Category: Uncategorized

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 12-13 GW; 2 Corinthians 12 GW

Thorns keep the heart in check.

Paul had some sort of thorn in his side.  Scripture isn’t clear what exactly causes his discomfort, but it’s enough to beg God repeatedly to remove it.  Finally, Paul resigns himself because whatever the thorn is, God isn’t taking it away.  Instead, God uses the minor irritation to keep Paul humble.

Pride is a common struggle for us all.  The definition of pride is a feeling of “deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements.”  Think of how you feel after completing a monumental task.  For me, finishing another year of writing daily devotionals gives me a sense of accomplishment.  As I write throughout the year, I experience the same type of satisfaction on a smaller scale when I conclude another month.  Pride is subtle; we don’t realize we’re its victim. Conceit is at the heart of a lot of issues in life.  We easily forget the help God gives us in our daily lives. Because we fall prey to the negative emotion so quickly, God gives us thorns to keep us humble.

Thorns remind us of God.

Whatever Paul’s thorn was, he couldn’t remove it himself.  If Paul could have pulled the irritant out, he would have. He needed God’s help to rid himself of the discomfort.  God didn’t want to help.  Paul repeatedly tells God about his problem.  His thorn draws him into a deeper understanding of who God is.  As Paul understands God’s grace and love more, his humility increases.  But without the thorn, the conversation wouldn’t have begun.

Your thorns are a talking point with God.  Like Paul, ask Him to remove them.  If He doesn’t, maybe God’s using them in your life, like He did Paul’s.  Humility is at the heart of love.

Lord, thank You for the thorns in our life that keep us humble.  Forgive us for letting pride rear its ugly head in our lives.  Thank You for the reminder; without You, we are nothing.  Cultivate humble hearts in all of us.  Help us lead with love as we go through our day.  In all things, let us give You the glory.  Let unexpected blessings fill the day ahead.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How is God using your thorns to keep you humble?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 11 GW; 2 Corinthians 11 GW; Psalms 56 GW

Your weaknesses are God’s strength.

When we boast about what we can’t do, we’re glorifying what God can do.  Paul is listing things he could brag about but doesn’t.  Instead, Paul highlights his weaknesses to show God’s strength.  Paul realizes, without God, he can do nothing.  He’s also emphasizing; we’re in this together:

“When anyone is weak, I’m weak too. When anyone is caught in a trap, I’m also harmed.” (2 Corinthians 11:29 GW)

All of us fall short in some way.  We are perfectly imperfect people.  Through our imperfections, God’s perfection shines.  Instead of hiding your weaknesses, embrace them.  Realize, your shortcomings are for your purpose on earth.  God created you specifically for something only you can do.  Through your weaknesses, find God’s purpose.

God knows your weaknesses.

You can’t hide from God.  Whatever weakness you’re ashamed of today, God already knows.  He is waiting for you to give it to Him.  When you say, “I can’t,” God says, “I can.”  But first, you have to tell Him.  More than anything, God wants a relationship with You.  He wants you to communicate with Him about all your anxieties and fears.  Whatever shortcoming you’re struggling with in life, take it to God.  Let Him help you overcome with His strength.

You will always have weaknesses in your life.  Today, my struggles aren’t the same as 20 years ago, but I still have flaws.  Some battles are life long, some only for a season.  But in each of our weaknesses, God helps us overcome.  He gives us the strength we need for today.  Lay your imperfections at His feet, watch Him create perfection.

Lord, how grateful we are for Your strength.  When we are weak, You are strong.  Forgive us for trying to hide our weaknesses from You and the world.  Give us strength today to overcome our failings.  Help us glorify You as we face the day ahead, accepting our imperfections.  Help us understand; whatever shortcomings we have, they are part of our purpose.  Each of us has a destiny to fulfill, help us today to move forward in it.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What weaknesses can you brag about today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 8-10 GW; 2 Corinthians 10 GW

God’s weapons destroy people’s defenses.

But what are God’s weapons?  Paul, the author of this letter, is trying to communicate “with the gentleness and kindness of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:1 GW).  As believer’s we have Christ’s Spirit within us; we are to bear His fruit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

Showering people with the love of Jesus breaks down their defenses.  As you begin to build a relationship with them based on truth, slowly, the walls will come down.  But not overnight; deeply hurting people take time to trust others.  A lot of the pain we experience in life comes from the people we know and love.  Stranger’s actions towards us typically don’t hurt as much as a friend’s betrayal.  Each time someone causes us pain, more layers form. 

Jesus wants to help, not hurt.

Jesus doesn’t want us to add more layers to people’s pain.  He wants us to love them just as they are.  Each of our journey’s in life are different.  We are to help people keep moving forward in their faith.   Letting God’s Spirit lead us means putting love into action.  All of the fruits of the spirit are rooted in love.  Against love, no law exists.

Whatever attacks come your way today, respond in love.  Let God’s Spirit lead you.  Watch as you begin to bear its fruit.

Lord, how grateful we are for Your weapons.  Forgive us for not using them more.  Help us to learn to love better today.  Give us joy and peace to share with the world.  Let patience and kindness pour from us.  Help us share Your goodness and faithfulness with others.  Let gentleness and self-control rule in our lives.  For the hardened hearts we meet today, let Your spirit in us soften them.  As we give You the glory, may the good news of Christ spread to all.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Whose defenses in your life need more of Christ’s love?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 6-7 GW; 2 Corinthians 9 GW

You have everything you need.

If you live in America, the odds are good you have more than you need.  Organizations offer food and shelter to the homeless. We have the freedom to live as we choose. Your life truly is what you make it in America. Our nation is blessed.  We don’t realize how blessed we are.  

Nothing brought home my blessings, like visiting a Third World Country.  My one trip abroad was to El Salvador.  I will never forget the lessons I learned spending a week in that country. Men armed with assault rifles everywhere; I was afraid to go anywhere by myself.  We visited the home of one of the single mothers we met.  When I needed to use the bathroom, I will never forget the outhouse, no running water, and no electricity.  The family used water from a dirty cistern to cook meals.  Children became ill with dysentery from the bug-infested water.  Living in America is a blessing; we are the Land of the Free.  We have more than we need.

We have excess.

When we landed in Atlanta on our flight home from El Salvador, I’ll never forget the feeling of letdown.  The people I met on my trip, their happiness and joy was incredible to me.  These women and children, who had nothing, enjoyed life more than my friends back home, who had everything.  Their relationships with each other weren’t surface.  Life in El Salvador didn’t revolve around consumerism; it revolved around God.

Realize, you have everything you need.  God provides in abundance.  From your blessings, do good things.  

Lord, thank You for Your provision.  Forgive us for thinking we lack anything.  Our country overflows with food and shelter for its people, thank You.  Help us manage what we have well.  From our abundance, help us to do more and more good things.  Give us spiritual eyes today to see how we can bring joy into the world with our actions.  Make our spirits sensitive to the needs around us.  Help us love everyone we interact with today in a way pleasing to You.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Are you doing more and more good with what you have?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 4-5 GW; 2 Corinthians 8 GW

Commit to Christ, experience His joy.

Paul is talking about the suffering believers in Jerusalem experienced.  The Macedonia church was poverty-stricken. Famine covered the land, family members disowned them, and they could not make money.  On top of all that, Jewish and Roman authorities were double-taxing them.  From a worldly perspective, life sucked.  But they were all in with God; His priorities were theirs.  Generosity flowed freely from them, even though they had little to give.  With joy, they gave willingly.  Godly perspective is different from worldly perspective.

Our worldly status doesn’t define our freedom in Christ.  Generosity doesn’t require perfect conditions.  I wrote my first tithe check when I was on unemployment.  Five months passed before God blessed me with a permanent job.  My new tithe amount was greater than my entire unemployment check.  Generous giving comes from a heart grounded in Christ.  Tithing isn’t a money issue; it’s a heart issue.

Christ-centered hearts are generous.

Why I love tithing, it’s a heart check.  If I’m struggling to give, I know I’m placing my bank account over my love for Jesus.  Remembering, all I have comes from above reminds me; it’s not mine anyway.  None of what we have is truly ours.  God gives, and He takes away.  What we have today, we might not have tomorrow.  No guarantees exist in this world, but Christ guarantees our eternal world.

Whatever suffering you’re enduring today, look to Jesus.  Ask Him into the situation.  Place your faith in His plan.  Let your heart overflow with joy as you gain new perspective through Christ.

Lord, You rock!  Thank You for letting us live in America, Land of the Free.  Forgive us for taking our freedoms for granted.  Help us today remember those less fortunate than ourselves.  Give us generous hearts as we focus our gaze on You.  Whatever sufferings we’re experiencing, allow them to draw us closer to You.  Let this prayer start a conversation with You that lasts all day. Fill our hearts with joy as we join You in Your work.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How committed are you to Jesus today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 13 GW; 2 Corinthians 7 GW

Godly distress causes u-turns in thinking.

Every time I hear the phrase, “You don’t find atheists in foxholes,” it makes me smile.  A foxhole is “a hole in the ground used by troops as a shelter against enemy fire or as a firing point.” In other words, when people fear for their lives, they pray.  Whether they believe in God or not is irrelevant.  When you’re in a life or death situation, you recognize your limitations.  You know only something outside of yourself can save you.  Thinking changes when pressure is applied.

Hopefully, God doesn’t need to use a foxhole to get your attention.  But trials in our lives do bring us to our knees, causing us to look heavenward, seeking God’s aid.  When we bring God into our story, our thinking changes.

Changed thinking, changed actions.

Experiencing God’s grace changes your life.  When you are in your foxhole, surviving unscathed, credit goes to God.  His protection, provision, and guidance were the navigators.  Whatever the story of survival is, I’m sure you can’t make it up.  The details of God’s working in our lives are so personal; He’s the only explanation.  Godly distress draws us closer to our Creator; it illuminates His closeness in our lives.  As we know Him more, our thinking changes and our actions become more loving.

Whatever foxhole you’re in today, pray.  Seek the God who can get you out of the pit.  Give Him the glory when He brings you victory.

Lord, how grateful we are for Your sovereignty.  In all things, You rule.  Even when we don’t believe, You love us.  Forgive us for our unbelief.  Thank You for Your protection during the storm.  Give us tails of survival that spread Your good news to the world.  Lord, let us experience Your grace today in a new and unexpected way.  As we draw into You, let us feel Your presence with us.  In all things, we give You the glory. IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How are you experiencing God in Your life today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 39-40 GW; 2 Corinthians 6 GW

Loving others is serving God.

What is Jesus remembered for today?  The greatest act of love ever known, dying for the world.  When we are known as servants of God, we die to ourselves as we love others.  Instead of taking the largest serving at dinner, we take the smallest.  When we feel like complaining about someone, we use it as an opportunity to pray for them instead.  And when we see a need, we meet a need.  We help when people need help.  We listen when someone needs to talk.  We hold when someone needs holding.  That’s what a servant of Jesus does.

When you’re chatting with God in eternity, He’s not going to ask for a resume of good deeds.  God isn’t going to ask how many volunteer roles you held.  What God does care about is how you loved while on earth.  The depth of your relationship with God reflects in your relationship with others.  

Communicate with the Creator.

Without communication, you can’t have a relationship. Developing a more profound connection with Jesus requires talking to Him.  As you learn to converse more and more freely with Him, your service will become part of who you are.  Understanding the depth of God’s love for you means understanding He loves everyone equally.  When you look at another human being, you are looking at someone God loves.  And He wants you to love them too.  Serving Jesus is loving people more than yourself.

Let your actions speak for you today.  Whoever you meet, find a way to love.  Speak life into them with uplifting words.  Demonstrate your devotion to God by loving His people.

Lord, You are the best Master we could have.  Your unconditional love flows into us more and more as we seek You.  Help us cleanse ourselves of our sins as we confess them to You.  Let us set aside time to have a conversation with You today and every day.  The more we learn to talk to You, the more we’ll learn to love.  Help us represent Jesus well today as we try to live as He lived.  At all times, He loved.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can your actions show your service to God today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 37-38 GW; 2 Corinthians 5 GW

Following Christ creates new life in you.

Our human nature has natural defaults.  When someone hurts us, we want revenge.  Whether someone lied to us, judged us incorrectly, or treated us as less than, pain causes a desire for retaliation.  But that isn’t Jesus.  When people mistreated Him, He responded in love.  Jesus didn’t exact revenge; He gave grace, mercy, and love to those who persecuted Him.  When we start responding like Jesus, we are new creatures.

When my mother was in her last years of life, she required more care than I could give alone.  As a result, she stayed with my brother and his family for a while.  Initially, I was opposed to this situation, and my attitude made my feelings clear to all.  My human emotions were in control.  To change my perspective, I needed Jesus.  When I turned to Him, He gave me a new heart.  Applying His teachings to my life revealed the truth to me: I needed the help.  Instead of anger, God gave me a spirit of gratitude.  In Him, I found new life.

Change of heart, change of attitude.

Jesus deals directly with our hearts.  From within our being, changes come.  Visibly, we look the same, but internally, we are new.  As we absorb Jesus’s teachings into our soul, our attitude changes.  We begin to take the focus off of ourselves and place it on others.  When someone hurts us, we look past the offense.  We understand, hurting people hurt others.  Their pain is causing them to act in ways they usually wouldn’t.  Instead of seeking revenge, we’re able to offer grace.

Let Jesus’s teachings take root in your soul today.  As you begin to live your life like Him, watch the transformation take place.  In Him, you will find new life.

Lord, how grateful we are for the life You have given us.  Forgive us today for wrong attitudes.  Instead of seeking justice, give us hearts full of love.  Change us from within as Your word takes root within us.  In all things, let us respond like Jesus.  Give us the grace, mercy, and love we need to change the world, one loving act at a time.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Where do you need Jesus to give you a new perspective?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 35-36 GW; 2 Corinthians 4 GW

God renews.

Pansies are a favorite flower of mine.  They grow in my area from late fall to late spring; even snow doesn’t deter them from living. Life’s heaviness resembles pansies covered in snow.  Their tender petals hunched over under the weight—each new flake adds more weight to the fragile plants.  But from within, God renews. Even though they bend, they do not break. God designed them with an inner strength that perseveres the trials of the winter where we live.  God created us the same way.  Wherever you are, He will give you the inner strength to survive.  But first, you have to seek Him.

Pansies die from lack of water.  Water enters through the roots and nourishes the plant.  When the snow melts, it will nurture what it once tried to smother.  Just like flowers need water, we need the living water of Jesus.  Seeking Him each day waters our soul, renewing us, strengthening us for what is to come.

Living water renews the soul.

Consider time with the Lord, a form of watering your soul.  When the snow of life begins to weigh you down, remember it will melt.  Winter doesn’t last forever, just for a season.  When the cold months end, the melting snow waters the earth, bringing forth new life.  God will use the snowstorms of your life to water the seeds of new growth in you.  Drink deeply of the water Christ offers:

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14 NIV)

Let Christ renew you today.  Ask Him for His living water.

Lord, how thankful we are you turn snowstorms into watering moments.  Forgive us for doubting You amid the storm.  Renew us from within our souls.  Though the storms of life cause us to bend, don’t let us break.  Strengthen us as only You can.  In all things, let us remember the water of life originates with You.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What snowstorm is God using to water your life with today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 33-34 GW; 2 Corinthians 3 GW

“It’s clear that you are Christ’s letter, written as a result of our ministry. You are a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, a letter written not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:3 GW)

God’s Spirit transforms our hearts into letters of love to the world.

As we enter into a relationship with Jesus, He changes us from the inside out.  When we make an effort to live like Christ, the world will notice the difference.  Each day we choose to follow Him, we become more like Him.  Our love letter to the world is written one day at a time.

“This Lord is the Spirit.  Wherever the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17 GW)

God’s freedom we receive is a result of His unconditional love for us.  Each of us has imperfections that we think are unlovable.  God says, “I love you as you are.”  As we move through our days, we will make mistakes. 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 GW).  

Confidently, we can love others unconditionally because that is how God loves us.

Lead with love.

As you make your mark on the world today, lead with love.  Choose to embrace Christ’s teachings over your human desires.  Forgive the unforgivable, help the helpless, heal the sick.  Wherever you go today, whoever you see, leave an imprint of love behind.

Remember, everyone is struggling.  Just because people don’t talk about their pain doesn’t negate its existence.  Let the Spirit lead your heart.  As you tune into God’s guidance, write your letter of love to the world, one action at a time.

Lord, how grateful we are for Your unconditional love of us.  Forgive us when we don’t believe the depth of love You have for us.  Instead, help us embrace Your Spirit fully, allowing it to transform our lives into a love letter to the world.  Whoever we meet today, let us lead with love.  Fill our hearts with unconditional love for those You place in our lives today and always.  Let the world know us by our love.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can you let your life reflect love to the world today?