Devotionals

Intro: I like to stay focused on a task until it is done and then move on. That would be Mary’s perfect mode of operation. Check and done! However, there are very few times when that actually happens. Instead, I seem to face a slew of interruptions that require me to stop what I am doing in order to turn my attention and address a new thing. I scramble to designate a stopping place, so I don’t miss something important. Yet, sometimes the something more important is actually what is going on inside of me because of the interruption. Am I talking to you? If so, what we really need in those moments is the Light of the World.

Preceding our passage for today, Jesus is teaching in the temple courts following the Feast of Tabernacles. Suddenly, he is interrupted as the Pharisees drag in a woman caught in the act of adultery. These leaders demand to know what Jesus is going to do about this woman’s guilt; but Jesus knows their judgmental hearts are the bigger issue. So, with great wisdom, Jesus defuses the condemnation of this woman and shines a holy light on the judgmental attitudes and behaviors of the Pharisees.

In our passage today, Jesus goes back to his teaching and chooses to proclaim, “I am the Light of the world” as he stands near the oil-filled and lighted bowls in the temple court (v.12). These huge menorahs are part of the Illumination of the Temple; a celebration that God promised to send a Messiah to shine light on the darkness of sin. Jesus is standing there and the Pharisees miss the whole message. Jesus is proclaiming to be that Light, the Pharisees hate and reject what he says…and more interruptions to Jesus’ teaching ensue.

When we think about Jesus as the Light of the World, we must pay attention to the fact that he reveals [shines the light] on unrighteous things within us that we do not want to face. However, if we are wise, we will not resist the Light he provides in order to protect and guide us. Instead, we should allow Jesus to remove the darkness and shine the Way to God’s plan for our lives.

Interruptions can serve as opportunities for our spiritual growth. Let’s face them with grace.

John 8:12-19 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.” [void of two witnesses]

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.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being my inner Great Light of Truth. Continue to shine the Light and help me address the things that are truly important to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Would you describe yourself as resilient? Resilience is a powerful and important quality for believers to understand and develop if we are going to follow Jesus the Christ [Anointed One]. When we are resilient, we have the capacity to see and deal with stressful pressures or life changes and use them as a way to grow deeper spiritually. We are changed by tragedy, loss, and hardship, but the Spirit makes us capable of staying focused on Christ rather than fixated on the adversity we are facing at the time.
Scripture teaches Satan is the Adversary of God. In difficult times, we need to stay focused on the love of the Savior, so our faith remains strong and resilient. We are taught by the Word, the Kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of this world are always in the midst of a battle between good and evil. So, we should not be taken unaware when we find ourselves experiencing the tangible effects of that spiritual war, because Jesus (indwelling you) gives the world a taste of the Kingdom of God.

Christ makes us strong when we are weak, brokenhearted, or struggling with the pressures of life; he wants to reveal himself through us to those around us. Christ is our sustaining power; our River of Life. This is the Gospel message, my friends—the Gospel is all about the “living treasure” inside. For this reason, we leave sinful living behind and choose to witness to the holiness and glory of the One within.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reinforces this understanding by casting our focus on Christ as our priceless treasure and not on our fragile human bodies—clay jars. Think about the mystery of God’s plan for a minute; believers hold the righteous character and power of God so how we choose to live matters greatly! The Almighty God has mercifully chosen to live and dwell among our human weakness in order to show what the divine nature can do in a surrendered life. This understanding should motivate us and keep us strong, today, because God’s righteous power is at work within us making us more than conquerors (Ro 8:37).

2 Corinthians 4:1-12 NLT
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.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

Prayer: Father, thank you for making believers your dwelling place. May we be mindful, today, of your presence within us and our need to remain resilient. Holy Spirit, be our righteous power and keep us focused on Christ! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro:  In the days in which we live, it has become very clear to me that many human beings devalue God’s wisdom. In fact, Satan and the forces of evil are working overtime to “reduce” humanity’s interest in gaining godly wisdom by exalting technology, science, and human intellect—certainly not bad things in and of themselves, but neither are they the wisest source of study and knowledge upon which to build our spiritual lives. We were never created to make an intellectual assent into God’s presence—we must use faith in Christ.

Last year, the average person spent 403 minutes each day on the internet seeking information and gaining a form of “knowledge.” Friends, I suspect people spend much more time researching the internet searching for information that reinforces their views and affirms their desires; rather than praying, reading God’s Word, and seeking God for His divine wisdom to help govern and direct their lives. In this way, we have become people pleasers rather than God’s pleasers on a journey toward personal autonomy.  

Here’s a simple definition of science: Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence. Every time I look at a beautiful sunrise or sunset I see the “evidence” or handiwork of Creator God. Wouldn’t it be great if humanity was on a quest for truth based on the One who is True and created all things?  

In our passage today, the apostle James reminds us godly wisdom provides spiritual understanding and practical discernment to pursue righteousness [to be right in God’s eyes] which is God’s purpose for his human creation. God’s wisdom is not of this world, so we must humbly submit ourselves to the Word of God [deference] and ask the Holy Spirit to supernaturally help us apply the Truth to our lives. This is how we build our spiritual lives in God’s wisdom.

Have a fabulous weekend! Hope to see you in worship…

James 3:13-18 NLV Wisdom from Above

13 Who among you is wise and understands? Let that one show from a good life by the things he does that he is wise and gentle. 14 If you have jealousy in your heart and fight to have many things, do not be proud of it. Do not lie against the truth. 15 This is not the kind of wisdom that comes from God. But this wisdom comes from the world and from that which is not Christian and from the devil. 16 Wherever you find jealousy and fighting, there will be trouble and every other kind of wrong-doing. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. Then it gives peace. It is gentle and willing to obey. It is full of loving-kindness and of doing good. It has no doubts and does not pretend to be something it is not. 18 Those who plant seeds of peace will gather what is right and good.

Prayer:  Lord, your peace is about the wholeness only you can bring our lives. We try to fill our emptiness with stuff and fix ourselves, but you have created us for the salvation only you can bring into the personal chaos of the human soul. So, help us humbly reach for your pure Truth by asking for the wisdom we need each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Recently, God has been leading me to teach about genuine faith. Now, real faith is about action to what Christ has made known. Christ is the Living Word, so when we gain and understand truth from God’s Word we need to live and practice it; this is known as the obedience of faith. Jesus taught his disciples that love for him was shown through obedience to the commands/teachings of God (John 14:21). The Word of God opens our faith toward obedience and conformity to Christ—and God get’s the glory. We are to be imitators of God (Eph 5:1). This is a picture of genuine faith.

In our passage today, the apostle John wants us to focus on Christ—the Son of God. Three things in our verses stand out to me: 1) We must believe in Christ to be born of God; 2) We must obey God’s Word or Commands in order to love God and others in a righteous way; and 3) We overcome and defeat evil through the obedience of genuine faith in Christ! This is all such Good News!

1 John 5:1-5 NLT Faith in the Son of God
1 Everyone who believes [as fact] that Jesus is the Christ [Messiah] has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments [remain mindful of his teaching]. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome [oppressive]. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Prayer: Father, thank you for sending your Son to bring salvation to your children. Jesus, thank you for being the Word we so desperately need in order to understand the Truth. Holy Spirit, thank you for guiding and empowering us to live for the glory of God! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: If you know me, you know I love teamwork; a team works together to achieve a common goal. Much can be accomplished with a focused and devoted team. As disciples of Christ, we are on God’s team for the purpose of reconciliation or restoration. Jesus doesn’t need us to be successful; he is powerful and victorious by himself. But, he chooses to gather a team of people and serve “with” them. This relationship and teamwork with Christ changes ordinary lives and makes them extraordinary in love and power. This is the true picture of the Church with Christ as the Head (Col 1:18).

In our passage from Luke today, Jesus comes down the mountain with his disciples and the crowds gathered to hear his teachings. The people have heard about the power of Jesus to deliver a person from evil, as well as the healing found in just one touch of his hand. The disciples are there to work as a team with Jesus in serving the tremendous needs of these people.

Crowds Follow Jesus
17 When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed. 19 Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.

Prayer: Lord, you truly make the lives of your children extraordinary with how you form and equip us as your team to reveal the power found in serving others. Give us a fresh glimpse today of ways we can join in your purpose of restoration. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Teamwork by E. A. Guest
“Its all very well to have courage and skill
And it’s fine to be counted a star,
But the single deed with its touch of thrill
Doesn’t tell the man you are;
For there’s no lone hand in the game we play,
We must work to a bigger scheme,
And the thing that counts in the world today
Is, How do you pull with the team?”

Today we are looking at the entire chapter of Philemon, which is a 25-verse letter from Paul to Philemon. This small book is packed full with lessons of Christ’s kindness, forgiveness, redemption, favor, grace, and love. It does not matter which person you look at within this situation, you can see Jesus through their faithful and changing hearts.

So, Paul wrote this letter to his beloved friend, Philemon, while he was still imprisoned in Rome. We see how much Paul loves his friend and brother in Christ, through the prayer of thanksgiving that he offers to the Lord for him. It’s believed that Paul had led Philemon to faith in Christ during one of his visits to Asia Minor and he stayed at his home. Paul knows that Philemon and his family pray for his ministry, as well as they have their own ministry by hosting a church in their home. 

Paul is with Onesimus, who was a runaway slave of Philemon, and he has Onesimus deliver this letter to Philemon. All of us today can agree that slavery is absolutely horrific. Now Philemon, who was a slave owner, is being asked by Paul to accept Onesimus, his fugitive slave, back but now as a partner in Christ (or as he would accept Paul) because his heart has been changed through salvation in Christ.

Friends, Paul is helping us to see that we need to forgive, and not just on the surface and hold onto a grudge, but sacrificial forgiveness like Christ did and does for us. We also need to let go of the past, because we are no longer a slave to it, we are fully redeemed and free by our salvation in Christ. Finally, we need to be praying for our growing and changing hearts and praying for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. If there is a brother or sister that bother, you…great…pray for your heart to grow and change and pray for that brother or sister. Paul is very clear in this letter that Philemon and Onesimus are equal in Christ. We need to stop thinking that we are better than one another, that is sinful, as we are all one body in Christ. 

Philemon (NLT)

Greetings from Paul

 

¹ This letter is from Paul, a prisoner for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

I am writing to Philemon, our beloved co-worker, ² and to our sister Apphia, and to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church that meets in your house.

³ May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer

 

⁴ I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, ⁵ because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. ⁶ And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. ⁷ Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.

Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus

 

⁸ That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. ⁹ But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.

¹⁰ I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. ¹¹ Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. ¹² I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.

¹³ I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. ¹⁴ But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced. ¹⁵ It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. ¹⁶ He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

¹⁷ So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. ¹⁹ I, PAUL, WRITE THIS WITH MY OWN HAND: I WILL REPAY IT. AND I WON’T MENTION THAT YOU OWE ME YOUR VERY SOUL!

²⁰ Yes, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ.

²¹ I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more! ²² One more thing—please prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon.

Paul’s Final Greetings                                  

 

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. ²⁴ So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.

²⁵ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Prayer: Jesus, I cannot thank You enough for saving me. Lord, please quicken my heart with forgiveness. I want to be forgiven and thus I need to forgive. If there is someone I need to forgive, please help me to do it. I am no longer a salve, I am free in You, and You offered me forgiveness and I want to completely forgive others. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: Yesterday, John and I were expecting the delivery of a new washer and dryer. It was the second appointment for delivery we had been given, because the first set of appliances associated with the first appointment were damaged before they got to our house. Unfortunately, the second appointment for delivery did not go any better than the first appointment. What was my response? I promptly called Customer Service. Although, the representative who answered my call was kind and apparently wanted to be helpful, the guidelines he was given to read to me for problem-solving was of no value for the issue we were facing. Friends, I am grateful God’s guidelines are always perfect for the problems I face.

Elizabeth George once said, “God has written His divine guidelines for your life right in the Bible.” In our passage today, David affirms this truth. Good guidelines can be very helpful when we have questions about what God may want from us as his children. Rules are associated with laws and permanent policies, but divine guidelines are recommendations that lead to the best behaviors or practices. It was David’s desire to dwell in the presence of God; therefore, he sought the guidelines of Scripture to learn how to dwell or remain in God’s love.

Even though David failed to live in moral excellence during portions of his life, he wanted his future to be filled with success. God wants that same success for all his children. The world’s standards, morality, and ethics may be eroding, but God’s guidelines will never be shaken and always stand the test of time. So, may we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help us honor these guidelines for our lives.

Psalm 15 The Voice/Amplified Bible
1
Eternal One, who is invited [as a guest] to stay in Your dwelling?
    Who is granted [continual] passage to Your holy mountain?
2 
Here is the answer: The one who lives with integrity, does what is right,
    and speaks honestly with truth from [what is held in] the heart.
3 
The one who doesn’t speak evil against others
    or wrong his neighbor,
    or slander his friends.
4 
The one who loathes the loathsome,
    honors those who fear the Eternal [worship with obedient, reverent, and submissive wonder],
And keeps all promises no matter the cost [for his own benefit].
5 
The one who does not lend money with gain in mind [to a fellow believer]
    and cannot be bought to harm an innocent name.
If you live this way, you will not be shaken and will live together with the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, many of your guidelines in this passage today address the evil humans can do with words. Help me to speak honestly and deny evil the use of my mouth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Do you associate righteous conduct with God’s blessing? I hope so, because God tells us we are blessed with divine righteous love in order to be a blessing to others (Gen 12:2-3). God releases his righteous love into our lives, because he loves to share himself by serving us. When we serve and bless others, we receive more blessing from God to prepare us for more service. God’s blessing is a picture of a reciprocal love that just moves and flows through the lives of his children like spiritual nutrition. Feast on the love of God + Share the love of God = BLESSING!

In our passage today, the Apostle Peter reminds all Christians of how we must treat one another in order to stay in the flow of that sweet reciprocal love and blessing of God. Peter emphasizes some righteous behaviors: Sympathy, familial love, tenderheartedness, humility, and self-control. When we genuinely sympathize and understand one of our family members has a problem and needs help, we are gentle in our treatment and response, because we value the relationship we share in Christ.
So, if you want to enjoy the genuine blessing of God, remember righteous conduct is associated with God’s blessing. We bless others, not out of duty, but out of love and choice, because this is how God treats us. God desires to bless us, so let’s position ourselves to receive the blessing of his love and allow the Spirit to motivate us toward righteous conduct in our relationships.

1 Peter 3:8-12 NLT/Amplified Bible All Christians
8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say,
“If you want to enjoy life    and see many happy days,keep your tongue from speaking evil    and your lips from telling lies [deceit].
11 
Turn away from evil and do good.    Search for peace [with God, self, and others], and work [actively pursue] to maintain it.
12 
The eyes of the Lord watch [favorably] over those who do right,    and his ears are open to their prayers [eager to answer].But the Lord turns his face    against those who do evil.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for how you love us as your children and provide your blessing so we can serve others. You have set abundance within us, so help us today to release the blessing into the lives of others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today we are reflecting on a section of Psalm 27. In the beginning of the Psalm, King David states his confidence in the Lord. Yet, around verse 9, we begin to see that although he is committed to God by faith, he is still human and is struggling with fear. David is pleading with God for His protection.

You and I need Jesus with every breath that we take. When life is moving along smoothly, and things seem just fine, in an instance, what seemed to be perfect can be turned upside down and become a complete disaster.

So, what do we do? Well, David tells us in verse 14 to “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” We see throughout the Old Testament, within Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Proverbs, Lamentations, and Isaiah where we are instructed to “wait” and to be “patient” for the Lord. Waiting for the Lord within the Old Testament isn’t just about waiting on the coming (birth or return) of Jesus the Messiah, it is also about waiting for God’s timing. God has and is being patient with us, remember, we had to choose our salvation in Christ, which took time. So, it is completely wrong for us to be impatient with God? Especially, when we consider that He is all knowing, that He knows what is best for us, that He loves us more than anyone could ever love us, and that His timing is always right and it is not our timing. Peter tells us, “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8)

We may not have God’s individual plan for our lives “written out on paper”, but we do have the Holy Spirit, which is willing to guide our hearts along that plan that God has for us. We need to cry out to the Spirit and ask for the impartation of Jesus’s strength so that we can be brave and courageous during our times of waiting. We have to ask for Jesus’s peace so that we can be patient in our times of waiting. We need to ask for Jesus’s wisdom so that we can learn from His Word. We need to ask for guidance so that we can ensure that we are following God’s path and not a path laid out by anyone else.

Psalm 27:7-14 NLT

7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!

8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!

10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.

11 Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.

12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.

13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.

14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your patience with me. Please forgive me for my impatience at times and for wanting to jump ahead or off of the plan that You have for me. Help me, Jesus, to trust in You and Your plan for my life. Cover and fill my soul with Your Holy Spirit so that I can understand that I am merely a part of Your vast plan. I am humbled to be included and thank You. Strengthen my faith, fill me with Your peace, and guide me with Your wisdom so that I can remain steadfast with You on this path. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Ok! So, I need to remind you that Pastor Mary follows the Revised Common Lectionary for the daily passages of these devotions, which means I do the same as her mentor. This reminder is because we are now going on 4 consecutive devotions of hearing from the Apostle Paul, and although I love him tremendously, I do not want anyone to think that I favor one Apostle over the rest. 😊

Yesterday’s letter moved us to Ephesus from the previous two days which were in Galatia, and today we find ourselves in a letter to the Church in Philippi. Although the chronology and dating of the events in the Apostle Paul’s life are still debated, it seems like the last 4 devotions moved in the order from his older writings to his newer writings, with several (obviously) missed writings in-between and on the bookends.

Here’s a couple questions for you, and you can be completely honest because you are only answering yourself and Jesus. Today, the Apostle Paul tells us to “Do everything without complaining and arguing.” (v.14)

Questions 1. When was the last time you complained about someone or something?
Questions 2. When was the last argument that you had with someone?

So, I’m going to use myself as an example, because I firmly believe that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” (Rom 8:28) and I believe that is me. Also, I believe that Satan, like the cunning and sneaky fox he is, is always looking to attack us. Actually, much of his time is spent prowling around looking to pounce on God’s kids; so by the Spirit of Christ we need to, “Catch the foxes, the little foxes, before they ruin our vineyard in bloom” (Song 2:15) Remember, our “vineyard in bloom” is our spiritual garden, or our heart, for Christ (Curtis talks about tending to our spiritual garden or our heart for Christ all of the time).

So, here it is, I complained last Wednesday about something I saw on social media, and that complaint turned into an argument. See, God knew that the Apostle Paul and I would be spending some quality time together in His Word…and so did Satan, as he was prowling around and seeking to throw me off of my faith walk with Jesus knowing that I would not only be deep in God’s Word for myself, but that I would also be sharing it with all of you. Keep in mind, my 4 devotions that are all from the Apostle Paul came after my complaint/argument.

Friends, it all took about 3 hours before I found myself kneeling at the foot of the cross asking for Jesus’s forgiveness, and then turning around and asking the person for forgiveness. I’m blessed by what God brought out of it, but I learned that the enemy will take what he can get, and for him wasting 3 hours of my day was a win in his book.

I share all of this with you because within those hours I was not doing as this letter instructs…as Jesus tells us: to live clean, to live innocent as a child of God, and to shine bright as an extended Light of Christ. I believe that I am forgiven for complaining and for arguing, but we need to use these moments to step up and move forward with Jesus. We do not need to be complaining every day, we do not need to be arguing every day, or week, or month. We need to be holding firm to the Word of Life and running the race of our faith with Jesus, and as we wait upon His return, we need to be calling on the Holy Spirit to make us aware of those little foxes that Satan attempts to use to knock us off course.

Philippians 2:12-18 NLT
Shine Brightly for Christ

12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for your forgiveness. I need Your daily guidance for living the obedient life You have for me. Help Your Light within me to shine bright. Please give me Your wisdom so that I can see where the enemy seeks for me to stray from You. My prayer is to move forward with You, Jesus, and for Your Word to continue to be my guide. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.