Author: Beth Morrison

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 24:52-26:16 ESV, Matthew 8:18-34 ESV, Psalm 10:1-15 ESV, Proverbs 3:7-8 ESV

Daily Verse: “And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:26 ESV) 

OLIGOPISTOS (3640): “Literally, this word means little of faith and is used only by the Lord as a tender rebuke for anxiety (Mt, 6:30, Lk 12:28; or for fear (Mt. 8:26, 14:31, 16:8).”[I]

Jesus rebukes tenderly.

Storm raging, waves slapping, wind howling, the familiar scene of Jesus napping amid chaos, a well-known Bible story, preached often. When the disciples waken the Lord, He rebuked them gently. Why were they fearful when Jesus was with them? In the flesh, on the boat, Jesus was present, yet they feared.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV)

God asks us to believe what we can’t see, assured of Jesus’ presence always. The disciples believed in Jesus because they witnessed the miracles He performed. When turbulence happened, they panicked.   Even with Jesus physically present, their faith wavered. The next time you doubt, give yourself grace, even the disciples questioned.

Give Jesus your anxiety.

When panicked, the disciples knew what to do, wake Jesus. “Pray, not Panic,” a prayer in my book, “Three Word Prayers for Everyday Living,” are the words I use to wake Jesus up in my life. 

Teaching the last class of kid’s tennis of the year, we combined the beginner and intermediate classes for games. In the beginning, chaos ensued. Having just published the book, my assistant asked me what we should pray. My mind went blank; I couldn’t think of a single prayer, then “Pray, not Panic” came to mind, followed quickly by, “Lord, help us.” Within minutes, the class quieted down; all had fun.

Faith means knowing where to turn when life nosedives. Jesus’ presence always remains close:

“For he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5 ESV)

Jesus travels with you, whatever the mode of transportation. Just like He was in the boat with the disciples, Jesus journeys with you. If the storm’s raging around you, wake up Jesus. Remember, He has the power to calm the storm or else give you strength to survive it. But if you don’t tap into God’s strength, you won’t access His power.

Choose faith. Pray, not panic. Find God’s calm.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 177) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 23:1-24:51 ESV, Matthew 8:1-17 ESV, Psalm 9:13-20 ESV, Proverbs 3:1-6 ESV

 Daily Verse: “And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” (Matthew 8:2 ESV)

KATHARIZO (2511): “Make clean, to cleanse physical stains and dirt. In a moral sense, from the defilement of sin.” [i]

Jesus cleanses

My husband has put spot cleaner in my stocking at Christmas for the past two years. Last year, I received Shout wipes and an Oxy Clean spot pen. Added to the collection this year, a wine spot cleaning pen. Inevitably, if I drink a glass of wine, red my favorite, I manage to spill it on my shirt. My ability to miss my mouth has become a joke between us. I can erase the spot as if it never existed with a simple application.

Jesus does the same for us. When we present our “spots” to Him, He cleanses us. Erasing our sins, we’re made white as snow. In the leper’s case, a societal outcast, Jesus healed him of a physical ailment. Today, medical intervention can heal leprosy, but during Jesus’ day, it was uncurable, causing the person permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs, and eye.

Become clean with Jesus.

“And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”(Matthew 8:3 ESV)

Jesus’s healing comes in many ways. Like the spot pen removes my mishaps, Jesus cleanses our blemishes. Placing our faith in Jesus means believing He can rescue us from our troubles. When the leper approached Jesus, he already believed, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” Without faith, healing can’t occur.

Whatever mess you need Jesus to clean for you today, approach Him with faith. Know, God’s Son has the answer you need. When we give the Lord our sins, He washes them away.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18 ESV)

Become white as snow; let Jesus clean your crimson stains. No blemish can withstand God’s grace and mercy. All things are new when we place our faith in Jesus.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The NewStrong’ss expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 124) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 20:1-22:24 ESV, Matthew 7:15-29 ESV, Psalm 9:1-12 ESV, Proverbs 2:16-22 ESV

 Daily Verse: “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16 ESV)

TRIBOLOS: “A crowed foot (three-pronged obstruction in war), i.e., by a thorny plant. Thistle is the plant which produces briers.”[i]

Fruit reveals truth.

What kind of fruit you produce tells who you are following. Thistles grow briers, prickly plants creating spiked fruit that causes pain. 

Some people are mean. My husband and I listened to “The Inn” by James Patterson and Candice Fox on a recent road trip. The criminal in the story thought the opposite of the heroes. He saw misery as pleasurable, loving to cause as much of it as possible. Being kind to another human being never entered his mind—a thistle producing briers intentionally.

Create a legacy.

Have you ever thought about how you want people to remember you when you’re gone? With a mortality rate of 100%, none of us will avoid the inevitable. But we can decide how we want people to think about us when we’re gone. 

If we want people to know us by the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, then we need to follow Jesus (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV). Only by giving Him our life can we begin to produce good fruit. When we do, people will know us by our crops.

Each morning, you get to choose what kind of fruit you produce. Act prickly; you’ll make prickles. Upheaval, distrust, and conflict will become your calling card. But if you choose Jesus, obeying His command to love God, love others, people will know you by your love.

God loves you; He wants you to love others. The fruit God wants you to produce can only happen when we follow Jesus. God’s Spirit within us will guide us through our days. When we are unsure of our direction, the Spirit prompts us which way to go. We don’t need to know the whole story, just the next step in our journey.

Decide the type of fruit you want to produce. Choose Jesus today. When faced with a difficult situation, ask God what you should do. Follow the promptings of God’s Spirit as you maneuver through your day.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 253) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 18:16-19:38 ESV, Matthew 6:25-7:14 ESV, Psalm 8:1-9 ESV, Proverbs 2:6-15 ESV

 Daily Verse: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 ESV)

DIKAIOSUNE (1343): “character or quality of being right or just. The sum total of the requirements of God (Matt. 6:33). Whereby all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are brought into right relationship with God.”[i]

Jesus creates right relationships.

Righteousness, a word often heard in church language, comes through Jesus. Placing faith in God’s Son means submitting your life to Him. 

Simply saying, “My way ain’t working, God. I’m going to try your way,” begins a journey you will never regret. 

Pursuing the life of Jesus means getting to know Him through Scripture. Learn how Jesus handled life’s difficult situations. Imitate what the Master did the best you can. Don’t expect perfection from yourself. Give yourself grace, knowing God’s already forgiven you.

Grace, not grief.

Instead of forgiving myself, I give myself grief. Judging myself as an idiot because of whatever flub I’ve done, natural. Thinking negatively about ourselves, something we all do. But God doesn’t. When we take our foibles to God, He forgives us completely. We’re the ones who struggle to let ourselves off the hook.

Becoming right with God means accepting our imperfections, laying them at the foot of the Cross. God takes what we perceive as weaknesses and turns them into strengths, making us righteous.

Sharing my struggle to forgive myself with my Pastor, he made an excellent point. When we confess our sins to others, we create an opportunity to connect. Since all of us struggle to forgive ourselves somehow, we can relate to the battle. We give others freedom to do the same by talking about our skirmishes. Vulnerability breeds vulnerability.

Become right with God today; believe in Jesus. Then get to know Jesus through the scriptures. Imitate the Son, embrace His righteousness.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 69) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 16:1-18:15 ESV, Matthew 6:1-24 ESV, Psalm 7:1-17 ESV, Proverbs 2:1-5 ESV

Daily Verse: “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9 ESV)

HAGIAZO (37): “to make holy” (from hagios, “holy”), signifies to set apart for God, to sanctify, to make a person or thing the opposite of koinos, “common”; it is translated “Hallowed,” with reference to the name of God the Father in the Lord’s Prayer, Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2.[i]

God deserves honor.

Raised in the church, I’ve never known life without God. Sunday services, community activities at the church, Bible studies are familiar to me. Taking God for granted or treating Him as less than ordinary, possible in the routine of life. Becoming busy with “church activities” doesn’t make us holier or mean we’re honoring God. When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, He started by recognizing God’s power and sovereignty.

My pastor gave his first message to his youth group when he was 16. Now in his late 60’s, he’s persevered through more difficulties than anyone I know, including the murder of his son. Through life’s trials, his reverence for God hasn’t changed.

Revel in God.

“God is God. He can do whatever He wants to do,” says my pastor often. Honoring God means accepting His will for your life. “Hallowed be your name” sets God apart, denoting His sovereignty over life. Without God, we can do nothing. With God, we can do everything.

Seventeen missionaries became victims of kidnappers in Haiti in October of 2021.[ii]  Using Gideon’s fleece (Judges 6:36-40 ESV) as an example, the group prayed for specific signs to know when they should try their escape. If God didn’t provide the signal, they didn’t go. Finally, early in December, God answered their prayers. Sensing God’s leading, they found a way to open the blocked door, escaping and following the chosen path through thorns and briars, in complete silence, to reach safety. God led them to safety but honoring Him required waiting.

God is God. Honor Him today. When you spend time with your Maker today, revel in who God is. Our heavenly Father deserves our highest accolades.   Recognize God’s holiness as you include Him in your day.

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[i] Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Word Study) (p. 2991). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

[ii] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59736726

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 13:5-15:21 ESV, Matthew 5:27-48 ESV, Psalm 6:1-10 ESV, Proverbs 1:29-33 ESV

Daily Verse: “O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.” (Psalm 6:1 ESV)

YAKACH (3198): “To be right (i.e., correct).  To decide, prove, convince, judge. Whom the Lord corrects he delighteth (Prov. 3:12).”[i]

God’s love corrects.

David, the author of Psalm 46, thinks God’s turned away from him because of his sin.  Begging God not to react in anger, David pleads for mercy.  We don’t know what David did, only that he feels the brokenness in his relationship with God.   Our misdeeds cause separation, but correction reunites.

When I was a child, my brother and I stole penny candy from my uncle’s store. I remember begging dad for mercy when he learned of our crime. Dad’s punishment, we had to return the stolen treats and apologize to our uncle.  The lesson we learned that night stopped me from stealing again.  I can still feel the humiliation of standing before my uncle, confessing my sin.  I understood, dad still loved me, but consequences existed for our actions.

Rebuking causes growth.

Since I grew up in church, I’ve heard the word “rebuke” often; thinking of it as a negative term.  No one enjoys correction; at least, I don’t think people do.  However, without course changes, we’ll never grow.  God loves us and wants us to become new creations as we follow Him, leaving our old ways behind.

If my dad didn’t bust us for stealing from my uncle’s store, would I have continued my life of crime?  Thankfully, I don’t know the answer to the question.  Dad did discover our sin and, with love, made us endure the consequences.  Because he cared, dad punished us.  As a result, my brother and I learned a valuable lesson we carried with us the rest of our lives.

Too often, we blame God for punishing us, but we are the ones who sinned.  Actions have consequences.  Even though we may suffer from our choices, God never stops loving us.  Our heavenly Father wants us to learn from our mistakes.  Sometimes, the only way we grow happens with correction.

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[i] [i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 113) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 11:1-13:4 ESV, Matthew 5:1-26 ESV, Psalm 5:1-12 ESV, Proverbs 1:24-28 ESV

 Daily Verse: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4 ESV)

MAKARIOI (3107) Greek root word. “Fully Satisfied. In Beatitudes, the Lord indicates not only the characters that are “blessed” but the nature of that which is the highest good.”[i]

God comforts mourners.

Blessing means fully satisfied in its original form.  When we are in the depths of despair, we’re not thinking of God’s highest good.  For us to discover God’s supreme blessing, we must accept our spiritual helplessness.  Nothing we do can equal our Creator’s divine intervention in our lives.  God moves the mountains we can’t. 

Taking the first step on any journey requires effort.  We can build momentum after moving, but nothing happens without acting.  Admitting we can’t pull ourselves out of despair, we need God’s help, the first step we all must take.

Receive God’s Spirit

Watching the latest show about families moving west in post-Civil War times reminds me of the fragility of life.  When offered condolences for the loss of her husband, Aunt Claire’s reply startled me. 

“You can’t believe in heaven, then be sad when people go there.” Aunt Claire, ‘1883’[ii]

Never did I think of death this way.  We spend our lives following Jesus, hoping for eternal life, but are sad when people go before us to their heavenly home.

People’s acceptance of death as part of life, more realistic during the 1800s.  Our medical advances give the illusion we can beat death, but we can’t.  The mortality rate remains 100%.  People may live longer than before, but in the end, we all die.

God’s comfort comes through His Spirit.  The moment God’s Spirit fills your heart, eternity begins.  Peace on earth comes from a relationship with your heavenly Father.  In Him, you’ll find comfort for your sorrows.  God’s satisfaction comes to those who place their trust in Him.  Blessed are those who believe in Jesus, receiving His grace and mercy when in despair.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 155) Thomas Nelson

[ii] https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/1883/

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 8:1-10:32 ESV, Matthew 4:12-25 ESV, Psalm 4:1-8 ESV, Proverbs 1:20-23 ESV

 Daily Verse: ^“And leaving Nazareth he went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.” (Matthew 14:13 CSB)

KATOIKEO (2730): Greek root word. “To settle down in a dwelling, to dwell fixedly in a place. ‘Indwelling’ of the totality of the attributes and powers of the Godhead in Christ. May make a home in your hearts.”[i]

Jesus dwells with us.

When Jesus was in ministry, He lived in Capernaum.  Having grown up in Nazareth, Jesus’s hometown rejected Him. Base camp for our Saviour has a sign hanging at its entrance, spelled in block letters, “CAPHARNAUM THE TOWN OF JESUS.”[ii]  God’s Son settled down in a village not far from Jerusalem to carry out His earthly mission.

Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew all called Capernaum their home, while the rest of the disciples came from the Galilee area.  One disciple wasn’t local; Judas, Jesus’s betrayer, didn’t hail from the same place.  Farmers and fishers populated the tiny town Jesus called home.

Dwell fixedly.

Jesus lived with intentionality where He was.  Most of the stories from the New Testament tell of Jesus’ life in Capernaum, ministering to those around Him. The first person to identify Jesus as the Son of God, a demon-possessed man in the synagogue:

“Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” (Luke 4:34 ESV)

The evil spirit within recognized the power of Jesus. Believing in Jesus means inviting His Spirit to live in our hearts. Now, as followers of Christ, we have Jesus’s Spirit dwelling in us. The Holy Spirit makes His home in our hearts, allowing Jesus to guide us.

When I was a child, I remember the moment Jesus’ Spirit moved into my heart.  On top of my brother’s bunk bed, twelve years old, I cried out to Jesus to live in my heart.  Answering the cries of a child, Jesus’ Spirit took up residency inside of me.  Life changed as I felt His peace descend upon my anxious heart.

Invite Jesus to dwell in your heart today.  Begin a journey of life change that never ends.  Whatever rooms of your soul you’ve kept locked, unlock them today for the one who can heal your wounds.  Let Jesus take up residency in you.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 136) Thomas Nelson

[ii] https://www.travelingisrael.com/capernaum/

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 5:1-7:24 ESV, Matthew 3:7-4:11 ESV, Psalm 3:1-8 ESV, Proverbs 1:10-19 ESV

Daily Verse: “This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.” (Genesis 5:1 ESV)

DEMUTH: Hebrew root word for LIKENESS. “Resemblance, model shape. Signifies the original after which a thing is patterned.” [i]

Modeled after God.

When God created us, He made us in His image.  God the original, us patterned after Him.  Our worth comes from God, nothing else.  Made in God’s image means we have value.  Physical appearance, economic or social standing, none of those things determine our merit. 

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27 ESV)

Despite our sinful nature, God created us in His image.  God lets us choose what we do with His presence in our lives.  We can ignore our Creator, or we can embrace Him.  God doesn’t force Himself on us.

Created without sin.

God created Adam without sin, allowing Adam to experience communion with God.  However, when Adam’s sinful nature rebelled against God, he became alienated from his relationship with God.

“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed. for God made man in his own image.” (Genesis 9:6 ESV)

Sinning against our fellow man offends the image of God in us. Sin separates us from our Creator.  Jesus repairs the relationship.  Acknowledging our misdeeds and accepting responsibility for our sins allow us to reconnect intimately with God.

Commune with your maker today.  Confess your sins, lay them at the foot of the Cross.  Embrace God’s image within you.  Allow God to lead your life.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 64) Thomas Nelson

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Genesis 3:1-4:26 ESV, Matthew 2:13-3:6 ESV, Psalm 2:1-12 ESV, Proverbs 1:7-9 ESV

Daily Verse: “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” (Matthew 2:13 ESV)

PHAINO (5316): Greek root word. “It signifies, in the active voice, “to shine”; in the passive, “to be brought forth into light, to become evident, to appear.” Visibly (Mt. 1:20) or in a dream (Mt. 2:13)[i]

God’s angels direct.

Googling “angel appearances” in the Bible brings a range of answers.  Typically, the heavenly bodies come during people’s most significant times of need.  For Joseph, his angel encounters happened in dreams.  The latest sighting warning Joseph of trouble to come.  Wasting no time, the family headed to Egypt, avoiding certain death.

One can only imagine how difficult sleep was for Joseph.  I have no idea the pressures a new father feels, much less when God’s given him the task of raising His Son.  Joseph knew the responsibility assigned to him.  Talk about pressure in parenting; since Jesus was without sin, Joseph didn’t have to worry about disciplining Him.  But he did have to raise Jesus.

Trust, not Control.

After reading my book, “Three Word Prayers for Everyday Living,” [ii] my friend developed a mantra. “Trust, not Control” became her battle cry against worry.  Ever since she shared her story with me, I’ve adopted the prayer as well.  When worry begins to rear its ugly head, I use “Trust, not Control” to remind myself, God’s got this.

Whatever pressures you’re feeling today, remember, God has a plan.  Only at the appointed time will God make your path clear to you. Joseph’s angel appeared the night before they needed to leave to escape persecution.  Whether God uses an angel or not to give you directions, I don’t know.  But I do know you can trust His guiding light to lead you where He wants you to go at the perfect time.

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[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 261) Thomas Nelson

[ii] https://www.amazon.com/Three-Word-Prayers-Everyday-Living/dp/B09KF44SQY