Month: March 2020

“The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.” (Proverbs 11:6 NIV).

Evil desires can be overcome with Jesus. We’re studying Corinthians in my Bible study right now.  The Corinthians had some issues, they weren’t faithful to the message of the gospel. Paul, in his letter to them, spends time correcting them for believing false teachers, conflict in the church, their pride.  They were so young in their belief, they were being swayed back into the ways of the world. But Paul is giving them the answer to their evil desires. Focus on Jesus, He delivers us from evil desires.

Focus on Jesus, He delivers us from evil desires.

At the end of chapter four, Paul asks the Corinthians a question:

“What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?” (1 Corinthians 4:21 NIV).

Paul is challenging them to choose which way they are going to follow.  Are the Corinthians going to continue to follow the ways of the world? Or are they going to focus their eyes back on Jesus.  Whichever they choose determines how Paul will respond to them. In order to get their eyes back on Jesus, they must first admit, they’ve taken their eyes off of Him.

One of my favorite books, “Soul Revolution,” points out how easily we take our eyes off of Jesus.  The author challenges the reader to set an alarm for every hour.  When the alarm sounds, use it as a trigger to pull your thoughts back to Jesus.  I’ve done this experiment before, I was amazed at how far away from Jesus I could get in an hour.  When we lose sight of Jesus, our evil desires begin to raise their ugly head. But the minute we re-focus our gaze, Jesus delivers us from our evil  desires.

Whatever evil desire you’re trying to overcome, take it to Jesus.  Paul gives us an answer to all of our temptations:

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)

God knows we all have evil desires.  He knows our hearts, and He’s provided a way to overcome them:  Jesus. When we keep our focus on Him, we’ll see the way out God has provided for us.  Focus on Jesus, He delivers us from evil desires.

Question of the Day:

What evil desire do you need Jesus to deliver you from today?

Further Reading: Numbers 15:17-16:40 NIV, Mark 15:1-47 NIV, Psalm 54:1-7 NIV, Proverbs 11:5-6 NIV

“Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.” Mark 14:72 NIV

Jesus’s answer to betrayal is love. We all have been betrayed, Jesus most of all.  And Jesus loves us anyways. Peter, beloved disciple, follower from the beginning of Jesus’s ministry, betrayed Him.  Peter’s denial of Christ came right before Jesus is crucified. Jesus knew Peter was going to do this, He had forewarned Peter (Luke 22:34 NIV).  Peter never thought he would betray Jesus, yet he did. Not only did Peter betray Jesus, He did it three times.  Jesus knew all of this when He got on the cross soon after. Jesus knew betrayal, He overcame it with love.

Jesus knew betrayal, He overcame it with love.

Betrayal is an ugly thing.   Betrayal, in its barest essence is about breaking someone’s trust.  Trust is fragile. Trust is our belief other people won’t harm us. When people do hurt us, trust is broken.  Betrayal is a part of our life here on earth. Betrayal was part of Jesus’s life. His betrayal far deeper than any we will know, His response, love.

I remember the first time I felt betrayed by my husband.  We had only been married a couple of years. He got a speeding ticket, he hid it from me.  I felt betrayed because he didn’t tell me. He had deliberately kept something from me. When I found out,  I was devastated. I thought we told each other everything. But in reality we didn’t. He didn’t keep it from me to be malicious, he was embarrassed.  He shouldn’t have been speeding, He was caught. But it didn’t take away the shock of not knowing for me. And it didn’t take away the new dimension it added to our relationship.  A piece of my trust had been broken. I felt betrayed. But then I thought about Jesus.

Jesus is who I can lay my hopes and dreams upon.  Jesus is the One who never betrays our truth. Jesus is the cake, my husband the icing.  I don’t expect my husband to fulfill every need I have, Jesus does that. I don’t expect him to always be perfect, Jesus is the One who is perfect.  I expect him to be the man God made him to be, the imperfect one. The one who is too embarrassed to tell me he got a speeding ticket. I want him. Jesus is the cord that binds us together, two imperfect people bound together with Him (Eccl. 4:12 NIV).  The strength in the cord is the perfect love of Christ.  Jesus knew betrayal, He overcame it with love.

Question of the Day:

What betrayal do you need to give to Jesus today?

Further Reading: Numbers 14:1-15:16 NIV, Mark 14:53-72 NIV, Psalm 53:1-6 NIV, Proverbs 11:4 NIV

“They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” Mark 14:32 NIV

Jesus is the most important bridge.  Can you imagine, being with Jesus, and He asks you to “Sit here while I pray?”  In essence, that is exactly what Jesus is asking us to do every day. Jesus is the bridge between us and God.  He is what connects us to our Creator. Because Jesus is both man and God, we can relate to Him in a way we can’t relate to God alone.  The most important bridge is Jesus.

The Old Testament readings that are part of the “Further Reading” section of the daily devotional have been talking about Moses.  He led the Israelites out of slavery, then wandered in the dessert with them for 40 years. During that time period, Moses met with God.  When Moses met with God directly, his face would radiate so brightly the people couldn’t look at him (Exodus 34:29-35 NIV).  God’s presence overwhelms us, our minds can’t comprehend His splendor.  The bridge Jesus creates connects us to God’s splendor.

The bridge Jesus creates connects us to God’s splendor.

The bridge Jesus builds for us is done by prayer.  He intercedes on our behalf with the Father. When He asks us to sit and wait, it’s because He’s praying:

“Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34 NIV).

Interceding is praying. Prayer is simply talking to God.  Jesus is sitting beside God in heaven talking about you. He’s telling Him all of the things you’ve whispered in His ear.  He knows the areas of your heart that are broken, He wants to heal them:

 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  (Psalm 147:3 NIV).

God’s splendor is revealed to us the more we rely on Jesus.  As we pursue a relationship with Jesus, we begin to follow His example.  We start to take our eyes off of the desires of this world and place them on the desires of God.  We begin to learn the joy that comes from true forgiveness (Colossians 3:13 NIV).  We begin to understand God’s peace that surpasses all understanding (Ephesians 4:7 NIV).  We stand firm in the face of adversity because we know who is fighting for us (Romans 8:31 NIV).  And so much more: unconditional love, miraculous events, life changing revelations. The bridge Jesus creates connects us to God’s splendor.

Question of the Day:

How have you experienced God’s splendor because of Jesus?

Further Reading: Numbers 11:24-13:33 NIV, Mark 14:22-52 NIV, Psalm 52:1-9 NIV, Proverbs 11:1-3 NIV

“She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.” (Mark 14:8 NIV)

When we do what we can, Jesus rewards our efforts.  Today’s verse comes from a story told by Mark. In six days time, Jesus will be crucified.  He’s having dinner at Simon the Leper’s house when a sin filled woman walks in with an alabaster jar full of expensive perfume. In other words, in walked any one of us, as we are all sin filled.  This perfume would be equivalent to about a year’s worth of working wages. Those in the room with Jesus are up in arms that she is wasting the money on Jesus’ feet. But Jesus silences them with today’s verse.  This woman is the only one who understands what is about to happen, she is offering Jesus her best sacrifice to prepare him for his burial. And Jesus rewards her for doing what she can:

“Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Mark 14:9 NIV)

When we do what we can, Jesus rewards our efforts.

Each day, we have a fresh opportunity to do what we can.  God’s mercies are new every morning:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations, 3:22-23 NIV). 

I have a morning routine.  I roll out of bed, read my Bible and journal my prayers.  Each morning I give my life to Jesus again, fresh. I ask for forgiveness for the sins of yesterday, guidance and direction for the day ahead, and His blessing and favor to be on our lives.  Every morning, I have something to repent. Every day, God purifies me in some way, just a little bit more than the day before. Each day, He is molding me into who He created me to be in this life. His will is clear to me, His message simple. Do what you can, He’ll do the rest.

That’s what Jesus did for the sinful woman.  She did what she could, Jesus did the rest. Jesus took her sins upon Himself.  He picked up the cross and finished it once and for all. He did it for her, He did it for us.  All He asks is that we do what we can. When we see someone in need, help them. When we can offer a kind word, do it.  When we can ease someone’s burden, ease it. Jesus isn’t asking us to save the world, He already did that. All He is asking us to do is what we can.

Question of the Day:

What can you do for Jesus today?

Further Reading: Numbers 10:1-11:23 NIV,Mark 14:1-21 NIV, Psalm 51:1-19 NIV, Proverbs 10:31-32 NIV

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets.” (Psalm 50:1)

The best person to have in your network is Jesus.  Jesus is the Mighty One, the Lord who speaks and summons the earth.  You want the One who tells the sun to rise and set in your network. The dictionary defines network as cultivating “people who can be helpful to one professionally, especially in finding employment or moving to a higher position.”  In other words, who you know is what gets you advanced in life.  No one has the ability to promote you more than Jesus. Jesus rules the network.

The best person to have in your network is Jesus.

I have learned in life, who you know does help you get ahead in the world.  I worked my way through college as a Desk Clerk in a hotel. When I graduated, I became a Flight Attendant.  The reason I got the job with the airline was because of my Sales Director. I had formed a relationship with her while working at the hotel.  She wanted me to get out of the hotel and restaurant business. Her daughter was a Flight Attendant at the time. She gave me the name and address of the Vice President of the company to send my resume too.  Because I sent my resume to him with her recommendation, I got an interview, and eventually the job. Who you know does open doors for you in life that otherwise might be shut.  

“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”  (Revelation 3:7 NIV)

Jesus opens doors no one can shut.  Our real problem isn’t that Jesus is opening doors, our real problem is we don’t walk through them when He does.  When Jesus opens a door that allows us to feed the hungry, love the unlovable, forgive the unforgivable, we’re responsible for doing it. Jesus shows us the way, we’re to follow.

Caroline, my Sales Director, gave me the information I needed to become a Flight Attendant. She opened the door, but I had to walk through it. I had to send my resume, fly to Maryland, get drug tested, interview for 8 hours, then wait over a month to hear if I had gotten the job or not.  In fact, I had given up hope. I had taken a job at another hotel, thinking this was my fate. When I got home from my first day of work on the new job, I had a message that the airline had hired me. I never went back to the hotel, I moved forward into the open door.  

Jesus does the same for us.  He owns the network, He opens the doors.  It’s up to us to walk through them.

Question of the Day:

What door has Jesus opened for you that you haven’t walked through yet?

Further Reading:  Numbers 8:1-9:23 NIV, Mark 13:14-37 NIV, Psalm 50:1-23 NIV, Proverbs 10:29-30 NIV

“The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.” (Proverbs 10:28 NIV).  

If you want to have a joy filled life, keep your eyes on Jesus.  This past weekend, I witnessed what that looks like. Feb. 23, 2018 was a tragic day for the Cooke family in Mt. Pleasant, SC.  A robbery attempt left a father, Mike, shot 5 times and his son, Bryan, dead. The shooting occurred just before 11:00 a.m. on a Friday morning.  The two year anniversary of that day was on a Sunday this year. I sat in amazement and watched Lynda, wife and mother, sing “God is Good,” with her sisters, at the approximate time her son had been killed.  Then I listened to Mike give us a message of love, grace, and mercy, just after the song.  What I witnessed, was people living a joy filled life because they were keeping their eyes on Jesus.  

Before Lynda started singing, she introduced the song.  She talked about how she had never known life without the trinity.  She talked about how God has carried their family through this tragedy.  She explained why she had chosen this song. Bryan had given her this song some months before.  He had told her to tuck it away for a special time. After his death, it was months before she could listen to music, much less sing.  But slowly, she found her way back to music. When she did, she found this song. A song that she has clung too in the midst of her heartache.  She knew the special time to sing it, on the anniversary of Bryan’s death. A Jesus filled life is a joy filled life.

A Jesus filled life is a joy filled life.

One of the hardest things to accept in this life is that we won’t have all the answers.  We will never truly know why bad things happen to good people on this side of heaven. Mike and Bryan were volunteering their time to get a house ready for a homeless veteran when they were robbed.  They were serving the Lord when this tragedy happened. Why? That is for God to know and us to trust.

The service started with a song from Maverick Music, “Take Me Back”, the lyrics can be a prayer for all of us to cry out when we’re in the midst of a storm:

‘Cause when the storm’s out on the ocean

And the violent wind get’s to blowing

Oh, take me back, back

All the way back…

When it was all simple

And loving was easy

When it was all simple

And trusting was easy…

Take me back to the start, God

Where You won my heart

If you want a joy filled life, keep your eyes on Jesus.  Ask Him to take you back to where He first won your heart.  A Jesus filled life is a joy filled life.

Question of the Day:
Do you need to ask God to take you back to where He first won your heart?

Further Reading:  Numbers 6:1-7:89 NIV, Mark 12:38-13:13 NIV, Psalm 49:1-20 NIV, Proverbs 10:27-28 NIV

“Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” (Mark 12:24 NIV)

The one person you can never underestimate is Jesus.  He says it right here. He’s responding to the Sadducees.  The dictionary defines Sadducees as: a member of a Jewish sect or party of the time of Jesus Christ that denied the resurrection of the dead, the existence of spirits, and the obligation of oral tradition, emphasizing acceptance of the written Law alone.  They are another set of religious leaders Jesus had to deal with during His ministry.  They were questioning Him about one of the laws on marriage. They’re question: If a woman had been married 7 times because her husbands had died, whose wife would she be at the resurrection? (Matthew 12:18-23 NIV)  Jesus responds with today’s verse.  The religious leaders learned quickly, don’t underestimate the Scriptures or Jesus.

We are no different from the Sadducees.  We underestimate Jesus because we don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.  We all share this mistake because we are all human. We don’t have the capability this side of heaven to understand the full extent of God’s power.  Even when we do see miracles happen in our own lives, we forget them too quickly. When we have problems arise, we try to fix them ourselves instead of turning to God.  We may know the Scriptures well, but we don’t always apply them to our lives. Jesus, the Master that He is, knows this about us and loves us anyway. The one person you can never underestimate is Jesus.

The one person you can never underestimate is Jesus.

The Israelites underestimated God when they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years (Joshua 5:6).  David underestimated God when he saw Bathsheba on the roof (2 Samuel 11 NIV).  We underestimate God when we put ourselves before Him.  The Israelites had witnessed God do countless miracles to lead them out of Egypt, yet they didn’t trust Him for their well being.  David already had a wife, yet when he saw Bathsheba, he wanted her too. Instead of obeying God, he found a way to get what he wanted.  When we take matters into our own hands, instead of trusting what God’s word says, we’re underestimating God.

The only way to not underestimate Jesus is to let Him do the leading.  We have to wait on His timing, His answers, His provision. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts, not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV).  Because we don’t naturally act or think like God, we underestimate Him.  No one thought the Savior of the World would be born in a manger, but He was.  We can’t underestimate Jesus when we follow Him. When we let Jesus do the driving, He’ll take us places we never thought we would go.  But first, we have to stop underestimating Him.

Question of the Day:

What area of your life are you underestimating Jesus today?

Further Reading: Numbers 4:1-5:31NIV, Mark 12:18-37NIV, Psalm 48:1-14 NIV, Proverbs 10:26 NIV

“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?” (Mark 11:28 NIV).

Avoid traps by asking the right question. Jesus would have been considered a sage.   A sage is a wise or holy figure, often an older man, who possesses insight or understanding beyond that of ordinary people.  When His authority was questioned, he answered as a sage would do, with a counter question:

“Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!” (Mark 11:29-30 NIV).

The religious leaders didn’t have an answer to Jesus’ question.  Therefore, Jesus didn’t answer theirs:  

“So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things” (Mark 11:33 NIV).  

The truth is, the religious leaders already knew where Jesus’ authority came from, they just didn’t want to admit it.  They realized that if they acknowledge John’s power came from God, they would have to acknowledge Jesus’ authority as well.  When Jesus’ authority was questioned, He responded with a counter question. Avoid traps by asking the right question.

Avoid traps by asking the right question.

The saying, “When you point a finger at someone else, there are three pointing back at you,” has possible origins from the Navajo Indians.  The Navajos considered it serious business to accuse someone. When you point a finger at someone, you’re ignoring your own faults. The Navajos believe you must  look at your own faults before you look at the faults of others. Jesus says the same thing with different words:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5 NIV).

The religious leaders were trying to trap Jesus because He was threatening their authority.  Jesus exposed their hypocrisy. We are all hypocrites, whether we admit it or not. Jesus exposes the hypocrisy within ourselves with His truth.  We battle Jesus’ authority in our lives, just like the religious leaders did. We want our own way, instead of His. When we give Him authority over our lives, He’ll provide the right question to ask when we are being trapped.

Question of the Day:

Whose authority are you submitting to today, Jesus or yours?

Further Reading: Numbers 2:1-3:51NIV, Mark 11:27-12:17 NIV, Psalm 47:1-9 NIV, Proverbs 10:24-25 NIV

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 NIV)

The best security blanket is God.  He is our strength and rescue at all times.  Right now, whatever you are facing, you can take refuge in Him.  You can wrap yourself up in His arms, just like a child with a security blanket.  He will pull the cover over your head, letting you nestle into His shoulder, and He will protect you.  He is always there, waiting for You to turn to Him. His arms are wide open, holding the corners of the blanket.  He’s waiting to fold you into His arms. He is the best security blanket you will ever find. Nothing can compare to Jesus.

The reason children (and adults) use security blankets; because they “make you feel safe and protected, which increases your brain’s serotonin levels and decreases the presence of stress hormones.”  We all want to feel secure, but security is hard to find in today’s world.  Everything changes so quickly. Days turn quickly into weeks, then months, then years.  Kids grow up and leave, jobs end, marriages end, lives end, all things that can leave us feeling helpless and alone.  With an ever changing world, finding a place of security can seem hopeless. But it’s not, God doesn’t change. God is our hope, our security; He’s unchanging.

God is our hope and security, He’s unchanging.

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed” (Malachi 3:6 NIV).  God doesn’t change, because He doesn’t, we aren’t destroyed.  This passage of scripture represents a cycle we all follow:

“God initiates a relationship and blesses us, God calls us to honor him, and we promise to serve and worship him alone, yet we soon drift into complacency. We are easily enticed by the flickering lights of temptation, so we wander and stray. Ultimately, we defy our Creator, falling into dark pits of sin with dreadful consequences. We hit rock bottom, we get fed up, we long for change, we cry out for mercy, God hears and restores, we promise to never leave him again . . . but, in time the cycle begins again.”  Louie Giglio

The moment we cry out for mercy  is the moment God wraps us in His arms.  He secures us in His steadfast love that is unwavering.  Even knowing, as Louie says, we’ll leave Him yet again, He will always be waiting for our return.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God, not even our own imperfections (Romans 8:38-39 NIV). God is our hope and security, He’s unchanging.

Question of the Day:

How has God been unchanging in your life?

Further Reading:  Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54 NIV, Mark 11:1-26 NIV, Psalm 46:1-11 NIV,

Proverbs 10:23 NIV

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” (Mark 10:43-44 NIV) 

If you want to become great, serve others.  Jesus came to serve: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NIV).  I haven’t done a scientific survey, but I think each of us has a secret desire to be great.  We all want to be recognized for our contributions to the world. I want to be a best-selling New York Times author.  We all have dreams of greatness. But in order to be great, we need to serve others. Greatness comes by way of service.

Greatness comes by way of service.

 The more I get to know Jesus, the more I love Him.  I hope and pray the same for everyone who reads these devotionals.  Jesus came to serve us in love and truth. His humility is what makes Him great.  When Jesus was faced with any situation, He led with grace. He led with mercy. He led with love.  He set a standard of service to others we can only hope to achieve.

Putting others before ourselves is not a natural instinct for humans.  Our natural instinct is to put ourselves first. But that isn’t what Jesus called us to do.  Our greatest commandment is to love God, love others (Mark 12:30-31 NIV).  Our priorities in life are God and others, ourselves last.  Using the gifts God gave us to serve others is when we feel His pleasure. 

Writing these devotions is my gift to God, an act of service for the love of writing He gave me.  I ask Him for inspiration in the words I write. I want all glory to go to Him. I try hard to not make it about me.  Mark Batterson said in a recent message, “What we don’t turn into praise, turns into pride.” I give God the praise for my writing, the gift is from Him.  

God has given each of us gifts.  This article has great tips on how to identify your gifts.  When we identify what our gifts are, we can then offer them back to God. Knowing our gifts can help us identify where we can serve others. When we serve others, we will be great.  The greatness comes not in being lifted up and exalted, but in loving another. When we serve, we are loving those God has given us to love. And when we love, we feel God’s pleasure.  Greatness comes by way of service.

Question of the Day:

Who can you serve today?

Further Reading: Leviticus 25:47-27:13 NIV, Mark 10:32-52 NIV, Psalm 45:1-17 NIV, Proverbs 10:22 NIV