BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL- THURSDAY JUNE 1, 2017: Where is Your Hope?

BILLY GRAHAM Daily Devotional

TOPIC: Where is Your Hope?

TODAY: Thursday June 1, 2017

KEY VERSE: This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, connecting us with God himself . . .- Hebrews 6:19 (TLB)

MESSAGE

What are you placing your hope in for the future? Your country’s government, educational system, some plan or organization? My hope is in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God. I have hope and know that I’m going to heaven. And, right here and now in this present life, I have God’s presence to help me.

Suppose we had no Bible. Suppose there were no cross, no salvation, no empty tomb. Suppose we had nothing to hang on except, “Do your best, try to patch it up, do what you can.” Oh, but we have a hope. There is a plan of redemption, a plan for the future. The New Testament is an exciting Book to read, it is so full of hope and expectancy. And God is interested in you!

PRAYER FOR THE DAY: Reading Your Word, my heavenly Father, makes me realize that the world and all its heartaches are so transitory. Inspire me to reach others with Your message of hope.

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: Need For Inner Change

BILLY GRAHAM Daily Devotional

TOPIC: Need For Inner Change

TODAY: Wednesday May 31, 2017

KEY VERSE: Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.- 2 Corinthians 5:17

MESSAGE
The world says that all we need to do is be decent, respectable, and reasonable. True, that is all one needs to do to be a member of the Great Society, but to be a member of the Kingdom of God, there must be an inner change. A Communist in Hyde Park, London, pointed to a tramp and said, “Communism will put a new suit on that man.” A Christian standing nearby said, “Yes, but Christ will put a new man in that suit!”

Prayer for the day
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the change that came deep within me when I received You.

SALVATION IS FREE – Billy Graham

 BILLY GRAHAM Daily Devotional

TOPIC: Salvation Is Free

TODAY: Tuesday May 30, 2017

KEY VERSE: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:24

MESSAGE
Salvation is free! God puts no price tag on the Gift of gifts—it’s free! Preachers are not salesmen, for they have nothing to sell. They are bearers of Good News—the good tidings that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Money can’t buy it. Man’s righteousness can’t earn it. Social prestige can’t help you acquire it. Morality can’t purchase it. It is, as Isaiah said, “without money and without price.”

God is not a bargaining God. You cannot barter with Him. You must do business with Him on His own terms. He holds in His omnipotent hand the priceless, precious, eternal gift of salvation, and He bids you to take it without money and without price. The best things in life are free, are they not? The air we breathe is not sold by the cubic foot. The water which flows crystal clear from the mountain stream is free for the taking. Love is free, faith is free, hope is free.

Prayer for the day
Even though my salvation was obtained only through the costliest sacrifice ever made, You freely gave it to me. Lord, I praise You for this gift so lovingly given.

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: Keep Moving Forward

 BILLY GRAHAM Daily Devotional

TOPIC: Keep Moving Forward

TODAY: Monday May 29, 2017

KEY VERSE: For in him we live and move and are! – Acts 17:28 (TLB)

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: Invest Your Talents

MESSAGE
When I was seven years old, my father bought me my first bicycle. I had never ridden one. Patiently, my family and friends tried to teach me the art of cycling. I soon found out there was one thing I must do if I was to stay on the bicycle—keep moving forward. If I ceased to go forward, I would fall and hurt myself. So it is in the Christian life. We can never live this life on the highest plane unless we are continually growing and moving forward. You should be closer to God today in heart, soul, and body, than at any other time so far in your life.

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: Jesus Is Matchless

Prayer for the day
Lord, I have progressed far too slowly in my pilgrim walk with You. Might I be drawn closer to the light of Your love and grace.

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: Invest Your Talents

BILLY GRAHAM Daily Devotional

TOPIC: Invest Your Talents

TODAY: Sunday May 28, 2017

BIBLE TEXT: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above . . . – James 1:17

MESSAGE
God, in His mercy and goodness, has endowed every man with certain gifts, talents, and capabilities. These are not to be used selfishly for our own profit, but for the glory of God and for the building of His kingdom. Our personalities, our intelligence, and our capabilities are gifts from His own bountiful hand. If we divert their use for our own profit, we become guilty of selfishness.

It is good business for an employee or junior partner in the firm to work for the profit and interest and glory of the owner. When the owner profits, all members of the firm profit. So, as stewards of our talents, we should invest them for the glory, praise, and honor of God. If God is glorified, we as His partners will be blessed. Our voices, our service, and our abilities are to be employed, primarily, for the glory of God.

Prayer for the day
Everything I have, You have given me, Father. Now give me wisdom to use these gifts completely in Your will.

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: Jesus Is Matchless

Billy Graham Daily Devotional
Topic: Jesus Is Matchless
Today Friday 26, May 2017

Key Verse: You have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God’s plan of salvation; he was the one who made us acceptable to God . . .  — 1 Corinthians 1:30 (TLB)

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: His Indwelling Presence

MESSAGE
More and more I am becoming aware of the truth that people change people as much as ideas change people. The power of personality is strong. One could find many illustrations to prove that often personality is greater than the idea. Such is the case with Christianity.

The secret of the power of Christianity is not in its ethics. It is not in Christian ideas or philosophy, although Christianity has a philosophical set of ideas. The secret of Christianity is found in a Person, and that Person is the Lord Jesus Christ. Men have discovered other philosophical and ethical systems, but they have not found another Jesus Christ. No one in history can match Him.

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: Count Your Blessings

Prayer for the day
When I tell others of Your love, help me to hide my personality in Yours, Lord Jesus.

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: His Indwelling Presence

 BILLY GRAHAM Daily Devotional

TOPIC: His Indwelling Presence

TODAY: Thursday May 25, 2017

KEY VERSE: . . to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:19

BILLY GRAHAM: Count Your Blessings

MESSAGE
To appreciate art, one must either be born with an artistic sense or develop it by training. Only a relatively few people have an innate sense of color, form, and harmony. To such, a love for art comes naturally. Without an artistic appreciation in one’s soul, visiting an art gallery can be a boring affair. Likewise, to appreciate good music one must have music “in him” or develop it. Without a sense of music appreciation, it is possible to sleep through a symphony concert or a performance of the Metropolitan Opera. So it is with the things of God.

BILLY GRAHAM: Jesus Is Transcendent 

Talk about God can become dreary and lackluster if God isn’t in you. Church can become a drab thing and the Bible an irksome Book if the Holy Spirit does not illuminate your soul with His indwelling presence. The wonderful thing about it all is that God has planned life so that if our hearts are dead to spiritual things, something can be done about it.

Prayer for the day
Lord God Almighty, may I daily reach out to You and be filled with the love of Christ.

BILLY GRAHAM: Count Your Blessings

 BILLY GRAHAM Daily Devotional

TOPIC: Count Your Blessings

TODAY: Wednesday May 24, 2017

KEY VERSE: when troubles come . . . sing his praises with much joy.Psalm 27:5,6 (TLB)

MESSAGE
Christians are not altogether immune from depression. The fact is: the trend of events and the mounting tide of evil are enough to give one sobering thoughts—Christian or not. David, the sweet singer of Israel, was not always on top of his depression. Sometimes his glad song was turned to a depressive mourning. “My tears have been my meat day and night, while continually they say unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted in me?” I find that the cure for depression is praise. In other words: be so busy counting your blessings, that thoughts of gloom and despair will be crowded out.

Prayer for the day

Thank You, heavenly Father, for the Psalms which help me see that even in the depths David talked with You. Whatever my circumstances, I will learn to praise You.

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: An Answer to Problems

 BILLY GRAHAM Daily Devotional

TOPIC: An Answer to Problems

TODAY: Tuesday May 23, 2017

KEY VERSE:. . . Thou shalt love the Lord thy God. . . . Thou shalt love thy neighbor . . . — Matthew 22:37–39

MESSAGE
Here is the answer to the world’s problems today—”Thou shalt love the Lord thy God” and “Thou shalt love thy fellowman.” That teaching is not out of date; it is absolutely relevant today. It is the only way in which the problems of the world today can be solved, whether the problems are those of individuals or of nations. If we love God with all our heart, we will have capacity to love our neighbors. True love will find an outlet in service—not merely in singing hymns, attending church, or even in praying—but in trying our utmost to prove our love, by obeying the will of our heavenly Father.

Prayer for the day: True love demands everything I have. Take all the hidden things in my life that keep me from loving You and my neighbor as I should. Let me obey Your will unequivocally, dear Lord.

BILLY GRAHAM DEVOTIONAL: God Made Us Unique

 BILLY GRAHAM Daily Devotional

TOPIC: God Made Us Unique

TODAY: Monday May 22, 2017

KEY VERSE: Our soul waiteth for the Lord . . . — Psalm 33:20

MESSAGE
I am a soul—and I have a body! The body is the house in which the soul lives. When Oliver Wendell Holmes was in his 80th year, a friend hailed him and asked, “How are you?” “I’m fine,” said Holmes, “the house I live in is tottering and crumbling, but Oliver Wendell Holmes is fine, thank you.” In this materialistic age we often forget that the real, the abiding part of us is invisible. Much time, money, and effort are expended to perpetuate the physical part of us, and too many are unconcerned about their spiritual health and nurture. Hence doctors’ offices are overcrowded, and many ministers’ counseling rooms are empty.

When God created man, He made him distinctive, different from the other animals. “He breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul.” He clothed him with intelligence, conscience, and a will. He made him like Himself—a companion, a friend of God. At the resurrection, this mortal shall put on immortality, and we shall be like Him, and be with Him forever.

Prayer for the day: What expectation is mine as I think of being with You forever, my beloved Lord Jesus!