NorMel House Devotions

Read 1 Timothy 4:11-15 Paul wrote to Timothy to warn him about false teachers and to instruct him in church matters. In chapter four, he starts by explaining that there are some in the church pushing false teachings. They were teaching a strict practice of self-denial from marriage and foods (see 1 Timothy 4:3). Paul also warns against godless myths and old wives' tales (1 Timothy 4:7) and tells Timothy to instead train himself to be godly (1 Timothy 4:8). What follows, in our text, is instructions on how to live a godly life. We, too, can learn from Paul's instructions. As Christians, we, too, must set an example for others. One of the ways we can strive for godly behavior is devoting ourselves to reading scripture. Paul tells Timothy he has a gift from God that he must not waste. He urges Timothy to make his spiritual growth visible for others and to preach and teach others to do the same. There's a couple of things we can learn from Paul's instructions. First, we are...

Read Proverbs 1:1-7 The book of Solomon was written to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young and to make wise men wiser (see Proverbs 1:5). It is a "How to "book on living wisely. Our text is an introduction and sets the tone for the book.  We can expect to see more of the contrast between the wise and the fool, but especially about the fear of the Lord. Verse seven shows a stark contrast between those who fear the Lord and the fool that despises wisdom and discipline. Discipline is immediately set out as a good thing, something we should seek (Proverbs 1:2-3). We can see that the fear of the Lord is going to be a prominent theme throughout the book. Solomon tells us that serving the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Therefore, those who do not fear the Lord can not attain even the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). This tells us that not only is the book going to tell us how to live, but how to live in the fear of the Lord. We can read the ...

Read Ephesians 4:17-32 Paul, the writer of Ephesians, wants his readers to live, not as the gentiles do, but rather, live lives of Christian purity. In our text, he gives us a basic guide for how to put off our 'old selves' and not follow our deceitful desires. Paul points out that a life without God can lead to a life of impurity. Purity is essential for Christians. We are to put on our 'new selves' as we were created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:23). What does a life of purity look like? Paul gives us several examples of how we are to behave and what we shouldn't do. In verse 25, he tells us not to speak falsehood but speak truthfully to our neighbors. It is not enough to not lie. We MUST speak the truth. He also tells us that we must not sin in our anger. Not all anger is sin. However, we must not dwell in our anger. Dwelling on your anger gives the devil a foothold in your life (Ephesians 4:27). Paul then tells us it's not e...

Read Ephesians 4:1-16 As Christians, we are called to live Christ-like lives. We are called to be the body of Christ, and God gives us what we need to live a life worthy of our God-given call. The church is the body of Christ, and as there are many different parts to the body, so too, we have different callings in life. Some are to be apostles and prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, etc. In order to live Christ-like lives and fulfill our calling, we must be humble, patient, gentle, and bear with one another in love. Each has a part and needs to do its work. As there is only one body, there is also only one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father, and we are called to one hope. Christ is the one head, and from Him, the whole body is joined together, grows, and is built up in love. So live lives worthy of your God-given calling and realize we don't all have the same calling. For, "If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hea...

A prayer for the Ephesians.  Read Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul wrote the book of Ephesians to broaden the knowledge of his readers in regards to God's grace and providential plan. It's really no surprise that he stops to pray for his readers. What's interesting to note is how he starts his prayer. Typically, at that time, people stood to pray. Kneeling was done for royalty or people in positions of authority. It was a sign of respect and reverence. So, even in his praying, he is teaching his readers more about God. We should show all respect and reverence to God, and thus, like Paul, we ought to kneel when we pray. He continues to teach the reader by the things he prays about. Paul acknowledges that Christ is already present in the Ephesians' lives, but he wants them to have Christ in their hearts. He prays that Christ will be part of their whole being, and tells them how this is possible. Only God has the power to strengthen our faith. The Spirit is the one who works in our ...

  Read 2 Peter 1:1-8 Peter wrote the second book, 2 Peter, in order to teach his readers how to deal with false teachers and evil doers that had come into the church. As a servant and apostle of Jesus, Peter wanted to teach the reader how to live a life of Christian faith and practice.  In chapter one, Peter starts with trying to encourage Christian growth and gives a guideline for how to do so. As Christians, we are called to live our lives differently than the world. We are called to be active in our faith and not stay stagnant. Peter tells us that God has given us "everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him" (2 Peter 1:3). This means that knowing God helps us to know how we ought to live and how to "escape the corruption in the world caused by evil doers" (2 Peter 1:4). So how do we do all this? We seek God. Seek to know Him better. In seeking God, we are also seeking to add to our faith. We should seek goodness, knowledge, self-contro...

  Read 1 Corinthians 13 The book of 1 Corinthians was written by Paul to instruct the Church of Corinth on areas of immorality and spiritual weakness and to correct false teachings. Our text comes after a very well-known section about love. Paul is pointing out how we can't do anything fully without love. Love is greater than any other spiritual gifts we might be given. "Love never fails. But where there are prophesies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." (1 Corinthians 13:10) Thus far, the chapter has been an explanation on what love is and isn't. Our text gives comparisons about our love now and what love will look like when Christ returns. He is the 'perfection to come' (1 Corinthians 13:10). Paul uses three examples to make his point. First, there is the contrast between a child and a grown man. Children need to learn and grow in order to become grown-ups. Like children, we don't...