G.M. Sunshine Devotionals: Devotions For a Purposeful Walk

By Glenesha McIntosh

In today's society, amidst, work, family, errands, etc., many can find their relationship with God in a very unproductive, stagnant, and routine ritualistic place. SUNSHINE DEVOTIONALS was created as a realistic and effective approach to a daily walk with God. Recognizing that whatever goes into our minds (via our five senses) is food to our hearts and spills back out through our actions, expressions, what we say, and what we continue to think about, is the first step in a purposeful and substantial decision to serve God through faith. G.M. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen... But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. ""Hebrews 11:1""6

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098015367

Book preview

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

—John 1:1–4 (KJV)

This is one of the most well-known scriptures. During a Bible study with my children I explained this verse using a box of cereal typifying the Word; The cereal on the shelf, the cereal in the bowl, and the cereal consumed.

The cereal on the shelf. Have you ever seen a child in the cereal aisle of a grocery store, full of all the cereal their hearts can desire? For a child, it is an awe-inspiring moment with just one thing standing in their way. The cereal that they desire is typically high up out of reach. It signifies that the Word existed in the beginning, up out of reach until purchased for a price. That same Word, was spoken, bringing everything into existence; Let there be… (Genesis 1, KJV).

In the beginning was the Word… All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1–3, KJV)

The cereal in the bowl. For a child it is exciting to have it purchased, taken home with them, prepared and poured into their bowl. It signifies that the Word now has a relationship with us because it was purchased for us. It no longer only exists on the shelf but now it is with us.

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:14–15, KJV)

Jesus prayed, "Father, the hour has come… Now this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began" (John 17:1–5, NIV).

And the Word was with God… The same was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1–2, KJV)

The cereal consumed. For a child, finally consuming what they had desired is both satisfying and fulfilling. Why? Because, not only do they have what they desired, but they also received it on their level. Based on their level/age of maturity, it can mean the difference between being served in a kiddie bowl or a grown-up bowl, which for a child, can make all the difference on whether or not they consume the food and possibly even the type of attitude/spirit they consume it with. The cereal consumed, signifies the acceptance of Jesus Christ into our lives of which there is no greater connection than when a relationship is not just with you (belief), but is also in you (received), and therefore one with you. When Jesus is in us, we can produce the fruits of his spirit because we function in him; For in him we live, and move, and have our being… (Acts 17:28, KJV).

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14, KJV)

Jesus said, I and my Father are one…believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. (John 10:30–38, KJV)

And the Word was God… In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1–4, KJV)

Study 1

Daily Scriptures

For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20, NIV)

What does this mean? If no one has ever crossed your path and shared the Gospel with you. If you’ve never heard of God. If you’ve never met another person in your entire life, you are still without excuse.

Who God is can be clearly seen through the things he has made… The sky, the sea, the wind, the earth, the sand, the stars, the sun, the moon, the trees, the animals, man. His greatness, his power, his sensitivity, his attention to detail, his order, his love, his beauty, his promises, his completeness…, can all be seen just by looking at all that he has made. No one needs a sermon to know there is a God who exists; a God who is alive, a God who is watching and moving, causing the circle of life to continue effortlessly. A God who waters the earth and dries up the excess with the rays of the sun. A God who has separated the land and sea and the day and night. A God who has created all the resources that we need so that we can invent and create and expand and regenerate. A God whose greatness and ability is far above what we can even ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Infinite, I think that’s the word.

Knowing who God is makes all the difference in life.

A relationship with the Lord, God of everything is the greatest relationship we will ever experience. One that we can count on without failing (Isaiah 40:28). One that is truthful (Numbers 23:19). He always keeps his word and his promises (James 1:17). He will never change (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6). He will never cease to exist (Psalm 90:2, 1 Timothy 1:17). He never sleeps and is always available (Psalm 121:4). He fights for us (Exodus 14:14, Deuteronomy 3:22). He open-handedly gives his Wisdom to all who asks, without criticism (James 1:5). That wisdom is the Word of God. It is the same wisdom by which he founded the earth (Proverbs 3:19). It is the spoken Word, the living Word and the written Word. Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17, NIV). God doesn’t withhold wisdom from anyone who seeks him. In fact, the Bible says, And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13, KJV).

Today, much of society is not in isolation. At some point in our lives most of us would have encountered the Lord, God in one way or another. For many, it has sparked Religion, Relationship, and Revelation (see Study 25).

The Bible says that All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16–17, KJV).

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:11–14, KJV)

Study 2

Daily Scriptures

The thing about roots is they dig down. Sometimes we try so hard to connect and identify with our roots, but don’t realize that we are already connected but do not identify. For how can we identify with a realm in which we do not thrive and grow, or weren’t even meant to exist in. For we, the tree, grow in light, while the roots dig into darkness, we are planted by the father, and called by the son; bent by the wind and beaten by the rain, but we rise just the same.

At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more. (Job 14:7–10, NIV)

Jesus said, Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit. (Matthew 15:13–14, NIV)

Simply put, not just the plant, but both the plant and the roots, a representation of present and past, no matter how deep it ran, will be as if it never existed. We’ve seen this uproot in the Bible with Cain. Noah was from the line of Seth who was planted by our heavenly Father as our first demonstration of life after death. But Cain a representation of the plant that the Father did not plant; his entire line and generations were wiped away by the great flood. Pulled up by the roots.

Study 3

(Daily Scriptures)

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

—John 3:6, KJV

The tree of knowledge of good and evil was not only flesh or in the natural, but it was also spiritual. Abel and Cain were the fruit/offspring of that tree of which the fruit was consumed by Adam and Eve. Abel represented the manifestation of the spirit of good and Cain the manifestation of the spirit of evil. This is also substantiated by the positions/jobs that defined them. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground (Genesis 4:2, KJV). Why is this sentence so significant in revealing their spirit? The Bible says that God cursed the ground because of their father Adam (Gen. 3:17); God then made garments of skin to cover them (Gen. 3:21). This atonement was temporary as the garments of skin came from the death of an animal, therefore, as we see throughout the Bible, it requires the constant sacrifice of an animal as offerings to the Lord to cover our constant sinful nature. (The only permanent atonement is a sacrifice by an eternal being, manifested in our humanity that is not bound to the grave after death but raises from death to life and reconciles us back to God our creator; that sacrifice was Jesus).

The Bible says that "in the process of time it came to pass,