Devotions

Growing In Faith

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“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

Our faith can grow and get stronger only if we feed it and exercise it just like our bodies…if we don’t eat food or exercise our muscles our bodies become frail and weak.  The same is true for our spiritual lives and our faith muscles, we need to feed on the Word of God and exercise our faith by how we live and interact with others in order for our faith to grow like a tree planted by a stream of water.

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“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.”

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while driving on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

He Gives Us Strength

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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 NIV

When we feel weak and tired…when frustrations seem overwhelming…when the way forward is difficult or unknown.  God the Father, Jesus Christ His one and only Son and the Holy Spirit lift us up and renew us.  Everything and anything in life is going to be better when God is at the center of our lives.  Spending time in devotions and prayer, reading God’s Word these are ways to build your relationship with Jesus.  The more our relationship grows the more we begin to sense His presence in our lives which can lead us to courage and strength at times when we need it most.  We were never promised a life of faith would be easy…the promise is “…he will never leave you nor forsake you.” –Deuteronomy 31:6  The Lord is good and He is the provider of all we need.  I pray we seek the will of the Lord and trust in Him.  Amen.

Shout To The Lord by Darlene Zschech

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“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Seek First His Kingdom

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“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8 NIV

Living a life with faith first…it sounds so simple, yet living in this fallen world it is often hard to do.  The bible is a great guide for life…the world will tell you it is not…there are those who believe it is an outdated book filled with stories that are more like fairy tales…people say the world is so different now than when it was written that it is not applicable to life today.  That is exactly what Satan wants us to think.  The fact is the bible is the truth, based on actual events and it is the Word of God…take time to read it every day and it will change your life.

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“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.“

Matthew 6:31-34 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while driving in northern Colorado)

Be Faithful

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“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

Draw near to God…stay close to Him.  Do not allow the world with its values and temptations entice you to drift away from Jesus.  Once you start a new habit of connecting with God every day, it is easy to let it slip away.  Try to attach your new habit to something you are already doing every day.  Start small and it will build naturally as you stick to it.  If you are a ‘I need coffee in the morning’ person…make it a point to spend your first cup reading or listening to scripture.  If you are a ‘I like to read at night person’ give a few minutes to a daily devotional book each night.  Maybe mid-day would work best for you…no matter when or what or where, the important thing to remember is to do it and trust that God will use that time to transform you.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

A Strong Foundation

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“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27 NIV

The best things are built by starting out with the development of a strong foundation.  A solid foundation helps to support missteps, mistakes and accidents along the way.  If we try to build something without developing the foundation the endeavor will eventually fail and end up as a pile of rubble.  The foundation of our faith is our relationship and daily interaction with Jesus Christ and the Word of God.  These are the elements that will help us build and grow our spiritual life and sustain us through the most difficult things the world will throw at us.  May the peace of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

Build My Life by Pat Barrett (ft. Cory Asbury)

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“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:11-12 NIV

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(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

God’s Word

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God’s Word is the source of truth and our guide for living in this world.  There are so many ways it will help you and support you and it never changes.  People will come and go; people will try to twist it and use it for their benefit…stay close in your relationship with Jesus Christ and He will tell you the truth.  Pickup God’s Word every day and you will see the many ways God speaks to us…a few examples from my life below…there are so many more.  Pray with God’s Word.

When I am focused on worry and fear…

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:1 NIV

When I have doubt or confusion…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.”[a] 

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

When I am led astray by temptations…

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:10-12 NIV

If you want to know where is God in all this, open up His Word, seek Him and you will find.  Peace be with you.

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“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 NIV

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at sunrise on a lake in central Minnesota)

Learn And Share God’s Word

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“The law of the Lord is perfect,

    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.”

Psalm 19:7-11 NIV

Consistent, daily study of God’s Word is essential for spiritual growth.  Any relationship needs time spent together to grow…spend time with God and with God’s Word.  Amen.

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“Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.“

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake in central Minnesota)

Build My Life

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“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:16 ESV

The Word of God is a source of comfort…it renews us…it purifies us…it teaches us…it guides us.  If we plant the seeds of the Word in our hearts and minds it will be available to us at all times.  It can calm our fears…it can relieve our stress and it can provide unexplainable peace.  Read God’s Word every day, build your faith, seek His wisdom for your life.  Amen.

Build My Life by Housefires feat. Pat Barrett

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“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

Be Faithful

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“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

Draw near to God…stay close to Him.  Do not allow the world with its values and temptations entice you to drift away from Jesus.  It is easy to start a new habit of connecting with God every day and it is also easy to let it slip away.  Try to attach your new habit to something you are already doing every day.  Start small and it will build naturally as you stick to it.  If you are a ‘I need coffee in the morning’ person…make it a point to spend your first cup reading or listening to scripture.  If you are a ‘I like to read at night person’ give a few minutes to a daily devotional book each night.  Maybe mid-day would work best for you…no matter when or what the important thing is to do it and trust that God will use that time to transform you.

DSC_0061 publish

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Growing In Faith

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

Our faith can grow and get stronger only if we feed it and exercise it just like our bodies…if we don’t eat food or exercise our muscles our bodies become frail and weak.  The same is true for our spiritual lives and our faith muscles, we need to feed on the Word of God and exercise our faith by how we live and interact with others in order for our faith to grow liek a tree planted by a stream of water.

DSC_0578 publish

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.”

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while driving on Beartooth Pass in Montana)