NorMel House Devotions

Psalm 7 – In You do I take refuge (see below) Persecution comes in many forms. In Psalm 7, David cries out to God because people were making false accusations against him and wanted him dead. He feared them as one fears a lion, afraid they would tear him apart. This is not an unusual encounter for God’s children; In Matthew 5:10-12, Jesus said, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Many verses in the Bible remind us that anyone who follows Christ will be persecuted. John 16:33 tells us, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” We know that this life won’t be easy; the type of p...

Psalm 2: The Reign of the LORD’s Anointed – see below When we looked at the first Psalm, it became obvious that the company we keep matters. In Psalm 2, we see what happens to those with whom we shouldn’t spend time: those who mock the Lord God and His people. Our society thinks that we all can have our own beliefs, and yet, it mocks Christians for believing in the one true God. God’s word gives us comfort because we see that, although evil may seem to prosper at times, God is in control and He will punish those who “plot in vain” against Him. David’s words in Psalm 2 are prophetic, describing the rebellion of the nations, but also the coming of the Messiah. In verse 7, he points forward to when God would say of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17). David also knew that God had anointed him to be king, and he trusted God’s promises. A Savior would come into the world through his own bloodline; true God, true Man, the only begotten Son of God....

"When it rains, it pours." Ever heard that expression? Ever felt like that expression describes your life? Sometimes in life, we get hit hard, and then it seems the hits just keep on coming. One thing after another.... after another... after another. Every time you try to "get back up" again, something else hits and keeps you down. It's like the shoe fell, but then more shoes just keep on falling! As Christians, we know that there will be trials and suffering in this life, but God's word is filled with comfort and promises to give us strength. Matthew 11:22-30      Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.    Isaiah 41:10      Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my ri...

Some days, the words just flow through my fingers and onto the page. I feel like a conduit, not a writer. But then there are days when the words just don't seem to come; when there's so much on my heart, but I just can't seem to put it into words. Grief can have that effect sometimes. There are no words that will truly express my thoughts and feelings right now, so I'll let God's Word speak for itself: No more shall there be in it     an infant who lives but a few days,     or an old man who does not fill out his days Isaiah 65:20 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.                           ...

  Have you ever thought, “Wow, it’s a good thing others can’t hear my thoughts right now!” I know I definitely have, more often than I’d care to admit. So often, throughout the day, my thoughts are not in line with what the Bible teaches us they should be. As Paul says in Romans 7:15, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” It’s a constant struggle and battle to control not only our actions but also our thoughts! By the Spirit, we may be able to hold our tongues and keep our thoughts to ourselves, but our thoughts matter to God! I am a Christian, not because I am perfect, I’m not. I am a Christian because I know I need Christ! Part of knowing my need for God is recognizing how important it is to have a living, active relationship with Him. Prayers are a vitally important part of living out your faith and being a Christian. Prayer is part of how we commune with our heavenly Father, and therefore, vital to our relat...

What then shall we do? The Bible is filled with verses that teach us how to live our lives and how to use the many blessings and gifts God gives us. Many of us don’t like to be told how to spend our money or use our time, and it can be uncomfortable to hear that we may not be living as God requires. But it is wiser to learn to use our blessings, be it talents, money, or possessions, as God tells us to. Proverbs 11:24-25 says, One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. This seems contradictory; the world will tell you to hold on to as much as possible, after all, didn’t you work hard to get what you have? God has every right to tell us what to do with ourselves and our possessions; we are His, and all good things we have are gifts He has given us. So, what does God tell us about giving? We are to give freely, generously, and even sel...

For many, this week is "March break," and there are lots of planned activities and holidays. Many children don't have school this week, and their parents are often looking for ways to keep their children occupied. What if this year's March break looked a little different? What if we pointed our kids towards Bible study, engaging them in fun and creative activities meant to direct their thoughts to learning to live as the Bible teaches us? What greater activity is there for our children than learning how Christ lived and died for us, and how we ought to express our thankfulness to Him? With Good Friday and Easter Monday coming up, why not prepare your children by teaching them what those days are really meant to celebrate? Knowing what we do about Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, how do we prepare ourselves and our families to celebrate Good Friday and Easter Monday? The people in that time were not aware of what was to come and what it would mean for them an...

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 ESV During His time on earth, Jesus suffered greatly for the sins of others. Though He was perfect, He took the weight and the punishment for our sins upon Himself. Pain is a result of sin, and while we all experience it in different ways in our lives, He is the only one whose pain was solely the fault of others. 1 Peter 2:21-24 tells us, For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. ...

Nehemiah 9:16-31 16  “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments.  17  They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. [ c ]  But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.  18  Even when they had made for themselves a golden [ d ]  calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies,  19  you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go.  20  You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and...

Day vs. night, light vs. dark, good vs. evil. We often think in these simple terms, but it's really no surprise. God created light, God is our light; God is the only source of all good. Nighttime can be scary, and darkness can bring fear, and so it should be. In the beginning, God created light, and "God saw that the light was good and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day' and the darkness He called 'night'. And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day" (Genesis 1:4-5).  In John 8:12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Light is good; at night, the darkness can make us afraid of the things we cannot see, but "weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5). Every morning I get up knowing, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; th...