Honest Reflections

One-minute read.

Reading a morning devotional, the writer introduced me to a new phrase, “Be the thermostat, not the thermometer.”  In other words, set the temperature by keeping your eyes focused on things from above instead of things in the world.  When we keep the Son in our eyes, we can set the tone for any situation.

People with evil intent fall quickly before the Lord.  God knows the hearts of all and the intentions that lie within them.  Trusting the Creator to judge allows us to set the thermometer high, turning up the heat on those who would cause harm and introducing them to the Giant that lives within us.

The Lord’s steadfast love, constant companionship, and victorious ways should embolden us when facing wrongful persecution.  We can rely on the Almighty not only to protect us but to defeat the evil manipulations of others. We can cultivate a temperature of love, peace, and acceptance by relying on God to care for us.

Set the thermostat to unconditional love, grace, and mercy by trusting the Lord.  Allow God to take care of any necessary temperature adjustments with His sovereign view of the world.  The Lord knows which path we should take; let Him lead.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for helping us set our thermostat according to Your word and promises.  Please help us set the temperature to reflect Your love, grace, and mercy.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

An early riser, I often get up before Ron, enjoying the quietness of the predawn.  Many mornings, I awake and lie in bed, thinking about God, His promises, and the day ahead, all blending to formulate my plan for the coming hours.

This morning, I lay in bed thinking about the new addition to our family, Ruby.  After weather delays, God willing, today’s clear skies would allow the Pilots and Paws crew to fly the once-abandoned puppy to her forever home.  Praying for the new arrival, I thought of the Lord and His love for all creatures, asking God to allow for a smooth transition into our home.

Trusting the Creator’s promises gives me a solid foundation for moving forward in life. God promises to provide our needs for the tasks He assigns, never leaving nor forsaking us.  Believing His words gives me hope for the days to come and strengthens me during trials, that what waits on the other side of the mountain will make the climb worth it.

Memorize and meditate on the Lord’s promises.  Start your day thinking about your Maker, and allow Him to set the tone for the hours to come.  Trust and obey, finding hope in God’s word.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for the reliability of Your word that not only guides and directs us but gives us hope.  Let us lean into Your promises as we face the day ahead.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

In life’s desperate moments, when we call out to the Savior, we expect immediate answers.  Unfortunately, the Lord doesn’t work on our timeline.  However, God never stops working for us; sometimes, He does the most while we wait.

Clinging to the Lord’s promises and trusting them to come true will help us persevere while we wait for God to open the next door.  We spend a lot of time in the hallway, waiting for doors to open that take us into the next chapter of our lives.  How we wait matters just as much as what happens when we walk through the threshold, sometimes even more.

Faith requires action.  Putting God’s word into practice means taking action, whether praying for our enemies, forgiving someone who has offended us, or blessing someone in need; all these actions require movement.  And the Lord tells us that if we align our hearts with His, doing what He desires, we will receive divine blessings and answers to our prayers.

Life happens, as do desperate moments when we flounder, looking for direction.  Searching God’s word will give us the guidance we need and help us persevere as we wait for His answer.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for Your divine guidance that comes from Your word.  Please help us wait well as we persevere through life’s difficulties, waiting for You to answer.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

As a novice gardener, roots fascinate me.  Planting a small seed in the ground then watching it grow into a vibrant plant brings me joy.  I planted zucchini and squash at the beginning of the season; they have grown into monstrous plants with big, green leaves and a multitude of flowers that turn into my favorite vegetables. The vegetables thrive because of their root system, a miraculous event to me.

What we root ourselves in determines what we will grow.  The psalmist has rooted himself in God’s commands, growing in the Lord and producing a crop of faith that he shares with others.  When we plant ourselves on the rock of salvation, daily dying to self and living for Jesus, we will produce fruit that flourishes and nourishes others.

Eating the zucchini from my garden brings me joy, not only because of its yummy goodness but because I watched it grow and yield its offerings.  Already, I’ve shared my small crop with several friends, blessing them with fresh produce.

Root yourself in the Lord, applying His commands to your life, and watch as you produce a crop you never imagined you could.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us Your commandments allowing us to root ourselves in Your truth.  Please help us grow and produce the desired fruit we can share with others.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

In life, we have little that we can rely upon because things change constantly. Hours slip into days, that slip into years, with slight changes that we overlook, until one day we realize that nothing remains the same. However, God’s word never changes; it stands the test of time.

The same truths taught thousands of years ago remain true. Christ’s church continues to grow because the rock doesn’t waver; standing on it, we can find solid ground.

“History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.”

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NLT)

Although the world around us changes, the human condition still struggles with the same issues it has always faced: betrayal, deceit, selfishness, entitlement, jealousy, and so on. But God’s word has the antidote to our instincts. We can cling to the promises found in scripture and find victory over our old self.

Clothe yourself in Christ, practicing His teaching, and become more loving and kinder to a dark world that desperately needs it. Nothing new exists under the sun; the struggles of our ancestors and ours remain the same. But in Jesus, we can find a new way to live and experience the joy that comes from following the Savior.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us Your word to cling to and apply to our lives, discovering victory over our human nature.  Please help us win the battle of the flesh as we follow You,

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

As a member of the prayer team for an international organization that partners with churches around the world, my awareness of the persecution of believers has increased.  Each week, we pray for the pastors and churches that endure attacks of all kinds against their congregations, things we can’t even imagine in America.  And yet their zeal for the Lord continues to grow, and their passion for spreading the gospel fuels the fire.

Stories of miraculous conversions, divine protection, and exponential growth encourage not only us, but also the foreign pastors and their people.  A school in Africa comes to mind that didn’t exist two decades ago, but now, with the help of the organization, it boasts over 1,500 students within its walls, children who now know and love Jesus.

God’s enemies attack but never win.  Amidst persecution, the Lord’s word thrives, multiplying more and more.  Like a sprout in a barren field, it only takes one seed to begin the harvest.  As the leaves of the gospel blossom, producing more seeds, carried by the wind to other areas, God’s kingdom continues to grow.

Applying the Lord’s word to our lives results in miraculous events that produce passion and zeal for more.  God paves the way for His kingdom work, leading us along the path of abundant life.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for igniting the fire in our souls and fanning the flames with Your miraculous works in our lives.  Please bless our efforts as we strive to live and serve You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

In a marital spat, turning to God’s word for instruction helps me find resolution.  Living life with others means accepting their flaws and finding ways to love them despite the hurt they inflict.  The better you know someone, the more you can hurt them, and spouses know each other well.

“We will lovingly follow the truth at all times—speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly—and so become more and more in every way like Christ.”

Ephesians 4:15 NLT

God centers us on the truth; His testimonies help us discover the truth about ourselves and others.  As we apply His word to our conflicts, we’ll find the root of the problem, which then allows us to pull it out and find healing.

The Lord’s words never change; we can always count on His testimonies to lead us on the path of righteousness.  Ever faithful, God shows us the way, one step at a time.  In Him, we can find an abundant life.

No matter what struggle you face today, turn to the scriptures for guidance.  Ask the Lord for help, and He will give it to you.  Lean into God’s faithfulness and find everything you need for the day ahead.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us reliable and proper direction in our struggles.  Please help us find the scriptures we need to deal with today’s struggles, finding victory in You

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Funny how quickly people judge others, yet never open their Bibles. Having an opinion about the scriptures and God’s law without reading His word baffles me.  People close to me criticize my lifestyle because I choose to put the Lord first, make reading His Word a priority in my life, write about it, and try to live it, without ever opening the Bible.

Instead of feeling offended, it makes me sad when people don’t try God’s way.  Watching them fall into pit after pit from the decisions they make, refusing to try another way, hurts my heart.  They can’t experience the transformation that comes from a life lived for Jesus if they never attempt to keep His law.

Yes, Jesus fulfilled the law because we can’t possibly keep it.  But we should still try, because through it we find transformation for our lives. 

Summing up the Bible in one word, I use love.  Applying God’s precepts to our lives teaches us how to love the Lord and others, one day at a time.  The more we try, the more we become like Jesus, helping others find their way to the Savior, and discover the transformational power of His love.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You, Lord, for transforming our lives by the application of Your law.  Please help us follow You closely today and discover new life in Christ.

IJNP. Amen

One-minute read.

Walking confidently feels good.  When you know your destination and have no doubts about the journey, your strides have more purpose and keep a steady gait.  However, more times than not in life, we have doubts about which direction we should take.

In the weekend message, the pastor brought two ladders onto the stage.  On one, he taped “World,” and on the other, he taped “God.”  As he progressed through his message, the young pastor challenged us about which wall our ladder leaned against, and which one we climbed.

At one point, the tall, lanky preacher, dressed in black, had a foot on each ladder, stuck in the middle, not sure which way to go.  Thankfully, God helps us make the decision when we follow Him.  The Lord redeems us from the world and gives us new life in Him, showing us the steps we need to take.

Consult God on which steps you will take and follow His direction, then you can walk confidently, knowing He leads you to the promised land.  No longer will you feel stuck in the middle, with Christ guiding you, and your ladder leaning against the rock, you will have no doubt which way you should go.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us a road map to the promised land through Jesus.  Please help us lean our ladder against You, and climb steadily

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Longing for more of the Lord, the psalmist pants for His presence.  Like longing for a cold drink on a hot summer day, the writer’s thirst can only find satisfaction in God’s word.  Seeking the Lord’s statutes, the psalmist discovers the answers he desires and the grace and mercy he so desperately needs.

In my younger years, amidst strife, when I didn’t have a solid relationship with Jesus, I still sought Him.  Feeling alone, and with nowhere else to turn, I would open a Bible, whichever one I found, and start reading, looking for help.  And I always found it. Although I can’t remember the exact passages I read in those moments, I know I felt the Lord’s presence, comfort, and support, exactly what I needed in those desperate times.

Life has a way of knocking us to our knees.  Unexpected waves hit us from behind, toppling us to the ground, making us struggle to get back on our feet.  In those times, we can rely on the Lord to pick us up and help us once again stand.  Memorizing and meditating on God’s promises will give us the support we need.

The more we know the Lord’s precepts, the more we’ll want to know.  Like the psalmist, we will pant for His commandments.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for guiding and directing us through Your word, giving us a longing for Your commands.  Please help us learn and apply Your precepts to our lives, so that we may become faithful servants in all that we do.

IJNP. Amen