Devotionals

September 17, 2018

Proverbs 22:1-21 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Book of Proverbs shares practical snippets of wisdom for living; that wisdom is usually contrasted with a foolish way to live. We can choose to live wisely or foolishly. For those who desire to serve God and live in fellowship with him, we seek to follow the righteous path vs. the foolish path. Yet, we cannot do that in our own strength or righteousness.  Good behavior alone does not bring salvation; belief in Christ brings salvation and a desire to please God.

God desires for us to have a pure heart before him and Jesus brings deliverance and forgiveness; we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s pure requirements. Our sin has caused us to be separated from God.  Jesus is the Savior who died for humanity and paid the price for our sin-filled lives, so we could re-connect with the Father.  The blood of Jesus makes spiritual purity possible and obedience to God’s Word keeps our hearts tender and ready for the change new life in Christ requires.  To stay on the righteous path, we must be willing to allow the work of the Spirit to bring transformation to how we think, how we speak, and how we act.  Because of Jesus, we can enjoy life with God; the way we were originally created to live before human sin.  So, practice wisdom and follow the Lord with your life.

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September 14, 2018

James 2:17-26 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

According to the Bible, every child of faith is called to share “good deeds.” It is a natural outflow of spiritual salvation in the grace of God.  Apart from the grace of God we are spiritually empty.  God generously (even ecstatically) gives of himself pouring love into us and awaits our response.  What will we do with what we have been given?  

Good deeds are actions of obedience that come from having Christ as the Lord of our lives.  Christ brings a lifestyle change; he shifts our perspective from our own inclination of selfishness and turns it toward his generous heart.  The Holy Spirit helps us live each day with the desire to glorify God by releasing good everywhere we go, because in essence it is releasing God.  True faith—a living faith—involves a commitment of one’s whole self to the work of God which must include good deeds.

In our passage today, James is reminding the early church that faith is more than a mental or emotional assent to God.  As well, it is more than just giving a bunch of supplies to the needy.  Faith is revealed in how we live each day in response to a loving God and being willing to share the love of Christ with others in tangible ways.  This is the path of lasting joy.   Live in his joy, today!

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September 13, 2018

Hebrews 11:17-22 Good News Translation (GNT)

What do you prize most or hold dear in life?  Sometimes we hold possessions, people, jobs, dreams, etc.; yet, God must be our first love.  Uncontrolled circumstances in life have a way of revealing what we hold most dear.  This morning I am praying for the people whose lives are about to be impacted and faith tested with the approach of Hurricane Florence to the southeastern coast of the United States.  I ask you to join me in prayer as this storm will be devastating to many, many people.  May those with living faith in God’s love grab ahold of him for strength, courage, shelter, supply and find him faithful.  May those searching for the truth of God—in the midst of the storm—find their eyes have been opened to the existence, great power, and love of God who promises to raise humanity from the ashes of this temporal life into eternal life.

Living faith is speaking and acting in a way today about what we believe God has promised to provide and do in the future.  It is walking in obedience to God when our faith is tested like Abraham, remaining hopeful when everything in us wants to feel discouraged because only pieces of his promise have manifest.  Living faith is holding on to the promise even if it does not take place in our lifetime like Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.  Living faith is built on eternal promises and the character of Almighty God and acts accordingly.  When life challenges us and our faith is tempted to topple, we must remember God has perfect character and he has promised to provide for his children.  We may trust Abba!

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September 12, 2018

Matthew 17:14-15 Amplified Bible (AMP)

As we explored in our passage on Monday, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things yet unseen.  As we learned from our passage on Tuesday, we must have faith that when God corrects us and disciplines us, he sees something in us that must be surrendered so we can move forward in his plan.  In our passage today, Jesus tells the disciples the reason they were unable to cast out a demon was because of their “little faith.”

Our faith can move mountains, but that faith must be “living faith.”  In other words, our faith must be accompanied by actions that reveal our devotion and our confidence in God.  Our lives will bear the fruit of active faith as we put ourselves in God’s hands and allow the Spirit to make us more like Jesus who knew the will of God. With God all things are possible and he works upon our faith.  So continue to set your faith out for the work of good…of God.

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September 11, 2018

Hebrews 12:3-13 New Living Translation (NLT)

God has welcomed humanity to come to his heart of Love. But, when he receives us we must submit ourselves to his discipline.  His heart is holy and pure in Love and we have to learn what God declares holy and loving living by accepting His discipline when we try to support unholy mindsets, emotions, and actions. Learning God’s love can be a painful process especially if we have spent years acting in a purely human understanding of love.  When God disciplines us, he is actually loving us with a deep and abiding affection, because he is the Father of our spirits.  

The Apostle Paul reminds his readers the Christian life is about hard work.  We must be willing to step away from whatever hinders our relationship with God and press on to finish the faith race.  We must be willing to accept God’s correction gratefully, because God has already declared his love for us through Jesus Christ.  So, live with the victory of pleasing God’s heart and love in a way that helps others long for a relationship with Him, too.  

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September 10, 2018

Hebrews 11:29-40 The Message (MSG)

It is good to be back from vacation; I must admit I truly rested and enjoyed myself. I did miss connecting with you through God’s Word, so let’s talk a bit about faith, today.

I recently had a conversation with someone dear to me about the essential work of faith in every Christ follower’s life. To many people faith is simply a word Christians throw around to sound spiritual. Yet, the Bible teaches without faith it is impossible to please God and faith is actually the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen (or in other words things yet to be manifest). To walk by faith is a choice we make each day. We can either think our faith is superficial and isn’t really required to walk in victory each day or we can grow in our understanding of the “bigness of God” and realize every day God is looking to bring his power to our measure of faith.

Your faith and my faith is put together with the biblical heroes of the faith in order to make a whole. In our passage today, we will review the faith of some of these heroes. God has a plan for you and for me and we walk it out by faith. We are people of faith who believe in a merciful, loving and all-powerful God who delights in blessing his children by manifesting the work of faith. How will you walk by faith today? It really depends on your perspective of God. How big is your God? Some of these heroes in our lesson served a big God.  Is God big enough to make you victorious in the plan He has for your life? If so, live today with purpose and faith. I will be on the faith walk with you…

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August 31,2018

James 1:9-18 The Message (MSG)

Evil comes to rob, steal, and destroy the righteous life.  Scriptures tells the truth about evil from the beginning in the Book of Genesis until the end in the Book of Revelation.  High above all evil and deception stands Truth; his name is Jesus and he is the second person of the Godhead.  It is Christ who helps us to meet and conquer life’s challenges and spiritual attacks.  Jesus never brings evil to us; rather, he delivers us from the evil we carelessly bring into our own minds and hearts one thought at a time.    

In our passage today, the Apostle James reminds us to guard ourselves against the temptations of evil.  Evil begins as a thought and then if we dwell on it long enough it will become an action.  So, stay loyally in love with God.  Invite Jesus into every thing you do; his righteousness will keep you strong against evil.  Run to Christ so you can handle anything life brings your way.

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August 30, 2018

James 1:2-8

Scripture teaches to every person a measure of faith is given; so, we all have faith. But, how do we each use that faith?  Now, that is a deep question. The measure of faith God gives us is like a seed; our faith must grow and develop if it is going to keep us moving forward in God’s plan.  God uses the “troubles” the enemy sends our way to help us grow in endurance.  The biblical definition of endurance is “commitment in the face of difficulty.”  We are to hold onto our faith no matter what is thrown our way.  Through our endurance, we reveal our devotion to God and our faith in his love for us remains stable and unshakable.  Such stability releases JOY!

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August 29, 2018

John 15:16-25 New Living Translation (NLT)

I really enjoy eating fresh fruit; all different kinds of fruit.  Every week I look forward to checking out the produce section at the grocery store or market to decide what fruit looks good.  I pick a specific fruit by the appearance, but sadly a few days later it no longer looks the same nor smells the same. Disconnecting the fruit from the life-giving vine causes it to begin the spoilage process.  Wouldn’t it be nice if the fruit we pick, pay for, and take home stayed fresh?  

In our passage today, Jesus reminds the disciples that he chose them and appointed them to bear lasting fruit; fruit that stays fresh, ripe, and inspiring for eternity.  In fact, Jesus connects lasting fruit developed in us with receiving answered prayer.  That is a great lesson and one beautiful reason to remain connected to Christ—our True Vine. The lasting fruit Jesus is talking about in this passage is not bananas, apples, or berries; rather it is love.  Our love is not to spoil or diminish in power.  We are to hold onto our love in spite of how we are treated in the world.  Maybe you understand Jesus’ comment because others have hated you without a cause; they have rejected the fruit of your love.  Pray for those that persecute you; stay connected to the Life-Giving Vine and move on to learn with those who celebrate God’s love in you.

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August 28, 2018

Psalm 11 The Message (MSG)

In our Psalter reading for today, David reminds us God’s mission is to set things right—everything in a straight line under his authority.  Just think about that for a minute.  God is looking to set creation straight, set humanity straight, and set you and me straight; in a straight line to his heart as the righteous Ruler.  He is calling us to bow in obedience to his laws of love.

Are you going through a time of testing? Feeling a bit pressed and overwhelmed? Remember, everything believers seem to experience must first go through the cross of Christ (since we belong to him) and must work for our long-term good, because getting all things going in a righteous line is God’s mission.  Like David, we would be wise to run to the arms of God and cooperate with his work in us, because he is in charge of all things.

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