Category: Uncategorized

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 24-25 GW; Psalms 106 GW

Doing what is right leads to blessings.

In my 52 years on earth, I’ve done a lot of things wrong.   Poor decisions lead to all kinds of troubles: financial, relational, physical.  Every day we live, our activities of today impact our tomorrows.  We have a choice whether we do what is right or what is easy.  Typically, the correct steps are more complex than the incorrect ones.

For instance, swiping my credit card is easier than paying cash.  Going into debt is much quicker than coming out of it.  Living within your means, the amount of money you have, is much more complicated than living beyond them.  But when you handle your finances with Biblical principles, you’ll experience blessings far more meaningful than money.

When I was single, I remember my sleep immediately improved when I paid off my last credit card.  A weight lifted from my shoulders.  Living within my means became more manageable as I learned to budget.  Tithing became the priority, then saving.    Now, when something unexpected happens, we have an emergency fund to meet those needs.  Learning to live on what God provides brings innumerable blessings.

Take the stand.

Defending justice is doing what is right.  We are to help those who can’t help themselves:

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9 NIV)

When someone needs an advocate, meet the need.  Speak up for them. 

Coaching tennis camp this summer, one of the students arrived on his bike with training wheels.  Not realizing he was asking an inappropriate question, another student asked the boy why he still was using training wheels?  Instant embarrassment swept over the young man’s face, his expression showing he didn’t know what to say.  So I stepped into the conversation and spoke for him, defending him to his young friend.  The blessing came in the form of peace.

Following God is challenging by times.  Doing the right thing, defending justice for others takes effort.  But doing the hard thing today will create better tomorrows full of innumerable blessings.

Lord, thank You for defending us.  We’re grateful for Jesus, who set an example for us of doing the right thing.  Forgive us for taking the easy way out.  Help us today to do what is right.  Let us find the blessing of defending justice for those who can’t.  Draw us closer to You in all we do.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What right thing do you need to do today?

2 minute read.

God’s work brings joy.

Recently, a friend asked me if I believe in coincidences.  He was talking about times when you run into people randomly.  My response was, “I call those divine appointments.”  To which he promptly replied, “I don’t believe in those.”  

If we are going to find joy in God’s work, we must first believe He is working.  Wherever you are today, God’s destiny for your life is unfolding. The people you interact with are God’s children; every single one of them matters to the Heavenly Father.  Whether you call them coincidences or divine appointments, all of them are orchestrated by God.  Each interaction you have is for a reason, what exactly, only God knows.

Belief leads to joy.

Christ followers base their belief on God and His existence.  Laying our sinful ways at the foot of the cross means receiving God’s grace and mercy for us.  Freedom comes in understanding God designed you for a purpose, loves you completely and wants an intimate relationship with you.  God’s wifi network is Jesus, connecting to Him connects us to God. 

Belief starts with Jesus.  First we trust in the Prince of Peace, then we find His joy.  Jesus died so that we could have eternal life, joy everlasting with Him.  Our sins washed away by God’s Son.

First believe, then see.  Start looking for ways God is working in your life.  Notice the “coincidences” that happen. People God places in your life at the perfect moment for you.  Someone who offers a kind word that keeps you going or listens when you need to vent.  Someone whose love and kindness towards you affirms God’s affection for you.  

Coincidences are one way God works in our lives and bring us joy.  God operates in mysterious ways and is always up to something.  His efforts producing joy in our lives.

Believe, find joy through Christ.

Lord, thank You for Your constant work in our lives.  Forgive us for thinking You aren’t involved or active in our situations.  Give us divine sight today to see the efforts of Your hands as they participate in our lives.  Help us find the joy that comes only from You; no matter the circumstances, You have a plan.  Let us believe today.  Give us faith to persevere.  Let us receive Your joy.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What coincidences has God used in your life lately?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 19-20 GW; Psalms 48 GW; 2 Thessalonians 3 GW

God directs love.

Receiving instructions from God has to do with one of two things, loving Him, loving people (Mark 12:20-31 NIV).

The Ten Commandments are some of the best-known scriptures in the Bible.  Summarizing the top ten rules from the Big Guy, we find the list of relational guidelines in Deuteronomy 5:6-21:

1. No other Gods before Him
2. Do not worship false gods
3. Do not take the Lord’s name in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath
5. Honor Father and mother
6. No killing
7. No adultery
8. No stealing
9. No lying
10. No coveting

Every single one of God’s commandments is about relationships.  When God directs us, it’s relationally.  Our three primary relationships are with God, others, and ourselves.  God’s word is full of how we are to handle those relationships.  Surrendering our lives to God means showing affection to a world that desperately needs it.  Jesus paved the way with His actions on the cross.  He illustrated the lengths God is willing to go to have a relationship with us.  When God directs, He directs with love.

Persevere in love.

God’s love perseveres at all times, good and bad.  No matter what our feelings try to tell us, God’s affection for us overrides any lies we believe.  Recently, in a Daily Devotion from Rick Warren, he talked about forming our lives around lies we believe.  For me, I created my life around the lie that I am worthless.  Misinterpreting signals as a child led me to the wrong conclusions.  Now, as an adult, God’s persevering love is revealing His truth to me and healing me of those lies.

Depending on which version of the Bible you use, the word “love” appears on average 610 times.  Every book in the Bible talks about God’s love in some form or fashion.  The thread that ties everything together is love.

Wherever God is directing you, you can believe, He’s calling you to love.

Lord, You rock.  Your love for us is something our minds have difficulty understanding, but we know You do.  Forgive us for not loving well, You, others, or ourselves.  In whatever area we’re struggling to show affection, help us do better.  Especially with ourselves, Lord, help us truly believe You love us unconditionally.  Let love become our calling card in all we do.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What area do you need God’s help to show His love?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 16-18 GW; 2 Thessalonians 2 GW

Hearing introduces people to Jesus.

My first recollection of Jesus came from my mother.  She would read Bible stories to us at bedtime.  Listening to Biblical tales helped me know Jesus.  As we grew older and attended church, I learned more about Jesus, listening to the pastor and Sunday school teachers.  Now, I engage in Bible studies that help me know even more about Jesus.  Listening to God’s word and His people will lead you to Jesus.

Recently, I finished a Bible study on Revelation.  At the beginning of that book, God makes a promise:

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3 ESV)

Listening to God’s word impacts your life.  My friend and I, who completed the study, read aloud the entire book.  We studied a chapter a session, each reading half of it aloud.  Something happens when you read God’s word aloud.  The peace that transcends all understanding leads the way as God reveals truths about our lives through His word.  

Listening deepens faith.

Engaging in conversations with fellow believers about how Christ is working in their lives will grow your faith.

One of my young friends battled a rare intestinal disease.  Only 15 when the fight began, we had many times we thought the Lord was taking her home.  Her faith in Jesus led the way in the battle.  In her darkest moments, she talked about how Jesus kept her going.  Whether through a person, or a spiritual experience, Jesus helped her persevere.  Today, I call her a walking miracle.  Because of her, my faith in Christ increased.

Listen to people talk about Jesus.  Share what God is doing in your life with others.  Hearing the Good News draws people to Jesus.  Talk Him up today.

Lord, thank You for Jesus.  Thank You for the people in our lives who talk about Jesus with us.  Forgive us for not sharing with others what Jesus does for us.  Help us today talk up Jesus.  Let others know Him because of what we say.  All the glory is Yours.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can you talk about Jesus today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 138 GW; 2 Chronicles 13-15 GW; 2 Thessalonians 1 GW

Growing faith breeds love.

Paul is writing to the Thessalonians.  He’s bragging on them because they are persevering in the faith; their love for each other increases as they grow.  Grasping God’s love for us happens as our faith grows.  Each day we seek Him, God’s love always meets us.  

Faith means “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.”  Placing your faith in God means trusting He does love you completely.  God knows everything about you, and He still adores you.  The more thoroughly you trust God, the better lover you will become of others.  You can’t help yourself; experiencing the freedom that comes with unconditional love makes you want to share it with others.

God loves completely.

Because God can love us completely, we can love others.  When people discover something that changes their world, they want to share it with everyone they meet.  When I first started WW years ago, I was annoying.  All I talked about was food, points, and how to lose weight.  Why?  Because I wanted everyone to experience what I was experiencing as my body became healthier.

When we realize the extent of God’s love for us, we want others to know too.  The best way for people to know about God’s love for them is by showing them.  Becoming God’s hands and feet to the world means loving the people God places before you.  

Start with those in your home, become a better lover to them by imitating Jesus.  Spread the love to those at your work or volunteer jobs.  When you see a stranger in need, help them.  All of these practices will make you become a better lover.

Let your faith grow.  Experience God’s unconditional love in your life.  Share what you receive with the world around you.  People will notice the change.  You will become a better lover of people.

Lord, thank You for Your unconditional love that never ends.  Forgive us for thinking we aren’t worthy of the love you offer.  Open our hearts today to receive Your love.  Help us trust You entirely as we go about our day.  Whoever You place before us, don’t let us miss the opportunity to love them.  Help us become better lovers today.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

Who do you struggle to love?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 10-12 GW; Psalms 53 GW

Bad advice leads to a  lousy life.

Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king of Israel.  Solomon, his dad, was not a kind ruler.  The people asked Rehoboam to lighten the load. 

First, our inexperienced king asks the elders what he should do.  Wise men, they counsel Rehoboam to do as the Israelites wish, by so doing, gaining their loyalty.  Rehoboam then asks his friends for their advice.  Brash fellows told the king to ignore the elders and become even harsher than his father.  

Rehoboam chose his friend’s advice.  Solomon’s kingdom divided, Rehoboam lost everything but Judah.  Jeroboam reigned over Israel.

Consider the source.

If Rehoboam had considered the source, he might have kept his kingdom.  But rather than hear what he NEEDED to hear, Rehoboam surrounds himself with people who told him what he WANTED to hear. Wrong choice for him, bad choice for you.

When I was single, I had two sets of friends: married and unmarried.  When my dating life was in shambles, I had a choice of who I would listen to: those in loving, committed marriages or those in the same situation as me.  I chose my married friends with a union like I wanted to have one day.  Why?  Because they already were where I was.  I wanted to go where they were.  My married friends were wiser than my single friends when the topic was how to have a great marriage.  Because they poured into my life by telling me the things I needed to hear they helped me become who I am today, happily married.

Those friends are still walking with us now that I’m in the type of marriage I always wanted; they still lead us as we grow in our marriage.

Wisely choose your sources.  Find someone whose life you want to emulate and invite them to coffee.  They’ll tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

Lord, thank You for placing people in our lives that can offer wise counsel.  Forgive us for listening to people who only tell us what we want to hear.  Help us seek wise people for advice, listen to it, and apply it to our lives, today and always.  All glory is Yours.  IJNIP.   Amen

Question for reflection

Have you considered the source in your situation?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 100 GW; 2 Chronicles 79 GW

Expectant hearts receive.

If you come to God deflated and not expecting Him to act, He won’t.  But if you come to God with anticipation and a cheerful heart, you will receive.

On a recent visit to Lancaster, PA, we visited an Amish Ferrier.  The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, Christian pacifism, and slowness to adopt many conveniences of modern technology.   Elam and Eli ran the blacksmith shop; they were servicing three horses when we arrived.   They serve the Lord with cheerful hearts.

Gelassenheit.

Gelassenheit is the German word that best defines Amish life: “not my will but Thine be done.”  In all they do, the Amish put God first, themselves second.  And they do so with a cheerful heart.  As a result, God’s peace floods their lives.

Walking into the garage of old, horse smells filled my nostrils, sweat trickled down my back as we watched the brothers work.  Eli was soldering a horseshoe when we arrived.  Elam was scraping an old shoe of a medium-sized riding horse.  Both were smiling the entire time.  Eli’s eyes lit up when he saw us; Elam’s grin was from ear to ear.  Dressed in long pants, long shirts with the sleeves rolled up, not once did they complain.  The entire time they talked to us, they were cheerful, their hearts full of God’s goodness in their lives.

No matter where we are or what our circumstances are, we are to serve God cheerfully.  Whatever task, no matter how difficult, do it with gratitude.  Good health and the ability to work are gifts from God that we should thank Him for daily.  When we do, the seeds of gratitude will blossom into a cheerful heart.  Just ask Elam and Eli; they know.

Lord, how thankful we are that You give us life.  Forgive us for taking our lives for granted.  Help us today serve You cheerfully.  Let us focus on what we do have instead of what we don’t have.  As we plant seeds of gratitude, let them grow into cheerful hearts, ready to receive from You.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

How can you cultivate a cheerful heart today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 4-6 GW; Psalms 132 GW

God’s love grows.

Solomon’s prayer is dedicating the Temple to the Lord.  He’s welcoming God into the temple and acknowledging, God keeps His covenant of love.  

First and foremost, God loves us.  He wants what is best for us, but our sinful nature battles God’s will constantly.  As long as we walk this earth, we’ll fight the human condition.  But as we begin to experience God’s love covenant with us, life change happens.

Jesus is the covenant.  Placing our faith in Jesus means submitting our lives to God.  Without seeing, we believe what Jesus said and did is true.  We’re admitting our sin and letting Jesus’ blood cleanse us.  Each day, as we give our lives to Jesus, we’ll begin to experience His love.  Jesus’ affection is one that never ends. He never stops loving us; He never stops forgiving us.  Jesus is.

Cling to the Covenant.

Grasp on to Jesus and hold on tight.  Following Him will take you places you never thought you would go.  God’s constant revelation of new truths into your life will make you crave more of Him.   As you begin to see the lies you’ve believed in your past,  you will experience absolute freedom.

Since I began writing daily devotionals two and a half years ago, the one God is constantly changing is me.  My prayer is for everyone who reads my writing to understand how much God loves them and to love Him back.  But the way God is changing me I never saw coming.  What He does is show me lies that I believed somewhere in my past.  These fallacies shaped my life.  They caused me to see the world incorrectly, which made me miss out on many blessings.

Not only does God reveal truths to us, but He does it with love.  So much affection that you want more.  I crave God to reveal the lies to me.  Only in His truth can I find true freedom.

Believe in the covenant.  Find freedom in Christ.

Lord, thank You for Jesus.  Every day, thank You for Jesus.  Forgive us for taking Him for granted.  Help us believe in Your covenant of love today more than ever.  With every breath we take, let us chase after You today.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What lie has God revealed to you lately?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 72 GW; 2 Chronicles 13 GW

Right actions blossom.

Righteousness is “acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin.”  As sinners, God makes us righteous by forgiving our sin and making us white as snow:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 ESV)

Approaching the world as a follower of Christ means first acknowledging our sin, then allowing God to work within us to make us new.

Because of Jesus, we are righteous.  

Jesus’ ministry was active; He was constantly doing the next right thing.  As a result, Jesus’s ministry blossomed.  His actions paved the path to salvation for us.

Blossoming righteousness means doing the next right thing.  Opening the door for someone at the store, stopping at the cross-walk to let pedestrians cross the street, apologizing when you accidentally cut someone off in traffic.  All of these acts blossom righteousness; they put the other person’s needs before yours.  Each action requires humility to complete.  

Let Jesus lead.

Nothing you did, or ever will do, will give you salvation.  Jesus’ gift on the cross is accessible to all.  Sharing the present with the world requires action.  Jesus wants us to bloom righteousness wherever we go because that is what draws people to Him.   

When we respond in love, not hate, people notice.  Kind words go much further than mean ones.  Simple actions of self-control can reap huge rewards.  For us to put into practice the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, we must first know Jesus.  His Spirit working within us will cause us to do the next right thing.  When we do, we’ll blossom righteousness; Jesus’ light in us will shine brightly.  People will notice.  When they do, give Jesus credit for the change in you.

Lord, thank You for making us righteous through Jesus.  Forgive us for thinking we didn’t need You in our lives.  Praise You, Lord, for drawing us to You.  Help us today draw others to You by our righteous acts.  Show us what the next right thing is to do.  Equip us with what we need to accomplish the task.  With You, we can do all things.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What is the next right thing you can do today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Chronicles 27-29 GW; Psalms 30 GW

Victory is God’s.

When God moves, you know it.  A few years ago, I experienced job elimination.  Working as a volunteer staff person for a multi-site church, one of the campuses was closing.  Three full-time paid staff were out of jobs.  To maintain the positions, leadership decided to eliminate my staff position without talking to me.  

On a beautiful Thursday morning, I was sent a text and asked to come in for a meeting.  With a smile on his face, the pastor told me I no longer had a position. Of course, I could stay long enough to do the work for the next semester, but I no longer was on staff. The callous handling of the situation caused me much pain.

(Yes, I’m still working through the hurt)

My heart broke into a million pieces as he glibly let me go.  Eighteen months of hard work ended at that moment.  Without warning, I was in a pit I didn’t see coming.  

Twenty-five days after my heart broke, I wrote these words:

“Life with God is so much better than life any other way.”

Pits make you look up.

When we are in a pit, whether one of our own making, someone throws us into it, or we accidentally slide into it, they cause us to look up.  Desperate times in life cause desperate actions.  Soldiers in foxholes aren’t debating God’s existence when they’re under fire.  No, soldiers in battle pray.

Amidst my pit, I sought God.  We did leave that church, but we didn’t leave church.  Step-by-step God led me to where I am today.  Because of that pit, God completely changed the  course of my life.  Never would I have accomplished my Masters’s degree if I didn’t go through that pit.  And I give God all the honor and glory.  He pulled me out of the hole.

Whatever pit you’re in today, look up.  Ask God to show you the first step to take.  Then the next one.  Life is a journey.  We get out of pits one step at a time.

Lord, thank You for rescuing us from our pits.  Forgive us for thinking You don’t care.  Guide us today, show us clearly what step we are to take next.  Help us follow You, Lord, don’t let us get distracted by our enemies.  In You we find victory.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What pit do you need rescued from today?