Most of our lives, we have been raised and groomed to be as successful as we can. Success, education, preparation, and planning are all building blocks for a great future. Planning and preparing for a great life is wonderful and applauded, but is it enough?
As long as our identity, as Christians, is not in what we have built with our hands, our foundations will not be shaken. Our faith in God, and knowing that no matter what comes, Jesus is the Fountain of Living Water, we will never thirst.
Have you drank from the Fountain today? Have you experienced the Holy Waters pouring over your soul? When all has been stripped away, what well will you drink from?
John 4:1-14
The Message (MSG)
The Woman at the Well
4 1-3 Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning him and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee.
4-6 To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon.
7-8 A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, “Would you give me a drink of water?” (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.)
9 The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, “How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (Jews in those days wouldn’t be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.”
11-12 The woman said, “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water’? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?”
13-14 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”
Sending love to all. I pray that you all are still healthy and well. This morning, as I was waking up, the Holy Spirit placed the devotional message, in my heart.
I heard a certain gospel song in my head and then the Spirit of the Lord showed me the image of a wheel spinning inside of another wheel. It was an image that I had read about in book of Ezekiel, but a little different.
This morning, I only saw the wheels spinning. Then I heard the song, “The Center of My Joy,” by Richard Smallwood. I stared at the wheels for a long time and the verses of the song just vibrated through me.
Center of My Joy
By: Richard Smallwood
Jesus, you’re the center of my joy All that’s good and perfect comes from you You’re the heart of my contentment, hope for all I do Jesus, you’re the center of my joy
When I’ve lost my direction, you’re the compass for my way You’re the fire and light when nights are long and cold In sadness, you are the laughter, that shatters all my fears When I’m all alone, your hand is there to hold, ohh
Jesus, you’re the center of my joy All that’s good and perfect comes from you You’re the heart of my contentment, hope for all I do Jesus, you’re the center of my joy
You are why I find pleasure in the simple things in life You’re the music in the meadows and the streams The voices of the children, my family, and my home You’re the source and finish of my highest dreams, woah
Jesus, you’re the center of my joy All that’s good and perfect comes from you (all that’s good and perfect) You’re the heart of my contentment, hope for all I do
Ezekiel 1:16
New International Version (NIV)
16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.
Father, God, bring us back to center. Reposition our lives in a way that brings our worship of you into the center of our lives. Forgive us for making everything else more important than You. We humbly bow, in submission and humbleness, to your authority and your will. You have our undivided attention. May we open our hearts and minds to You.
Sending everyone hugs, high-fives, and fist bumps. I truly hope that you all are healthy and well. The world as we know is changing every day. I’m not sure if life will ever go back to how it used to be. We have learned important lessons on cleanliness and being cognizant of human contact. The remnant of those lessons will probably be with us forever.
One thing I am so excited about and looking forward to is being in corporate worship together in one place.
May, We, The People, have a new normal of global worship of our Lord. May, We, The People, with one voice will lift up the name of the Lord. Msy, We, The People, will sing the praises of the Lord.
Psalm 27
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 27
Of David.
1 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?
2 When the wicked advance against me to devour[a] me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. 10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. 11 Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Father, be gloried in our praise to you. Hear our hearts as we lift them in praise and glory to you. Selah
I hope you and your family and friends are fairing well, during this unprecedented time in our world and country and community. One thing that always gives me hope is the resilience of the human spirit.
It warms my heart to see how communities and neighborhoods are working together. Be sure, every chance you get, to tell those who help, “Thank You.” So many industries are still moving, albeit at a much smaller pace.
I personally would like to recognize everyone in helping services, healthcare service, food and grocery service, and the transportation industries. I’ve never been more grateful to see trucks on the road and trains moving down the tracks.
A special thank you to all of the parents who have had to turn their homes into full time schools, hospitals, gourmet kitchens and entertainment centers. May God continue to give you strength.
I encourage us all to continue to place our hope and trust in God. God still gives us all the strength, grace, knowledge, wisdom, ingenuity and creative thought to go through each day. May we never take credit for what God is doing. We are all vessels to be used for the good of man and ultimately the glory of God.
Psalm 71:1-5
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 71
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me. 3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.
Go in peace and hope, while praising and serving the Lord.
I pray all is well with you and yours. May God continue to lead you and guide you in everything you do and in the same manner may we all be sensitive to God’s leading.
Remember, Family, just take one day and one moment at a time. Be thankful for each day. Glorify God every day when you wake up and when you lay down in the evening.
Psalm 1
1 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.
4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
May the Lord continue to bless us and keep us, in His perfect Peace. Go in the same divine Peace, while praising and serving the
God is forever faithful. He knows what happens to every sentient being on this earth. God watches the lilies of the field, the animals that come and go on the ground, the creatures that call the river, lakes and seas their home, and even the little sparrows that fly through the sky. There is not an instant that God does not know about. Every minute is accounted for.
I know right now, a great deal of the world has questions about what the future will hold. I encourage you to trust God. God loves us more than we can imagine. I also encourage each of us to make divine choices.
Make choices that change the balance of the atmosphere. Make spiritual choices that makes us winners in the unseen battles in unknown realms. Make choices that move the pendulum to love instead of hate. Every decision we make adds weight to the scales. What are you adding?
Some folks may say that God has a funny way of showing how much he loves us. We have to always remember that free will and choice were given to us a long time ago. We must be willing to take responsibility for our choices, both good and bad. Search your heart, your motive, and your hand. Ask God to purify your worship and to cleanse your heart of anything that may move the scales the wrong way.
Matthew 6:25-34
English Standard Version (ESV)
Do Not Be Anxious
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a]28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Go in peace, family. The Lover of our soul is watching over us.
I praise God for each and every one of you. I’m praying continually for your health, strength and peace in the Lord.
I’m sure, by now, you have been affected by the corona virus in one way or another. One of the amazing results, of all the changes taking place, is that people are coming together, even though we are isolated. It’s incredible what happens when we slow down just a little. People are working together, for the common good and well-being of everyone.
Whether it is standing outside the window of an elderly person and singing them a song, or sending flowers just to say, “I’m thinking about you,” or may the act of picking up phone, instead of texting and telling someone you love them. People seem to be nicer and more in touch with their heart and spirit.
What I noticed, more than anything, is that people are allowing Jesus to shine through them. Praise God!!! I pray that this continues, even after our lives go back to normal. Ask God how you can be used in a big way to Shine.
Matthew 22:36-40
New International Version (NIV)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 5:16
New International Version (NIV)
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
May we continue to Shine Big for Jesus and for Love. May the peace of the Lord be with you all.
This Sunday, our church worshipped via Facebook live. We had the chance to enjoy worship through song, through tithes and offering, and through hearing our pastor share what the Lord put on his heart. As I made comments throughout the cyber service, I also noticed that people who normally dont come to our physical church location were joining in worship and thanking our Pastor for offering worship online, as their schedule did not permit them to attend in person.
God feels the same way about us. He wants to spend time with us, by any means necessary. So often, we make excuses as to why we dont have time to spend with God. I encourage you to be creative in your time with the Lord.
Due to the corona virus, many of us cannot gather together in one building, but we can still worship God on our own. Try having worship time outside in nature. Take your computer, or phone, with you and watch, or listen, to your favorite church service or worship songs.
Find a beautiful tree, or your favorite place, and have prayer and worship time. Let the birds be your background singers, as you sing praises to the Lord and read your favorite scripture passages aloud.
Maybe you can’t go outside. While you are inside, doing your activities, begin to sing your favorite worship and praise songs. Read the bible out loud or listen to the bible as you work.
What about the children? Have you ever been to vacation bible school? Find fun ways and songs to teach children about the Lord.
For traditional school, if possible, get together with your neighbors, as long as they are healthy, and teach school in groups. Allow the kids to go to one neighborhood’s house for reading and writing and maybe another neighbors house for science and math. Have physical education as a group. Remember “Field Day” when we had different fun activities and games? Why not have Field Day Fridays?
Be in prayer every morning. Ask the Lord to give you guidance and creativity on how to schedule each day and week? If applicable, get input from your children. How do they like to learn? Are they visual learners, or do they learn better from reading? Be open to thinking outside of the box?
No matter what, keep God first. Even though, temporarily, many of us aren’t able to attend church together in a building, please dont forget to worship God with your tithes and offerings. During these times, especially, churches will be ministering more than usual, due to the need for food banks, donated clothes and other important resources. In John 21, what did Jesus charge Peter to do? FEED MY SHEEP…
John 21:17
New International Version (NIV)
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
I love you with an amazing and everlasting love. Go, in peace, while praising and serving the Lord.
First, I believe we all need a global Deep Breath. It seems like the news about the Corona virus has taken over the world. In each generation there has been a disease that threatens the lives and/or health of it’s people. Diseases like poliomyelitis (polio), small pocks, chicken pocks, plague, etc.
I truly encourage everyone to be safe, but also never forget that you are children of God. Follow the instructions given by health authorities, but also remember who is the Author of our Lives.
Proverbs 3:5-6
King James Version (KJV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Be blessed, Family. Dont be afraid. Be vigilant in your health, but keep your face turned toward your God.
This morning, I was thinking about different people, in the bible, that were close to God. The Word of God goes as far to say that they “walked” with God.
Genesis 5:21-24
Common English Bible (CEB)
21 When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah.22 Enoch walked with God. After Methuselah’s birth, Enoch lived 300 years; and he had other sons and daughters.23 In all, Enoch lived 365 years.24 Enoch walked with God and disappeared because God took him.
When I intentionally get up in the morning and start my day with Jesus, I feel so much better. Can you imagine what it was like to walk with God, before the impartation of the Holy Spirit?
Genesis 6:9
New International Version (NIV)
Noah and the Flood
9 This is the account of Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.
Go in peace, family. Cherish the precious moments we get to spend intimately with God, until we see him face to face.
Sacred Journey Devotionals - Where Christianity and Metaphysics Meet 