52 Week Scripture, Devotional & Meditation Guide

By Wes Henson

52 stories that include bible verses, stories and quotes from famous people.  Each story is motivational and inspiring.  Ephesians,, Chapter 4, verse 32 says, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."  Norwegian Proverb, "That which is loved is always beautiful."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wes Henson
• Release date: Apr 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393708384

Wes Henson

Wes Henson was born in Eastern Kentucky, but currently lives in Pickerington, Ohio. Wes is a 4th degree black belt in Kung-Fu and he taught Martial arts for several years. He served in the Air National Guard and the Navy Reserve. He retired after working thirty-six years for Mars Petcare.

Book preview

The Arena

What separates the fan from the athletic?  Maybe a natural ability, coordination, dexterity, superb reflexes, motivation or by the way they were raised.  The athletic also has dedication.  They spend hours training and striving for a goal, a goal to become a professional athletic.  And sometimes all that work pays off, but there’s a lot of athletics who never achieve their goal.  They end up sitting with us in the bleachers.  They become a fan.

The athletic knows the riches of success.  He has fame, wealth and prestige.  On the other side of the coin they know the agony of defeat.  In the football arena the athletics’ bones crunch and break.  The matador knows all to well the agony of defeat.  If he fails to move out of the way of a two-ton charging bull, he will feel the horns as they pierce his body.

For you and I and humanity the stakes are higher in the arena we play in.  The reward for victory is salvation, peace, joy, happiness, rejoicing, praising and no more pain.  These are just some of the rewards for victory.  In 1st Corinthians, Paul says in chapter 2, verse 9.  "However, as it is written:  no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."  And Jesus said in John, chapter 14, verse 2,  "In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you."  In heaven there will be a Super Bowl and the rewards for victory will be positive and up lifting.

What is the agony of defeat in our arena?  There will be a lake of fire, depression, gloom, despair and immense pain.  Satan and his demonic forces will be torturing the lost souls, those losers who didn’t reach for the ring of life, the ring being Jesus.  Jesus said in Matthew, chapter 25, verse 41,  Then He will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  In Mark, chapter 9, verse 43, Jesus says,  "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into Hell, where the fire never goes out."  Revelation, chapter 20, verse 14 and 15 says,  "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  The lake of fire is the second death.  If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

There are many arenas.  There are sports arenas and a spiritual arena.  How do we achieve success in the arena?  Theodore Roosevelt, said, quote,  "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."  End quote.

So, what kind of equipment do we need in our arena?  Prayer, fasting and God’s word.  James, said in chapter 1, verse 22 through 25.  "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."

Every person who steps into the arena, weather it’s an athletic or a Christian has an owner, coach and mentor.  And that person is one in the same for everyone;  His name is Jesus.

So, as we gather around the Lord’s Table to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made through His death, burial and resurrection.  Let’s not forget we’re on a winning team and let’s keep striving for that extra goal and those lost souls.

Imagination

All of us have a vivid imagination.  Some of us imagine monsters in the closet or under the bed.  As children some of us imagined or dreamed of being a baseball star, an astronaut or movie star.  As we get older, we might have dreams of a nice job or a beautiful home with a loving spouse and children.  Imagination, if the right things are in focus, can be a positive motivator.  Albert Einstein said,  imagination, is everything, it is the preview of life’s coming attractions.  If that statement wasn’t true where would we be today if men like Tomas Edison didn’t have a vivid imagination?  In the dark or reading our Bible by candlelight.  Of course, if you act on your imagination some people will ridicule you, laugh at you and do everything in their power to see you fail.

Could you imagine what the people said and did to Noah and his family when he was building the Ark?  Here was a man building a huge boat in the middle of a field.  But Noah had more than a vivid imagination.  He had faith in God.

Imagination builds.  If we live out our imagination, we live out our potential.  Henry J. Taylor the historian said,  "imagination lit every lamp in this country, build every church, performed every act of kindness and progress, created more and better things for more people.  It’s the priceless ingredient for a better day."

As Christians we image more souls won to Christ, a church so full that we have standing room only.  But imagination is also an action word.  In order for your imagination to become reality you have to act.  We might get laughed at and made fun of, but it’s better to try and fail then never try at all.

We know Moses was ridiculed when he was leading the Israelites through the desert.  There were people among him who wanted to see him fail.  Why else would they build an image of gold to worship?  And if you use your imagination you can almost hear the Israelites saying,  Where is this land of milk and honey you promised us.  Why did you bring us out in the desert to die Moses?  We were better off as slaves.  On the other hand, if you use your imagination and focus on positive thoughts you can almost see the Red Sea part.  Taste the mania, smell the quail roasting on a fire and feel the cool water as it springs from the rocks.

As Christians we have to act as it says in Acts, chapter 13, verse 47,  For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.  How else can we be a light unless we act?  We have to act like Christians and be a witness to Christ.

Imagination goes hand in hand with dreams and faith, faith in our Lord and faith in yourself.  2 Chronicles, chapter 20, at the end of verse 20 it says,  have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.

As Christians we already have faith in a better future, a future free of pain and suffering, a future with our Lord.  Let’s not forget that as we gather around the Lord’s table to remember His death, burial and resurrection.

What is Friendship?

Thomas Jefferson said, quote,  Friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life.  And thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine.  End quote.

Friendship is precious, but the word friend is often just a word people use in vain.  There are people in the workplace who betray friendship for a better job, a title or money.  Then there’s the ultimate betrayal of friendship between a couple when a spouse has an affair.  There’s also the betrayal of friends within the church.  These people are wolves who destroy the unity between us and God.  They claim to be Christians, but they gossip, hinder and restrict the church.  Friends are hard to find when we don’t allow God into our life.  That’s why most marriages end in divorce.  They put their own selfish needs in front of God and their spouse.

Benjamin Franklin said, quote,  A false friend and a shadow attend only when the sun shines. End quote.

So, when we choose our friends, we have to choose them wisely.  Sometimes even then we still might be deceived.  Proverbs, chapter 14, verse 20, says,  He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

What is a friend?  Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself.  A real friend is a person who, when you’ve made a fool