Devotionals

November 20, 2018

Hebrews 10:32-39 New Living Translation (NLT)

Are you focused on what is truly important in life?  If we are going to operate in wisdom, we must stay focused on Truth.  The Word of God is Living Truth and the Spirit bears witness to the Truth when we hear or read it so we can wisely align our lives with it.  

The Book of Hebrews focuses on persevering in our Christian faith, as well as being transformed in our actions as we patiently wait for Christ’s return.  Everyone faces suffering, but how we suffer has to do with our faith and our focus.  Do you realize suffering is a part of human life and even Christians experience seasons of suffering? That’s why God helps us develop perseverance.   If we will focus on doing God’s will, stay connected to people who live in Christ, and remain filled with joy and gratitude for the good things God has done for us, then no matter what comes our way we can persevere in our faith.  For those who do not remain focused on Christ and his promise of salvation, they can find themselves isolated and their faith faltering.  Faith calls us to rest confidently in what Christ has done for us in the past, as well as trusting him for what he promises to do for us in the future.  He is faithful; we must be faithful too.

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November 19, 2018

Hebrews 10:26-31 Good News Translation

The truth of God’s love has been made know through the Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. The same love and power that forgives our sin through the righteous blood of Jesus is the same love and power that delivers and helps us grow beyond any sin that tries to keep us enslaved.  If we resist the grace that tries to separate us from sin, then we are opposing God.  We must offer ourselves as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God; we must chose to follow Christ into a deeper level of freedom.  Scripture teaches if we will judge ourselves, we will not be judge by God.  So, evaluate your heart and invite God to continue to pour his grace into your life so you can go into the future with “Thanks Living.”

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November 16, 2018

Colossians 2:6-15 New Living Translation (NLT)

According to our Scripture passage today, every time we follow Christ beyond the cross into “eternal living” our faith in Christ is grown and our trust expanded.  It is difficult to take those steps to follow Christ, because all of our emotions which are motivated many times by fear, come to make us feel the only safe place is what “feels” good to our flesh.  But what if our finest blessings and experiences lie beyond the fears that seek to stop us?  What if God is asking us to live beyond the fears in order to root our faith more fully in the Truth of who we really are now in Christ?  

We must get to the point where we wisely discern that God is Agape and Wisdom and the very things we have known in our human comfort zones is not necessary the Truth.  God is always wanting to give His children more glimpses of pure Truth; however, it takes obedience to follow and a heart that is hungry to discover the Truth about ourselves.   Do you think if we really believed God has only Good and Holy things for us that make us more authentic to who he created us to be, that we would stop fighting against where he wants to lead us?  How are we ever going to know how much work Christ has done inwardly in our lives until he releases it and reveals it outwardly as we follow? We must live “on earth as it is in heaven.”  Blessings for your weekend in Christ!

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November 15, 2018

Psalm 16 The Wisest Decision

David made a life time commitment to the Lord and in our psalm today, he describes the benefits of that decision that brought him peace and joy.    The fullness of God’s presence found in David’s commitment sustained him in this life and brought him hope for eternity.  The world brings fleeting pleasures, but at the righteous hand of God, we can know true and lasting pleasure as he takes us from being a refuge to making us an heir in Christ Jesus.  Jesus never promised his followers a trouble free life; rather, he promised to always be with us and to guide our paths.   Pray for God to make you hungry for eternal pleasures and fill you with heavenly joy as you trust him with your life.

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November 14, 2018

Luke 4:16-21 New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus—wisdom incarnate—understood his Spirit-driven purpose to bring Good News. Do you know every day your purpose is to share the Good News with others in your sphere of influence? It’s true. The Spirit of Christ—who lives in you—wants to continue his purpose of connecting with the spiritually poor; bringing sight, relief, and freedom to the spiritually blind, wounded and oppressed, because God’s favor and wisdom awaits those who will turn to him. Jesus, the Light of the World, wants to shine a Light of Truth through you for the sake of others to give their life purpose, too. Favor comes to those who live with purpose!

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November 13, 2018

Psalm 113 New Living Translation (NLT)

When you think about your life and expressing gratitude, how far or high do you need to look in order to find a reason to be thankful?  If we are simply looking directly in front of us or to our immediate right or left, we may have difficulty seeing beyond the challenging situations or circumstances surrounding us.  We may have passed through some great things in the past for which we are grateful, but God is a very present help in time of need.  We cannot live in the past even though we can be thankful for God’s goodness years ago.  Where do you see him working in your life today?  How is the Lord revealing his glory in your life now? Pause and Ponder…then, Praise!

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November 12, 2018

1 Timothy 5:1-8 The Message (MSG)

Family relationships are very important in God’s eyes.  We are encouraged to lovingly care for one another in good times and in hard times.  Our passage today is a great reminder of how our faith should work to love others.  True faith expressed in love begins with our families; and if we don’t have families we should open our eyes to see how we can help others who are burdened as they take care of their families. Wisdom guides us to know the truth about where others may find themselves and stirs the servant’s heart within.

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November 9, 2018

Psalm 119:1-8 The Message (MSG)

Faith is about approaching life with an expectation that God may at any moment place something amazing in your path; a blessing because God rewards those who diligently seek him and follow his directions of love. Our words need to align with our faith in order to prepare ourselves to receive. Christ, the Living Word, is our standard of love and he’s promised to never leave us. Each day the Lord makes a way to get his love to us; to reveal his heart and the things that are eternally valuable.  It may be smile that catches your eye when you need it most, a kind word of encouragement to lift your soul because life is hard, or soothing melodies when you need peace for your anxious mind.  We must look for the Lord each day and pursue his presence; if we seek we will find the joy of our salvation. 

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November 8, 2018

Romans 5:6-11 The Passion Translation (TPT)

I live every day thanking God for his mercy over my life and the life of my family.  I am so grateful God does not return to me what I actually deserve; instead, he gives me mercy and grace to live another day in a better and more righteous way.  God extends passionate love, mercy, and forgiveness to me.  Because of the sacrificial agape of Jesus, these things are mine and I never have to worry about facing God’s anger. I have been reconciled to God through my connection to Christ.  My slate has been wiped clean and my life given new direction and motivation. This is my love story with God; I am eager to share this Good News with others and invite them to watch Christ work in my life.   If this is your story, too, then join me as we share the News of great joy!

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November 7, 2018

John 13:31-35 New Living Translation (NLT)

From my earliest memories, my mother used to have a saying when she was skeptical about an opinion that someone was embracing as truth, “The proof is in the pudding.”  When I was young I really did not understand this idiom, but as I have gotten older I do. Mother’s version of the phrase was based on the modification of an old proverb which read, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”  Pudding can look really good on the outside and someone can tell you it is delicious, but actually taste lousy; so we should not believe it is true based on words or appearances alone.  When my mother said, “The proof is in the pudding” she meant when something is put to the test truth is revealed.

In our passage today, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his death and the reality of the fact they cannot go with him.  As he does so he gives the disciples a “new commandment.”  It is really not a new commandment, but it is a part of the new covenant.  The mark of faithfulness to the new covenant is agape (selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love) for those within the community of faith.  The focus is on loving action rather than simply loving feelings.  Jesus always translated agape into action that benefit others and he calls us to do the same.  It is agape that Jesus had for the Father and for his followers.  We may not always “feel” affection for others, but it is not impossible to be a help and source of support to them.  As far as our agape goes, the proof is in the pudding…the selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love and respect we extend to others will be tangible.

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