Are We There Yet

Are We There Yet “But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord’s peace forever.” 1st Kings 2:33 One of our fondest memories of our children as they were growing up, were the trips we would make from Florida to Kentucky to visit our families. We would usually make this trip almost every month. Our children always looked forward to getting to stay in the hotels, and then visit with their grandparents. One of the most used phrases during these trips was “Are we there yet”. They would usually begin asking this question within 30 minutes of leaving, and would continue through the 12 hour trip every few minutes. We will never forget these precious times, and they remind me of something that should be important for all of us, and that is “have we arrived at the place where we are at peace with our lives and where God is in control”. I know I only arrived a few years ago, and would never turn around and go back. I know I spent the majority of my life asking myself if I was there yet, as I never felt that I had arrived. I was too busy working and busying myself with my own personal wants and desires. But once I arrived, there is no describing what it is like to be at peace with myself, and to know that God is there for me. I have to admit it wasn’t an easy trip sometimes, as there were obstacles all along my way, and I was not always strong enough to overcome some of them. But God provided the roadmap, and has shown me the way to get there, and finally I have reached my destination. I can tell you from personal experience that the trip was definitely worth it and I have finally arrived. So if you are "not there yet", listen to God and let him lead you to your eternal home in Heaven, which is in sight. My Daily Devotional Volume Six August 9 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Stand Firm

Stand Firm “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” Isaiah 7:9 When I think about the above scripture I think about all the times in our lives when we do not stand firm in doing God’s will. I know that during my life, and in my business career there were times I could have stood firm in situations, and done more than I did in letting people know and see my faith in God. There are so many times, where because of different reasons, we try to blend in with the crowd instead of standing out. What can be so different between a Christian and a non-Christian in our workplaces, in our community and with the people we come into contact with? The answer is that we are not to blend in with the usual crowd, but are to stand out. We need to have a different expression and attitude—that is one of peace and joy, that reflects that we have Jesus in our hearts. Our actions, our speech, and our walking the talk, can be a tremendous influence on the people we come into contact with on a daily basis, and can make a difference in people’s lives. I know that I have met people throughout the years that have stood out, and did not try to blend in with the crowd, and these are the people that I remember. These were the people who were not afraid to be different, but stood for their principles no matter what the circumstances were. God wants each of us to conduct our lives in this fashion, and stand out in the crowd, and be the example for others to follow. We need to walk the talk, and do the things that will make us different from the crowd, and it is through us and our actions that God will be revealed. If your coworkers, school mates and your neighbors do not know that you are a Christian, you have work to do, to be the person God wants you to be.

Dream Your Dreams

Dream Your Dreams “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” Acts 2:17 Are you satisfied with where you are today in your life? Are your days happy, and joy filled, and you are where God wants you to be? I have always been a dreamer. As far back as my memory takes me I have always had lofty dreams about what I wanted to accomplish in life, and always had full expectations that I could accomplish just about anything that I set my mind to. I owe this confidence to my grandmother, and as I have thought over the years about her, the one thing that she instilled in me was the idea that I could do anything I ever wanted to do. She was the most positive person I have ever been around. I grew up with her and somehow she knew, and was able to give me her gift of positive thinking, and I now credit this gift as being probably the most important thing in my life, that has helped me to be successful throughout my business career. I believe God places dreams within us. Our dreams and deep desires are part of his plan for our lives. I believe there are two steps that are essential if our dreams are to become a reality. The first step is that we must hold on to our dreams, and not let anyone take them away from us. Our dream was important to us or we would not have had it. The second step is that we must be able to visualize our dreams coming to be a reality. If we can’t see them being fulfilled, chances are that we will not put forth the effort necessary to make them come true. So live out your dreams, and let others know that God made your dreams come true, and let them know that he can do this for them. My Daily Devotional Volume Six August 5 Robert William Brock, Jr.

You Need God

You Need God “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:8 How dependant are you in your own ability in your daily life? Do you feel that you are in complete control, and don't need God for anything? When we pray to God we do not need to pray on and on repeating ourselves and our wants and needs, as God knows all our needs even before we ask him. We however need to be in partnership with God in everything we do. We cannot do everything ourselves, but need God’s help in accomplishing anything. I recently received an E-Mail from a friend of mine which illustrates this partnership we need with God. A man had recently purchased a new house whose yard was overgrown with weeds, and after much work he had transformed the yard into a beautiful garden, with beautiful flower beds and a lovely manicured lawn. Pointing to his work of art he said to his neighbor “Look at what I did here.” His neighbor corrected him and said “you mean look at what God and I did here.” The owner replied, “I guess you’re right, but you should have seen the shape this yard was in when He was taking care of it by Himself.” The above joke expresses a wonderful spiritual truth—we are co-workers with God. This applies to every aspect of our lives including prayer, which is implied in the scripture above. God is our partner in both the physical and spiritual areas of life. Through prayer we work with Him in dealing with the hardships we face, and the trials and troubles that confront us every day. We need the comfort, peace and understanding He brings to confront and defeat the temptations we face on a daily basis. We need to partner with God and trust him for everything and He will provide. You can't get by depending on yourself, you need God. My Daily Devotional Volume Six August 4 Robert William Brock, Jr.

You Are An Example

You Are An Example “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.” Titus 2:1-2 Have you thought about the kind of Christian example you are to others around you, in your job, in your school, in your neighborhood and everywhere you go? Do they even know that you are a Christian? The scripture above were teachings Paul was giving to Titus to preach to the people of Crete, and are teachings that each of us need to follow in today’s society. We must follow the word of God as given to us in the Bible, as this is the plan that God has given each of us to live our lives by. Sound doctrine demands the right conduct of all believers, regardless of age, sex or position. As we grow older and become leaders, we must be moral and spiritual examples for the younger generations. Older believers must be responsible and sensible in our actions, and always be an example for others to follow. We must always live our lives and be respected as fair, honest and trustworthy in all our business dealings. Our attitudes should always be self controlled and consistent, in order to set the example for others. We cannot be pleasant and in control one day, and gruff and out of control the next day, as this is not the example we need to set for others. We must always have our faith, and demonstrate it in all our actions and encounters with the people around us. We must be willing to show our love for others at all times throughout our day, and be willing to show strength when we have difficult times in our lives, as this will demonstrate our faith and trust in God. If we can obey this scripture to its fullest, we will be the influence on others that God wants us to be. My Daily Devotional Volume Six August 3 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Are You Prospering

Are You Prospering “Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do.” Deuteronomy 29:9 Are you happy with your life today? Do you feel content where you are, with your finances, your family, your relationships, and all the other aspects of your life? God wants each of us to become successful, however the amount of material wealth that we accumulate is not indicative of the type of success that he has in store for us. God has a plan for each of our lives, he knows all about us, he knows our thoughts and desires, and will provide us guidance to make the right decisions we make each and every day if we will seek it and ask him for it. God wants us to be successful in our lives, but not at the expense of others. Making the financial decisions we all make on a daily basis takes thought on our part, and we need to consider all issues before we make many of our financial decisions. We need to ask God for guidance in these decisions, and live our lives for him, and make sure the decisions we make do not come at the expense of others. So many people do not reach the full potential of what God wants them to achieve in their lives, because they do not follow His commands and seek the guidance from Him in making the proper decisions for themselves. I believe God gives us the opportunity to prosper, and has positioned each of us to be at the time and place we are at today for a purpose. If we are following God’s plan for our lives we will prosper where we are, but we have to be following His plan and doing His will. We must be using our gifts and talents the way He wants us to, and if we are faithful in carrying out His will we will be prosperous in all that we do, and our decisions will be the right ones. Take a few minutes today to think about the scripture above and apply it to your life. My Daily Devotional Volume Six August 2 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Seek God's Will

Seek God's Will “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:17 Do you know what God's will for your life is? Are you experiencing peace and joy in your life? If you don't you are missing so much. I have spent the majority of my life not knowing what the will of the Lord was for me. I had always been what I thought was a good husband and a good father to my children, although I am sure I could have done a better job in both of these categories. I have always provided for my family to the best of my abilities, and my family was the most important thing in my life. However I did not realize until a few short years ago what God’s will was for my life? After retirement I felt that something was missing in my life, and during a temporary business assignment had time to really begin reading the Bible and studying God’s word. The more I studied and read, the more I began to understand what God’s will was for me. This understanding has led to the most enjoyable and peaceful years of my life. I now realize what God has in store for me, and it is amazing as to the things he is revealing to me each and every day. I am now doing things that I never thought could ever be done in our community, and he is leading me in every step. He is opening doors that I never thought could be opened and bringing together people and organizations that I never dreamed would be talking and working together. God has made these things possible that I thought would never come about. I implore each of you to seek out the will of God for you and your life. Find out what God has in store for you and follow everything he puts on your heart. If you could only experience in your life what he is doing in mine, you will have a peace and joy in your life beyond belief. My Daily Devotional Volume Six August 1 Robert William Brock, Jr.