Weekly Devotional: Gems From Pastor Jim 10/12/2020

by Jim Hughes

Dan. 6:10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to God.

Daniel did not let his circumstances dictate his faith. He knew that things weren’t going to be easy for him if he were to continue being bold about his faith, but that did not matter to him. He unashamedly did what he always did, he prayed openly and he did care what others thought about it. His allegiance was to God, he needed time alone with God, and he made sure that he got that time.

When he prayed, Daniel often gave thanks. He understood that he was who he was because of God’s favor on him. He appreciated the life he lived and made sure that God knew his appreciation. He was not concerned what others thought; he was determined to acknowledge God’s hand on his life, both past and present. We can learn much from Daniel’s heart.

I wonder how bold we are about acknowledging God’s hand on our lives and unashamedly giving Him thanks. So many of us do not take the time to offer the Lord our thanks for His blessings of life. I see so many professing Christians who do not pause to give thanks in public before a meal. I hear so many of us who take far more credit than we deserve for the blessings of our lives. I hear so many prayers that are geared to what we want from God rather than thanks for what we have received. A lack of gratitude for God’s blessings is a sin.

God deserves our gratitude. We don’t deserve to be children of God. We don’t deserve any of the blessings He bestows on us. It is shameful the way that we often act around those who do not share our faith. We should never hide our faith. We should not care what others may think. It is far more important what God thinks than it is man. Dare to be a Daniel. Let others see your faith at work in you and hear your words of gratitude unto the Lord.

About the Author:

Spending his formative years in Ft. Wayne, IN, Jim followed the love of his life to southeast Iowa where they married and have spent the majority of their lives. Jim has pastored several churches throughout his life and has worked many years in local factories to help support his family. The father of two married adult children and one son still at home, Jim is a first-time author.

C Through Marriage came into being through many years of pastoral and life experiences. The book first took on a life of its own over 20 years ago when I sought to address the much publicized moral failures of prominent leaders in the church. In the chapter on Chasity, I include the guideliness that I developed then to protect one's self from such failures.

I am a firm believer in order to make sense out of life you have to use much common sense. We need to get back to the basics of what has worked for many, many generations. If is isn't broke, why try to fix it? I strive to return to the basics of what really works in all my writings.