Deny Yourself by Ann E. Broughton

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23 NIV).

Denying oneself is probably one of the hardest things to do. You are to give God all that you are, that includes your flaws as well. Sometimes it is very easy to be self critical about how you look on the outside, but God looks at your heart. God told Samuel that very thing, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7 NIV). God wants you to give Him your whole heart. It is then that God can use you in ways that you can’t even imagine. The Lord has a special plan for your life, but you must totally deny yourself in order to find out what that plan is. The cross you have to bear will be lighter knowing that the Lord is with you to help you bear it. May you realize the wonderful potential that is within you that can be used in remarkable ways if you just deny yourself and follow Christ.
Dear Lord,
Let us consider how our hearts measure up to your inspection. Help us to deny ourselves and take up our crosses willingly knowing that in the end you will be meeting us with open arms saying, "Well, done my faithful servant."
In Jesus' name,
Amen

Remaining Faithful by Ann E. Broughton

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22: 31-32 NIV).

Have there been times in your life when you felt as if Satan was sifting you? What was your reaction? I believe our reaction to times of trials shows unbelievers how strong our faith is. I heard a speaker once who said there are always the “watchers” in our lives that notice how we react to life’s problems. You must be constantly on guard as to the way you react to Satan’s sifting. It is essential that you remain faithful to the Lord during your struggles so as to be a good witness to those who are unbelievers.
How do you display faithfulness when problems arise in your life such as when temptation arises, tragedy strikes or when an illness is diagnosed? There are several things you can do to prepare yourself for the trials you will face. It is essential to read the Bible every day and ask God to help you gain insight from His word. When Jesus was tempted He quoted scripture, which gives you an example of what to do when Satan is attacking. Also, it is important to be praying and communing with the Lord on a daily basis. Let other Christians know about your struggle so they can pray for you. Jesus prayed for his friend, Peter. Let His example encourage you to ask your friends to pray for you and with you during your struggles. Finally, always remember the Lord is faithful and will never forsake you as long as you trust in Him.
Are you in the middle of a sifting from Satan? Have faith that the Lord will see you through it so you can be a faithful witness for Him. Ask Him for strength and guidance.
Seek from the Lord the lesson He wants you to learn from your experience and use what you learn to help others.

Dear Lord,
Help us to be faithful to you when trials come our way. We know that there are those who are watching how we will react so we must demonstrate faith in you and call upon your help when we are weak. Give us strength to show others a calm spirit during the storms of life so that we can be faithful witnesses.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen

No Record of Wrongs by Ann E. Broughton

No record of wrongs devotion by Ann Broughton

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs" (I Cor.12:4-5 NIV).

This chapter of Corinthians has been known as the love chapter. I have seen it on plaques that are popularly given to wedding couples, but I think it was meant for how all of us should treat one another. I would like to concentrate now on the last words....it keeps no record of wrongs. Even if we forgive people for the wrongs they have done to us, it is still in our memories. I believe that Satan uses these wrongs in our memories to try to cause us to become bitter, angry, and depressed. Satan wants us to feel these emotions because then we are not effective in our witness for Christ.

According to this scripture, we are to forgive and not keep a record of it. So our challenge is to give these wrongs to Jesus and surrender our bad feelings about these wrongs to Him. That way Satan cannot use them to bring us into despair. A favorite verse of mine that will help us when we start thinking about all the wrongs that have happened to us is..."and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (II Cor. 10:5 NIV). If we give these bad thoughts to Christ, He will give us peace and help us not to dwell on the bad, but concentrate on His love for us. Christ could have called a legion of angels to save him from the cross, but instead he forgave those who berated Him and died so that we could have eternal life. He was the ultimate example of keeping no record of wrongs. And since we are to behave like Him, our challenge is to not give in to bad thoughts, but surrender all of them to Christ. Let us walk in His love this week and give our thoughts to Christ and trust Him to help us as we try to live a life pleasing to God.
Dear Lord,
We know that in this life there will be people who wrong us in someway. Help us to forgive and give these wrongs to you. When memories of these wrongs threaten our peace, help us to give them to you. We know that you will give us peace. Thank you for your love and example.
In Jesus name,
Amen