Living in Context

Living in Context

April 26, 2010

By William E. Richardson

It matters how we interpret the Bible. We shouldn't draw hasty
conclusions about a verse while ignoring the words that surround it. Those words
frame its true meaning. The sentences just before and just after a verse keep us on track. The entire chapter is also key to helping us understand any verse within it.

Myopic focus on the arrangement of only a few words often takes the
verse out of context, which usually misses God's intended meaning. To notice
the entire field in which God has planted a scriptural blade of grass is
to read and interpret God's Word in context.

The same is true for how we apply the Bible to our lives. We're called
to live in context.

You may be facing a severe temptation or trial. Don't compromise,
crash or quit. Don't isolate your difficulty from the rest of your life, or
you'll see it out of context. Instead, view today's problem in relation to
your entire Christian life and live this day in context.

Your right-now situation is a single drop of water in the vast lake of
all your days, past and future. Dwelling on the context of your life in
Christ will help you remember all the yesterdays of God's faithfulness and
favor. That will help you cling to the hope for tomorrow that has gotten you
this far.

God's eternal Word is our strength. Year after year, seasons come and
go spring, summer, fall, winter, spring, summer, fall, winter. But
throughout time, God�s Word never changes.

Your severe situation doesn't mean God has ceased to be your source.
He's not taking a nap; He never sleeps (Psalm 121:3). He's not taking a day
off. He's not too busy helping the rest of the world to take notice of you.
Before ascending into heaven, Jesus promised His disciples (and that
includes all of us who serve Him) that He'll always be with us
(Matthew 28:20).

No matter how scorching the sun or how frigid the wintry wind feels in
your life right now, God's Word is as true as ever, and God is as able as
ever to rescue you. Keep the big picture in mind. Live today in context.

William E. Richardson is senior pastor of Afton (Iowa) Assembly of
God and
author of "God�s Billboards."

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"Earth Day"

"Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." Romans 1:25

I discovered that today is "Earth Day". This means that people will be celebrating the planet earth today. But some will take it a step further than just acknowledging that we should take care of the earth, they will actually worship "Mother Earth" today.

In the beginning God gave mankind dominion over the earth so I agree that we should take care of the planet by being good stewards of it. But... we should not worship or give homage to it. Throughout the ages man has resorted to worshipping the creation more than the Creator. Today is no different- people are still doing the same thing.

If we (even Christians) aren't careful we can be guilty of doing the same. I know none of us are going to go out and create a stone or wooden idol or a golden calf and worship it. But there are other created things that we can worship. Remember the story of the rich young ruler? What kept him from receiving eternal life? He worshipped his money and riches. When he asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life, Jesus told him to obey the commandments. He had obeyed the ones that had to do with his dealings with man. But when Jesus told him to go sell all he had, give it to the poor and follow Him he could not. Why? His riches had his heart. Therefore, they were the object of his worship. Therefore, he broke the very first commandment which was- "You shall have no other gods before me".

While others are "worshipping" the earth today, this would be a good time to take spiritual inventory and check and see what has your heart. Does the Lord truly have it? Is it divided between Him and something else? Do your riches have your heart? Do other people have it? Are you worshipping religion instead of God? Are you worshipping any created thing more than you are worshipping the Creator?

Have a great day. What is your object of worship? The Creator or what He has created?

For further reading:

Genesis 1:26, 28

Genesis 2:15

Psalm 115:15,16

Luke 18:18-24

Exodus 20:3

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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"Tarry"

"And God said..." Genesis 1:3a

What a difference just one word from the Lord makes. It can bring light into a dark situation, peace into chaos, joy into sorrow. It can bring healing where there is sickness. "Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." (Matthew 8:8b) It brings life where there is death. "And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise." (Mark 5:41) Just one word from the Lord is so powerful that it can change the very situation you are in. It can give renewed strength and hope, it can give direction and guidance, it can give clarity when you can't figure out what is going on.

The answer to our problems is found in a word from the Lord. That is what we need more than anything else- to hear Him speak to us. Why does it seem that we can't get that word that is needed- that word that He speaks to us that changes everything? Mostly it's because we are seeking a word from Him through other people. We want some man to speak to us for God. Does He use others to speak to us and into our lives? Yes, He does. But He desires to speak to you Himself. He doesn't always do it through someone else.

Also, we aren't willing to sit still long enough to hear Him speak. We want an answer and we want it now- or sooner. Everything has to be "instant" for us. God does speak to us at times immediately, but more often than not there is a "waiting on Him" period where we have to take the time to be still and listen. I personally believe that we have lost the discipline of "waiting on the Lord". The older saints called it "tarrying". Just because it is not a modern term doesn't mean that it has "gone out of style". Jesus commanded His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power. I believe He hasn't changed and still requires that we tarry at times in order to hear and receive from Him. Let me give you my simple definition for tarrying- sit still, be quiet and don't get up until you hear from God.

Have a great day. You need to hear a word from the Lord- that's where your answer lies, but it is very hard to hear Him when you won't be patient and sit still long enough to listen.

For further reading:

1 Timothy 2:5

Luke 24:49

Numbers 22:19

1 Samuel 3:8-10

Psalm 40:1

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or

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"God's Searching Eyes"

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." 2 Chronicles 16:9a

God's all seeing eyes are continually looking over His creation. Some believe that He is looking for something bad in their lives, something to judge them for or something so that He can punish them about. They see God only as someone who is out to "get them". On the contrary, His all seeing eyes are searching for someone He can help.

God is not on the "look out" for ways He can punish you- He is looking for ways He can help you. He is looking for those who need His help, for those who need His strength, for those who need His peace and His comfort. When Adam disobeyed the Lord and brought sin upon all mankind, God's all seeing eyes saw it. He saw Adam's sin and failure, but He also saw his need. He saw the need of mankind, which was a Savior. There was the opportunity for God to show Himself strong and mighty to save on our behalf. He sent His Son Jesus who told us that He came to "seek and to save that which was lost". In other words, He came looking for those who were lost and too weak to save themselves.

He is still doing the same thing today- "seeking out those who need His strength". He is looking for those that He can lift up, those He can give renewed hope to, those who have been broken so that He can put them back together again, those who are discouraged so that He can encourage and revive them. Is that you this morning? His eyes see you and not only are they looking at you, they are looking at you with pity, compassion, mercy and grace, desiring to lift you up and strengthen you at the point of your every need.

Have a great day. His eyes are upon you looking for ways He can show Himself strong on your behalf.

For further reading:

2 Corinthians 12:9

Luke 19:10

Proverbs 15:3

1 Peter 3:12

Psalm 31:24

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or

Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: /www.mastersbusiness.org/">http://www.mastersbusiness.org/">www.mastersbusiness.org

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"What Are You Living For?"

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal." Matthew 6:19

I came across this quote by Joan of Arc and felt this was a good way to start the week-- with a reminder to stay focused on the things that really matter. "Everyone gives their life for what they believe. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing and yet they give their lives to that little...or nothing.
One life is all we have, we live it and it's gone. What do you live for?"

What are you giving your life for? What are you spending it on? What do you live for? That which is temporary or eternal? That which pleases self or pleases God? That which has eternal value or no real value at all? Are your sights set on material possessions or heavenly treasures? Do you work harder to get more and more possessions but are negligent in developing a closer relationship to the Lord? Where do your priorities lie? On heavenly or earthly things?

Like the quote says, people give their lives for what they believe. They make it the goal and focus of their lives. And they also spend themselves and their resources to secure that which they believe is most important. When you look at your life, does the evidence of your "spending" (spending yourself) weigh heavier toward those things that money cannot buy or those things that moth and rust destroy and thieves steal?

Am I saying that having possessions is wrong? Of course not, unless they have your heart, unless they are your goal, unless they are your focus and you are neglecting the things that are truly valuable. Many Christians are living their lives centered around accumulating more and more material possessions. Remember that these things are going to pass away and will have no eternal riches attached to them. So stay focused on laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven.

Have a great day. What you spend your life on is a clear indication of what you believe is most important.

For further reading:

Matthew 6:21,33

Proverbs 23:5

Luke 18:22

Philippians 3:8,13,14

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or

Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: /www.mastersbusiness.org/">http://www.mastersbusiness.org/">www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.

Please remember to give credit to

About the Master's Business Ministry.

Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.

http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

"Reaping"

"Reaping"

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

Yesterday we planted a small garden. Even though it is small in size, it was still hard work. There are many steps to planting a garden- breaking up the ground, removing the grass, making the rows, planting, fertilizing, covering the seeds, watering. Each step is important and can't be neglected.

Our lives are like a garden, we are always "planting" something in them. There is one thing to note about planting- when you plant, you will reap. Do you ever feel as though you aren't reaping good things? There are three reasons for this that I want to discuss.

1) What are you planting? Perhaps you aren't planting something good. You reap what you sow. You can't plant lemons and expect to get apples. "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Galatians 6:8)

2) Are you getting tired of planting? After breaking up the ground in the garden and de-grassing it, we could have quit and not gone any further because we were tired. But just because the ground was prepared if we didn't plant seeds nothing will grow. This is what our scripture is referring to- don't get weary, give up or stop in the planting process. You have to continue until you have planted something.

3) Impatience. Sometimes we just don't wait long enough for our planting to produce. My garden is finished but I can't go out there this morning and expect to pick beans. There is a time element involved- some things that we plant in and through our lives don't produce overnight. "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." (Hebrews 10:36)

There are no short cuts to sowing if you expect to reap. Each step is all part of it, and each step is important. So don't give up, don't get weary in the planting process you will reap in due season if you don't quit.

Have a great day. Keep planting and keep waiting.

For further reading:

Matthew 7:17,18

Hosea 10:12

Psalm 126:5

Proverbs 22:8

2 Corinthians 9:6

Galatians 6:7-9

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or

Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: /www.mastersbusiness.org/">http://www.mastersbusiness.org/">www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.

Please remember to give credit to

About the Master's Business Ministry.

Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.

http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

"It Won't Disappear"

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid." 1 Samuel 17:24

There is an adage that says, "Face your fear and it will disappear". You can take that two ways- face it in the sense of "look at it", or in the sense of "stand up to it". Most people tend to face it in the sense of just "looking at it". They know it's there, they recognize it, but that is all they do- just sit back and look at it- they never make a step to do anything about it.

Just recognizing that it is there, just acknowledging the fact that it exist does not bring deliverance and freedom from it. Just ask the Israelite army. They faced Goliath everyday, morning and evening, for forty days but he didn't disappear. These soldiers even talked about Goliath (their object of fear and intimidation). "And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up?" (1 Samuel 17:25a) But that was all they did- talk about their problem while looking at it.

Recognizing it and even talking about it isn't enough to make it "disappear". Goliath didn't "disappear" (he wasn't destroyed) until he was confronted. David ran out and confronted that object of fear and intimidation. When he did, Goliath was defeated. Until we do something about it it won't go away, it will stay there taunting you, intimidating you, accusing you, condemning you. It is only when you confront and stand up to it that it will be defeated.

Don't just stand on the sidelines looking at the object of fear, don't shrink back from it, don't let it send you into hiding, don't listen to and believe its threats, go out and confront it and when you do God will give you the victory over it. Actually, you already have victory over it through Jesus' victory at the cross. "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15)

Have a great day. Just recognizing your fear will not make it disappear, you have to confront it and stand up against it. When you do, victory is assured.

For further reading:

John 16:33

Zechariah 4:6

2 Timothy 1:7

Luke 10:19

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or

Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: /www.mastersbusiness.org/">http://www.mastersbusiness.org/">www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.

Please remember to give credit to

About the Master's Business Ministry.

Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.

http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

"Destroyed World"

"Destroyed World"

"And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark." Genesis 7:23

(Bear with me this morning as I take a little liberty. I know that the flood/storm that Noah went through was the judgment of God- but I want to make a point that will hopefully help someone today.) When the flood, or storm, came in Noah's life, it literally destroyed his world. It destroyed all he had worked for to accumulate- his home, his properties, his assets, etc . It destroyed everything that he had grown up with- familiar surroundings were gone. It took away relationships. It transitioned him from one place to another. As I said, it destroyed everything (with the exception of his wife and children).

There are storms that many have faced, or are facing now, that are literally destroying their whole world. Some are going through marriage storms, some are going through financial storms, some are going through storms that are attacking their bodies with disease, some are facing storms so devastating that it is changing their whole life to such a degree where nothing is familiar any more. Some are facing storms that are "blowing away" everything they have worked so hard to accumulate. Perhaps you are that person this morning. Perhaps you feel as if your world is gone- nothing left.

Let me give you a word of hope and consolation. Even though Noah was going through a storm/flood unlike anything ever experienced before, he did not go through it alone. God was there with him. God was there leading him and guiding him the whole time. God sustained him and kept him through it. God instructed him and continued to speak to him. So take heart, God has not left you in the storm. He didn't abandon Noah, He has not abandoned you in your time of need either- if He had you never would have made it this far. Noah wasn't destroyed because God was protecting him while the rain was falling and the flood waters rising. He will do no less for you. He will protect you as well. It doesn't always mean He will protect your possessions, your position, your accumulations, but He will protect you and be with you through the storm.

Have a great day. Some storms seem to destroy our whole world, but even in the most devastating storm you are not alone- the Lord is still with you.

For further reading:

Genesis 7

Genesis 8:1

Hebrews 13:5

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or

Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: /www.mastersbusiness.org/">http://www.mastersbusiness.org/">www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.

Please remember to give credit to

About the Master's Business Ministry.

Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.

http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

"Repentance Requires Action"

"Repentance Requires Action"

"I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." Luke 15:18

The first message that Jesus preached was that of repentance. "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt. 4:17) Repentance is not passive, it requires that something be done- even the word itself is a verb that means to "change your mind, which involves turning with contrition from sin to God".

In the story of the prodigal son we see a picture of a repentant young man- we also see a prime example that action accompanies repentance. Repentance in this young man's heart did not start when he got home. It did not start when the father embraced him. It started in the pig pen when he said, "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." At that moment not only was there contrition of heart, but a turning away from sin. He got up out of the pig pen (symbolic of the life of sin) and started in the direction of home.

Repentance isn't just a confession of sin and then continue going in the same direction- it always requires that you go in the opposite direction from the sin you just confessed. "Go, and sin no more." (John 8:11) What is in the opposite direction of sin? God. To sum up what I have already said- repentance means that we turn our backs on sin and our faces toward God and start heading in that direction. That is exactly what the prodigal son did- he left the pig pen behind.

Where are you today? In confession or repentance over your sin? Confession only (acknowledging that it is there) does not get you out of the "pig pen." Repentance on the other hand causes you to arise, get up out of it and head toward the Father.

Have a great day. If it's true repentance it will be accompanied by action.

For further reading:

Luke 15:11-22; 8:36-39

Acts 14:15; 26:20

Ezekiel 18:30

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or

Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: /www.mastersbusiness.org/">http://www.mastersbusiness.org/">www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.

Please remember to give credit to

About the Master's Business Ministry.

Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.

http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

Today's Quote

I received the following thought in my inbox today from the Cf group at google.

Do not let your peace depend on what people say of you, for whether they
Speak good or ill of you makes no difference to what you are. True peace
And joy is to be found in Me [Jesus] alone. He who is neither anxious to
Please nor afraid to displease men enjoys true peace.

Thomas a Kempis
http://www.ccel.org/k/kempis/
Thomas a Kempis Biography And Works

True Diagnosis

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1

I had the same doctor for most of my life. I noticed something about the way he would diagnose your problem. If the illness was something obvious he would go ahead and begin to treat it. If it was something that wasn't so obvious, he would do what I call the "process of elimination". When you would go to see him with your ailments, he might have an idea about what your problem was but instead of treating what he suspected he would send you for tests after tests eliminating anything else it might be. Nine out of ten times his first suspicion was right.

Many Christians are like that when it comes to dealing with issues, or besetting sin, in their lives. They seem to go "all around the world" before they get to the real problem. They go through a process of "elimination". They start dealing with everything but the real problem. For example, they may know they have an unforgiveness problem but instead of going ahead and dealing with it, they ignore it and work on other areas. In most cases it's because they don't want to have to deal with it, they don't want to have to face it, they don't want to have to make the choice to repent and let go of it.

The whole time my doctor was sending me to have all those tests, while days were turning into weeks waiting for the results, I was still hurting, I was still suffering with the problem. Until we are willing to deal with the real issue we will continue to suffer with the problem too. And this "problem" will begin to effect others areas in our lives. If left untreated it will begin to pull you down spiritually and weaken you. My doctor ignored the real problem while eliminating anything else it might have been but that didn't make the real problem go away, it was still there. Just because you are ignoring it, it won't make it go away either.

If you know what the problem is, if you know the nature of the besetting sin, if you know the area that you need to deal with, if you have been ignoring it, it is time to stop. It is time to deal with it- it is time to "treat" it by acknowledging it and then repenting of it.

Have a great day. Don't go all the way around the real issue, deal with it.

For further reading:

1 John 1:9

John 4:16-18

Luke 18:18-24

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or

Email: mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: /www.mastersbusiness.org/">http://www.mastersbusiness.org/">www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge.

You may also forward them via e-mail or post them to your website - leaving the whole message in tact.

Please remember to give credit to

About the Master's Business Ministry.

Take time to visit our on-line Christian magazine and blogs.

http://livingstonesmagazine.homestead.com

"Taking For Granted"

"Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 7:13

Spring is such a beautiful time. Everything is so fresh and colorful. I remember thinking a few years ago that I wish it were spring time all year round. Upon that thought I felt like the Lord spoke to me and said, "If it was spring time all year long you would take the beauty of it for granted". How true. After a while we would grow tired of it and take it for granted because it would become commonplace.

Human nature is like that. We tend to take things and people for granted after a while. Especially after the "newness" wears off. We think that that thing or person is always going to be there, and we expect it. If we aren't careful we can take the Lord for granted too and we can begin to get lax and lazy in our relationship with Him. If we don't guard against it we can develop a mind set that thinks that we can go day after day without communicating with Him, allow other things to take precedence above Him and allow other things to choke out our time in fellowship with Him because He has promised to never leave us.

Just because He promises to be with me, doesn't mean that I can take Him for granted and then when I am in trouble cry out and expect Him to come running to my rescue. He also said, "Draw near to me and I will draw near to you". He may not come right away, at least not until you repent for taking Him for granted. The Israelites learned this the hard way when they had neglected the Lord and then presumed that all they had to do was take the ark (the represented presence of God) into the battle and they would be assured victory. Well, they didn't win, they lost and the ark was taken captive.

The point is: you cannot take God for granted and then think that He is just going to "drop everything" and "bail you out" when you get in trouble. He is a God to be revered and feared. He is a God that requires, desires and should have first place in your life... all the time. Not just in times of trouble, not just on Sundays, not just when you can "squeeze" Him in.

If that is you this morning, if you have been taking God for granted and think you can neglect your relationship/communication with Him and that He is going to come to your rescue the moment you call, think again, there is no guarantee that He will. But if you will call out in repentance over your neglect of Him and for taking Him for granted, you can rest assured that He will answer that- He always comes and answers the prayer of repentance.

Have a great day. If you are taking your relationship with God for granted... repent and give Him first place.

For further reading:

James 4:8

1 Samuel 4

Matthew 6:33

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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