Honest Reflections

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalm 119:89-176 GW

God’s commands bring delight.

Amid adversity, God has the answer:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand.”  (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)

When trouble and distress are surrounding you, God has your back.  He’s your first line of defense against whatever adversity you face.  Falling to your knees in prayer is the mightiest stance you can take.  God’s sovereignty reigns, no matter what the circumstances.  In Him, you will find delight as He strengthens you.  

Trusting God is present during difficult times isn’t easy.  God doesn’t give us His plan for our life all at once; He does it step by step.  Whatever is happening in your life may seem out of control, but God is with you in the battle.  Satan tries to distract us from God’s promises with his lies.  Staying focused on God keeps your eyes on the truth.

God is God.

Our biggest problem in life is finding the truth.  COVID highlights the difficulty of knowing what to believe.  Hospitals changed their coding to include “Flu, Pneumonia and COVID” as the same thing.  Actors portray doctors giving false information to the world.  Social media sites censor the information that is shared.  How is anyone to know what to believe?  We don’t have to know; God knows.  Staying focused on Him will always lead you to find the truth.

God doesn’t change.  He is the same today as yesterday or tomorrow.  Jesus’ teachings withstand the test of time.  Thousands of years later, they are still true.  No matter what life situation you are in today, the Bible has an answer.  God’s word is truth.  His commands will make you delighted.  In Him, you can find strength.

Lord, thank You for not changing.  No matter what the scenario, You always remain solid and firm.  Forgive us for not coming to You sooner in our distress.  Forgive us for trying to solve life’s problems on our own.  Strengthen us for the battles we are in today.  Guide and direct us on our journey.  Delight us with Your commands as we apply them to our life.  We know, in all things, You’re the one in control.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What command of God delights you?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 119:188 GW

Clear vision illuminates God’s word.

We need God’s help understanding His word.  When we open the pages of scripture, we do so with a personal bias.  In other words, we’re reading the word based on our experiences.  Therefore, when we interpret it, we aren’t objective.  But when we ask God to uncover our eyes so we can see miraculous things, He gives us insight beyond our perspective.

Also, as we move through life, we grow and change.  Psalm 23, one of the most well-known chapters of the Bible, is an example from my own life.  When my mother died, I understood verse four in a completely different way:

“Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 NKJV)

Losing my mom was one of the most challenging periods of my life.  But amid my pain, God’s presence became more real to me.  The grace He extended was one I could only know through my loss.

Let God help you interpret.

Asking God to uncover your eyes helps you understand His word.  If You have questions, take them to the Lord in prayer.  Confess You don’t know what He is trying to tell you.  Let God become your interpreter.  Sometimes the understanding comes quickly; sometimes, it comes at another moment. God’s Spirit living within you will help with the translation.

Don’t give up reading God’s word.  Even though you don’t understand, God does.  Ask Him to reveal to You the more profound meaning.  Watch as you begin to see the miraculous things in God’s teachings.

Lord, thank You for being our interpreter.  Forgive us for trying to understand Your word without You.  Today, as we read the scriptures, remove the veil from our eyes.  Help us to appreciate Your miraculous teachings, then apply them to our lives.  Give us the heart to accept Your truth into our lives.  Clear our vision, illuminate Your word.  As we continue on our journey, let Your light shine through us to the world.  In all things, You receive the glory.  We give you our lives today, trusting Your will is best.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How has God revealed miraculous things to you through scripture?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Ruth 3-4 GW; Proverbs 31 GW

Find wise mentors.

You will meet many people who have passionate opinions about how you should live your life.  Wisely choose what ideas you embrace.  Find someone older than you whose life you would like to emulate.  When you need advice, take it from someone who has already gone where you want to go.

Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, was a mentor to Ruth.  Through her, Ruth came to know God.  Naomi introduced her daughter-in-law to an entirely new life.  Following Jewish customs, Naomi called on her next of kin to marry Ruth.  Trusting Naomi completely, Ruth did what she told her to do.  As a result, Ruth became a great grandmother to King David.

Ruth was a smart woman.  She chose her mentor wisely.  Ruth is also one of the few women in the Bible who has the description, “woman of noble character” (Ruth 3:11 NIV).  Not only was Ruth smart, but she was also noble.

Listen and learn

When God gives you a wise mentor in your life, lap up everything they say.  Sit at their feet and listen to their stories.  Learn from their life experiences.  Listening to wise counsel helps you negotiate the storms of life.  Whoever you choose, they’ve gone through trials.  They can help you navigate yours.  No one’s life is easy, no matter what their social media feed might say.

Naomi and Ruth were recovering from a tremendous loss in their lives.  But their guiding light was God.  Amid their misery, they clung to Him.  Naomi, teaching her daughter-in-law how to let God lead them.

Consider the source of the information you receive.  Just because someone says something convincingly doesn’t mean you should listen.  Look at the fruits of their life.  Find someone who is producing good fruit.  Seek their counsel on how you can do the same.

Lord, thank You for Your guiding light. Forgive us for turning anywhere else but You. Help us always seek Your counsel first and foremost.  Lead us to mentors who will help us grow and mature in faith and life.   Help us wisely choose who we take advice from on earth.  Remind us we should always consider the source.  Give us conviction through Your Spirit of who we follow.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Who is a wise mentor in your life?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Ruth 1-2 GW; Psalms 129 GW; Proverbs 30 GW

Faithful servants inspire followers.

Ruth is speaking to her mother-in-law, Naomi, in today’s verse.  From Bethlehem, Naomi and her family moved to Moab, Ruth’s hometown, because of a famine in the land.  While Naomi was a resident in a foreign country, she lost her husband and two sons.  But not before her sons took wives, Ruth and Orpah.  Desolate and distraught, Naomi decides to move back to Bethlehem, where she has relatives.  Her daughters-in-law wanted to go with her, but Naomi wouldn’t let them.  However, Ruth refused to take no for an answer.  Naomi’s faithful service to her God made Ruth want to follow Him too.

Actions do matter.

Naomi’s presence in her life inspired faith in Ruth.  Watching as her mother-in-law handled her family’s loss, yet didn’t turn her back on God impacted Ruth.  Naomi’s actions sparked an interest in Ruth that only God could quench.  She wanted to know more about this foreign God that inspired loyalty despite the circumstances.  Remember, Ruth, lost her husband and was also grieving.  But in Naomi’s God, she found hope.

Hope is a catalyst.

In God, we find hope.  Just like Naomi and Ruth were hopeful moving back to Bethlehem would bring a better life, we find hope following Jesus.  When Ruth refused to turn around, she had no idea that decision would put her in the direct lineage of Jesus.  She became the great grandmother of King David.  But on that day, on the dusty road, Ruth didn’t know her fate.  All Ruth knew was she wanted to go wherever God was taking her, even into foreign territory.  

Your faith can inspire others.

God takes us places we never imagined.  His plan for our lives is specific and purposeful.  To follow, we must have faith.  People will notice your faithfulness.  You never know who you’re inspiring as you daily walk with Christ.

Lord, You rock.  Even in the worst of circumstances, You are working.  Forgive us for thinking You aren’t present.  Give us each faith to follow You boldly today.  As people witness our actions, let them inspire curiosity in others.  Like Ruth, give us hearts to follow You anywhere.  Remove any fears we have; give us the courage to go wherever You lead.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Where is God taking you today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Joshua 23-24 GW; Psalms 115 GW; Proverbs 29 GW

False idols make you blind and deaf.

Confirmation Bias is “the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories.”  Whatever you worship, you interpret life events to strengthen those beliefs rather than viewing them objectively.  You will give more weight to something that supports your theory versus something that debunks it.  Selective memory is a type of confirmation bias; you only remember things that suit your purposes, forgetting the things that don’t.  The more attached you are to the issue, the more you cling to the beliefs.

People worship a lot of things in this world that isn’t God.  Politicians and celebrities, money, power, possessions, the list is endless.  Accepting the truth of God means putting all other things in their place.  But we don’t want to give up our false idols for the one true God.  We choose the tangible over the intangible because it is easier.  Believing in a Creator we can’t see is more difficult than trusting someone or thing that we can.

As a result, people miss the truth of Jesus.

Persevere in truth.

For people in your life that have lost sight of truth, start with prayer.  My go-to prayer for myself and others is simple: “God give us, eyes to see and ears to hear Your truth.”  When someone is enmeshed in a tangle of lies, they need God’s help to see the light.  Nothing you say will help unless you are partnering with God.  

Once you pray this prayer, look for opportunities to plant seeds of truth.  When someone tells you a lie they are believing, debunk it.  Then pray for the seeds to take root and grow.  Remember, the more enmeshed they are in the lie, the more grains of truth you will need to plant.  But with God’s help, hopefully, they too will see the truth.

Lord, thank You for Your truth.  Jesus came to offer us hope and salvation through eternal life and bring truth into a world filled with lies.  Forgive us for worshiping false idols.  Give us eyes to see, hears to hear the truth in our own lives.  For our loved ones believing lies, give them eyes to see, ears to hear as well.  Without You, we can’t know the truth.  All glory is Yours.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Who do you need to pray “eyes to see, ears to hear” for today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Joshua 21-22 GW; Proverbs 28 GW

Integrity is priceless.

Duplicity, contradictory doubleness of thought, speech, or action, is double-dealing. In other words, people will say whatever is necessary to achieve their goals.  Used car salesmen have a bad rap because they are often duplicite.  They know the car is a lemon, but they’ll tell you whatever they need to say to sell it. Not everyone who sells cars double-deals—unfortunately, those who do give the rest a poor reputation. 

Not once, in any of Jesus’s teaching, do you see Him double-dealing.  In all of His relationships, Jesus led with integrity.  In other words, He possessed “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. Jesus told the truth; He came to share it with us:

“In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37 NIV)

Following Christ means duplicity is not an option.  No matter how tempting the business deal is, if it’s not honest, it’s not good.  Everything we do is a reflection of Christ to those around us.  Double-dealing is not who Jesus was.

Lead with integrity.

Living like Jesus means leading with integrity.  In every relationship, no matter what kind, truth is a necessity.  Duplicity and integrity can’t exist together.  One has got to go.  Don’t waste time telling lies to meet your needs.  Instead, follow Jesus’s example and speak the truth in love in all things.  When we imitate Jesus in every respect, we mature into the person we are becoming.  God has a purpose for your life; it’s an honest one.

Duplicity gets you nowhere.  Integrity is the only way.  Don’t compromise truth for a quick buck.  Instead, trust God for His provision.

Lord, thank You once again for Your example.  Thank You for coming so that we would know the truth.  Forgive us, Lord, for lying.  Forgive us for putting the almighty dollar before the Almighty.  Help us live honest lives.  Let us lead with integrity today in all we do.  When temptation is upon us, help us choose You.  Remind us today of what Christ did for us.  Let us live in the freedom of truth today and always.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can you lead with integrity today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Joshua 19-20 GW; Proverbs 27 GW

Only God knows what tomorrow will bring.

Col. Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina gets credit for the phrase, “If God is willing and the creek don’t rise.”  He was a senator in the Continental Congress responding to a summon to appear in the nation’s capital.  As long as God willed it and no unforeseeable circumstances occurred, he would make the trip.  Hawkins understood the fragility of life.

Everyone takes life for granted at some point.  We all assume tomorrow is just another day.  But in reality, none of us knows what tomorrow will bring.  Only God knows what the day holds.  None of us can predict future events.  

“We can make our plans, but God directs our steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NLT)

If we don’t know what tomorrow holds, we shouldn’t brag. Just because you think something will happen doesn’t mean it will.  My husband and I are planning a camping trip for this summer.  After 2020, I’m more aware than ever; vacations get canceled.   God only knows what will happen between now and then.  God willing and the creek don’t rise; we’ll go on the journey.  But in the meantime, we have to live for today.

Don’t miss the moment.

Today is all you have.  Don’t lose out on the moment because you’re bragging about tomorrow.  This day will never come again; tomorrow is uncertain.  To enjoy today, we have to accept we have no control over tomorrow.  As we make our plans, God makes His for our lives.  Submitting our lives to Him means acknowledging, we’re not in control.

Trust God for today.  Don’t brag about what you don’t know.  Instead, let God lead you.  When the creek rises, know God has a plan.

Lord, thank You for planning our days.  Thank You for creating each of us for a purpose, one that You will help us fulfill.  Forgive us for bragging about what we don’t know.  Today, as we make plans, let us submit them to You.  Help us accept Your will in our lives, especially when it goes against our goals.  Letting go of control is hard; help us release it to You.  As we follow You each day, let it become easier to trust Your will.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Have you bragged about tomorrow lately?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Joshua 16-18 GW; Proverbs 26 GW

Quick words have little meaning.

People will say anything to get what they want, whether true or not.  And they will tell lies about you if it suits their purposes.  When you are the center of someone else’s lies, it is highly annoying.  We all end up in this position at some point in our lives.  Someone accuses you of something you didn’t do.  Waiting for the truth to come to light can seem like torture.  One thing is sure; the truth always comes out.

My husband has a saying he uses often:

“A lie goes around the world three times before the truth comes out.”

He is right.  We believe lies quicker than we believe truth.  Satan’s greatest weapon is lying.  Not only do other people lie about us, they lie to us.  And we lie to ourselves, all the time.  No matter what the lie or who’s telling it, false words don’t find a place to rest.

Wait for the truth.

As long as you know the truth, that’s all that matters.  What other people think of you isn’t any of your business.  And quite frankly, it doesn’t matter.  The only one you have to care about what they think of you is God.  

If you’re following Jesus, applying His principles to your life, doing the best you can, you don’t have to worry about what other people are saying.  Truth comes through Jesus.  Journeying with Him means a lifetime of revelation.  Each day, as you seek Him, you’ll learn new facts about yourself and others.  Jesus sets you free from the lies.

Truth will set you free.  Lies don’t last.  False words never find rest.

Lord, thank You for Jesus.  He came so that we can find the truth.  Forgive us for wasting energy worrying about lies.  Help us persevere in the search for truth as we seek Jesus.  Remind us Your opinion is the one that matters, not those of people.  Help us follow You closely, applying Your ways to our lives.  Let people know us by our love, grace, and mercy.  Whoever we meet today, whatever the circumstance, help us lead with love.  Without You, we can do nothing.  With You, we can do everything.  Our lives are Yours, do with us what You will.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What truth are you waiting on today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Joshua 15 GW; Proverbs 25 GW

Not everything is your business.

For some reason, we think we need to know everything.  But the truth is, we can’t possibly know everything, nor should we.  God is the only one who is privy to all the details.  And He hides what He knows.  God separates our sin from us:

“as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12 NIV)

Man, on the other hand, likes to investigate and expose people’s sins.  Grace is favor, mercy, pardon.  God hides what people want to illuminate.  Yet, as human beings, we want to know all the dirty laundry.  Typically, when we find out a person’s secrets, we spread them as quickly as possible.   Hozier’s song, “Take Me to Church,” aptly describes what people do with juicy information:

“I’ll tell you my sins, and you can sharpen your knife.”

My deepest hurts came from people I met in church.  Thankfully, God doesn’t act like people do.  In Him, we can find a love that heals our wounds.

Become comfortable not knowing.

One way to become more like Jesus, don’t tell everything you know.  Practice not wanting to know everything. Understanding people’s heartaches is a grave responsibility.  When they share their sufferings with you, protect their hurts.  Don’t exploit people because of their sin; love them instead.  People’s hearts are tender; treat them accordingly.  Broken hearts require gentle treatment, not grand illuminations.

Encountering people amid their sin requires grace.  Knowing people’s sins shouldn’t become a weapon to manipulate them.  Instead, use it as an opportunity to love them unconditionally.

Lord, thank You for separating our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.  Forgive us for using other people’s sins against them.  Lord, remind us today, we don’t need to know everything.  Help us trust that You do.  When we learn of people’s secrets, help us use them as a way to love unconditionally.  Today, help us keep our mouths shut. Help us remember to take the plank out of our eye before messing with the splinter in someone else’s.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Whose business have you been meddling in that you shouldn’t?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Joshua 13-14 GW; Proverbs 24 GW

Gloating reveals heart issues.

In reality, all of us, at some time or another, have gloated:

“To observe or think about something with triumphant and often malicious satisfaction, gratification, or delight.”

God doesn’t gloat when we fall.  Instead, through Jesus, God offers us a hand up.  His grace covers our sins.  When we stumble, He catches us and helps us regain our footing.  If we want to become more like Christ, we need to do the same.  

Gloating is an indicator light.

When my car has a problem, an indicator light appears on the dashboard.  Whether my tires need air or the oil needs changed, the vehicle has a signal for all of them. Cars today have so many indicator lights; mechanics need a handheld computer to identify the problem.  Just like a “check engine light” means a problem exists with the engine; gloating indicates a problem with our heart.

Do a heart check.

Allowing God to search your heart is the same as the mechanic using his handheld computer to diagnosis the engine problem.  Only God can illuminate the issue.  Whether you’re jealous or vengeful, God will let You know.  

Following Jesus means His Spirit lives inside of you.  God’s Spirit will convict you of the issue.  God’s grace will help you align Your heart with His.  When you do, you’ll view the person and the situation differently.  One prayer that constantly changes my view is:  “God, help me see them through Your eyes.”  Every time God gives me a new perspective.

Next time a temptation to gloat happens, do a heart check.  Ask God why you’re gloating.  Let Him do the heart examination. Allow God to change your view.

Lord, thank You for the new perspective.  Viewing the world from an earthly vantage point is difficult.  Forgive us for gloating over others misfortunes.  Whenever we gloat, help us use it as an indicator light in our life for a heart check.  Give us courage to let You search our hearts, revealing to us the areas of sinfulness.  Cleanse us Lord of our negative emotions.  Fill our hearts with Your grace and mercy.  Remove any prideful thoughts from our minds.  Help us remember; we fall too.  No one is perfect except Jesus.  In Him, we find life.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Who have you gloated over lately?