Author: Beth Morrison

One-minute read.

As a novice gardener, roots fascinate me.  Planting a small seed in the ground then watching it grow into a vibrant plant brings me joy.  I planted zucchini and squash at the beginning of the season; they have grown into monstrous plants with big, green leaves and a multitude of flowers that turn into my favorite vegetables. The vegetables thrive because of their root system, a miraculous event to me.

What we root ourselves in determines what we will grow.  The psalmist has rooted himself in God’s commands, growing in the Lord and producing a crop of faith that he shares with others.  When we plant ourselves on the rock of salvation, daily dying to self and living for Jesus, we will produce fruit that flourishes and nourishes others.

Eating the zucchini from my garden brings me joy, not only because of its yummy goodness but because I watched it grow and yield its offerings.  Already, I’ve shared my small crop with several friends, blessing them with fresh produce.

Root yourself in the Lord, applying His commands to your life, and watch as you produce a crop you never imagined you could.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us Your commandments allowing us to root ourselves in Your truth.  Please help us grow and produce the desired fruit we can share with others.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

In life, we have little that we can rely upon because things change constantly. Hours slip into days, that slip into years, with slight changes that we overlook, until one day we realize that nothing remains the same. However, God’s word never changes; it stands the test of time.

The same truths taught thousands of years ago remain true. Christ’s church continues to grow because the rock doesn’t waver; standing on it, we can find solid ground.

“History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.”

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NLT)

Although the world around us changes, the human condition still struggles with the same issues it has always faced: betrayal, deceit, selfishness, entitlement, jealousy, and so on. But God’s word has the antidote to our instincts. We can cling to the promises found in scripture and find victory over our old self.

Clothe yourself in Christ, practicing His teaching, and become more loving and kinder to a dark world that desperately needs it. Nothing new exists under the sun; the struggles of our ancestors and ours remain the same. But in Jesus, we can find a new way to live and experience the joy that comes from following the Savior.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us Your word to cling to and apply to our lives, discovering victory over our human nature.  Please help us win the battle of the flesh as we follow You,

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

As a member of the prayer team for an international organization that partners with churches around the world, my awareness of the persecution of believers has increased.  Each week, we pray for the pastors and churches that endure attacks of all kinds against their congregations, things we can’t even imagine in America.  And yet their zeal for the Lord continues to grow, and their passion for spreading the gospel fuels the fire.

Stories of miraculous conversions, divine protection, and exponential growth encourage not only us, but also the foreign pastors and their people.  A school in Africa comes to mind that didn’t exist two decades ago, but now, with the help of the organization, it boasts over 1,500 students within its walls, children who now know and love Jesus.

God’s enemies attack but never win.  Amidst persecution, the Lord’s word thrives, multiplying more and more.  Like a sprout in a barren field, it only takes one seed to begin the harvest.  As the leaves of the gospel blossom, producing more seeds, carried by the wind to other areas, God’s kingdom continues to grow.

Applying the Lord’s word to our lives results in miraculous events that produce passion and zeal for more.  God paves the way for His kingdom work, leading us along the path of abundant life.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for igniting the fire in our souls and fanning the flames with Your miraculous works in our lives.  Please bless our efforts as we strive to live and serve You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

In a marital spat, turning to God’s word for instruction helps me find resolution.  Living life with others means accepting their flaws and finding ways to love them despite the hurt they inflict.  The better you know someone, the more you can hurt them, and spouses know each other well.

“We will lovingly follow the truth at all times—speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly—and so become more and more in every way like Christ.”

Ephesians 4:15 NLT

God centers us on the truth; His testimonies help us discover the truth about ourselves and others.  As we apply His word to our conflicts, we’ll find the root of the problem, which then allows us to pull it out and find healing.

The Lord’s words never change; we can always count on His testimonies to lead us on the path of righteousness.  Ever faithful, God shows us the way, one step at a time.  In Him, we can find an abundant life.

No matter what struggle you face today, turn to the scriptures for guidance.  Ask the Lord for help, and He will give it to you.  Lean into God’s faithfulness and find everything you need for the day ahead.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us reliable and proper direction in our struggles.  Please help us find the scriptures we need to deal with today’s struggles, finding victory in You

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Funny how quickly people judge others, yet never open their Bibles. Having an opinion about the scriptures and God’s law without reading His word baffles me.  People close to me criticize my lifestyle because I choose to put the Lord first, make reading His Word a priority in my life, write about it, and try to live it, without ever opening the Bible.

Instead of feeling offended, it makes me sad when people don’t try God’s way.  Watching them fall into pit after pit from the decisions they make, refusing to try another way, hurts my heart.  They can’t experience the transformation that comes from a life lived for Jesus if they never attempt to keep His law.

Yes, Jesus fulfilled the law because we can’t possibly keep it.  But we should still try, because through it we find transformation for our lives. 

Summing up the Bible in one word, I use love.  Applying God’s precepts to our lives teaches us how to love the Lord and others, one day at a time.  The more we try, the more we become like Jesus, helping others find their way to the Savior, and discover the transformational power of His love.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You, Lord, for transforming our lives by the application of Your law.  Please help us follow You closely today and discover new life in Christ.

IJNP. Amen

One-minute read.

Walking confidently feels good.  When you know your destination and have no doubts about the journey, your strides have more purpose and keep a steady gait.  However, more times than not in life, we have doubts about which direction we should take.

In the weekend message, the pastor brought two ladders onto the stage.  On one, he taped “World,” and on the other, he taped “God.”  As he progressed through his message, the young pastor challenged us about which wall our ladder leaned against, and which one we climbed.

At one point, the tall, lanky preacher, dressed in black, had a foot on each ladder, stuck in the middle, not sure which way to go.  Thankfully, God helps us make the decision when we follow Him.  The Lord redeems us from the world and gives us new life in Him, showing us the steps we need to take.

Consult God on which steps you will take and follow His direction, then you can walk confidently, knowing He leads you to the promised land.  No longer will you feel stuck in the middle, with Christ guiding you, and your ladder leaning against the rock, you will have no doubt which way you should go.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us a road map to the promised land through Jesus.  Please help us lean our ladder against You, and climb steadily

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Longing for more of the Lord, the psalmist pants for His presence.  Like longing for a cold drink on a hot summer day, the writer’s thirst can only find satisfaction in God’s word.  Seeking the Lord’s statutes, the psalmist discovers the answers he desires and the grace and mercy he so desperately needs.

In my younger years, amidst strife, when I didn’t have a solid relationship with Jesus, I still sought Him.  Feeling alone, and with nowhere else to turn, I would open a Bible, whichever one I found, and start reading, looking for help.  And I always found it. Although I can’t remember the exact passages I read in those moments, I know I felt the Lord’s presence, comfort, and support, exactly what I needed in those desperate times.

Life has a way of knocking us to our knees.  Unexpected waves hit us from behind, toppling us to the ground, making us struggle to get back on our feet.  In those times, we can rely on the Lord to pick us up and help us once again stand.  Memorizing and meditating on God’s promises will give us the support we need.

The more we know the Lord’s precepts, the more we’ll want to know.  Like the psalmist, we will pant for His commandments.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for guiding and directing us through Your word, giving us a longing for Your commands.  Please help us learn and apply Your precepts to our lives, so that we may become faithful servants in all that we do.

IJNP. Amen

One-minute read.

When lighting a campfire, the spark must catch fire through air flow and kindling. Add bigger pieces of wood as it burns until a steady flame appears. Keeping the fire going by adding more logs periodically allows it to burn endlessly.

Reading God’s word and beginning to apply it to your life starts the flame. As you do the Lord’s commandments, the fire will burn as transformation begins. Learning more and more of the Creator’s ways fuels the fire and allows you to live fully for Jesus. The Lord’s ways help us become more like Christ, and the things of our old lives fall away in ashes.

As transformation occurs in our lives, the miraculous works of the Lord give us divine understanding.  God opens our eyes to what we cannot see; His supernatural ways become the spark that lights the fire and provides light for our journey.  The closer we stay connected to the Savior, the more we will understand as our hearts align with His.

Each morning, spend time with God to stoke the fire His word lights in you. Read the scriptures, talk to the Lord about your life, and find the peace that surpasses all understanding as the Savior keeps the flames going with His presence.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for lighting the flame within our souls and giving us light to lead the way. Please help us fuel the fire as we spend time with You daily, engaging in Your word and applying it to our lives.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Discovering that I lie to myself more than anyone else changed my life. When God reveals the truth to me and I begin to understand how I misinterpreted or internalized something incorrectly, it makes me sad.  I’ve always hated lying, but never realized how much I lied to myself.

We all lie to ourselves. Humans view everything from a limited perspective and don’t see the whole picture. Then, we create logical narratives but discover they have no truth.  We find the truth only when we allow the Lord to search our hearts and shine His light into our souls.

God’s commandments help us discover the truth.  Like fine gold, they show us the error of our ways and illuminate the lies we’ve believed.  Living life for Jesus, applying His teachings to our situations, transforms us as God opens the doors we can’t see. One friend said, “Sometimes God has to push me through the door.”

The Creator knows our hearts and the lies we tell ourselves, often keeping us from living life in abundance.  As we learn and follow His commands, the Lord reveals the lies we believe and helps us live in the truth of His word.  Transform your life and become more like Christ by following God’s precepts.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for revealing the lies we tell ourselves.  Please help us live in Your truth, apply Your precepts to our lives, and find abundant life.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Experiencing divine understanding opens our eyes and gives us insight. The Lord only reveals what we can handle. George Washington Carver asked God to uncover the mysteries of the universe to him, but the Creator knew Carver’s mind couldn’t handle that much information. So, instead, God revealed the complexities of a simple peanut to George, and he discovered over 300 uses for the small brown nut.[1]

For me, “Aha” moments describe divine understanding.  When God opens my eyes to something I couldn’t see before, it always amazes me.  Like puzzle pieces falling into place, my limited perspective takes on an entirely new view.  The scales fall from my eyes, and transformation happens as God reveals His truths to my soul.

Just yesterday, while driving, I listened to the biography of Amy Carmichael, an Irish Presbyterian missionary in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Listening to her struggles as she followed the Lord, I thought, “I haven’t a clue what it is to suffer.” As I became more familiar with her ministry, God opened my eyes to a new depth of submission and service to Him.

Ask the Lord to open your eyes and give you divine understanding.  Let the Creator give you a new perspective on your life.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us divine understanding and helping us draw nearer to You.  Please open our eyes to what we can’t see and give us new insights.

IJNIP. Amen

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[1] https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/george-washington-carver-1860-1943/#:~:text=One%20day%20I%20went%20into,to%20know%20about%20the%20peanut?%E2%80%9D&text=In%201921%20Carver%20addressed%20the,and%20national%20fame%20for%20himself.%E2%80%9D