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October 28: GET UP

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Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  GET UP Key Text: John 5:8 (KJV) “Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” There are several remarkable accounts in the Bible where Jesus healed someone and instructed them to rise, get up, or move forward. To the man who had been unable to walk for thirty-eight years, Jesus said, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” To the paralytic brought by four men, He said, “Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.” (Mark 2:11). These individuals had experienced conditions that restricted their movement, independence, and ability to live as they desired. But when Jesus intervened, something changed. They were no longer required to remain in the condition that had held them down. And I wonder how many of us today are still lying in situations, attitudes, or circumstances from which God is calling us to rise. Perhaps you have been knocked down by disappointment, betrayal, rejection, failure, or a...
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October 27: The Cleaning Process

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  The Cleansing Process Key Text:  “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (KJV) Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  I am not sure that all of us enjoy cleaning, but it is something that has to be done. Dust gathers. Dirt accumulates. Stains appear. Things that were once fresh and clean eventually need attention again. I have noticed that supermarket shelves are filled with cleaning products, all promising different results. Some promise to remove the toughest stains. Others promise to whiten, brighten, disinfect, restore or make things look new again. Sometimes these products work wonderfully. At other times, despite all their promises, they leave us disappointed and perhaps feeling that we have wasted our money. But there is another kind of cleansing that no product on a supermarket shelf can provide. It is the cleansing of the heart. Life has a way of leaving stains on us too. Sin, bitterness, a...
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October 26: Silence

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 SILENCE SILENCE Key Text: Psalm 46:10 (KJV) “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Sharon Campbell-Danvers Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  How many of you enjoy silence? Silence is that moment when the noise stops, the conversations cease, the distractions fade, and everything becomes quiet. For some people, silence is uncomfortable. They enjoy vibrancy, activity, conversation, and the constant sound of something happening around them. The television must be on, music must be playing, or someone must be talking. Others treasure silence. They find peace in quiet surroundings, away from the demands and distractions of everyday life. I think I prefer a balance. I enjoy the laughter, excitement, and energy of being around people, but I also appreciate those precious moments when everything becomes still. And I have come to realize that some of the most meaningful moments in our relationship with God can happen ...
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October 25: Ask

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ASK Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Key Text: Matthew 7:7 (KJV) “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” It is often said that we have not because we ask not. Yet, if I am being truthful, there are moments when I hesitate to ask Jesus for certain things. Sometimes, even if only briefly, I wonder whether I am bothering Him or whether what I need is simply too much to ask. But then I remind myself: How can I possibly ask too much of the One who has already given everything for me? Jesus did not say, “Ask only when your problem is serious enough.” He simply said, “Ask.” What a powerful invitation! Yet many of us spend more time worrying about our problems than praying about them. We rehearse our difficulties, imagine the worst outcomes, and exhaust ourselves searching for solutions, while neglecting the One who invites us to come boldly before His throne. You cannot expect answers to requests y...
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October 24: Who Am I Pleasing?

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  Who Am I Pleasing? Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Key Text: “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 (KJV) As a scholar, I am diligent in completing my assignments. I take my studies seriously and desire to achieve good grades. Naturally, I appreciate positive feedback from my professors. There is satisfaction in knowing that the effort I have invested has been recognised. The same is true in the workplace. Many of us want the approval of our managers and colleagues. We want our work to be recognised and appreciated. Sometimes, however, the desire for recognition can go too far. People may even undermine others so that they can shine, receive the praise and appear to be the better worker. But when I really think about it, I am reminded that we must be careful not to miss the mark. There is nothing wrong with striving for excellence....
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October 23: Heading in the Wrong Direction

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Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Heading in the Wrong Direction Key Text “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5–6 (KJV) Recently, I was heading to a particular place when a telephone call with my husband revealed that the traffic was terrible. We agreed that instead of continuing with the journey, I would go home and do the errand another day. Initially, we had planned to meet at Foster's Supermarket so that I could collect the item I was supposed to take to that particular place. Since the plans had changed, there was no longer any reason for me to go to Foster's. I was supposed to be heading home. So, I headed home. Or at least, I thought I did. Some time later, I found myself at Foster's Supermarket. Then it dawned on me.  I had made the wrong turn. Although I knew that my destination had changed, I had automatically fol...
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October 20: Far Away From God

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  Far Away From God Key Text : “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion.” Luke 15:20 (KJV) Have you ever felt as though you have wandered far away from God? Sometimes I have felt so far from Him that I struggled to feel His presence. I know that God is there, yet there are moments when He seems distant. Sometimes it is because of choices I have made. At other times, the pressures, disappointments and distractions of life have caused me to drift without even realising how far I have wandered. The hymn “Far Away From God” speaks to those moments. Its message is a simple but powerful invitation to the wandering heart: come home. It reminds me of the prodigal son. Jesus tells the story of a young man who chose to leave his father's home. He took his inheritance and travelled into a far country. There, he wasted what he had until eventually he found himself with nothing. Hungry, broken and desperate...
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October 19: The Love of God

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The Love of God Key Text :  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8 (KJV) Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  One thing I have learnt about human love is that sometimes it does not last. Sometimes it is not forever. Sometimes it is given because of who we are, what we have done, how we make someone feel or what we have to offer. At times, love can change when circumstances change. But the love of Jesus is different. His love is constant. It is not determined by who I am related to, what I possess, what I have accomplished or what I have to give. His love is not simply because of. It is even though. Even though I have made mistakes, He loves me. Even though I have fallen short, He loves me. Even though there are parts of my story I wish I could rewrite, He loves me. Even though I do not always get it right, He still loves me. The hymn “The Love of God”...
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October 18: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

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Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Key Text: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2, KJV Hymn: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Words and Music: Helen H. Lemmel The hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” is a popular and beloved hymn, reminding us that where we choose to focus our attention matters. So often we are faced with situations that demand our attention. Constant pressures, disappointments, responsibilities, fears and uncertainties can easily consume our thoughts. Before long, what we are facing can begin to feel bigger than the God we serve. We think about the problem when we wake up. We carry it throughout the day. We turn it over and over in our minds, wondering what will happen, how things will work out or whether anything will ever change. But this hymn gently calls us to shift our focus. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.” It does not tell us to ignore our problems or pretend that difficulties d...
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October 17: What a Friend We Have in Jesus

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What a Friend We Have in Jesus Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Key Text:  “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13, KJV Hymn: What a Friend We Have in Jesus Words: Joseph M. Scriven Music: Charles C. Converse Many times we live as though we do not have a friend.  Better yet, we sometimes live as though we do not have connections or links to anyone who can help us. In this world, people often place great value on who they know. Connections can open doors. A relationship with someone in an established office, organization or system may provide access that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. Sometimes we hear people say, “I know someone,” and immediately there is a sense of assurance. They believe that because of that connection, someone will listen, someone will intervene, or somehow a way will be made. But as children of God, our greatest connection is not linked to earthly or wo...
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October 16: Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary

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Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary Key Text: Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7, KJV Hymn: Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary Words and Music: John M. Moore I know some of us are accustomed to carrying things on our own. We do not like to ask for help. Depending on someone else can feel uncomfortable. For some of us, it is simply out of character. We are used to figuring things out. We carry the responsibility. We find the solution. We keep going. And even when life becomes heavy, we tell ourselves, “I can manage.” Sometimes that strength has served us well. Perhaps life taught us early that we had to be independent. Perhaps people were not always available when we needed them. Perhaps asking for help resulted in disappointment, so we learned to depend on ourselves. But there are some burdens we were never meant to carry alone. The hymn “Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary” reminds us that Jesus d...
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October 15: Balm in Gilead- Part3

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Balm in Gilead A Three Part Devotional Series Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Hymn: There Is a Balm in Gilead Origin: Traditional African American Spiritual Part 3: You Still Have Something to Give Key Text:  “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee.” Mark 5:19, KJV “If you can not preach like Peter, If you can not pray like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus.” Sometimes we convince ourselves that because we cannot do what someone else does, we have nothing meaningful to offer. We compare our gifts. We compare our confidence. We compare our platform. We compare the way someone else speaks, teaches, prays, sings, leads, or serves. And before long, comparison begins to silence us. But this verse gives us a simple and freeing reminder. You do not have to preach like Peter. You do not have to pray like Paul. You only have to be faithful with what God has placed in you. There is something powerful abou...
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