Honest Reflections

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 31 GW; John 13 GW

Doing what Jesus did provokes thoughtful actions.

Today’s verse comes after Jesus washed the disciple’s feet.  He was purposefully setting an example for them to follow.  Jesus knew the time was coming for Him to depart earth.  He wanted the disciples to have explicit instruction on how they were to treat others.  When Jesus finishes washing their feet and explaining why He did it, He makes this statement:

“If you understand all of this you are blessed whenever you follow my example.” (John 13:17 GW)

Jesus’s life is the example we are to follow.  To do what Jesus did, we must consciously choose to act like He did.  However, we’re not Jesus. Our human desires battle against Jesus’s will for our lives.  To follow His lead, we must think about our actions.  Deciding to wash others feet is a purposeful response.  With intentionality, we find Jesus and His blessing.

Wash others feet.

One of the most powerful sermons I’ve witnessed happened 20 years ago.  The pastor called someone out of the audience and washed their feet.  I can still visualize him kneeling before them, gently taking off their shoes, and placing their feet in the water.  Then with love and tenderness, washing their feet.  He didn’t say a word; his actions were more potent than any sermon.

As Christ-followers, we are to serve others.  Sometimes that means washing their feet.  Other times it means holding them while they cry or listening to them while they vent.  Whatever needs a person has, we are to meet it to the best of our ability.  Jesus met needs everywhere He went.  He set an example we are to follow.

Think about Jesus’s actions.  Follow His example.  Do what Jesus did, experience His blessing.

Lord, thank You for setting an example for us to follow.  Forgive us for not always doing what You would have us do.  Today, as the minutes turn into hours, give us divine insight.  Help us think about our actions today from Jesus’ perspective.  When we have an opportunity to imitate Jesus, don’t let us miss it.  In all we do, let us follow in Jesus’s steps.  Help us wash the feet of those we meet today by serving them.  In all things, the glory is Yours.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can you imitate Jesus today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 30 GW; John 12 GW

Rash words lead to broken vows.

People will say anything to get what they want.  Desperation promotes vows to God, most rarely kept.  When you’re in the midst of a crisis, promising to attend church seems like a reasonable commitment.  But once the problem passes, so does the pledge.  We expect God to keep His promises to us, yet we don’t keep ours to Him.

People’s words mean nothing today.  Not keeping your word is familiar to all.  One hundred years ago, if a man said he was going to do something, a handshake was all that was necessary to seal the deal.  Today, lawyers have multiple homes from the money they make off of people suing each other.  God expects us to live up to our word.  If you’re going to develop your character, let your yes be yes, your no, no.

Keep your commitments.

Loving God and loving others means living up to your word.  What that means is, before you commit to do something, stop and think.  Is there room in your life for the activity?  Can you add another thing to your plate right now?  How much rest are you getting?  Will keeping the commitment cause more or less stress in your life?  Take time to think about what you are saying you will do before you do it.

Yoga is one way I manage stress in my life.  For accountability purposes, I take classes at a studio.  The package I pay is $79 per month for eight classes.  Before I spent the first dime, I looked at my calendar.  I talked about the decision with my husband.  Once I understood the reality of the commitment, I said yes.

God wants you to keep your word, not only to Him but to others.  Stop and think before you answer.  Don’t make promises you can’t control.

Lord, thank You for keeping Your promises, even though we don’t keep ours.  Your grace and mercy astound us.  Forgive us for not trying harder to keep our word.  Help us today, as we move through it, live up to our word.  Give us the wisdom and discernment to stop and think before we answer people.  As we learn to keep our commitments, we grow our character more like Christ’s.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What promise to God do you need to keep today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 29 GW; John 11 GW

Everyone needs someone to pray for them.

Today’s verse comes from a well-known Biblical story.  Lazarus is sick; his sisters send a messenger to Jesus to tell Him the news.  The siblings, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, all knew Jesus personally.  They were faithful followers, trusting Jesus completely. But they couldn’t go to Jesus because of the situation. A messenger carries the message to Jesus.

When we hear news of someone struggling, we feel helpless.  But we aren’t.  Prayer is the most powerful thing you can do for someone else.  Talking to God about the hardships in people’s lives makes us a messenger.  Another term people use is intercessor: a person who intervenes on behalf of another, especially by prayer.   The best person to talk to about other people to is Jesus. When we pray, God moves. 

Prayer gives God glory.

When Jesus arrives, Lazarus is in the tomb.  He died four days prior.  From the human perspective, the story is over.  However, Jesus knew better.  After having the stone removed from the tomb, Jesus spoke these words:

“Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43 GW)

Lazarus’s death was necessary for God’s glory.  The story is more poignant because he died.  Overcoming death is what Jesus does, not only for Lazarus but all of us.  Victory is God’s. 

If we didn’t have struggles, we wouldn’t have victory; we can’t have life without death.  In all things, God is in control.  We might disagree with His timing, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.  When you hear of someone’s hardship, pray first.  Talk to God for others.  Watch as He works all things for the good of those who believe and trust in Him (Romans 8:28 GW).

Become a messenger to God.  Lift the struggles of others to their Creator.  In His time, God will move.  When He does, God’s glory will reign.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your goodness and mercy.  Forgive us for not talking to You more.  Help us today to make prayer our first line of defense.  When we hear of others struggles, whether stranger or friend, let us become messengers.  Let us take their messages to You.  As victory occurs, to You goes the glory.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Who needs you to pray for them today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 28 GW; John 10 GW

Full life comes from following Jesus.

Believing in Jesus is more than an insurance policy against hell.  Nothing will cause you to flourish in life more than applying Jesus’s teachings to it.  God’s word has over 7,000 promises in it.  Whatever problem you have, God has an answer. Thanks to modern technology, a simple Google search will give you a plethora of verses.  Believing in Jesus means trusting God will keep His promise.

The first promise people believe is that they will have eternal life.  God also wants you to have a flourishing life while here on earth.  Satan wants to steal, kill and destroy.  God wants to give you everything you need to live a full life.  Jesus is the answer:

“Dear children, you belong to God. So you have won the victory over these people, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (John 4:4 GW)

Hold God accountable.

Accountability is vital in any relationship.   Spouses are accountable to each other for their actions.  Friends expect you to do what you say you will do.  God expects obedience to Him.  We anticipate God to come through on promises like these:

• God’s goodness: “The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.” (Psalm 145:9 NIV)
• God’s presence: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:29 NIV)
• God provides: “But seek first His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV)

Only you know what is keeping you from living your life to the fullest.  Choose today to trust God completely.  Hold Him accountable to His word.  Put His promises into practice in your life.  Watch as He fulfills His commitment to you.

Lord, thank You for the thousands of promises you have made to us.  Forgive us for not trusting Your word.  Help us today to hold You accountable.  As we face the hurdles of our day, remind us of the promises You have made to us.  Give us faith to believe what You have said.  Let our lives flourish as we trust in You.  Whatever attacks we endure from the enemy, let them have no victory in our lives.  Instead, give us all we need to live our life to the fullest.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What area of your life is the enemy attacking?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 27 GW; John 9 GW

God gives you sight.

When you place your trust in God, His light comes into Your world.  When you look around, you see things differently.  You begin to understand, the things of this world don’t matter.  Cars, houses, degrees, they are all temporary.  But how you treat God and others has eternal consequences.  On the day you transition into your heavenly body, God will not ask how much money you made on earth.  But He will want to know how you loved others.

Right now, in this world, people are walking around blind.  If people aren’t in a relationship with their Creator, their perspective is one-sided.  Wise individuals understand; they only know in part, not in whole.  When you make decisions without all of the facts, lies are born.  God reveals truth as you pursue a relationship with Him.  

God opens our eyes.

Pursuing God’s desires for our lives changes our focus. We learn, waiting is necessary for revelation.  When something happens in your life, don’t jump to immediate conclusions about what it means.  Instead, seek God in prayer and ask for His insight.  When you do, over time, the truth is revealed.  Pray this simple prayer to gain Godly sight:

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:18 ESV)

When God opens your eyes, you begin to see the struggles of others.  Instead of judging them by their actions, you connect with them through their hearts.  Just like Jesus, we’ll meet people in their struggles, helping them climb their mountains.  We find victory when we join our spirit with God, then love others purposefully.

Ask God to open your eyes today.  Seek His truth.  Watch as your perspective changes when you align your heart with God’s.

Lord, thank You for Your illuminating light.  Forgive us for not seeking You sooner and for walking around blind.  We’re grateful you open our eyes to what matters, our relationship with You and others.  Fill us with Your love and grace, then give us opportunities to share it with those You place in our lives.  Remove the scales from our eyes; help us see through Your lens.  Let us connect with people’s hearts as we become more intentional about our relationships.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How has God helped you see more clearly?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 26 GW; John 8 GW

Jesus doesn’t condemn.

When the woman in this verse met Jesus, it wasn’t her best moment.  Naked, dragged from the bed of a man, she was at her lowest.  The Pharisees were hoping to catch Jesus in a trap. They wanted to see how He would handle this situation.  In one of my favorite scenes from scripture, Jesus kneels and begins to write in the dirt.  Slowly, one by one, the crowd disperses.  What He wrote is cause for speculation.  But whatever the words were, Jesus diffused the situation without speaking.  Even the Pharisees left.  And when they were all gone, Jesus let the woman off the hook, telling her to sin no more.

Jesus forgives; we condemn.  When someone does something of which we disapprove, we pass judgment.  But God looks beyond the act to the heart.  Jesus understands the human condition because He was human.  The temptations we face, He faced.  Where we succumbed, Jesus overcame.  In Him, we can find freedom from our sin.

Forgive yourself.

Why do we have such a hard time accepting Jesus’s forgiveness?  Because we don’t honestly believe He’s forgiven us.  

Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent.  Currently, I’m reading a Lenten devotional with two friends on Youversion.  A couple of days ago, the topic was on forgiving ourselves.  One of my friends made this comment that I’ve been pondering ever since:

“Who am I to hold it against myself if God himself has forgiven me.”

Who are we that we can’t forgive ourselves when God has forgiven us?  And because God has forgiven us, we need to forgive others.  If we want to become like Jesus, we won’t condemn; we’ll forgive.

No matter what the sin, Jesus forgives.  Once you’ve received His forgiveness, go and sin no more.

Lord, You are the God of forgiveness.  When we lay our sin before You in our nakedness, You don’t condemn.  Forgive us for not believing in Your forgiveness.  Help us embrace the new life You offer us as You cleanse us of our sin.  Let us move boldly through our day, knowing we are loved deeply by our Creator.  Help us forgive ourselves, stopping the condemnation, trusting Your grace. As we accept Your gift, let us go and sin no more.  IJNIP. Amen 

Question for reflection

What self-condemnation are you holding onto today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 25 GW; John 7 GW

Living water comes from a belief in God.

God’s promise of eternal life helps us persevere in the dark world. When we embrace His spirit into our lives, He fills us with a new purpose. Hope springs eternal as we trust in God’s promises.  Jesus is clear why He came:

“ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV)

Right now, today, God wants you to have life to the fullest.  Eternity is now.  You can truly experience God’s peace on earth when you follow Him.  God does the transformation within us when we open our hearts to Him.  But if we don’t allow God full access to our hearts, we won’t experience what He has to offer.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.” (1 Cor. 12:4 NIV)

God’s gifts are wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, discernment, speaking, and interpreting tongues (1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NIV).  Not everyone receives the same abilities, but they all come from the same God.

Receive God’s gifts.

God wants to bless you with gifts that don’t stop giving.  Faith is a gift that continues to grow as you follow Jesus.  Wisdom comes from God.  As God reveals truth in your life, you gain knowledge.  The Bible’s pages are full of people God gifted with what they needed to fulfill their purpose.  But until you turn to Him and believe, you won’t receive.

I visited my childhood home for the first time in forty years.  When I stood in what was once my brother’s bedroom, my eyes filled with tears.  In that room, I first believed in Jesus.  My journey began young, but God’s gifts have never stopped flowing.  Each day, He draws me closer to Him.

God will give you streaming waters.  Believe in Jesus.  Watch as He transforms your life.

Lord, how grateful we are for Your living waters.  Let us drink deeply of them.  Forgive us for not accepting what You have to offer us.  Instead, give us the gift of faith, allowing it to grow and mature with each day that passes.  Give us the courage to follow You.  Today, let us care more about what you think than what man does.  Let us live today for You. Help us become a new person in Christ.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What has belief in Jesus done for you?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 24 GW; John 6 GW

Jesus is trustworthy.

Today’s verse comes from when Jesus walked on water to catch up with the disciples, who were crossing the sea.  When the men first saw Jesus, they were afraid.  But once they realized who He really was, they no longer feared. They trusted Jesus because they knew Him. Once again, Jesus showed up unexpectedly.  The longer the disciples traveled with Jesus, the more they trusted Him.

We conquer our giants when we trust in Jesus.  No matter what the circumstances, God has the answer. When we place our confidence in Jesus, we are putting it with the right person:

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118:8 GW)

Buried in the middle of the Bible is this scripture.  At the center of God’s inspired word is instruction of where you should place your trust.  One day at a time, as you put into practice Jesus’s teachings, you’ll trust Him more and more.

Jesus deserves your trust.

One person you can count on in life is Jesus.  As you know Him more, your trust in Him will grow.  Transformation takes place as we let God investigate our hearts.   When Jesus moves within us, the evidence is external.  People will notice the change that takes place.  But change won’t happen if we don’t trust Jesus.

Because we can trust Jesus completely, He is where we should place our expectations.  People will disappoint you; they will betray your confidence.  Not, Jesus, He won’t let you down.  God always shows up.  Just like with the disciples, Jesus appears in ways we don’t expect.  But He always comes through for us.

Place your confidence in Jesus.  Let humanity off the hook.  Only Jesus is worthy of your total trust.

Lord, thank You for Jesus.  We’re grateful for the bridge He creates that bonds us with you.  Forgive us for placing our trust in humanity instead of You.  Show up for us today in an unexpected way.  Draw us into a closer relationship with You as we imitate Christ.  Help us lower our expectations of human beings and raise them for You.  You never disappoint.  In You, we have all we need.  Let us not lose focus of that fact today.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Who are you trusting more, humans or Jesus?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 23 GW; John 5 GW

Jesus asks for participation.

Today’s verse is referring to a man who was sick for 38 years.  Year after year, he laid by the Bethesda pool, waiting for someone to help him into the healing waters. Jesus asks him, “Would you like to get well?”  The sick man tells Jesus of his dilemma. Jesus tells him to “Get up, pick up your cot, and walk” (John 5:8 GW).  

We have a choice, even in our wellness.  People choose whether they want to get healthy; most decide not to change.  Alan Deutschman’s book, “Change or Die: The Three Keys to Change at Work and Life,” found only one out of nine people will make lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, etc.) that will prolong their life.  No wonder Jesus asked the man if he wanted to get well.  Jesus knew what Deutschman discovered; most people don’t want to get well.  

Say yes to Jesus.

When Jesus asks you if you want to get well, say yes.  Just like He knew what the sick man needs, Jesus knows what you need too.  Jesus always begins at the same place, forgiveness.  The first thing that happens when we enter into a relationship with Jesus, He cleanses us.  You can let go of whatever is holding you back from wellness; instead, embrace Jesus’s healing.

Today is a new day to choose.  Whatever ailment you have, accept Jesus’s offer to help.  The sick man was waiting for someone to help him into the healing waters.  Jesus gave him divine assistance that didn’t need the water.

Don’t fear change.  Choose life over death.  Let Jesus cleanse you.  Allow Him to create new life in you.  Let the old go as you embrace wellness with Jesus.

Dear Lord, heal us.  Give us a desire to change.  Forgive us for our fear of the unknown.  Help us to embrace new life in You.  As we face decisions today, let us choose wisely.  Let us say “Yes!” to the healing Jesus offers us.  Give us a vision of a healthier lifestyle, one that includes Jesus.  Tear down any of our defenses.  Give us the courage to pick up our mats and walk, letting go of what lies behind us—embracing what is yet to come.  With You, all things are possible.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Where is change keeping you from becoming healthy?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 22 GW; John 4 GW

God controls our steps.

Balaam, a prophet, is journeying in a direction God doesn’t want him to go.  The Lord sends a Messenger to stand in the road and stop Balaam. However, his donkey is the only one who can see the Messenger.  The more the beast tries to avoid God’s representative, the worst Balaam treats him.  Eventually, God’s courier reveals himself.  Balaam instantly repents of his sin, then asks the Messenger which way he should go. 

In life, veering off of the straight and narrow is easy.  Usually, misdirection happens with the best of intentions.  But if we want to stay on the right path, we must seek God’s guidance.  Crossroads in life need divine direction.  Only God knows which way leads to evil, which to good.

P.U.S.H.

Pray Until Something Happens.  When you’re seeking God’s direction, keep praying until you get an answer.  A simple prayer to pray, “God open the doors you want me to go through, close the ones you don’t.”  

Recently, I visited a lifelong friend in Pennsylvania.  Since the trip was in winter, I prayed about whether or not to go.  Because I live in the south, I’m not skilled at driving in the snow.  I prayed until something happened. The weather forecast changed, no longer calling for snow.  And, the one appointment on my schedule I couldn’t move canceled.  I knew then; God wanted me to take the trip.  But I didn’t know for sure until four days before I was to leave.  God answers in His time, not ours.

Staying in tune with God means trusting His guidance.  Instead of seeking our paths, we seek His.  The only way to know which way to go is to ask God.

Lord, thank You for changing our direction.  Forgive us for plunging blindly ahead without asking You which way we should go.  Help us pray until we know for sure what to do.  Close the doors. You don’t want us to go through, open the doors You do.  When we’re not listening, use a talking donkey to get our attention.  In You, we trust.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What area of your life do you need direction from God?