E1 - Introduction to Hope’s Harbor Podcast of Gritty Bible Devotions
Episode # 1
Date: 4/5/2021
Contact: info@hopesharbor.net
· Today is the introductory episode of Hopes’ Harbor – a podcast of Gritty Bible Devotions
· My reason for creating this podcast is to present Jesus as not only the most high Son of God but also the loving Savior who desires no one is lost to sin.
· I hope you find the devotions encouraging, motivating, and yes even convicting.
· The devotions are taken directly from the Bible.
· I believe all Scripture is inspired by God and therefore without error or fault.
· The Bible is also to me the final word on all matters of faith and practice.
· Speaking of practice, the way Bible truth impacts a Christian’s life is by application.
· I have learned to trust God’s Word, even when I didn’t feel like it.
· By applying Scriptural principles, my part, God has always done His part.
· I live now by faith in God’s goodness.
· Now, it wasn’t always this way. Before trusting Jesus’ forgiveness for my sin I was a skeptic.
· But, a good friend told me about his faith. Even then it took several months for the truth to sink in.
· He and I were out cutting firewood (we had a part-time firewood business) and while taking a break from running the chainsaws we sat on a log and sharpened the teeth.
· He told me he shouldn’t have gone into business with me because it’s forbidden in the Bible to become partners.
· He called it Unequally Yoked.
· I told him I didn’t want to be a hypocrite,
· I didn’t believe all the Bible, like the part about Moses’ parting the Red Sea
· He asked if I believed Jesus died for my sin.
· Yes, I did, having been raised in church.
· He explained if I had faith in Jesus’ death and asked God’s forgiveness I could be saved.
· Well, what about not believing the entire Bible?
· He said that would come with time.
· I thought about what he said.
· It had always bothered me some I wasn’t right with God.
· Not at peace.
· I knelt on one knee and prayed.
· That was 44 years ago this year, 2021.
· During the last four decades my life has been anything but perfect.
· Most of the problems and losses were my fault.
· Being a stubborn man I resisted giving control to God.
· I wanted to do things my way.
· I don’t know how many times God must have sighed and said to the angels, “There he goes again.”
· During the most painful times when I failed I found God ready to forgive and restore.
· There is a beautiful illustration of God’s gentle and merciful nature in a parable Jesus told.
· It’s in Luke 15:11- down through vs 20 (KJV)
· Luke 15:11 - And he said, A certain man had two sons:
· Luke 15:12 - And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
· Luke 15:13 - And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
· Luke 15:14 - And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
· Luke 15:15 - And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
· Luke 15:16 - And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
· Luke 15:17 - And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
· Luke 15:18 - I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
· Luke 15:19 - And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
· Luke 15:20 - And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
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· I know what this is like to come to God having wasted portions of my life.
· But then, God gives a promise in Romans 8:28:
· Rom 8:28 – ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’
· Going through a divorce nearly 20 years ago I came across this verse.
· At the time I thought there is no way God could bring good out of a ruined marriage.
· A marriage I ruined by neglect.
· Years before this divorce I went through several months of suicidal depression to the point of planning how to take my life.
· That level of depression began to stalk me nearly every day.
· Somewhere in the fog I lived in God impressed upon me if I would give Him the pain, He would restore me.
· I gave it to Him, the pain. It took several years but eventually, I was restored to a sense of normal.
· The process involved needing to understand God’s love.
· I doubted it.
· Who wouldn’t especially having wrecked a 30 marriage? I didn’t love myself very much.
· At some point, I read John 15:9:
· John 15:9 – ‘As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.’
· I doubted this was true for me having been raised in a denomination that taught we had to earn God’s favor and love.
· Something about the verse grabbed me.
· I wondered what if it’s true. Even for me.
· I started reading this verse last thing before going to bed and first thing each morning. I thought about it during the day.
· It took about a year and a half before I believed it.
· Even now all these years later I still enjoy knowing God loves us, even me.
· This kind of truth in the Bible motivates me to present these devotions and try to do them in the way you can believe for yourself.
· Each devotion centers on one primary truth meant to encourage and/or exhort change for the better.
· If we take away just one thought from God’s Word, think on it throughout the week, it gives God’s power a chance to work in our favor.
· Doing this each week builds a wall against all the clutter trying to find a way into our minds.
· 52 weeks later and you will have enough of God’s Word to stand stronger than at the beginning.
· Stronger how?
· Stronger in the mind to start with.
· By having a stronger mindset founded on the Rock of Christ.
· Jesus describes this mindset-process of obedience in Matthew 7:24-27:
· Mat 7:24 - Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
· Mat 7:25 - And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
· Mat 7:26 - And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
· Mat 7:27 - And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
· God promises in Isaiah 55:11&12 the inevitable result of obeying His word:
· Isa 55:11 - So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
· Isa 55:12 - For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
· So you see, these devotions are not scholarly, but rather meant to provide a right-where-you-are message each week for everyday circumstances.
· This is where life tries to wear us down and out.
· Life can be gritty for sure and I intend to teach at that level, deeper than a mere skimming over Scripture gives us.
· I hope you’ll follow along with me and I’m fairly confident I’ll get better as time goes by. At least that’s what I’ve been told.
· And if you see how I can improve please let me know at info@hopesharbor.net.
· Thanks -