Devotionals

The will of unbelieving humanity is constrained by this fallen world and enslaved by sin. Scripture teaches Adam and Eve chose disobedience to God’s will and Word (Gen 2:16-17, 3:1-19). Human beings became bound by that one disobedient choice—sin. Yet, in God’s mercy and goodness, he used the disobedience of Adam and Eve to teach us the way to salvation and the righteous life. The truth of God’s will is found in Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Jesus modeled the will of the Father for human life. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jo 14:6).

Our lives will always reflect what is in our hearts, because every action originates from the heart (Pro 4:23). If we are a positive or negative person, it is reflective of what is in our hearts—good or evil. The will of the heart really drives our lives; therefore, it must be transformed by the Lord.

We have beautiful freedom in this country; we are free to make choices for our lives. However, because of our spiritual condition of sin, we cannot make pure or righteous choices apart from the redeeming work of the Holy Spirit. When we live our lives in [following] Christ, God’s peace guards our hearts and minds (Phil 4:7).

In our verse for today, David prays, yields, and asks God to invade the will of his heart and take captive anything hidden—thoughts, motives, evil—that needs purification. Today, let’s remember we cannot just blindly ‘follow our hearts.’ We must ask God to sit on the throne of our hearts, direct, and lead us in the will of the Father. Every choice must go through our Lord Jesus, because our goal is transformation.

Psalm 139:23-24 NLT 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this further understanding of my heart. I am born again, but I can still be tempted by a fallen and wayward will. I want to do the will of the Father and become more like Jesus. Please help me through the work of the Word and Spirit to discern what is righteous and wisely choose to follow. Point out, in me, what is corrupt to your heart and help me surrender to your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We shared a sweet time in the Spirit last night during our Ash Wednesday service. Jen and I talked and shared about the work of the Spirit to convict our hearts of sin. This conviction is a gift, because it allows us to repent and draw closer to God. Sin separates us, so we need to humbly repent and seek God’s strength and power to lead us beyond the things that try to rob us of our intimate fellowship with God.

So, today, our word is repentance. People seem to struggle with the need for repentance, but every Old Testament prophet, as well as Jesus and the apostles called for it. The Kingdom of God awaits our repentance. So, we will begin our Lenten journey with the need to repent from sin—unbelief.

Regret or remorse is not repentance. Of course, we should regret leaving God’s presence to demand our own way. However, repentance is really about transformation—a change in thinking that will lead to a change in our will for living. We are to have the attitude of Christ regarding sin (Phil 2:5). Christ went to the cross for our sins, so sin can seriously destroy our lives. Turning toward Jesus is the only way to salvation.

In our verse today, Peter is in Jerusalem and he is talking to a crowd of people about the power of God by pointing to the miraculous healing of a lame man. He then invites those listening to embrace a change in attitude and action—to respond to Christ and his power—because it leads to freedom from sin and restoration with God.

Today, let us think clearly about the gift of repentance, because the proof that we have truly repented is revealed when we see a change in our allegiance, direction, and actions.
Acts 3:19 NLT
19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped [erased] away.

Prayer: Lord, please help me think seriously about sin and how it has the power to affect my relationship with you. Every sin flows from unbelief and a turning away from Christ as my standard. Please convict me of hidden sin and help me repent. I want to devote myself to the work of your grace, so I call for mercy and freedom in Jesus’ name.

Today, begins the “Lenten” Season—starting on Ash Wednesday and ending with a celebration on Easter Sunday. Now, the word ‘Lent’ is never used in Scripture; however, Jesus demonstrated and taught the need for the principles of Lent all the time. In fact, Jesus’ time in the wilderness is helpful for our understanding.

Scripture tells us Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit (Mat 4:1). What did he do for forty days in the wilderness? He prayed, fasted, and allow the Spirit to consecrate him for the mission of God. Jesus knew the enemy would come to stop him—an intense spiritual battle for Christ’s allegiance to God. The fight is real. Satan uses temptation, torment, and tiredness to stop our progress in God’s mission, too.

As I sit here this morning with a cup of coffee writing the devotional I am well acquainted with tiredness. I cling to the Apostle Paul’s exhortation, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Gal 6:9). In fact, I was too tired to get up early and get this lesson sent out at the usual time, but here it is in Jesus’ name! lol!

We are moving into our house after 1.5 years of being evacuated from our flood-damaged home. Last night, was our first time to stay in our restored house; but now it is time to make it a home once again. There is a difference.

A house is a physical dwelling place that serves as a residence. A home is filled with experiences, lessons, memories that draw us to know we belong and fill us with a sense of well-being. It will take discipline, work, and a willingness to create order in our house. Worth it all to make it a home. Nonetheless, it will be intense for a period of time and no one can make the journey for us.

As believers, physically we are the temple [house] of God and Jesus lives in us. He wants to clear, cleanse, and consecrate our house, to make it a holy home filled with his nature and character. We bear the name of Jesus; he is the name above the doorpost of our lives. We have been sealed by the Spirit and because of it, Satan will seek to rob, steal, and destroy our hope-driven vision, our energy for transformation, and our resolve to serve God’s purpose. We must pray, be willing to fast the things of this world, and live for eternity.

For the next forty days, we will be on a journey with Jesus. We must invite him to take us to a new level of making our hearts HIS home. We will be led into the deep places of our hearts through reflection, repentance, and renewal. He is the shalom—the complete wholeness and well-being—our lives required if we are going to rise in our discipleship and commission in God’s plan.

You are precious to God. He is not asking you to change yourself. He is asking for you to allow him to make your spiritual house alive with HIS supernatural Spirit of love and goodness. Oneness with God is the goal. Jesus was victorious in the wilderness and he can make us victorious, too. Therefore, he will sweep stuff away, but only the things that hinder our lives. New beginnings can be exciting even though a bit draining, right? He is getting us ready for Easter…resurrection living. Let’s take the journey with him.

Matthew 4:1-11 NTL Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted [tested] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the many ways you love us. We are blessed that you would make our hearts your home. Over these next forty days, we invite you to bring the transformation you know we need in order to experience more oneness with you. Take us on the journey, but please hold us close. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 78 is commonly known as one of thirteen teaching psalms, which are often identified by the Hebrew title, Maskil, which means instruction, contemplation, or wisdom song. In Psalm 78 we see that Asaph, who was a worship leader from the Tribe of Levi, retells of Israel’s history as a way to teach future generations. We are keeping with the theme of yesterday’s devotion, as we saw Stephen used Israel’s history, in Acts 7, as a way to teach the Council, and future generations, of God’s glory. Today, in verses 17-20, Asaph reminds us of Israel’s rebellion and their worries, fears, and frustrations that all led to their doubt of God in the wilderness. He goes on in verses 52-55 to contrast as he reminds us of God’s faithfulness as the Good Shepherd to His people.

Friends, if I am being completely transparent, I have been like Israel and have wrestled with worries, even after witnessing God’s tremendous faithfulness as the Good Shepherd within my life. I can tell you that I love Jesus with my whole heart, yet recently I have wrestled with my human worries rather than trusting faithfully, at all times, in the One Who wants to take those worries from me. So, what do I do? Well, Lent is the perfect season for me and Jesus to firmly hold hands, as it is for you and Jesus, too. I know Jesus invites me to release my worries to Him all of the time, but in this particular season it all began with Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness, and so I know that Jesus understands my wilderness of worries right now, just as He understands exactly where you find yourself. So, I’m going to surrender to the Shepherd as I walk in daily reflection, repentance, and renewal, and I invite you to do the same. Remember, Lent is a time for us to allow Jesus to work within our hearts, so He can take what we need Him to take, and He can bring healing to each one of us.

Please join Pastor Mary as she beginning her 40-Day Lenten Devotional series tomorrow and I encourage you to not miss a day. Also, come tomorrow night to the Ash Wednesday Service, February 18, 2026, at 7 p.m. – 9398 Oakhurst Road, Seminole, FL 33776. Together, let’s remember the freedom that we have in Christ which is not the absence of our times in the wilderness, rather a time for us to reflection, repent, and seek renewal as we invite the faithful Shepherd in so He can lead us through our wilderness. Be sure to come to worship on Sundays at 9:45 a.m. during this Lenten season. It has been such a privilege to spend time with you through these devotions over the last few weeks. With much love and many blessings, Jen Auer.

Psalm 78:17-20, 52-55 (NLT)

17 Yet they kept on sinning against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They stubbornly tested God in their hearts,
demanding the foods they craved.
19 They even spoke against God himself, saying,
“God can’t give us food in the wilderness.
20 Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out,
but he can’t give his people bread and meat.”

52 But he led his own people like a flock of sheep,
guiding them safely through the wilderness.
53 He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
but the sea covered their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this land of hills he had won for them.
55 He drove out the nations before them;
he gave them their inheritance by lot.
He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being our faithful Shepherd. Please forgive us when our wilderness moments cloud our trust in You. Holy Spirit, we need Your daily guidance, wisdom, and discernment. We especially need You as our Holy Guide through our places of uncertainty. Jesus, we want to be closer to You this Lenten season. Help us to surrender to You, to lay down our burdens, to and to embrace repentance as we welcome a revived spirit in You, Jesus. Please continue to allow us to rest in the freedom that we have in You, Jesus, as we take each step in obedience, trust, and faithfulness. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

In Acts 6 we learn that Stephen was one of the first seven deacons of the early Church. He was faithful and wise. In Acts 7, we witness Stephen boldly addressing the Council, which was made up of religious leaders. During his address, Stephen retold Israel’s history in an effort to make a point that God’s presence is not limited to a temple. Stephen wanted the religious leaders to experience God’s glory. But he also knew that much like Israel’s repeated rejection of God, His messengers, and of Jesus the Messiah, these religious leaders would miss their moment for a transformative encounter with God. As the religious leaders were filled with rage from Stephen’s address, Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit, and God’s glory was revealed. Stephen told the religious leaders, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” (v. 56). The religious leaders did not look up, rather they put their hands over their ears, and they began shouting; and this took places moments before they stoned Stephen to death. (v. 57-58)

Today’s passage is the part of Stephen’s address to the Council where he recalls Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush. The religious leaders might have missed God’s message through Stephen, but we need to grab ahold of it. Just as the glory of God called Moses to humbly accept his position within God’s Family and for His Kingdom, our freedom in Christ calls us to the same place of humble acceptance within God’s Family and working for the glory of His Name and His Kingdom. God told Moses to take off his sandals, because He needed Moses to embrace the holy position that he was going to walk out for God. God was going to use Moses to free His people from oppression. Friends, God invites us to “holy ground” moments every day. We need to embrace the holy position that God has for us to walk out.

Acts 7:30-34 (NLT)

30 “Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the Lord called out to him, 32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 34 I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.’

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the freedom we have in You. Holy Spirit help us to have courage like Stephen and Moses. We want to grow in our faith walk with You, Jesus, and to be guided by Your wisdom. We bow our hearts to You as we walk out this day with humility and on holy ground. We ask for more hearts to encounter You, and if You need to use us today, we are willing vessels for You, Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Alicia Britt Chole, in her book, anonymous, reminds her readers that while only 10% of an iceberg is visible, as much as 90% of the iceberg remains under water, unseen, and is the portion of the iceberg that makes it virtually indestructible. Chole goes on to compare the most influential Life in all of history to that of an iceberg, Jesus. As she states, ninety percent of Jesus’ earthly life was spent in obscurity, while ten percent was spent in the public eye. Yet, all of His life was, and still is, absolutely indestructible. Jesus’ “invisible or hidden” years were equally as important to His “visible or unhidden” years. It is often within the invisible and hidden places of lives where God is able to birth spiritual greatness.

In Hebrews 11 we see much of Moses’ early life. Many of the decisions that were made for Moses’ life, by his parents, and by himself in early adulthood, were done out of obedient faithfulness of Moses’ parents and Moses, himself, to God. These decisions were made in obscurity and were the building blocks that ultimately led to Moses’ public ministry and great leadership of God’s people. Moses’ parent and Moses knew that every decision they made had to be for God and ultimately about God.

The freedom we have in Christ has nothing to do with our earthly status, the comforts of this world, or really about ourselves. Rather, much like Moses and his parents, our freedom in Christ should be about our obedient choice to walk by faith with Jesus and not to align with this world and all of the world’s securities. We need to fixate our hearts and lives on what is eternal, and that is Jesus, not on what is fleeting and temporal, and that is this world. Our freedom in Christ is sustained by our faith in Christ. We need to value Jesus above all else and thus our obedience, much like Moses, allows God to reveal His power in and through us, as He sees fit, and as He need it to work for His glory.

Hebrews 11:23-28 (NLT)

23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the hidden seasons of our lives. Please forgive us for being impatient during these times. Holy Spirit, please strengthen our obedience during the hidden seasons so that our faith can be sharpened and we can grow closer to You. We want to grow in Your wisdom so that we value eternity over this temporal realm called earth. May our hidden and unhidden places bring You eternal glory, Jesus. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

It’s important for us to recognize that God states “I am the LORD” four times and “I will” seven times in today’s passage. Here’s a breakdown of what God said, of where He said it, and we will dig deeper into why He said it:

“I am the LORD” – Verse 2
“I am the LORD” – Verse 6
“I am the LORD” – Verse 7
“I am the LORD” – Verse 8

“I will free you” – Verse 6
“I will rescue you” – Verse 6
“I will redeem you” – Verse 6
“I will claim you as my own people” – Verse 7
“I will be your God” – Verse 7
“I will bring you into the land” – Verse 8
“I will give it to you” – Verse 8

When God said “I am the LORD” four times, He was claiming His eternal authority over all of heaven and earth, and especially in comparison to Pharaoh’s momentary earthly power over the Israelites as they were still being held in captivity as slaves when God spoke this message to Moses.

God goes on to say “I will” seven times, and these were not mere statements, they were covenant calls to action. God was telling Israel, through Moses, that He was going to fulfill His divine plan by upholding His covenant promise that He made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and to their descendants (Israel). God was telling the Israelites that He will free them from the Egyptians, He will rescue them from slavery, He will redeem them, He will claim them as His people, He will be their God, He will bring them to the land of Canaan, and He will give the land to them.

In verse 9, we see that the Israelites were too discouraged and focused on their immediate circumstances in bondage to receive from Moses God’s message of faithful hope through redemption.

Friends, we need to grab a hold of the freedom we have in Christ at all times. By our faith, this freedom must be active. When we are wholeheartedly and actively trusting God, we can see His promises. We cannot allow this world or our circumstances to turn off our active trust in God. No matter what is happening, God’s message of faithful hope through the redemption we have in Christ Jesus is never changing and ETERNAL. We ARE freed, rescued, redeemed, claimed as God’s people, and He is our God. We CANNOT fall into verse 9, because we do not want to miss all of the freedom that God has for us.

Exodus 6:2-9 (NLT)

2 And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh— ‘the Lord.’ 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai— ‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. 4 And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. 5 You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them.

6 “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. 8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’”

9 So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the great I AM, and we bow our hearts to Your authority. Holy Spirit, please continue to lift our spirits when our circumstances are heavy and we feel discouraged. Please bring to our remembrance, Your unchanging promises, hope, and eternal love. As we stand in our freedom that can only be found in You, Jesus, we want to grow in our faith and oneness with You. Thank You for being our God and for guiding us today to share Your love with someone else. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

This is our third devotion, in a row, where we acknowledge and celebrate the Light of Christ.

Image it’s sometime in the fall, around AD 29, and you are in Jerusalem preparing to celebrate Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. You are in the temple court attending a nightly ceremony where lots of lamps light up the temple complex. The lamps are placed as a reminder of God’s guidance during Israel’s wilderness journey and the pillar of fire that led God’s people by night (Exodus 13:21). As you are gazing at the bright lights you hear, see, and experience Jesus’ teaching in the treasury, a large public courtyard within the temple complex where men and women gather, and Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

It is Jesus’ statement about being the light of the world that is where we find our true freedom in Christ. Our freedom is not the absence of darkness, rather it is in the very presence of Jesus, and allowing His light to be at the center of absolutely every aspect, place, and moment of our lives. When we chose to follow Jesus, we chose to allow His light to guide our path, even when it’s hard, even when we cannot understand it, and even when it is costly.

In this passage, we see that Jesus affirms His authority in response to the Pharisees by connecting Himself to the Father as One. Just as the Pharisees could not see that Jesus was God’s Son, many do not know Jesus now. We must pray for the Light of the world, Jesus, to be revealed to hearts, because those who do not follow Him will remain in darkness. The Light of the world, Jesus, leads us into eternal life with Him.

John 8:12-20 (NLT)

Jesus, the Light of the World

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.”

14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”

19 “Where is your father?” they asked.

Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.

Prayer: Jesus, we cannot thank You enough for shining into the dark places of this world. We want to continue to follow You, so please allow the Holy Spirit to light the path that You have for us. Help us to center our lives in You. We pray for those who do not know You, Jesus. Please soften their hearts, open their spiritual ears, and eyes to see You, the One Who is Truth and the Light of the world. We love You, Jesus, and ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

The first verse of yesterday’s passage reminded us that God’s Word is a lamp to guide our steps, and His light illuminates the righteous path that He has planned for us (Ps. 119:105). In today’s passage, Paul reminds us that as believers, Jesus’ light shines in our hearts. Unfortunately, unbelievers struggle to see Jesus, Who is the glorious light of the Good News.

Paul goes on to describe believers as “jars of clay” who carry the treasure of the Good News. As God’s jars of clay, we were created to withstand the pressures and darkness of this world. But that cannot happen apart from Jesus. The freedom that we have in Jesus, means that we are jars that contain God’s powerful light, and that light shines brightly because of our faithful endurance to the One Who is the Light of the World, Christ Jesus. All glory for this treasure needs to be given to Jesus.

Friends, I started a new book for one of my classes, anonymous, by alicia britt chole. I did not capitalize the title or the author’s name, and that is because both are not capitalized in the book. I have read quite a bit so far, and this is another book that I absolutely love. I am sure that I will share more with you over the week, but for now a quote from one of the author’s mentors resonated with me as I was reading our passage for today’s devotion. Chole’s mentor said, “I feel that trials do not prepare us for what’s to come as much as they reveal what we’ve done with our lives up to this point.”

Today, we have a choice to fully live in the freedom of Christ, and to walk along the path that the Holy Spirit is illuminating for us, or we can choose to walk alone in the darkness of this world. Either way, we need to remember that our choices are built on one another. Our greatest freedom is that our newly created lives point to Jesus, because we are building our new lives on Him, the Cornerstone of our faith and existence. We want to make sure that our lives, even during the trials of life, reveal Christ’s life, light, and love. Our lives should always point to Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:1-7 (NLT)

Treasure in Fragile Clay Jars

1 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for allowing Your light to shine in our hearts. We are Your jars of clay, and apart from You, we are weak. Holy Spirit, please continue to fill us with Your light, and help us walk in the freedom of Your love. We want to choose You, Jesus, over darkness. So, during life’s trials and times when we are weak, please release Your life and power in and all around us. We want all that we endure to point to You, our Cornerstone, and eternal glory. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Most of you may know that Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, it contains 176 verses, those verses are divided into 22 stanzas, and each stanza is titled with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet.

The title of today’s passage is the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Nun, which generally signifies life, faithfulness, or humble perseverance. This letter fits perfectly into our devotionals and Bible study from last week. The freedom that we have in Christ allows us to connect to God’s Word, which by our faithfulness, is a lamp that guides the divine path that God has for each one of our lives.

On Friday, I finished up Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero. Chapter 8 – Go the Next Step to Develop a ‘Rule of Life’, Loving Christ Above All Else, which is the final chapter that invites believers to do exactly what the title says, “develop a Rule of Life”. A Rule of Life is something that we, as believers, humbly and intentionally benefit from creating with God. It’s basically a daily plan that nurtures our oneness with Christ. Scazzero guides us to look at life through four broad categories – Prayer, Rest, Work and Relationships. Under each of these categories is where we place everything within our lives. If we stick to the Rule of Life, it is a framework of spiritual rhythms that help us to remain rooted in Christ in every category and every aspect of our lives. The goal is as we grow emotionally and spiritually more mature in our oneness with Christ, we are freely living our faith in every aspect of life and during every season.

The psalmist guides us to see that the freedom we have in Christ is a daily choice that we have to remain obedient in our faith, and to preserver in humility. In these eight verses, the psalmist wants us to hold onto Truth, to endure in our faithfulness by the fruits of the Spirit, and to steadfastly depend on God in every aspect of our life – which developing and following a Rule of Life can help tremendously.

Psalm 119:105-112 (NLT)

Nun

105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.
106 I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again:
I will obey your righteous regulations.
107 I have suffered much, O Lord;
restore my life again as you promised.
108 Lord, accept my offering of praise,
and teach me your regulations.
109 My life constantly hangs in the balance,
but I will not stop obeying your instructions.
110 The wicked have set their traps for me,
but I will not turn from your commandments.
111 Your laws are my treasure;
they are my heart’s delight.
112 I am determined to keep your decrees
to the very end.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your Word that provides us with life and shines a light that guides our faithful walk. Holy Spirit, please continue to guide us by Your wisdom each day as we obediently follow the path You have for us. We want to remain rooted in You, Jesus, as we are guided by Your Truth, and freely live by the fruits of Your Spirit in every season of our lives. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.