Honest Reflections

One-minute read.

Rescues Us

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 18:3

David, the author of Psalm 18, has confidence in the Lord’s deliverance. Throughout his lifetime, God showed up repeatedly for the shepherd boy turned king. Calling upon the Almighty, David defeated Goliath, escaped Saul’s attacks, and experienced military victory after victory, always giving God the glory. Remembering how the Lord rescues us from past challenges helps us confidently praise Him for what He will do for us now.

“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”

2 Thess. 3:3

Spiritual warfare exists all around us. Whispering lies in our ears; the enemy tries to pull us away from our faithful, heavenly Father. But when we call on the Lord, He saves us from the devil’s ploys. As campers, we fight the battle against insects. On a recent trip to Georgia, the “no see ums,” tiny flies, attacked at every turn. Using a fogger, a bug repellent, I sprayed the ground around my chair to protect me from their little bites, then applied bug spray to my body, successfully thwarting their efforts. In the same way, God protects us from our unseen enemy.

Surrounding us with His angels, the Lord protects us from enemy attacks and rescues us from his ploys. We can confidently praise God, knowing He rescues us from our enemies. Like David, we can worship our Rescuer, knowing victory comes from Him.

Application:

God rescues us from enemy attacks.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for faithfully protecting us, rescuing us from the enemy, and keeping us safe. Remind us to call out to You when the enemy attacks, thwarting his efforts and giving us victory. All glory to You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Supply Our Needs

 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Paul assures the Philippians, who gave so much to others, that they now find themselves in need, that the Lord will provide. Generosity breeds generosity. We can’t outgive God, no `matter how much we try, and when we find ourselves lacking, the Lord will send provisions. Christ’s followers through the centuries have relied on this promise, and God always comes through.

Personally, these eighteen words carried me through years of facing layoff after layoff. Every six months, when another round occurred, I meditated on today’s verse—memorizing and reciting Phil. 4:19 helped me dampen the fear and anxiety, trusting God would provide no matter what happened. Even if I lost my job, the Lord would give me another one, just like He did in the past.

Whatever need You have, rely on God’s promise to meet it. Whether financial, relational, or health-related, go to the One who has all the answers and the riches. Trust the Lord’s promises, and let your faith overcome your fears. Eighteen words can help you face the giant before you and defeat it. The Almighty controls every resource and will distribute them to you, fulfilling needs, meeting provisions, and giving you a way to persevere on the journey. Rely on the Lord’s word to help you keep going. Expect God’s provision, and it will come.

Application:

God provides all our needs.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for supplying all our needs through Your glorious riches. As worry and anxiety overcome us, remind us of Your promise and help us defeat them with Your words. Let us live confidently in You, knowing wherever You guide us, You will also provide.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Constant Presence

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

Following God’s law and obeying His commandments gives us access to His strength. By meditating on the scriptures, we will learn how the Lord wants us to live:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

“Meditate” means to “mutter.”[1]  The phrase “from your mouth” refers to the custom of muttering as people studied and reflected on the scriptures. Therefore, when we meditate on God’s word, muttering it repeatedly, we experience the Lord’s presence more vitally. When we invite Jesus into our Hearts, His Spirit dwells within us, never leaving nor forsaking us. But often, we leave Him, distracted by the world around us. Meditating on scripture helps us remember the Lord’s presence and live a life of faith over fear.

Our fears and anxieties show us where we don’t trust God. To defeat the enemy, we must combat our worries with scripture, meditating on the words until they take root in our hearts and eliminate our fears. God goes with us wherever we go, a constant presence in our lives. The more we tune into Him, the freer we become from the anxieties of this world.

Application:

God never leaves us.

Prayer:

God, thank You for never leaving us nor forsaking us. When fears and anxieties arise, please help us find scripture to combat the enemy. Let us live a life of abundance as we meditate on Your word and apply it to our lives, overcoming the world’s worries one day at a time.

IJNIP. Amen

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[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JOshua+1%3A8-9&version=ESV

One-minute read.

Answered Prayers

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 11:24

Strong faith depends on prayer. Regularly talking to God develops a close relationship and dependence on Him. I know that when I pray, God will answer in one of three ways: yes, no, or not yet. We all must wait for answers to prayer. Sometimes, the Lord gives immediate responses, but usually, the response comes in time.   Without a doubt, we can have faith that the Almighty will answer.

When my nephew Cody died from juvenile diabetes, a friend asked me why God didn’t heal him. After all, I had prayed for years for the Lord’s healing.

“God did heal him. Just not the way I thought. Cody never has to take another shot, check his blood, or watch his carbs. God healed him completely when He called him home.”  Yes, I miss him every day, but I know we will meet again in heaven because Cody loved the Lord, and Jesus lived in his heart. Wherever I go, Cody goes with me; the love we shared never dies and lives forever.

The Lord’s not a vending machine in the sky that gives us whatever we want. God knows the best answer for our lives; we might not like His response, but in the long run, we’ll understand. As followers of Christ, our home lies in heaven, not on Earth. The things of this world will pass away, but our eternal home never will. God answers every prayer in the best possible way, in that we can have faith.

Application:

God answers prayers.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for answering our prayers in the best possible way for us. Help us accept what we don’t understand and grow closer to You through our prayers. Comfort us in our pain. Strengthen us in our weakness, And in all things, let us trust You. IJNIP Amen

One-minute read.

Overflowing Blessings

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Malachi 3:10

God challenges us to test Him in giving. Nowhere else in the Bible do we find the Lord telling us to test Him.  Speaking to the Israel nation, Malachi tells them the solution to their problem. Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse; the Lord will bless them when they do. During this time, the temple served as a warehouse for the first fruits; the Levites and priests would distribute from it for sacrificial purposes, domestic needs, and whatever emergencies arose. If the Israelites didn’t obey God and tithe, the storehouse would not have the supplies needed for the Levites to help others. When we tithe to our local church, we give them the assets needed to support the church family and community. If we don’t do our part, the church can’t do theirs.

Since I started tithing while unemployed twenty-five years ago, the Lord has overflowed my life with blessings. He provided a job for me and has kept me employed ever since. Through the Lord, I’ve learned financial management, gained wisdom from Him, and made better decisions because my confidence lies in Him. We trust God with our salvation but struggle to trust Him with our money. If He can provide eternal life for us, the Lord can overflow our life with blessings if we give Him our money.

Blessings come in many forms: financial, health, relational, and employment. The list goes on and on. But if we don’t put God first in our finances, we’ll miss His overflow of blessings. Jesus urges His followers to “excel in the grace of giving” (2 Co. 8:7). Give the Lord your first fruits and then some, and see how He overflows your life with blessings. 

Application:

God will overflow blessings in your life when you tithe.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your promises that always hold true. Give us the faith to tithe to You.  Help us understand that You don’t need our money; You want our hearts. Let us make You the first priority in our lives as we trust You with our money.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Freedom

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

Through Jesus, we find freedom. God’s Son invites us into the Lord’s family and shares His perfection. We can’t do anything to earn the gift of salvation; in our humanness, we remain sinners. Jesus, as God’s Son, has a right to the divine heir privileges, and He transfers those privileges to us when we place our faith in Him and begin to follow His teachings.

For instance, when I started following Biblical financial principles, I found freedom from debt, no longer laying awake at night, wondering how to pay my next loan payment. Instead, I found freedom by putting God first in my finances, tithing, paying my creditors, and saving money. Faith in Jesus and obeying His commands gave me freedom.

The journey never ends. As I gain freedom from one thing, God reveals another area I need to give Him. Currently, I’m gaining freedom from a protective mechanism I’ve used my entire life, which my husband calls “The Bear.”  When I feel cornered, I come out fighting, often at the expense of others. But through Jesus, I’m learning a different way to react and finding newfound freedom.

Let God free you from bondage. Place your trust in Jesus, begin following Him, apply His teachings, and find freedom like never before.

Application:

Jesus sets us free!

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for the freedom we find in Jesus. Help us apply Christ’s teachings to our lives, turn from our sinful ways, and find true freedom like never before. Give us the strength to take the steps of faith we need to take and follow You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Exemption from God’s Wrath

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 3:36

Wrath means God’s opposition to sin; the Lord judges all disobedience. Believing in Jesus means admitting our sins and asking for the Creator’s forgiveness. Those who don’t confess and believe live under condemnation, and God’s wrath remains on them. No other passage in John’s gospel mentions “wrath.” Not a sudden burst of temper, the Lord’s wrath marks His displeasure against sin, and as a result, the non-believer will endure the consequences of their actions.

None of us deserve the blessings we receive from God. The Lord bestows them on us because we place our faith in Him, trusting God for salvation and His provision. When we turn from His ways and live according to fleshly desires, we suffer the consequences of those actions. But the minute we repent and turn from our sin, we get freedom from bondage and exemption from the Lord’s wrath. Unfortunately, some people never recognize the hold sin has on them, refusing to trust God and instead, living in condemnation.

When Jesus forgave the adulteress woman in John 8:11, He told her to “go and sin no more.” As Christ’s followers, we have the same command. Once we recognize our sinful ways, God wants us to stop doing them, turn to Him for guidance, living differently. People who don’t choose Jesus will live in bondage to their sins and endure God’s wrath as a result. The Lord wants none to perish, all to turn to Him and leave behind their sinful ways; when they do, God responds with grace and mercy.

Application:

God promises exemption from His wrath to those who believe and trust Him.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for exempting us from Your wrath when we turn from our sinful ways and follow Jesus. Let no one perish, soften hearts, and help people see their misdeeds, then confess them to You and live in Your grace and mercy.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Eternal Life

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Salvation comes when we believe God for it. We can’t earn eternal life; the Lord gives it to us when we trust Him.  Accepting something, not doing something, comes from belief. Without faith, we can’t access eternity. Jesus leaves us with two options: believe or perish. Belief comes with eternal life, accepting the gift from God, and living in His blessings. Perish means living apart from the Lord in utter futility, losing all that makes existence worthwhile. God gives us the choice; we can decide what life we want.

Many people choose to perish. They do not believe in the Creator, placing their belief in nothing. And as the saying goes, those who stand for nothing will fall for anything. People put their faith in something: work, family, sports, material things, or science. Whether they recognize their belief system or not, they have faith. Atheists believe the sun will rise, yet don’t give God credit for it. Scientists believe in theories, not realizing the Lord originates all things, even the tiniest molecule. Billionaires believe in their money, not giving God credit for their wealth. On and on the list goes for what people place their faith in other than the Almighty.

But as for me, I choose Jesus. Author of life, provider of strength, and guide for my journey; I have all I need in Him. And so do you. God promises eternal life for those who accept His gift. Choose wisely. Stand for Jesus and receive abundant life in Him.

Application:

God promises eternal life.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for the gift of eternal life through Jesus. Help us accept the gift, knowing we can do nothing to earn it, but we can receive it by faith. Soften hearts, return people to You, and help them obtain what Jesus offers.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Heal the Land

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

God gives us the stipulations necessary for a nation to experience His blessing. We must turn to Him, pray, and stop doing wickedness. In practical terms, instead of pushing our agendas, we must make the Lord our number one priority, others second, and ourselves last. Easier said than done; we can’t have a healthy nation if we spend every day doing whatever we want, not considering God or others.

According to the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31), the Lord desires us to love Him with our entire being: heart, mind, soul, and body. Then, He wants us to love others as we love ourselves. Only when we get our priorities straight with God will He shower His blessing upon our nation and heal the division that currently exists. If we love God and others well, unity will follow.

The left versus right comes from the English parliament, when the different parties sat on opposite sides of the room. We need both sides. Like in marriage, Ron and I have many different opinions, but we’ve learned that by putting God first and then each other second, we find the middle ground and discover the best path for us to take. Together, we make better decisions. Loving God and others will help us find the middle ground in our country, bringing unity back to a divided nation. Pray, seek, and turn to the Lord; God promises He’ll heal our land if we do.

Application:

God promises to heal our land if we pray, seek Him, and turn from our wickedness.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for hearing our prayer when we seek You.  Help us see our wickedness and turn from it so You will heal our land. We pray for our nation that You will help us cross the aisle and find the middle ground we need to become unified once again.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John 1:9

God forgives immediately. The moment we confess our misdeeds, the Lord extends grace, cleansing our hearts and making us right again. Of course, He may have some directions for us to follow. We might have to ask someone we wronged for forgiveness or have to suffer the consequences of our actions. Immediate forgiveness doesn’t mean no repercussions.

When we make mistakes, they do have consequences. In my twenties, I lived beyond my means, running up debt. The Lord immediately forgave me for my overspending once I confessed my sin to Him, but I still had to pay the credit card bill. Yes, God could have provided the means for me to become debt-free instantly, but instead, He blessed me with a job to pay my bills and used my brother to teach me how to budget and manage money. As a result, I learned self-control and became more mature.

Maturing in Christ means learning life’s lessons.   God quickly forgives, separating our sins from us “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). Then He grows us as we endure the consequences of our actions. Taking responsibility and doing the right thing when we’ve done something wrong helps us walk righteously. Keeping us humble, we learn and grow as we own our actions, accept correction, and become more like Jesus.

Application:

God immediately forgives.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your immediate and complete forgiveness of our sins. Also, thank You for growing us as a result of our misdeeds. Please help us learn the lessons well, not repeat the mistake, and become more like Jesus as we submit our lives to You.

IJNIP. Amen