Category: Devotionals

James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Often I say things, which I regret later. Thinking back, I reflect on the stupidity of my words and wonder what could have compelled me to utter them. Maybe I was uncomfortable in a situation. Maybe I was trying to be funny. Maybe I was upset. Most likely, I simply was not thinking at all! Regardless of the reason, I had a tremendous lack of discernment in the moment, which was insensitive and may have hurt someone in the process. Not a very good example of Christian love, and it shames me.

So after a guilt-ridden time of self-examination, I go to God and ask for help. He leads me to James 1:5, and I hear this quiet inner voice prompting, “Why haven’t you asked Me for help?” Once again, I realize I have taken my eyes off Christ, and have foraged ahead on my own. I have forgotten to depend upon God. This awakening takes me to my knees where I ask God for His forgiveness and wisdom to make better choices in what I say and do.

The Bible tells me that the beginning of wisdom starts with “the fear of the Lord.” In the Hebrew language, the words yare and yirah indicate that “to fear, to respect, to reverence” can be positive qualities, indicating that I don’t need to shrink away from God because I am afraid of Him, but rather a deep reverence for God will draw me closer to the source of His unending well of wisdom. When I “fear the Lord,” my mind, heart, and soul are enabled to receive wisdom and understanding from His Word (Proverbs 9:10). God promises to give wisdom to anyone who seeks it, so if I want to be wise in my speech and actions, I must remember that I cannot attain it on my own; I must seek it from God.

Time to start building my house upon the Rock.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” – Psalm 111:10

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Upon what is your spiritual house built?

Psalm 118:6 “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”

I am not a sports person, but I know one thing about sports. No one likes to lose. After seeing how much teams are willing to pay for certain players to join them, I have a pretty good idea of how badly competitors want to win. Even watching high school basketball or football games, it’s clear that no one goes into a game hoping to lose.

The same could be said of life. “Keeping up with the Joneses” is not the goal anymore; people seem to always be striving to get ahead, to be bigger and better than their neighbor. No one wants to come in last in the game of life. Everyone wants to be on the winning team, and when there are only two teams from which to choose, make sure you pick the right one!

The first team is the one in which the Lord Jesus Christ is the Captain. His team members have accepted Him as their leader, and they strive to follow His commands, which are written in His team manual – the Bible. Their goal is to reflect His teachings in their lives, serve Him faithfully, and share His game plan with everyone!

The second team is the one that is led by Satan. Some members on this team embrace sin and wickedness openly, while others are ignorant of the ungodliness that governs this team in which they are a part. Some members on this team are active players, while others are merely benchwarmers; they don’t even realize they are part of this team! The truth is if you’re not on one team, you’re on the other! Make sure you choose the right one! Read more

Psalm 4:8 – “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”

It seems like I hear more and more “doomsday” reports regarding the state of our country and our world. Whether it’s climate change, governmental chaos, terrorism, rumors of wars, unprecedented health concerns, etc., I confess that when I hear these reports, my heart beats a little faster as tendrils of trepidation creep into my consciousness. These thoughts are difficult to dispel on my own, but I find that when I seek refuge in God’s Word, my fears are calmed and replaced by His peace.

As I read the Bible, the reality of who God is returns to my mind, and I remember that He is the sovereign God who controls everything. Nothing happens without His knowledge or by His allowance. It may seem like this world is spiraling downward uncontrollably, but I “know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). No matter what happens in this world, my future is secure in God! Because of this understanding, I do not lay awake at night dwelling on the “what-ifs.” I can sleep peacefully because I know God holds tomorrow in His hand.

“Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.”     (written by Ira Stanphill)

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”   – Isaiah 46:9-10

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In the midst of life’s turmoils, how does God’s Word speak to your heart?

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“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”                  – 1 Corinthians 3:9

Psalm 18:2 “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

A few years ago, I visited the city of Petra. It is basically a city carved out of rock. If you saw the last Indiana Jones movie, you saw the treasury of Petra in which the knight guarded the Holy Grail. This entire city is accessible only through a very steep-walled mile-long pass carved out of the sandstone. It is also the city to which many Bible scholars believe the Jews will seek refuge during the Tribulation period (ex: Matthew 24, Revelation 12). Because it is constructed out of the rock itself, Petra seems to be nearly impregnable, a natural fortress ideal for protecting its inhabitants.

Like the city of Petra, God is also a “solid rock.” He is omnipotent and immovable. A foundation built upon God’s Word is unshakeable. Not only is He is my rock, but He is my fortress (protective shelter), my deliverer (One who rescues), my strength (source of power), my buckler (shield), and my horn of salvation (powerful Saviour).

Knowing I can trust God to keep me in the palm of His hand no matter what happens (John 10:29) enables me to have comfort and peace in a very troubled world.

“And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.” – 2 Samuel 22:2-3

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Are you building your life on the Rock or on sinking sand?

Isaiah 55:6 “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:”

Last night, I was able to sit in church for our mid-week service. Usually I am involved in the children’s ministries on Wednesdays, but due to spring break, there were no children’s activities. Our youth pastor spoke on Mark 4:35-5:1, and the message reinforced what I had been hearing the past few Sundays. Here are a few nuggets I gleaned from the message.

As the disciples headed for the far shore of Galilee in a small boat, a fierce storm arose of which the fishermen were very fearful. As I thought about the situation, it occurred to me that these men must have faced many storms in their lives since they were fishermen by trade, and they were always out on the Sea of Galilee. Therefore, this must have been a very violent storm to instill fear in them. As they battled the waves, Jesus slept in the hinder part of the boat, seemingly unaware of the tempest the men were facing. Once awakened, Jesus asked, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). They had forgotten the promises of God.

Many times, I am just like the disciples. I am fearful; I have no faith. When hard times come, I question God by asking, “Why me? Why my family? Why am I the one suffering?” I, too, have forgotten the promises of God. In Isaiah 12:2, the Bible records “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.” Again in chapter 41, the prophet writes “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” There are a plethora of verses where God promises to watch over me, care for me, protect me… That is what I need to remember! I may think that God has forgotten me, or that He doesn’t care about me, but nothing could be further from the truth! God sees me, cares about me, and loves me! I need to remember that God always keeps His word. If He said He would take care of me, He will do it! Read more

John 16:33 “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me, ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

What is happening in our world? The headlines of today are so troubling! Chaos in government, legislation that promotes infanticide, destruction of traditional families, churches closing their doors, worldwide persecution of Christians…

In a time when there is the concerted effort to eradicate God and Christianity from the world, Jesus promises His peace to us. He doesn’t promise to remove the problems from us, He promises to give us peace through the knowledge that He is in control; He is the One who has triumphed over the sin in this world, and He is the One who will reign supreme forever. Our time of perfect peace has not come yet, but we do have His peace internally when we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. It is good to know that my God cannot be defeated. He is the One that is the Giver of Peace. No matter what happens to me, no matter what I see or read in the news, no matter what I hear… I have the peace that passes all understanding because my God is in control. My God has overcome the world!

Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial strains it unceasingly falls
O’er my soul like an infinite calm.

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!

(excerpt from “Wonderful Peace” by Don Moen)

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7

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How has God’s peace sustained you in times of trouble?

Romans 5:20-21 “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

If you live in Georgia, chances are you are familiar with the infamous “yellow pollen” of springtime. Our tall, statuesque pines produce this pollen in their cones, and when the wind blows, away go billions of tiny yellow pollen grains into the air. While the goal is for the pollen to land upon female cones, it also lands everywhere else! I find that my once-blue car becomes yellow, a clear patio table seems to have a yellow tablecloth upon it, and my white wrap-around porch now seems to be made of yellow lumber. (I shudder to think what the inside of my lungs look like!) As my granddaughter and I did a little yard work, we noticed that even the air had a yellowish hue that seemed to thicken when a gentle breeze blew. It wouldn’t matter if I washed everything down because I knew that the next day would bring a new dusting of pollen on everything once more. There is no escaping it!

Springtime pollen is a lot like sin. It’s everywhere! No matter how hard you try to avoid it, it’s always there! Sometimes it’s like a faint dusting, but it’s there. Sometimes it’s so thick, you not only feel its presence, but you see it clearly! Romans 5:12 states “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” So no matter where you go, sin will be there. The Bible also tells us that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), and the wages of our sin is death (Romans 6:23a) or eternal separation from God. When I tried to wash away the pollen, it returned. No matter what I did, the pollen still permeated everything, including me! That’s a lot like sin. I can’t make my sin go away. I can try to hide it, but it’s still there, and eventually, it will be made manifest. Read more

Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Today, I chose to be politically proactive. I called Governor Kemp and asked him to stand firm on the GA “Heartbeat” bill and sign it into law when it crosses his desk. To allow a small group of celebrities to threaten to take their business elsewhere if he signs the bill into law, prompts me to urge these thespians to take their ungodly views back to Hollywood. I have already seen how liberal Hollywood celebrities have negatively influenced my home state of California in regards to morality, and I pray that will never happen here in the state of Georgia.

This week I heard that statistics now show that Americans are actually moving more toward a pro-life stance. One poll has pro-choice Americans moving from 55% to 47%, while pro-life Americans have risen from 38% to 47% as well. Perhaps the realization of how horrific abortion laws have gone has struck at the “heartbeat” of our country. Maybe Americans are beginning to open their eyes to the truth of abortion, and take a stand for the unborn children who cannot speak for themselves.

While some claim that the “Heartbeat” bill is threatening to women, I suggest that women who do not desire children, but continue engaging in sexual relations, choose to be responsible themselves. There are many readily available, inexpensive ways to prevent an unplanned pregnancy that are certainly “less threatening” to a woman’s health than an abortion. If men and women demonstrate personal responsibility in intimacy and birth control, abortion would not even be an issue.

Why not live our lives as God instructs us? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if humanity chose to live according to God’s instructions, keeping intimate relations between a husband and wife within the confines of marriage? Imagine what it would be like with no worries about STDs, abortion, or even the heartbreak of break-ups! Eliminating the promiscuity that envelopes our land would definitely make a big difference! God gives us rules to help us avoid pain, sorrow, heartache, and troubles. Not only does God’s Word help us avoid pitfalls in life, but it offers us so much more! The Bible tells us in 1 John 2:17, “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

The Word of God also tell us in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” We are at a time when we must make a concerted effort to pay attention to the sound doctrine the Bible teaches, and make a stand for what is right and true. Psalm 127:3 states, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Life is sacred. We must treat it as such.

Ephesians 6:10-13 warns us “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

This battle we are in is not a physical one; it is a spiritual war that originated in the Garden of Eden. There are only two sides to this war. On one side, God, who represents all that is holy, just, and right. On the opposite side, Satan and all the powers of hell representing sin, evil, and wickedness. There is no middle ground.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5,6

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Which side are you on?

Romans 12:2 – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. “

This verse is a continuance of Romans 12:1 where Paul writes about becoming a living sacrifice. Verse 2 gives a deeper explanation of what that entails. As a Christian, I should be different from the world around me, that is, the world of those needing Jesus. Transformation means to make a thorough or dramatic change in form, appearance, or character. As follower of Christ, I should be changed both outwardly and inwardly. Outwardly doesn’t just mean how I look, but it also refers to my behaviors. My outward appearance begins with how I look, but there is so much more. There is an old adage that states, “You only get one opportunity to make a first impression.” While we would hope we are not judged by our clothing, hair- style or make-up, the truth is that first impressions impact the opening of doors of opportunity to witness for Christ. Outward behaviors include my language, the music to which I listen, the company I keep, the way I dress… this list could go on and on, but basically, it involves anything that people can observe in my life. I don’t want anything in my actions to be detrimental to the cause of Christ, so I try to make godly choices. Am I always successful? Sadly no, but I keep trying, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I get better at it every day.

The inward me is even more difficult to transform. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is hard at work here. To make a change in my heart, I must constantly be studying the Bible, and God’s Spirit gives me understanding as I read God’s Word. It is the Scriptures that make the inward change. The Bible is rich with what I need to make me more conformed to His image.

Romans 8:29 states “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” As I become Christ-like in my heart, mind, and soul, I am being conformed to His image. This is how transformation takes place. While this is a work in progress for Christians (Philippians 1:6), Jesus Himself is our example of what will eventually happen to us. He was the first to be resurrected to God the Father, and we will follow one day in Jesus’ resurrected footsteps. Thus, the key to a transformed inner being is through the Word of God. Without the Scriptures embedded in my heart, I am merely an outer shell without substance, but when I have the Word of God hidden in my heart, I become more like God’s Son… more conformed to His image… more transformed… more of a living sacrifice. The more I am like Jesus, the more able I can provide evidence to the world of God’s love. As the inner me learns God’s good (desirable), acceptable (suitable), and perfect (faultless) will, I am better able to reflect it to the world in my outer appearance and behavior. When others see the outward difference in me… appearance and behavior… hopefully, they can then see a reason for coming to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. That is my reasonable service!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” – Romans 12:1

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What does the world see in you that points them to Christ?