DAILY DEVOTIONS with MICHELE

Where are our eyes focused? Are we looking at the distractions of this world or the Gospel truth? Are we listening to the opinions of imperfect others, or are we tuned in to the revelations of God? Are we experiencing the pressure of unrealistic expectations or the peace of His Spirit?

When we pursue Him with passionate zeal, the presence of God empowers us to walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him. Our minds are conformed to His truth, and we are transformed to act more and more like Jesus. This is the craving that cures!

When was the last time that the Church craved Christ like this? When was the last time that we were so hungry for the move of God in our midst that we did not care what the onlookers thought? When was the last time that we so urgently wanted the lost to come to Jesus that we boldly declared the Gospel with no thought for what others might think?

Our doctors claim that we need a big bowl of leafy greens, but we do not crave it. We want donuts! Our doctors insist that more exercise is beneficial, but we devise creative excuses to avoid it.

The prophet Amos predicted a famine where people would long for the Word of the Lord. They would starve because they sought fulfillment outside God’s will. We have craved power and never been more out of control, riches and never been emptier, pleasure and never been more bankrupt.

David assured us that goodness and mercy would follow us around all the days of our lives, that we would spend our days in the presence of the Lord where we will experience the fullest of joys. He pours out the anointing oil to the very brim – blessings that we cannot contain!

This anointing guards against error. The Holy Spirit will whisper the way that we should believe, helping us take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. He shows us the way to walk in order to live the life that God wants us to live.

Our sins were washed away by His crimson blood. We became brand new creatures in Christ. It is for freedom that He has set us free, and if He makes us free, we are indeed completely free!

Jesus has come to heal the brokenhearted. Our hearts are so susceptible to brokenness. They can be crushed through circumstances beyond our control, destroyed by decisions that we long to take back, or shattered by tragedies of the past. One touch of His anointed hand can restore the splintered fragments. He fills our hearts with hope again. We sing a new song. We learn to love once more. He is a God of second chances and new beginnings.