things that we want Jesus to do in our lives, but so often we pray for things, and if they are not answered immediately we stop and resign ourselves that God has not heard them or is not answering them. This parable about the persistent widow, should give us the assurance that God really does hear us, and if whatever we are praying for doesn't happen immediately, we should not stop, but keep asking God. The things we pray for should be things that are aligned with God's plan for us, and things that are in His will, and if they are, we need to keep persisting that God will hear us and answer them. We must always remember that our time is not God's time, and that the timing when God may fulfill our prayers may not be what we want and expect, but if they are in God's will for us, they will be answered at the right time. "I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly." Luke 18:8. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 26

The Joy Of The Lord

The Joy Of The Lord "This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 Today I want you to think about what your plans are for the rest of the day, and to consider if you have asked God to be part of them. Each day most people wake up with the expectation of doing the things they had planned the day before, it may be catching up on things you have been putting off, or maybe a project you have been wanting to tackle for some time, but have been putting it off. You may have your mind entirely focused on whatever it is you want to get done in the hours ahead. It only takes a moment when you wake, to ask God to be with you in doing whatever you want to do, but it is something that you should do each day. Taking God along with you will help you to stay calm, and not let the slightest interruption or problem cause you to become irritated or upset. God knows ahead of time what may cause you problems, as He is aware of all things, but being in His presence will keep you at peace, regardless of what unforeseen problems you may face. We think that we don't need God, but we do, even in the little things. It is so easy to let the first little thing that goes wrong in our day, rob us of our peace, as this is Satan at work in our life, but when we take God with us, He can help us keep our peace. When you face any trial or struggle, when things go wrong, when obstacles suddenly confront you, and you let them affect you and rob you of your peace, you are playing into Satan's hands. The Bible tells us to be content in all our circumstances, and in whatever struggle we may face. With God by your side, you can still stay calm, and be content with whatever issues you may face. Take just a moment each morning to make God part of all that you do and let His peace and joy be in your heart all throughout your day, and in all that you do. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 25

The Little Things

The Little Things "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 I want to share with you today a lesson I learned many years ago that literally transformed my daily life. It became the difference between me going through the day in my strength, feeling like there was a 200 pound weight on my back, and going through the day in the Lord's strength, effortlessly and free regardless of what the circumstances or problems that day brought. We have no problem praying to God about the "big things" in our life, but what about the "little things?" What I am talking about are those day-to-day issues that we face that may not seem life-changing, and in the big scheme of things are pretty trivial. Getting a parking place. A problem at the bank with your account. Your car needs to be serviced. An issue at your job or at school. You find ants in your house. They can't find two of your shirts at the dry cleaners. I am talking about literally thousands and thousands of daily issues that arise as you are simply living your life. These are the "little things" that we never pray about and try to handle on our own. The Bible says that God cares about you and loves you so much He even knows the number of hairs on your head. If God cares enough to number the hairs on your head, why would you think He doesn't care if your keys are lost or your sprinkler system is not working? Let me assure you that he does care. Start praying about the little things, and you will find it will literally transform your life and your relationship with God. Years ago, I realized that I was living my life not really depending on God, but myself. Then I began to pray about everything, no matter how insignificant it seemed. I would pray as I was looking for a parking spot. That didn't mean a spot up front magically became available, but it did mean I got the exact spot God wanted me to be in. I would pray when I took my car to be serviced. It didn't mean that there weren't things that needed to be repaired, but God made sure what needed to be fixed was, and it was in good working order. The point I want you to grasp is that thinking we are in control of anything is a myth. However, God is in control of everything at all times. He has given us the ability to communicate with Him at any time about anything. We are fools when we don't take full advantage of that opportunity. Trust me, there is nothing you can do better than God. You are only making your life more difficult when you live any part of your life apart from God. You are carrying unnecessary burdens when you don't take everything, even the little things to the Lord in prayer. God loves you and cares about everything in your life, even the little things. Have you ever gone to your parents, your boss, or a friend with a problem and they told you, "Don't bother me, I don't have time right now, figure it out yourself." God will never do that. The Bible doesn't say, "Call upon the Lord with the big problems in life, but handle the little things yourself." The Bible tells us to bring all of our petitions to the Lord. That means not just the big things in our life, but the little things as well. We are actually in rebellion to God when we are trying to deal with anything in our lives apart from Him. The scripture above tells us that without Him, we can do nothing. It doesn't say we can do the little things, it says nothing. When we pray about those little things we face each day, we are not only being obedient, we are not only acknowledging our dependence upon the Lord, we are taking the pressure off our ourselves. We are being foolish not to call upon the name of the Lord and let His Spirit guide us in everything we do in life. Simply take a moment and ask God to show you the way, help you through whatever the problem may be, guide you in your decisions. You will be amazed at how it will transform your daily life. Not only will you be living in the freedom of His strength, but you will start to live with great confidence, because when God is guiding you and directing your steps, you will be victorious in all your ways. Start praying about the big things and also about the little things. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 24

Above It All

Above It All "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 This morning as I was doing my Bible study, I heard the honking of geese outside, as they were flying south for the winter. The wind was blowing quite briskly, and it seemed like they were having difficulty flying against the wind. This reminds me that in this life so many people find themselves flying against the wind, as the troubles and trials of daily living, seem to drag them down, and keep them from moving forward the way they want. The relationship issues, health issues, financial issues, worry, stress, and just the pressures of daily living that are constantly pressing against them keep them from having the peace and joy in their lives that they long for. I am also reminded about the eagle, who flies above the wind currents, in the calm air above, and has little to slow its flight. It can soar above all the pressures of life and is free to soar and not be weary. If you find yourself struggling with your life, and all the pressures and resistance you are facing, and do not have any peace and joy in your life, you are not alone. But the good news is that you can rise above all this, and find a life filled with peace, joy and contentment, just by asking God to help you. God can be your comfort, and calm the fiercest winds. He can calm the waters, and let you rise above the struggles and trials of this life, and let you see what life is like on the mountain tops. You don't have to remain in the valleys, only seeing the sides of the mountains, and never experiencing victory over your struggles. You can be victorious over all of the things that are keeping you down, just by asking Jesus to come into your heart today. You can soar on wings like eagles, you will run and not grow weary, you will walk and not be faint. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 23

I'll Fly Away

I'll Fly Away "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:14 This morning I got up with an old song on my mind, "I'll Fly Away." The song is not heard very much in our modern day church services, but it has such a wonderful message. "Some glad morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away; To a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away (I'll fly away)." The words of this beautiful song will someday be the hope of all of Christian's that want to make Heaven their home. It will be a glad day when this day arrives, as the struggles of this life will be over, there will be no more pain, no worry, no stress, no heartaches, as this will all be over. For the ones that will fly away to God's celestial shore there will be only peace and joy awaiting them, as all the things of this world will be done away with, as we will now walk in the paradise that God has prepared for us. However, in order to experience this wonderful day, we have work to do while we are still on this earth. We must prepare ourselves, and be deemed worthy of God letting us fly away to Heaven to be with Him. The demands are not hard, as they only require us to ask Jesus to come into our hearts, make Him first in all we do, and obey His commandments. Each one of you reading this devotional can look forward to flying away with God to Heaven just by following these easy steps. Time is critical however, as we do not know when this day will come, as we are not promised tomorrow. So many people get up each morning and find that this was the last chance they had to make the decision to accept Christ as their Savior. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, don't take the chance of being too late, but take a few minutes this morning to ask Him into your heart. He is waiting for you, and wants you to be ready to "Fly away to your eternal home in Heaven." Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 22

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Don't Worry, Be Happy 'The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out." Proverbs 13:9 We have a relative whose life is a constant daily battle with worry about what the future holds. His life is filled with anxiety about every little decision, and the consequences that it may make in his future. In his mind he tries to predict all the consequences that may occur from his decisions, always looking to the bad side of what could happen. Naturally there is no joy in his daily life, as all he can see is bad things happening down the road, based on the smallest decisions he made today. This is not the kind of life God wants us to live, as life should be filled with happiness, joy, peace and tranquility. We can never be an ambassador for God when we are constantly battling worry, self doubt, tragedy, and failure in everything we do. God expects our life to show the happiness, the joy, the peace, the comfort of knowing that He is in control of all things. Worry can destroy anyone, as we never know what will happen tomorrow, and cannot predict what the future holds. When we give our hearts to God, we don't have to worry anymore, as He is now in control, and our future is secure. Our daily decisions don't have to consume all our thoughts, as God will provide us the wisdom to make the right decisions. When we seek God each day, and let Him take control of our lives, read His Holy Word, pray daily, make Him first in all that we do, we can depend on Him to provide all our needs. Worry will not be part of our daily life, but our days will be filled with peace and contentment. We will get up each day with a smile on our face, and our thoughts will be happy thoughts. Our days will be positive days, as we will expect God's blessings to be on all things that we do. If you are consumed with worry about what tomorrow may hold, ask God to come into your life and change you. Don't worry, be happy. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 21

Thank God

Thank God "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23 There are some days that we just need to get up and begin to thank God for all the blessings, both seen and unseen that He bestows on us each day. It is so easy to get up and start our day, and not thank God for allowing us to even be alive to enjoy the day, let alone thank Him for our home, the bed we slept in last night, our morning coffee, our family, the food we will eat today, and a multitude of other things that we take for granted. These are just some of the things that we take for granted, and expect that they will be there waiting for us, but we need to realize that we only have them because they are God's gifts to us. God can take these away in an instant, as a fire, a tornado, a hurricane, an earthquake or other disasters could destroy everything we treasure in an instant. We can never thank God enough for all the blessings we receive daily. God promises us that He will provide all that we need, and He lives up to this promise each day of our lives. We may want other things, a bigger house, better clothes, better food, a bigger car, and so many other things, but God knows what we need, and He provides them. We should never worry about tomorrow and having our needs met, as He tells us that he provides for the birds, and we are more valuable than they are. We should get up happy each day, which is our way of letting God know that we trust Him and depend on Him to provide for us. We need to realize that God loves us so much that He even sent his Son to die for us. This is true love, and we need to realize and accept this great gift. I would encourage each of you begin today to get up each morning and thank God for all your blessings. Get a smile on your face each morning and be happy. Thank Him for being a God that loves you and provides for you. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 20

You Can Change

You Can Change "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Matthew 7:19 Ever watch a dog chasing its tail? My Grandfather and I had a little beagle dog that would growl viciously and knock over anything and anyone too close to her during her frenzied pursuit. When she finally would catch her tail in her mouth, her face would show surprise and confusion. You could almost hear her thinking, “What do I do with it now?” This particular little dog had many more productive attributes, other than this. She was a good hunter, protector, and companion to my grandfather. Yet, she would spend a great amount of time daily going in circles to chase a tail most often out of reach, in an activity that always served no purpose. Recently, I was reminded of this little dog, when I counseled one of my readers, about getting his life under control from drugs. He had gone from one rehabilitation center to another, and they had him running in circles trying to find ways to help him. I asked him to consider changing his lifestyle, and get a new circle of friends, as his excuse was that he was always around people who were always tempting him to take drugs. Sometimes it is simply a matter of getting out of the thorn thicket, if you don't want to continue to be stuck. If someone keeps residing in an atmosphere where evil is the prevailing way of life, it is difficult to avoid it. The Bible tells us when we are tempted to tell Satan to "get behind me Satan", I want no part of you. If you continue to stay in an environment where evil exists, and you participate, it is like the proverbial snowball as it starts a downhill journey, gathering speed and building to enormous proportions, and begins to plow over anything and anyone in its path, and eventually takes over your life. This is exactly what Satan is all about, as you are playing into his hands. Tell Satan that you are no longer his child, but God's. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven January 19

The Miracles Of God

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- The Miracles Of God "And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat." Exodus 16:15 I am sure when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, several million people were wondering, "How am I going to be fed? How am I going to survive in this wilderness?" Imagine the logistical nightmare. An incalculable quantity of food and water were needed to survive in the desert. Where would it come from? Yet, in this seemingly impossible situation, God provided! But we know what happened as time passed…the people got used to this miraculous provision, began to take it for granted, and even be bored with it, and, of course…the wonder of God's supernatural provision evaporated. Another miracle had also taken place during this wilderness journey, as God has parted the Red Sea and allowed the Israelites to escape from the Egyptian army, but again the belief and doubt began to creep in, and this miracle was soon forgotten. Each and every day is a miracle from God. Each day of our lives we walk through a world filled with the wonders and glory of the Lord. But we, too, can become dull and lose the wonder of all that He has done and provided for us, even our very salvation. We need to awaken to the daily miracles of life, and to the never ending opportunities the Lord is opening, to pour His love into us, and through us. As we do, may we always be saying to ourselves, "Wow - what amazing love is this, that's been freely given to me!" Look around you today, and you too can experience the wonders of what God has done, everything you see before you is a miracle that God has created just for you. December 5 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Follow God's Call

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- Follow God's Call “Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do.” Deuteronomy 29:9 I have always thought about the story I heard Billy Graham tell on one of his Television broadcasts many years ago. The story is about a very successful businessman who was called by the Lord to sell his business, and go to a remote island in the South Pacific and become a missionary, and use his money to help the poor in this remote and backward island. He followed his calling, and sold his business and everything he owned, and moved to this remote place of the world. After several years of ministering and preaching to the people in this remote part of the world, his money was gone and he had no choice but to return home. He had no money and no material wealth of any kind left, and lived in poverty for the remainder of his life, and could not understand why the Lord had called him, and now to be in the financial position he was in. It was only a few months before his death that he received a visit from a young man who he had met and ministered to on the island. This young man had accepted the Lord as his Savior, and had been saved after hearing the missionary. He had also become a minister himself and started a church, and now had one of the largest churches in the South Pacific. Thousands of people had been saved by this young minister, and the Word of God had spread throughout the entire area. All of this was due to this missionary following the commands of Jesus and obeying him. The missionary now fully understood what the Lord had blessed him with and had planned for his life. God has a plan for you as well, and when you follow it, you will please God, and will be blessed. December 4 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Be Patient

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- Be Patient “So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Job 2:7 We have all heard the story about the patience of Job, where Satan inflicted him with severe hardships to test his faith in God and try to turn him against God. Job is the perfect example in that Satan had inflicted him in such a way to get him to give up on God and give in to Satan. Job suffered in a way that would have caused almost anyone to give in and say “enough is enough”, I will do as you say and denounce God. Job however had enough faith in God to endure the pain and suffering and not give in. He lost everything but kept his faith in God, and did not waver even during his suffering. He had the patience to endure the hardships of life, as he had a promise that if he would keep his faith he would be rewarded many times over with God’s blessings. This is the way God wants each of us to be in dealing with the pain and suffering that we go through in our own lives. He even tells us to be content, even in the times we are having trials and struggles I believe that God allows many things in our lives to happen in order to test our faith. He knows ahead of time what impact many of these things will have on us, and tests our patience in trusting in Him. We must learn to be patient and many times not expect God to respond in our time frame, but in His time frame. This is hard for many as we want things now, and become impatient when our prayers are not met. But we must be patient, and if we live our lives in the way God wants us to, he will reward us as he did Job with more than we had before. God is patient with us as he wants us to receive His gift of salvation, and we need to be patient with Him in our times of suffering. December 3 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Love Your Neighbor

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- Love Your Neighbor “The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 In order to be a witness for Jesus we must learn how to love other people. The entire Bible is about Love and God’s love for us. He loved us enough to give his son for us, and to save us from our sins. The most important thing he wants us to do is learn to love others. As we set our daily goals and objectives we should always have this as one of our top priorities, our primary objective, and our greatest ambition. We must not let our schedules, our own personal agendas, our preoccupation with ourselves interfere with our relationships with other people. I have mentioned my grandfather many times in my writings, who left a legacy of loving his neighbors and spent much of his life thinking about people around him. He left a legacy of love, which I believe each of us needs to be striving for. We need to continually be evaluating ourselves to see how we are doing in this regard. Are we going out of our way to help other people, or are we shunning any opportunity to interact with people? Are we taking the time to listen, to find out about our friends and neighbors and to let them know we are there for them? A relationship with someone must be demonstrated by the time we spend with them. We must show them we care for them, not by just telling them, but must be demonstrated to them by our actions toward them. We must invest our time and talents in them to show them we care about them. If we are true Christians we must obey this command of God to love our neighbors as ourselves, as this is one of the main premises of his word. If you are not obeying this command, you need to seriously consider changing your behavior, as this is not the behavior and attitude you need to please God. December 1 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Show Compassion

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 30 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Strive For Excellence

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 29 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Disappointments

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 27 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

You Must Forgive

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 26 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Show Respect To All

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 25 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Reach Out To Others

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 24 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

You Can't Outgive God

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 23 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Working Together

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 22 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Sowing Our Seeds

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 21 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Fellowship With God

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 20 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

I Am Blessed

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- I Am Blessed “She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 3:17 Forty nine 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 nine years that I have not thanked God for giving me this wonderful person to share my life with. I am blessed. November 18 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Meeting God

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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. November 18 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Math That Works

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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! November 17 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Peace Declared

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge---------------- 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." November 16 Robert William Brock, Jr. My Daily Devotional Volume Six