Devotionals

Psalm 62:8-12

Do you believe the Lord desires to reward you for the good you do in representing Him to the world? The Bible is full of passages that reveal God’s promise to bring rewards to those who diligently seek Him and obediently walk by faith to manifest His glorious presence in a world darkened and deceived by sin. God rewards us to keep us in balance; to bring us hope and endurance for the journey set before us. He knows just when to bring a blessing that stirs and motivates us to press on.

In our passage today, David reminds us to place our hope in God. The Lord’s strength and unfailing love will always sustain us. Even when we deal with injustice, physical illness, or emotional distress, we can trust God to be faithful. His reward is always the beauty of His powerful presence moving in our lives. There is nothing better, nor any Higher reward.

Psalm 62:8-12
8
Trust God, my friends,
and always tell him
each one of your concerns.
God is our place of safety.
9
We humans are only a breath;
none of us are truly great.
All of us together weigh less
than a puff of air.
10
Don’t trust in violence
or depend on dishonesty
or rely on great wealth.
11
I heard God say two things:
“I am powerful,
12
and I am very kind.”
The Lord rewards each of us
according to what we do.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for bringing your powerful presence to my aid every time I call for salvation. You are so loving, faithful, and infinitely trustworthy. May you be glorified above all things in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Revelation 3:14-22 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Spiritual indifference is a dangerous attitude that arises from a sinful root in the soul. The Bible defines indifference as a neutral attitude toward God that is as dangerous as hostility. It is condemned as rejection of God’s love, as well as the needs of others. A person who suffers spiritual indifference has no desire to diligently seek God’s presence and no problem refusing to follow God’s Word. God reaches out to correct and discipline his children of indifference. Repentance, study, and worship is used by the Spirit to bring people to the Truth; however, when a person has deep roots in this destructive attitude many times he or she ignores the warnings and care nothing about the spiritual peril involved.

In our passage today, Jesus is speaking to the church at Laodicea. The Lord sends an angel to reveal to the people their state of spiritual indifference. The problem stems from their limited understanding of God’s heart. The people have decided since they have accumulated material possessions that must be a sign of God’s blessing in their lives; in other words they are certain God approves of their spiritual state. But, that is not the case. The Lord tells them they have become satisfied with the world’s goods and no longer press in for the true spiritual treasures he longs to give them. True value and riches only come from a right relationship with God. We need to live to please God by always heeding his correction.

Revelation 3:14-22 The Letter to Laodicea
14 This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Laodicea:
I am the one called Amen! I am the faithful and true witness and the source of God’s creation. Listen to what I say.

15 I know everything you have done, and you are not cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other. 16 But since you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 You claim to be rich and successful and to have everything you need. But you don’t know how bad off you are. You are pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

18 Buy your gold from me. It has been refined in a fire, and it will make you rich. Buy white clothes from me. Wear them and you can cover up your shameful nakedness. Buy medicine for your eyes, so that you will be able to see.

19 I correct and punish everyone I love. So make up your minds to turn away from your sins. 20 Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together. 21 Everyone who wins the victory will sit with me on my throne, just as I won the victory and sat with my Father on his throne.

22 If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this reminder about spiritual indifference. Holy Spirit, keep my spirit stirred and passionate; I will leave the door of my heart open to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ephesians 2:1-5 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

As I look at the world and I listen to the news, I must remind myself over and over again that all powers are subjected to Jesus—the sinless Son of God—and one day he will be Head over all creation. Things in the world are so antagonistic to a godly life; demonic forces always seeking to diminish our perfect Teacher—Jesus Christ—who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life of God (John 14:6).

Believers are called to live holy lives; holiness comes only through a right relationship with God. The Lord mercifully pours his love into us and we receive in a posture of worship; we obediently Love God with our whole being and go into the world to give his love to others. Only God can take us from a spiritually dead state, breathe life into us, and make us holy. No human being can take credit for appropriating spiritual life or holiness. To follow Christ into holiness, we must be willing to disconnect from what is unholy; truly, we become like the host to which we connect. We must choose wisely between Christ and the world. As we connect to Christ and remain in that connection, he confers holiness to us. What a wonderful Savior is Jesus our Lord!

Ephesians 2:1-5 From Death to Life
2 In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. 2 You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn’t obey God. 3 Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.

4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you.

Prayer: Lord, I am so grateful that all powers are subjected to you. Thank you for saving me! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 91:1-4, 11 The Voice (VOICE)

Do you believe in guardian angels? Guardian angels serve Almighty God and are messengers sent to help and protect God’s people against the attempts of evil. In the Book of Exodus, God promises to be with his people by sending angels to protect them on their journey and lead them into the Promised Land (23:20). In the Book of Revelation, four angels will hold back God’s judgment until His people are sealed and the angels will bind Satan for 1,000 years during the millennial reign of Christ (7:1, 20:1-3). Angels—guardians of God’s people, worshipers and proclaiming of God’s holy and powerful presence—have been a part of God’s story from Genesis through Revelation. Angels are never to be worshiped, but they are a great blessing sent by God to guard and protect the beloved Bride of Christ.

In our passage today from the Psalter, the psalmist leads us into a place of trust as we focus on our Protector—Almighty God—who puts his angels around those who take refuge in him.

Psalm 9:1-4, 11
1
He who takes refuge in the shelter of the Most High
will be safe in the shadow of the Almighty.
2
He will say to the Eternal, “My shelter, my mighty fortress,
my God, I place all my trust in You.”
3
For He will rescue you from the snares set by your enemies who entrap you
and from deadly plagues.
4
Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with His feathers,
will protect you under His great wings;
His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you.
11
He will command His heavenly messengers to guard you,
to keep you safe in every way.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your guardian angels who watch over all who take shelter in you; who live in obedience to enjoy your holy and faithful presence. Thank you for appointing angels to protect me and my loved ones. You are my shelter, my mighty fortress, my God in whom I trust. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Philippians 3:10 New Life Version (NLV)

Yesterday morning during our Connect2Christ prayer time, I prayed that, for myself and for us as a spiritual family, we might know the power outflowing the resurrection of Christ; the power that raised him from the dead. The Spirit of God prompted me to boldly pray that Scripture and I have been thinking about it and pondering it since. In fact, I have held my breath at the thought. It was like God was asking, “Mary, what would resurrection power look like through obedient servants?”

Philippians 3:10
10 I want to know Him. I want to have the same power in my life that raised Jesus from the dead.

I know God has made that power available to his children who connect to Christ, because Scripture teaches it as Truth. It also explains if we are going to operate in the Anointed One’s power, we will need to be willing to make sacrifices in order to receive it. What sacrifices? In truth, whatever God asks of us we must do. But, primarily, we must die to sin; we must face the crucifixion of our sin in order to walk in the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. I know the Spirit stands ready as we hold onto our faith in Christ.

I am reminded about a lesson from Peter and John found in the book of Acts (Ch. 3 and 4). In short, a lame beggar approaches Peter and John on their way to prayer. He asks for money, but Peter looks at the man and says, “I have no money, but what I have I will give you! In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” The man gets up and begins leaping for joy. When the religious leaders hear about the miracle, they put Peter and John in jail for the night and then bring them in for questioning the next day. The leaders ask, “In whose name and by what power have you healed this man?”(Acts 4:7). Peter and John proclaimed, “By the name of Jesus Christ whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 4:10). There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain of sin and deliver people from the bondage of Satan. We need the Anointing!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for speaking a Word in due season into me during prayer. Please give me revelation and wisdom to apply it and teach it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 The Message (MSG)

Yesterday, I spent several hours waiting for my SUV to be serviced. Although I went prepared to catch up on some reading and writing while I waited, I was forced to notice the people around me. People are so very interesting; we are all so different and unique. Yet, we share one thing in common: sin. We are all in need of the perfect love and intervening help of Almighty God to save us from sin and death. Every human being needs a relationship with Jesus Christ who alone can bring the salvation we need to enter the Kingdom of eternal life. Therefore, as we engage with people each day, it is extremely important that we seek to remain faithful to the Word of God and speak Truth in love while compassionately listening to the life stories of others. Salvation opportunities are birthed during these times.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds us of the importance of living in a way that reveals the Message of God’s love and his provision for salvation. As you listen to others, do you maintain a compassionate heart for where they may find themselves, as well as a desire to be in on sharing salvation with them?

1 Corinthians 9:19-23
19-23 Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please empower me to keep my relationship in Christ strong and vibrant while loving others and helping them discover your salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mark 12:41-44 The Voice (VOICE)

Giving all of ourselves to the Lord and the work of his Kingdom is God’s call to every believer. Our measure of gratitude is revealed in how we give “our” time, talents, and resources to God. A believer with a right attitude about what is “ours” knows everything comes from God and is brought into our lives through the blessing he promised long ago. It makes giving so much easier when we realize what we have been given is a gift that must be held lightly and released through the directing hand of God.

In our passage today, Jesus teaches the value of the gift is not determined by its amount, but by the spirit in which it is given. We must not give out of compulsion, but out of love; that is always the right attitude to please God. He welcomes and appreciates every gift that is given out of a spirit of gratitude and faith that trust God to always supply. The woman in our story is so full of love for the Lord she gives all she has to him; she cannot hold anything back because of her great love. This is really a picture of how we should consistently live in a spiritual realm. Give yourself—your whole being—to God and see what he can do in and through you.

Mark 12:41-44
41 Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, where people came to bring their offerings, and He watched as they came and went. Many rich people threw in large sums of money, 42 but a poor widow came and put in only two small coins worth only a fraction of a cent.

Jesus (calling His disciples together): 43 Truly this widow has given a greater gift than any other contribution. 44 All the others gave a little out of their great abundance, but this poor woman has given God everything she has.

Prayer: Lord, I want the measure of my gratitude to be clearly reflected in how I give every aspect of myself to you. You deserve the whole package known as Mary. Mold and shape me for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Romans 8:31-39 New Life Version (NLV)

Every day I think about Jesus Christ and how God’s life and love within me has grown stronger over the years. Salvation is such a gift and miracle! As believers, we face nothing alone and we will never be found guilty. It is the truth of God’s love based on the cross; it is the truth of eternal life based on the resurrection. Believers—those who live in and practice the Truth—are seated with Christ. If you belong to Jesus, you are buckled up with Truth; snuggly held in place and protected by his love.

Many people in the world have experienced abandonment from others who promised to love them, but God will never abandon his children in Christ. Sure, we will experience challenges in life; we will be wronged by others and we may taste all kinds of needs. Yet, Christ will NEVER allow anything to come between us and his loving presence. It is impossible to be separated from Christ. It is for this very reason, we are compelled to praise the Lord. Upon this Word or promise, we place our confidence; not in ourselves, but in the love of Christ for us to bring us into glory. This great love extended to us is what motivates us to live the Word or Truth and repent when we fail.

Romans 8:31-39
31 What can we say about all these things? Since God is for us, who can be against us? 32 God did not keep His own Son for Himself but gave Him for us all. Then with His Son, will He not give us all things? 33 Who can say anything against the people God has chosen? It is God Who says they are right with Himself. 34 Who then can say we are guilty? It was Christ Jesus Who died. He was raised from the dead. He is on the right side of God praying to Him for us. 35 Who can keep us away from the love of Christ? Can trouble or problems? Can suffering wrong from others or having no food? Can it be because of no clothes or because of danger or war? 36 The Holy Writings say, “Because of belonging to Jesus, we are in danger of being killed all day long. We are thought of as sheep that are ready to be killed.” 37 But we have power over all these things through Jesus Who loves us so much. 38 For I know that nothing can keep us from the love of God. Death cannot! Life cannot! Angels cannot! Leaders cannot! Any other power cannot! Hard things now or in the future cannot! 39 The world above or the world below cannot! Any other living thing cannot keep us away from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your abiding love; thank you for never allowing anything to separate me from your love. I place my confidence in you, so keep me in your embrace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Romans 3:1-8 The Message (MSG)

During our recent vacation, we rented an RV. On the day we were to receive the RV, it became abundantly clear the company had said one thing days before and was actually practicing something quite different that day. In other words, we were lied to on multiple occasions by multiple people. The world lives this way. Here’s an example of a common worldly mindset: tell people what they want to hear even if you have to lie to convince them and if you get caught flip the conversation to make them feel ignorant because unfortunately they misunderstood. I don’t care if the whole world does it, lying portrays an absolute lack of integrity—it is serving the father of lies!

Lying has no place in the life of God’s children. We are connected to Truth—Jesus Christ—so we become hypocrites when we mislead or lie to people about things. Will God forgive us when we lie? Of course, if we repent. But, repentance is more than saying over and over again, “God, I’m sorry.” Repentance is turning away from sin and turning toward the Truth. How strongly do you feel about living out the Truth and making it a practice in your life? Practice every day what you say you believe, so you do not violate your conscience or tarnish the reputation of the Lord.

Romans 3:1-8
1-2 So what difference does it make who’s a Jew and who isn’t, who has been trained in God’s ways and who hasn’t? As it turns out, it makes a lot of difference—but not the difference so many have assumed.

2-6 First, there’s the matter of being put in charge of writing down and caring for God’s revelation, these Holy Scriptures. So, what if, in the course of doing that, some of those Jews abandoned their post? God didn’t abandon them. Do you think their faithlessness cancels out his faithfulness? Not on your life! Depend on it: God keeps his word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth.

Scripture says the same:
Your words stand fast and true;
Rejection doesn’t faze you.

But if our wrongdoing only underlines and confirms God’s rightdoing, shouldn’t we be commended for helping out? Since our bad words don’t even make a dent in his good words, isn’t it wrong of God to back us to the wall and hold us to our word? These questions come up. The answer to such questions is no, a most emphatic No! How else would things ever get straightened out if God didn’t do the straightening?

7-8 It’s simply perverse to say, “If my lies serve to show off God’s truth all the more gloriously, why blame me? I’m doing God a favor.” Some people are actually trying to put such words in our mouths, claiming that we go around saying, “The more evil we do, the more good God does, so let’s just do it!” That’s pure slander, as I’m sure you’ll agree.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sharing mercy with me and helping me share mercy with others. Keep me focused on the Truth; keep my lips from speaking anything false. I want to represent you the way you really are Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Job 42:1-6

As I mentioned yesterday, I truly needed the change of environment our recent vacation provided. As a result of being “unplugged” from electronics, social media, and TV, I found myself rather ignorant of last week’s current events and media highlights. I am slowly gaining insight. But, a greater blessing is I am learning to simply trust that God knows all things in its purest form of Truth and he can reveal it to me at any time. I make myself available to receive from the Lord. I care less and less about listening to people babble about things far beyond them. I have no desire to be a partial truth babbler. lol! How arrogant can any human be thinking he or she has things figured out. Life is complicated, so our greatest quest in life must be to know the heart of the Lord, follow the Father’s commands, and await revelation.

In our passage today, Job teaches us this very lesson. It is liberating to walk by faith and not by fear. I do not put my faith or trust in what I hear on the news. I refuse to hang onto the crumbs of truth that people share. I want the whole Truth; I want Jesus! If you do not trust the Lord with your life, you will find yourself exhausted and confused in this world. Simply go to the Lord and ask him for help and understanding; then, do what he says. It’s called worship.

Job 42:1-6 Job Worships God
I Babbled On About Things Far Beyond Me

42 1-6 Job answered God:
“I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything.
Nothing and no one can upset your plans.
You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water,
ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’
I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me,
made small talk about wonders way over my head.
You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking.
Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’
I admit I once lived by rumors of you;
now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears!
I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise!
I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for showing me that some things about your plan and power in this world are just too high for me to understand and comprehend. When things look negative, I will turn to you for Truth. Please keep me moving forward. I am going to love you and love people and make that my daily mission. In Jesus’ name. Amen.