Daily Diet Devotions

*DAILY DIET DEVOTIONS*
*DECEMBER 6*
*THANK THE LORD -6*
READING: PSALM 116:1-19
LIFE VERSE: "Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful." Vs. 5

This Psalm expresses thanksgiving to God for deliverance from death and declares the praise of all afflicted believers who have been rescued by the Lord and have been spared death or great calamity. This deliverance from death or calamity is present and prophetic; it refers to the second death (Rev. 20: 14). The expression of gratitude flows from the hearts of all those who have experienced salvation from the Lord. They will show it by their love (vs.1), loyalty (vs. 2), righteous living (vs.9), thanksgiving, and a firm resolute to obey the Lord (vs.14).

The Lord carefully watches over the lives of His faithful people. He exercises control over the circumstances of their death. When they are dying, He is there with them. Their death, which is of great value to Him, is the occasion when they are delivered from all evil, are taken from this life to a place of blessed victory, and are brought into heaven to see Jesus face to face. Receive peace!
MEDITATION
*God deserves your gratitude and thankfulness for many deliverances you have received from Him.
FURTHER READING: JOHN 3:16 -17; ROM. 8:28, 35-39; PHIL. 1:21; REV. 20:11-15; 21:7-8
CONFESSION AND PRAYER
*Thank you Father of life for sparing my life from eternal condemnation and destruction.
*Father, by your power and grace help to live my life doing your Will and pleasing you in the name of Jesus Christ.
*O LORD, continually filled my life with blessings of your loving kindness in the name of Jesus Christ.

*DAILY DIET DEVOTIONS*
*DECEMBER 5*
*THANK THE LORD-5*
READING: PSALM 107:1-43
LIFE VERSE: "O GIVE THANKS unto the LORD, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever." Vs. 1

This Psalm reiterates the redeemed to praise the Lord for deliverance from desperate and dangerous situations. The Psalmist then recounts God's response to the extreme troubles of his people when they cried to Him: hunger and thirst (vs. 4-9), slavery (vs. 10-16), illness almost to death (vs. 17-22), danger of life's storm ( vs. 23-32), miraculous deeds (vs. 33-38), and oppression (vs. 39-42). Severely the Psalmist used this phrase "they cried unto the LORD", and God "delivered or saved them out of their distresses". God frequently brings His children to a place where their own self-sufficiency fails and where no human being can help, in order that they might cry out to Him in humble and child-like faith.

This Psalm is relevant today for all believers who in affliction and misery cry out to the Lord. It builds up our faith and encourages us during those times when we need God to intervene specifically in our lives. Beloved, it is imperative to note that even when we have only ourselves to blame for our troubles, God desires to deliver us. Hence, even if we are experiencing great distress, knowing that He may be judging us, we can still put our hope in His mercy and call upon Him in faith for His forgiveness and help.
MEDITATION
*God is always compassionate and merciful, you can trust Him for help.
*God desires to deliver and save all those who call upon Him in time of need or troubles.
FURTHER READING : JOB 33:22-30
CONFESSION AND PRAYER
*Thank you Father for your deliverance and willingness to save me always when I cry to you.
*Thank you Father for always showing up for me when I cry to you in my distress.
*O LORD, continually deliver me from the onslaught of the wicked and the storms of life in the name of Jesus Christ.

*DAILY DIET DEVOTIONS*
*DECEMBER 4*
*THANK THE LORD-4*
READING: PSALM 106:1-48
LIFE VERSE: "PRAISE YE THE LORD, O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever." Vs. 1

The Psalmist recounts Israel's recurring rebellion and apostasy with respect to God's word and ways. He confesses their sins and unfaithfulness and pray that God will once again visit His repentant people with full salvation and blessings. God's people individually and collectively should confess their shortcomings before the Lord. When we recognize our spiritual failure and then repent, real revival and restoration can take place.

The Psalmist warned us to beware of desiring and pursuing what is not in the Will of God. When we insist on satisfying our selfish desires, God sometimes allows us have our own way, but with it comes spiritual leanness or physical calamity. Beloved, God may permit us to pursue things contrary to His revealed Will, such as an unholy vocational ambition, an unholy love affair, worldly pleasures, covetous desires, or ungodly fellowship with unbelievers, but in the end those things have destructive consequences.
MEDITATION
*God will not force Him Will on you, He allows you make your choice.
*Be careful how you pursue your desires, and remember the end consequences.
FURTHER READING: GENESIS 13:1-18; 19:1-38; HOS. 13:11
CONFESSION AND PRAYER
*Thank you Father for your mercy and blessings to me and my family.
*Thank you Father for your faithfulness toward me and my family.
*Thank you Father for your word and mercy that endureth forever.
*O LORD, let your mercy continue to speak for me and my household in the name of Jesus Christ.

*DAILY DIET DEVOTIONS*
*DECEMBER 3*
*THANK THE LORD-3*
READING: PSALM 103:13-17
LIFE VERSE: "But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children." Vs.17

We give thanks to the LORD because He shows mercy to those who truly fear Him. The fear of God is a redeeming fear that motivates us to turn away from evil, to keep God's precepts, and to seek the Lord's nearness and grace. The blessings God gives to those who fear Him are:
(1) His mercy, loving kindness, and forgiveness ( vs. 11-12, 17); (2) His fatherly love and compassion ( vs. 13-14); and (3) His faithfulness and goodness to their children ( vs. 17).
God pities His children because He knows their weaknesses and infirmities. Even the best of His followers stand in need of His compassion. As a father has deep compassion for his children when they fail, suffer, or are mistreated, so also the heavenly Father hurts when His own are hurting. Beloved believers, in the midst of trouble, failure, and struggle, we must not think that God is aloof or uncaring; rather, we must remember that His eyes look on us with compassion, and He will help us according to our needs.
MEDITATION
*God is always compassionate and caring for His people.
*Those who truly fear the Lord have His love and mercy.
FURTHER READING: ISAIAH 1:18; 38:17; JER. 31:14; LUKE 7:12-13.
CONFESSION AND PRAYER
*Thank you Father for your continued love, care, and mercy over me and my family.
*Thank you Father for your faithfulness and goodness to me and my family.
*Thank you Father for taking over my weakness and infirmity in the name of Jesus Christ.

*DAILY DIET DEVOTIONS*
*NOVEMBER 28*
*PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST*
READING : ROMANS 13:8-14
LIFE VERSE: "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." Vs. 14

Apostle Paul believed in the imminent return of the Lord Jesus to take His faithful believers to heaven (the rapture), an event he thought could happen even in his generation. Jesus Christ warned that He would return at a time when the faithful were sure that He would not come. For this reason, God's children must always be spiritually ready and "cast off the works of darkness" (Luke 12:35).
Thus, Paul encouraged us to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" ( Life verse).
We must be so united and identified with Him that we imitate His life as a pattern for our living, adopt His principles, obey His precepts, and become like Him. This calls for a complete rejection of immorality and the lusts of the flesh.

The "flesh" is the sinful element in human nature with its corrupt desires. It remains within the Christian after conversion and is a deadly enemy to him. Those who practice the deeds of the flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Hence they must be resisted and put to death in a continual warfare that the believer wages through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:4-14). Beloved, Paul's final comment on the works of the flesh is stern and forceful: any so-called believers who engage in the activities of the flesh shut themselves out of the kingdom of God, i.e., they do not possess eternal salvation.
MEDITATION
*Believers must constantly put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
*Believers must continually wage war against the inclinations of the flesh because of its negative consequences.
FURTHER READING: MATT. 24:42, 44; ROM. 8:6-8,13; GAL. 5:19-21
CONFESSION AND PRAYER
*Thank you Father for the salvation of my life.
*O LORD, help me to live always in readiness for the return of your Son Jesus Christ.
*Holy Spirit help me in the battle against the flesh in Jesus name.