Devotionals

Intro: Happy Thanksgiving, my amazing brothers and sisters! However you plan to spend this day, please put Christ in the center of it all. God created us and loves us as his people (Col 1:16). We are called by his name unto salvation (Acts 4:12). We are liberated and set free from sin by the Truth for all eternity (John 8:32). Death will never own us (John 3:16). Gratitude should fill us to overflowing, because God cares so much for us (Eph 5:20).

In our passage today, the psalmist invites us to enter joyfully into God’s presence; to come and worship him. Take time today to remember God’s goodness to you. Let your response be one of joy, thanksgiving, and praise. Blessings to you all! Love to you in Christ!
Psalm 100 NLT A psalm of thanksgiving.
1 
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 
    Worship the Lord with gladness.    Come before him, singing with joy.
3 
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!    He made us, and we are his.    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;    go into his courts with praise.    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 
For the Lord is good.    His unfailing love continues forever,    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Prayer: Lord, we worship you with joy and gladness. Your faithfulness overwhelms our souls and we extend to you our sincere gratitude. May the love and appreciation we return to you, today, be a blessing for you! Thank you, Lord! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Having the ability to know the Truth is precious to me. In Scripture, we can read about how the Truth is what makes humanity holy, because God’s Word is Truth (John 17:17). God’s plan and purpose for the Old Testament is revealed and fulfilled in the Truth found in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, we read about humanity’s sinful nature and desperate need for a Savior; so, God promises to send the Messiah. In the New Testament gospels, we are told about the arrival of Jesus—the long awaited Messiah—whom God has sent to save the world. We are then invited to have a relationship with Jesus; Truth is a person. So, to know the Truth, one must acknowledge and desire God. To reject the Truth is to live a lie.

In our passage today, Luke endeavors to present an accurate historical account of the life and death of Jesus. Although Luke has been inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this gospel, he also wants to acknowledge the work of others who have been involved with or experienced the salvation of Jesus—being restored to the Truth. Luke—a Gentile believer in Messiah—was a disciple of the Apostle Paul, as well as a physician.

Although many things in Luke’s gospel may be in chronological order, not everything is presented that way. Luke relied on eyewitnesses—many times the apostles themselves—in order to share his narrative account; he conducted interviews with the people who saw and heard Jesus, as well as those who had been physically touched and healed by him. Luke was a healer himself, so he knew when a person was gravely ill with some physical affliction and when they had experienced a miracle. Reading Luke’s gospel is always a great joy for me. I will be spending time with Luke during our Advent season.

Luke 1:1-4 NLT
1 Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2 They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. 3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus [meaning loved by God], 4 so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving us as your creation and children. I am certain of the Truth of your nature, love, and goodness. I am also certain of the Truth of my sinful nature apart from you. I am so grateful to know the Truth! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For the past 38 years my husband, John, has been the sole proprietor of a dental practice—owned an unincorporated business by himself [w/a little help from me]. Essentially, the name and reputation of the practice has rested upon John and his character. As the sole proprietor, John has been the boss, had the task of keeping everything in order, production going, efficient in resource and supply, and has personally established the ethical standard by which the business has operated in order to serve others in his care. Everything about the business has been John’s responsibility to oversee and everyone employed by the practice has answered to him for the service every patient has been given. Because of the weight of John’s responsibilities, taking time off when sick, taking vacations to get refreshed, or enjoying time off during the holidays has been a bit of a challenge over those 38 years—but, that is the reality of sole proprietorship. God has been so good to us!

God is the Creator and Supreme Sole Proprietor of the whole earth. Humanity may want to forget that important fact, but it does not change the reality of Truth. God alone is the rightful Ruler and Judge of everything involving the earth and He has created and appointed human beings to be stewards of His creation. God is the boss, everything belongs to Him, and He decides the standard by which the earth and everything in it operates, because it is a reflection of His character. God has no problem with all the responsibilities involving His earth, because He is Omniscient [knows all—so nothing surprises Him], Omnipotent [has total control and ultimate power], and Omnipresent [is present with His whole Being all the time]. God never slumbers or sleeps (Ps 121:4). No challenge exists that can change the perfect rule of God.

In our passage today, David reminds God’s people about the chain of command regarding the earth. As God’s people, we need to remain committed as stewards of the earth under His sovereign rule. He is the King who leads us to steward His glory…we are His worshipers! We say, “Thank you, Lord!”

Psalm 24 A psalm of David.
1 
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
    The world and all its people belong to him.
2 
For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
    and built it on the ocean depths.
3 
Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
4 
Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
    who do not worship idols
    and never tell lies.
5 
They will receive the Lord’s blessing
    and have a right relationship with God their savior.
6 
Such people may seek you
    and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. Interlude
7 
Open up, ancient gates!
    Open up, ancient doors,
    and let the King of glory enter.
8 
Who is the King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty;
    the Lord, invincible in battle.
9 
Open up, ancient gates!
    Open up, ancient doors,
    and let the King of glory enter.
10 
Who is the King of glory?
    The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—
    he is the King of glory. Interlude

Prayer: Lord, in every area of our lives, may we be mindful that everything belongs to you and that it is a privilege to be your stewards in the earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s devotion is Psalm 117, which is the shortest Psalm, as well as the shortest chapter in the Bible. Everyone is instructed three times, within these two verses, to Praise the LORD. Praise is a part of worship and prayer, a time of communing or connecting with God. The Bible guides us through many different expressions of praise, but each expression directly gives God the honor, glory, and recognition that He deserves as the most high, powerful, faithful, and true loving Creator of our lives.

As I read through these two verses, I kept thinking that this is truly the highest example of “less being more”. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that God gave us two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. Well, our brother Matthew taught us this Truth just prior to teaching us the Lord’s Prayer, he said, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (7:11-12) So, we must have grateful hearts and praise God for His enduring faithfulness to us. As His kids, our love for others should mirror His unfailing love for us, so we must use our two ears to listen better to our neighbor, and our one mouth must be used to be more loving like Jesus is to us.

Psalm 117 NLT

1 Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.

2 For his unfailing love for us is powerful;
the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the Lord!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your unfailing love. Help us, Lord, to use our spiritual ears to be better listeners to others, and when things that are not of Your Spirit come out of our mouths, please forgive us Lord. We praise Your Holy Name, Jesus, and we want to be more and more like You, so please shed those things that are not of You off from each of us. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: Because of Jesus, you and I can boldly approach God’s throne of grace and receive mercy (Heb 4:16). Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial requirements that are illustrated by the ancient Tabernacle. In our passage today, we must realize Jesus became our real High Priest who offered the real sacrifice for sin; he serves in the real heavenly sanctuary. According to Isaiah’s vision, the train of the Lord’s robe fills the heavenly Temple (Is 6:1-4).

We trust in the work Jesus did on the cross to die physically, so we would not have to die spiritually (John 6:29). To believe in Christ’s redeeming work is to stand confident in the reality that our past sins have been forgiven; Christ paid the penalty for all. Christ sent the Holy Spirit to save us from the power of our present sins. One day Christ will return to banish sin once and for all; there will be no more sin or devil to rob, steal, or destroy (John 10:10). Certainly, I look forward to that day, but I am so grateful for the work of the Spirit each day who leads me to the blessing of grace and forgiveness!

Therefore, go boldly to God in prayer today and make your requests known. Don’t lose heart, because of the trials you face in this world (Eph 3:12-13). Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Hebrews 9:23-28 NLT
23 That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.

24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. 25 And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. 26 If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.

27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28 so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for dying for my sin and appearing before the Father in my behalf—in behalf of all believers. We eagerly await your return. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: God is grieved by the apostasy (desertion) of his human creation, because in disconnecting from God we bring such misery upon ourselves. Why do we persist in being so prideful and self-centered? Why do we demand our own way instead of honoring God’s Word and Way? We were never created to be a selfish human race who would live for worldly pleasure. Rather, we were created to live for the glory of God. We were made in God’s image—male and female in his holy likeness—in wisdom and righteousness for the purpose of fellowship (Gen 1:27).

In our passage today, Jesus reveals the tenderness of the Father’s heart; he has a sincere love for his people despite their selfish inclinations. So it must have been emotionally painful for Christ to tell his people that the glory of God was being removed from Israel (1Sam 4:21). When Jesus—the Living Word—left the temple, the glory went with him.

Although Jesus rebuked these religious leaders, he loved them and his heart broke over their stubborn selfish ways. God is full of compassion, mercy, and goodness; he desires blessings for all his creation. God does not want destruction for anyone—even the wicked. That is why the Lord pleas with humanity to repent; he actually provokes us in order to help us repent. Always keep in mind how very much God loves you and wants fellowship with you.

Matthew 23:37-39 NLT Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. 39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the tenderness of your heart toward your creation; thank you for the tenderness of your heart toward me. Help me to reflect you in wisdom, righteousness, and in my fellowship with you and my neighbors. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In our world today, sometimes it seems like evil goes unpunished. Even though that may be something we observe and or may even be temporarily true, because of Scripture, we know it is not the eternal truth or the final outcome. The nature of the God of the bible reveals divine retribution—supernatural punishment—based on evil in the heart.

The Apostle Paul reassures us, “Do not be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit” (Gal 6:7-8). So, our revelation about the nature of God shows although he operates in righteousness, justice, and mercy, he does not and never will ignore evil actions. Sometimes, God allows the natural consequences of personal sin to prevail as retribution. The natural world has an order and disaster is inescapable when humanity violates that order; every human action produces a reaction from God whether experienced now or later.

In our passage today, David is dealing with unjust criticism, hatred, and persecution from wicked people. He doesn’t mind taking criticism from righteous and loving people; in fact, he welcomes it. However, the struggle David faces dealing with the perceived victory of wickedness is real. Yet, David knows evil acts begin in the heart. Therefore, David asks God to help him guard his heart against the wrong desires—to fight the temptation of taking matters into his own hands. David is praying and asking God to protect him from himself. This seems like a very wise prayer to me.
Psalm 141 A psalm of David.
1 
O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry!
    Listen when I cry to you for help!
2 
Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
    and my upraised hands as an evening offering.
3 
Take control of what I say, O Lord,
    and guard my lips.
4 
Don’t let me drift toward evil
    or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
    of those who do wrong.
5 
Let the godly strike me!
    It will be a kindness!
If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.
    Don’t let me refuse it.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the privilege of praying and asking for you to protect and guard my heart against every form of wickedness. Help me to accept righteous criticism and trust you to handle the judgment of evil. May the attitude of my heart be acceptable to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

As far back as I can remember, after my sister and I would fight as kids, my Mom would tell us that we were not allowed to go to bed angry at one another. Apparently, her Dad had told her and her siblings the same thing when they were kids, and now as a parent, my Mom was passing along those same words of wisdom to us. Currently, as a parent, I too, encourage my daughter to release anger and to not carry it into tomorrow. God wants us to release anger immediately to Him, as anger is not of or from God, and if we hold onto it, it will breed far worse consequences then what the present moment contains.

I’m not sure if my grandfather knew that what he was passing along to his children, and to the next generations, was the Truth that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus. But, in our passage today, we learn that exact Truth from Paul as he urges the entire church, past, present, and future, to stop being angry, “And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” (v. 26-27).

Paul goes on to urge us, as the children of God, to not be thieves, to not use foul or abusive language, and to not bring sorrow to God by how we live. You might say that you don’t do any of these things; and maybe you don’t, but when you compare your words, actions, inactions, thoughts, and the deepest places of your heart from just yesterday, are you able to say that you walked, talked, thought, and acted exactly as Jesus? I can honestly tell you that my yesterday would not have been Jesus’s yesterday. So, what do we do in this case?

Well, Paul goes on to tell us that we are to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.” (v. 31) We must remember that anything that is not of God, is of Satan, who is evil. Sin is evil! So, when our words, actions, inactions, thoughts, and hearts are sinful…we are in a place of evil behavior and we must turn back to Jesus, repent, and move forward by living out His Truth. Paul continues by telling us to “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (v. 32)

Ephesians 4:25-32 (NLT)

25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your tender heart and for Your sacrifice that allows for our sins to be forgiven. Give us Your heart, Lord, for others, so that we can be more and more like You each day. Help us to release anger and our sins to You, so that we can be more forgiving and have a kinder heart. We love You, Jesus, and ask all of this in Your Name. Amen.

Intro: Today, in the United States, we celebrate Veteran’s Day; a time to honor our military veterans from all wars—over 19 million men and women have served in our military. Veteran’s Day should carry patriotic significance for every citizen. In his 1983 radio address to the nations, Ronald Regan said it perfectly, “Veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom, for they’ve suffered the scars of war. We can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for us.”  Our veterans continue to remain loyal to honor this country and protect our freedom despite the suffering they have endured. I support and honor our veterans, seek to appreciate and bless them, and continually pray for them. If you have served this country to secure our freedom, I want to thank you! May God’s grace surround you and may His righteous right hand uphold you (Is 41:10)!

In broad terms, grace is God’s favor and activity toward humanity. As well, grace involves humanity’s responsibility to use Christ’s resources to perform our assigned and gifted service in the world to ensure freedom (Ro 13:1). Jesus was “full a grace and truth” and in Christ we can draw more and more grace from his fullness (John 1:16). We are saved by grace through faith; so our faith appropriates the grace Christ gives for salvation (Eph 2:8-9). Through grace we have the power to live the Christian life and to serve God and our neighbors. Even though we may feel weak in our flesh, grace makes us strong (2 Cor 12:7-10).

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul thanks God for the church in Thessalonica, because of their endurance to remain faithful to God despite persecution and suffering. God’s people are called to defend their faith courageously despite opposition. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Gal 5:1). Like our military’s commitment to serve this country, we are to live exemplary lives in our service to God. Jesus is our Savior who has restored our peace with God and brought us eternal freedom (Is 9:6; John 10:27-28). Let’s hold firmly to what we believe without wavering and live a life worthy of his call (Heb 4:14; 2 Thes 1;11).

2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 NLT
3 Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 4 We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. 5 And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. 6 In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.

7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 10 When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, today I pray a special blessing over our veterans. Thank you for the courage and grace you have placed within them to serve and protect the cause of freedom. May we, as a country, honor their devotion to One Nation Under God! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Is God allowed to get angry? Many people want to think about God as a benevolent Giver who loves all of creation unconditionally. Believers know He is a loving God; He is righteous in His judgment and in all of His ways. Yet, is God allowed to get angry?

Scripture tells us God is slow to get angry, but that He does get angry at sin and injustice (Ps 86:15). When humanity chooses to act wickedly, God get angry and will not allow evil to go unchecked (Ps 7:11). Frankly, Israel’s exodus from Egypt was an object lesson for the Egyptians about God’s anger against wickedness. When Israel was making the journey through the wilderness, suffering was an object lesson for the Israelites about God’s anger toward idolatry and disobedience. So, let’s remember the Truth and know if God gets angry, it is against the acts of sin, injustice, and evil. Therefore, wisdom leads us to understand the necessity of the “fear” or “respect” of the Lord’s authority.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds humanity we all deserve to experience God’s anger, because of our sin and rebellion against His Supreme authority. Human beings can do nothing to correct innate unrighteousness and sin. Being a “good” person or trying to keep the religious law will not stop God’s anger. Therefore, God sent His Son to pay (atone) for our sins so we could be reconciled to God (Ro 1:16-17). To accept Jesus is to accept His sacrifice for us; to pay for our sins with His life.

Those who live by faith in the redeeming work of the Son and follow Him into righteous living will be spared God’s anger in the future judgment facing the world. One day, wickedness and evil will be dealt with once and for all (Rev 20:7-15). So, if you have never done so, today is the day to ask Jesus to be your Savior. He will help each of us live as obedient children of our heavenly Father and, through the work of the Spirit, develop His holy character in us.

Romans 1:18-25 NLT God’s Anger at Sin
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness [prevent the truth from being known]. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sharing the Truth in our lesson today about your righteous anger. We need to understand your heart, so we can choose our future wisely. I pray for every person to know their value to you and your great gift of salvation found only in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.