Honest Reflections

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 27-28 GW; Psalms 96 GW

“Give to the Lord the glory he deserves.Bring an offering, and come into his courtyards.” (Psalms 96:8 GW)

Experiencing God’s presence causes glory.

Our problem isn’t God’s absence; our problem is seeking His presence. Over and over again in the scriptures, God tells us He never leaves us nor forsakes us.  Yet, we all struggle with periods when we don’t think He is living up to His word.  Distractions of the world cause us to miss what is right in front of us.  And the battle of whose will prevails is constant.  But if we seek His goodness, we’ll find it.  When we do, we can’t help but give glory to Him.

You can praise God for all things, small or big.  When you begin to thank God for something in your life, you’ll start to realize; He is always with you.  One of the worst days of my life was when my nephew died from diabetes at 20 years old.  In my darkest hour, God sent me family and friends who carried me through.  When I couldn’t walk because of grief, God carried me with His people. 

Glory is His.

Offerings of thankfulness and praise belong to God.  Without Him, we are nothing.  The air we breathe is a gift from above.  Living in America, even in political turmoil, is a blessing.  The freedoms we enjoy here, other places don’t.  You may not feel like you have anything to praise God for today, but those two things are a start.  Look around you today, find ten things to praise God for before the sunsets.  See what a difference glorifying God makes in your day.

Lord, all glory goes to You.  Forgive us for taking credit for Your work.  As we move through our day, give us eyes to see what You’re doing.  Help us intentionally find things to glorify You for today.  Hone our vision so that in all things, we see You, even in our darkest hours.  We bring our offerings of praise and worship to You.  Bless our efforts as we strive to seek You.  Help us connect the dots of what You are doing in our lives.  To You, we give the glory.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can You glorify God today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 25-26 GW; 1 Peter 5 GW

“Be shepherds over the flock God has entrusted to you. Watch over it as God does: Don’t do this because you have to, but because you want to. Don’t do it out of greed, but out of a desire to serve.” (1 Peter 5:2 GW)

Your flock motivates service.

Wherever you are in life, you have a flock of people around you.  God grows us where we are.  Family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers are all individuals that create a herd unique to you.  No one else interacts with them as you do.  Every single one of them, whether you like them or not, are God’s children.  Loving God means finding a way to love your flock.  The light God shines through you to the world, no one else has.  

You don’t have to like someone to love them.  To “like” someone means “corresponding or agreeing in general or in some noticeable respect.” My best friends are easy to “like” because we all have similar beliefs and views.  People who have opposite views are not ones I particularly like, but I do love them.  We need people who challenge our thinking because our thinking isn’t always correct. 

Love goes beyond like.

To “watch over” your flock as God does means asking Him for His view.  As you think of the people in your life, lift up a simple prayer.  “God, help me see them as You do.”  When you put this prayer into action in your life, you’ll view your herd differently.  Everyone you encounter will matter to you in a way only possible through God’s lens.  You will want to serve them because of Christ’s love for you.  God’s lens changes your perspective about others, as well as yourself.

Liking people isn’t necessary to love them.  Understanding God’s love for you and others is.  As you absorb God’s love for you today, let it flow to everyone you encounter.  They’re your flock; love them well.

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your view.  Forgive us for our deficiencies in serving the flock You’ve given us.  Help us today to gain a new perspective.   Whoever we encounter today, let us see them through Your eyes.  Let Your love for them motivate us to love them.  Help us tend our herd as You would.  Through You, we can.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can you serve your flock today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 23-24 GW; 1 Peter 4 GW

“Dear friends, don’t be surprised by the fiery troubles that are coming in order to test you. Don’t feel as though something strange is happening to you, but be happy as you share Christ’s sufferings. Then you will also be full of joy when he appears again in his glory.” (1 Peter 12-13 GW)

Suffering with Christ means sharing His joy.

When Christ suffered on the cross, it was temporary.  However, the victory He had over death is eternal.  Our sufferings on earth are not permanent; they will pass.  We share with Jesus in His success, which never ends.  But we will have fiery troubles that will test our faith.  Attitude is everything when facing a difficult trial.

When life knocks you on your back, the only place to look is up.  You will have events in life that cause you to fall to your knees.  Everyone does; no one gets out of this life without suffering.  Don’t let Satan trick you into thinking you’re the only one who has troubles; you’re not.  Some people may hide their problems better than others, but they still have them.  Jesus endured every temptation you will ever face.  In Him, find hope.

The Best is Still to Come.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 NIV)

Your crown is waiting; hold on.  When life is closing in on me, I have one pervasive thought that carries me through, “Whatever God has on the other side of this is really good.”  The harder the trial, the greater the reward.  But we must endure the suffering to get to the other side.  Eternal life in Christ is the reward.  Today’s woes are tomorrow’s victories.

Lord, thank You for showing us the way.  You didn’t run from suffering but persevered for our sake.  Forgive us for faltering; help us to persevere, no matter what the trial.  Let us focus on the joy we share with You.  Remind us; whatever we are facing, it will pass.  Thank You for working all things to the good for those who believe and trust in You.  IJNIP. Amen.

Question for reflection:

How does knowing your victory is in Jesus help you persevere?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 21-22 GW; 1 Peter 3 GW

“Rather, beauty is something internal that can’t be destroyed. Beauty expresses itself in a gentle and quiet attitude which God considers precious.” (1 Peter 3:4 GW)

Internal peace expresses beauty.

Physical beauty is fleeting.  If nothing else, age takes its toll on outward appearance.  But inner gentleness and quiet radiates beauty.  Beauty and the Beast is a classic example.   Belle, beautiful on the outside, falls for the heart of an ugly monster.  As she gets to know him, she falls deeply in love with his kind and gentle ways.   He radiates loveliness in his actions, which are the result of his pure heart.  Who couldn’t love him?

God knows the beauty that lies within our hearts.  He understands the outward appearance isn’t the whole story.  When we judge on outward appearance only, we’re missing the largest part of the story.  Some of the most beautiful people I have met did not possess physical beauty.  But the loveliness they radiated from within created a far more artistic picture.

Focus on the inside.

Spend your time cleansing your heart.  Allow God to search your soul for areas of darkness.  Let His light shine into the spaces that aren’t at peace.  As God heals the brokenness inside, beauty will radiate from within your soul.  God’s light will shine through you to the world.

“The sermon on the mount is a statement we will live when Christ is getting His way with us.” Oswald Chambers

When you allow God into your heart, you will experience His blessings.  Your soul will overflow with God’s goodness, your life a reflection of it.  Your beauty will come from your pure heart, one that promotes mercy, peace, and righteousness.  From within flows rivers of loveliness to the world around you. 

Lord, how beautiful You are.  As we seek You today, help us see internal beauty.  Forgive us for judging by outward appearance only.  Help us to look deeper into the beauty of the soul.  Search our hearts, cleansing them of any impurities.  Fill us with your gentleness and peace so that we can share them with the world.  Let us live the sermon on the mount as we let You have your way with us.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Who is an example of beauty from the inside in your life?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 19-20 GW; 1 Peter 2 GW

“ Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.” (Exodus 19:5 GW)

Obedience makes you God’s treasured possession.

Time and again, we find God looking for someone who will do His will.  Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Moses all were obedient to God’s commands.  As a result, they became His treasured possessions.  Obeying God isn’t a punishment; it’s a reward.  Jesus is the ultimate example of obedience to God.  His lifestyle is our model for living.

“True companionship in Christ comes when it’s hard not to respond like He would respond.” Dallas Willard “The Spirit of Disciplines

We have a choice of what type of lifestyle we live in America.  Following Jesus is a lifestyle choice, not just a ticket into heaven.  In reality, eternity is now.  God’s intention isn’t for us to persevere through a miserable life on earth but rather to enjoy His peace that surpasses all understanding at all times.  The closer we draw to Jesus, the more we want to respond as He would.

Live with purpose.

Living an obedient life is a purposeful one.  Spending time with God in private, meeting Jesus in the scripture pages, will lead to an obedient life.  As your heart connects with God’s, you’ll want to do what He wants, more than your desires.  Walking in Jesus’s steps requires seclusion with God, not just public performances.  God is after a relationship with you.  And the more you know Jesus, the more you’ll want to know.

Seek to know Jesus more.  Develop a relationship with the one who treasures you.  Find the true companionship you seek.  Become one with Jesus, experience His peace now.

Lord, thank You for Jesus.  Help us know Him more today.  Forgive us for the times we are disobedient.  Open our hearts to embrace who Jesus was, help us model our lives after Him.  Lead us to true companionship with Him.  As we learn how Jesus would respond, make it hard for us to answer any other way.  Each day You give us, help us know You more.  As we grow closer to You privately,  let Your ways overflow from us to the world.  In all things, help us to obey.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What area are you struggling to obey God in today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 16-18 GW; 1 Peter 1 GW

 “Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.” (Exodus 16:8 GW)

Entitlement causes grumbling.

Right after Moses performs ten miraculous signs that cause Pharoah to release the Israelites from slavery, they start grumbling.  Instead of working in horrible conditions, they are free to move into the promised land.  But the Israelites aren’t satisfied; they want more. Entitlement is the “belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges.”  The Israelites felt entitled; they believed they deserved more from God.

I think the Israelites are a bunch of spoiled brats.  Seriously, Moses parted the Red Sea on the way out of Egypt, and they don’t believe God will feed them? How can they watch the water part, walkthrough on dry ground, and not have faith?  But then, I realize I’m a spoiled brat.  Each day God provides food to eat, health to work, and a bed to sleep.  But yet I want more.  Entitlement affects everyone.

Gratitude defeats grumbling.

Focus on what you have instead of what you don’t have.  Look around and start thanking God.  For starters, you have a device from which to read God’s word and devotionals.  More than likely, you have clothes on your back, a chair where you can sit, and a roof over your head.  God’s provision is abundant in your life, as in mine.  We have nothing to grumble about, yet we do.

Instead of grumbling for what you don’t have, praise God for what you do have.  Trust that He knows your every need and will provide it.  Don’t confuse need with want.  God provides wherever He guides.

Lord, how grateful we are for Your provision in our lives.  Forgive us for our entitlement.  Help us remember today all You have done for us.  Just as you led the Israelites out of slavery, lead us out of our traps.  Give us eyes to see the miraculous works You do for us every day.  Let our hearts overflow with gratitude for what You have done.  Give us confidence in our soul; whatever we genuinely need, You will provide.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How has God provided for you in your life?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 13-15 GW; Psalms 114 GW

“Earth, tremble in the presence of the Lord, in the presence of the God of Jacob.” (Psalm 114:7 GW)

God makes you tremble.

When you begin to grasp the depth of God’s love for you genuinely, trembling occurs.  However, most people don’t understand God’s passion for them.  They equate God’s love for them with their circumstances.  If life is good, God is good.  If life is bad, God is bad.  That’s not how God works.  God loves wholly and completely all of the time. 

“God’s sovereignty is not an excuse or reason for the bad things in life.  Sovereignty is at work to heal all things.”  Sarah Bessey  “Out of Sorts”

God is in the business of redemption.  Whatever ache you have, He’s working to heal it.  Over time, in His way, all things become new again, including you.  But first, we have to accept in our soul; God does love us.

God operates from love.

We don’t have to question God’s motive; it’s love.  He sent Jesus to help us understand His love for us.  We can’t grasp His love in our humanness, but through Jesus, we begin to see.  Jesus became human so that we can relate to Him.   He felt what we feel.  Every temptation we’ve faced, Jesus faced first.  When Jesus got on the cross, He did so willingly.  Why?  Because He truly understood the depth of God’s love for Him and us.

Think of someone in your life you know who loves you without a shadow of a doubt.  God loves you more than they do.  Think of someone you love more than anyone else.  God loves them more than you do.  He parts seas, moves mountains, and destroys giants.  God makes the earth and its inhabitants tremble.

Lord, how thankful we are You love us.  Forgive us that we struggle to understand how much you care for us.  Open our eyes and ears today to what You are doing in our lives.  Let our hearts receive Your love, filling them to overflowing.  As we begin to realize the extent, You love us, help us share that love with the world.  Today, as we go about our business, let us feel Your love, then help us share it with everyone we meet.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Who can you lavish with God’s love today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 11-12 GW; Psalms 91 GW

“Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High will remain in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1 GW)

Life is full of choices.

Every day, we choose our shelter.  Safe haven’s protect us from bad weather or danger, a place we can live without fear.  From a spiritual standpoint, sheltering under the Most High keeps us in God’s shadow.  But you have to choose to live in God’s shelter.  When you live in His sanctuary, you find security from the changing world.

What does choosing God’s shelter mean?  Your lifestyle lives in close communion with God.  Amid life’s heartache, instead of focusing on the pain, you rest in God’s goodness.  Life is painful for all of us.  Everyone is suffering in some way.  But if you choose to take shelter in God, you will find His protection.  His love will calm your fears.  Though the storm rages around you, His peace will sustain you.  In Him, you find rest from the world.

God’s shelter is available to all.

To enjoy living in God’s shelter, all you have to do is believe.  Have faith that God’s word is right.  When He makes a promise, He keeps it.  Jesus came in the flesh to give us an earthly example to follow.  Of his 33 years on earth, Jesus spent most of them in seclusion.  His time spent with God in private made His public ministry possible.  Jesus understood living in God’s shelter meant communing with Him regularly, one-on-one.

Every relationship you have in your life is different.  Your close relationships are the ones you spend the most time with each day.  Make God one of your most intimate relationships.  Spend intentional time alone with Him each day.  As you live more deeply in His shelter, you will find the security for which you yearn.

Lord, Your shelter is where we want to live.  Forgive us when we look for security in places other than You.  Draw us under your wings as we take steps towards You.  Each morning, before we roll out of bed, help us choose You.  Help us embrace not only Jesus’s teachings but His lifestyle.  As we seek Your shelter, protect us from life’s storms.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can you rest in God’s shelter today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 9-10 GW; Psalms 105 GW

“The Lord’s promise tested him through fiery trials until his prediction came true.” (Psalm 105:19 GW)

Faith makes passing tests possible.

Today’s scripture is referring to Joesph.  Jacob’s favorite son had a dream that he would one day rule his brothers.   When he shared the news with his siblings, they weren’t happy.  Joseph was a teenager when God gave him the vision. He endured many trials before his dream became a reality.  During all of that time, Joseph never lost faith in God.  When his brothers dumped him in a pit and left him for dead, he remained faithful.  When his boss’s wife accused him of inappropriate behavior, his beliefs didn’t waver.  While sitting in prison in horrible circumstances, Joseph was loyal to his God.  Fiery trials were part of Joesph’s journey, and they are part of ours.

Every day, you have the choice of who you are going to follow.  Having faith means choosing God over self. In other words, whose “want” is more important, yours or God’s?  If I suffered what Joseph did, I don’t know what I would do, nor do I want to find out.  My trials are enough for me; I don’t need someone else’s.  Walking with God isn’t an insurance policy; it’s a relationship.

Faith Self-Validates

Validation means checking or proving the accuracy of something.  Self-validation is proving it to yourself.  Only when you take steps of faith will you find the validity that comes from them.  As you put into practice Jesus’s teachings, you’ll have no problem believing His existence in your life.  But if you don’t try, you’ll never know.

Every journey is one step at a time.  Before Jesus could fulfill His destiny on the cross, He had to walk out His ministry on earth.   One day, God will call each of us home, but until then, we’re to walk by faith.  Whatever trials we face, we needn’t fear.  Faith is key to passing any test.

Dear Lord, how precious is Your name.  Your faithfulness to us is never wavering.  Forgive us for when we doubt.  Instead, help us remain faithful no matter what the trial.  Like Joseph, help us fulfill our destiny one day at a time.  With each step of faith we take, draw us closer to You.  Keep us moving forward, don’t let us get stuck in a moment.  Help us keep our focus on You, today and always.  In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen

Question for reflection

What is a step of faith you need to take today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 78 GW; Matthew 28 GW; Psalms 67 GW

Jesus is a friend for eternity.

For whatever reason, we believe lies easier than we trust Jesus.  When the devil whispers in our ear, “You’re all alone, no one loves you,” we believe that over what Jesus tells us: “You’re never alone, I’m always with you.”  Why do we fall for the lies? When you take a step of faith and join your life with Jesus, you’re never alone again.  His presence in your life is never-ending.  Even when you feel alone, you aren’t.  Stop believing the lies, instead accept Jesus’ truth.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Don not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”(Joshua 1:9 NIV)

When we fill our minds with the truth found in scripture, we expel the lies.  What happens when we internalize God’s promises, we bring light into the darkness.  His word illuminates the lies we believe.  As we saturate our mind and soul with God’s presence, we begin to understand; He is with us always.

Wherever you are, God is.

God created the air you breathe.  Every time you inhale, your breathing in His goodness.  The next time you feel alone, stop and breathe.  Close your eyes, picture God, fill your lungs with the air He created. Let His presence fill the nooks and crannies of your soul. Then just as slowly exhale.  Imagine the lies departing with each particle that passes your lips.  Repeat until the feelings of loneliness disappear with the truth of God’s presence.

Overcoming the lies of the devil are only done with God’s truth.  Spiritual connection with Jesus means you’re never alone.  Trust God’s presence is with you, today and always.

God in heaven, thank You for Your presence on earth, in us.  Forgive us for believing the lies Satan tries to spin.  Instead, plant Your truth so profoundly within us, we have no room for falsities.  In our despair, pull us back into the light.  Don’t let us fall for the lies; let us accept Your truth.  Each breath we take, let it remind us of Your goodness.  Let us not doubt Your presence ever again.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How does knowing Jesus is always with you change your perspective?