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Read Deuteronomy 10:12-15
“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (v. 12).
Alma grew up in our church. Her grandfather was one of the founders. The church bore his last name. She seldom missed a service. Tragically, in spite of her exposure to the gospel, she had never been saved. I prayed for her often. I visited her regularly. Numerous times I ex- plained the plan of salvation as simply as I could and asked her if she would like to pray to ask God to forgive her sins and to become the Lord of her life. Each time, she refused. Her answer became familiar. “Brother Woods, it is just so hard to understand.”
In our devotional text for today, Moses seemed to be expressing the same frustration I felt. “How easy can it be? How simple can it be?” “What doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to. . .?” The path to the foot of the cross is clearly marked and easy to follow. At the end of the path, the Savior eagerly awaits your arrival.
Why do we try to complicate what Christ has made simple? Isaiah said, “A highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein” (35:8). (L. Gayle Woods)

Why do we try to complicate what Christ has made simple?

This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, July 7, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "Simple & Obvious" by Emma Jane Hogbin Westby used under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped.

Read John 1:10-14
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (v. 12).
I witnessed Chester die three times in the emergency room at Oak Hill Hospital. Each time he returned to life he cried, “I have gone to hell and come back! Don’t let me die again!” This time was different — he asked for his wife. She stood at the foot of his bed as he confessed his sins to her and added the words, “I ask you and I ask God to forgive me!” Seconds later, he died again and the team resumed the code blue. After cardio version, he announced, “I have gone to heaven and come back, if I die again, let me go!”
The power given to us by Christ himself is to ask for forgiveness with a sincere heart. Because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He will, with a speed faster than the speed of light, forgive and make us children of God! The power God gives us is summarized in 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Now we can say, “I’ve been adopted; my name is written down, and I’m a child of the King!” (Lyndell Scoles)

Receive Him today. It is His free gift to us. Delivery guaranteed!

This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, June 30, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. <a href="http://www.heraldandbanner.com/product/opening-word/">Order your copy!</a>
Photo credit: "<a href="https://flic.kr/p/6MNkrT">The glory of the sky</a>" by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/">Kevin Dooley</a> used under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a> / Cropped.

Read John 15:1-5
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (v. 4).
Growing in our yard is a white oak tree that my wife started from an 27 acorn. More than a year ago, one of our grandsons broke a limb from the tree. It seemed to be a teachable moment, so I asked the four grandsons who were present to sit down around the small tree. I asked them to look at the tree and observe the scar that was left after having a limb severed from it. I reminded them that the limb could have grown large enough to offer shade and become a limb from which a swing could have been hung. Further, I said it was likely that years from that date the tree would still bear a scar.
A severed limb from an oak may not be a big deal, but that limb will never bear acorns because it is detached. Our detachment from Christ results in barrenness. Could it be that those who claim to be part of the church are so preoccupied with activity that they have neglected abiding? Because abiding is not practiced, there is no fruit. (LRW)

Abiding in Christ, His life flows through me.
Abiding in Christ, He will make me fruitful be. — Lonnie Witt

The severed branch bears no fruit.

This week’s featured devotional is the Wednesday, June 25, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "White oak (Quercus alba) on William B. Umstead State Park Sycamore Trail" Miguel Vieira used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized and cropped.