October 31, 2022 ~ Devotions: "Harvest"

     And So I Continue . . . . . .  

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and 

tell of all thy wondrous works.   Psalms 26:7 KJV  

James 1:17-18 ~ 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

I reversed my Scripture for the last day of this month on "Harvest" with October 30th. These verses seem fitting to end our month of devotions on this subject, and it isn't to undo what someone else thought when this list of Scriptures was compiled for this study, it is more from my own heart.  There is nothing I have that is good, that God Himself did not have a part in. I am the "harvest of firstfruits", and one of His own and He wants GOOD and perfect things for me. Not just things though, people in my life are such a wondrous blessing to have. I venture to say you could say the same thing. I just want to praise the Lord for His goodness and provision for each one of us and thank Him for having us on His mind from the beginning. He did, you know.

Our God is the giver of anything that is good. There is more good than most people realize. James has been teaching through the Scriptures on trials, and even these are good and perfect gifts, sent by God. Everything that we have is a gift from God, undeserved. After salvation every gift from God is a bonus. Every situation, no matter how difficult, is a gift designed to bring us good in both this life and the next. 

The unsaved, or lost souls, cannot understand this, they see God as one who changes. They think that one day God is good and blessing them with pleasant gifts, when in reality as unsaved people, God probably isn't involved in their day-to-day life. Not that He doesn't want to be, He just isn't, and it is by their choice. Then they say He is either unaware of what satan is doing, or He is powerless, or just not good anymore. But this is a deception to keep them from accepting Jesus as their Savior. They believe all the devil tempts them to believe.  I have a new title for the devil; it is "gaslighter". Look it up. He can make the most trivial situation into something so devasting in a lost soul's life, and then can make them believe that it was God's fault. He tells them, "If God was really God, He could heal your body!" or, "There is no kind God that would let your children live with drugs, immorality, and all abhorrent sins. If God was so great, He could take them away from that!" 

Let me just say, the devil is a liar and the father of lies! John 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  The Father of the heavenly lights does not change. He has been good and perfect from eternity past. He is good and perfect today. He will be good and perfect tomorrow, along with everything that he does, and everything that he gives.

This is meant to be an encouragement and I trust will lead to a stronger faith in God and give you strength to face and handle the trials of life. God never changes. He is good all the time, and all the time He is good. BUT you have to know Him as your personal Saviour. He may use many ways to bring people to Him, but the most important way was through His love, mercy, and sacrifice.  He gave His ONLY Son to die a cruel death, just so we could have the assurance of salvation from hell and the devil.  It is yours for the asking. 

There is no barrier that God cannot defeat, no hell that will keep Him or HIS children.... Read John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You see the two words I underlined here?  Say this verse in prayer, and put your name where those underlined words are. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart and save you!  Will you do that? Won't you become one of His "firstfruits"? He loves us sooooooooo much He was willing to die for us.  Join the family of God by surrendering your will and way to Him. You will never regret it.

If you have prayed and asked Jesus to come into your heart and save you, would you let us know. You can privately message us on FB or text me 304-923-9031. I would love to hear your good news personally.  May God bless and keep you all.  I am looking forward to our next study, "The Grace of Giving" in the month of November 2022.  I pray you will be helped in any way.

Lord, help us to be wise, studied up, aware, and faithful to You. Amen.

With love and prayers,

LKMilam

May we be faithful to be your Philippians 2:16 Missionaries. 

Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Tom and Linda Milam