Honest Reflections

One-minute read.

Reading the story of David and Goliath, the young shepherd boy had a heart inclined towards the Lord.  When David learned of the Philistine’s taunts, he felt righteous anger that anyone would deny his God.  Defined as an offense towards the Creator, righteous anger motivates us to action, just as it did the future king of Israel.

Picking up five smooth stones, wearing only his shepherd’s attire, David marched onto the battlefield, facing the giant.  With one whip of his slingshot, David felled the enemy, claiming victory for his nation.  In the notes of my Bible, I wrote, “The Philistines represent sin to me,” because as I read the Old Testament, the battle between the two nations never ends.

Saul, Jonathan, David, Samson, and other Israelite armies fought the giants.  Just as we battle sin, and will continue the fight until the Lord calls us home.  But when we have our hearts tuned into the Savior, we will perform His statutes, and like David, we can say, “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand” (1 Samuel 17:46).

Tell the giants in your life about the God you serve.  Incline your heart to the Lord, and let Him lead you to victory.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us victory over our sins. Please help us identify the giants in our lives and, like David, face them with You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Nahal, the original Hebrew word for “heritage,” means to “take as an appearance, take possession, leave an inheritance, pass on.”  My mom left me an inheritance of her faith. Since she moved to heaven 11 years ago, I’ve considered her life and how she lived it.

Married in her early thirties, people considered her a spinster in the culture of the late 60s.  Three years after they said “I do,” my father had a work injury that disabled him, and my mother became his caretaker for the next 16 years of their marriage.  With three small children and a disabled husband, my mom persevered, Psalm 121 becoming her life verse:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Psalm 121:1-2

In her struggles, Mom looked to the Lord for strength, and He gave it to her.  Every Sunday, my mother attended church.  She participated in ladies groups, helped with other struggling families, and quietly went about her days, living out her faith and trusting in the Lord.  By doing so, she left me a heritage of faith and an example of how to live for the Lord.

As I held her hand at the end of her life, she had no regrets. “I’m ready to go; it’s time.”  My mother showed me how to live life for the Lord, leaving it all on the field when He calls us home.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for the spiritual warriors who show us how to live for You.  Please help us live by the heritage of faith behind us as we cling to Your word and live for You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Given voluntarily, free-will offerings come from a place of gratitude. When the Lord moves in our lives, we can’t help but praise Him and want to give back some of what He gives us.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,”

James 1:17

We have because the Lord gives. None of the blessings came from our hands, heavenly gifts from God. Recognizing the Creator’s sovereignty helps us keep our eyes on Him.

Moving into a new home, Ron and I have worked furiously the past few months, fixing, decorating, and preparing it for service to the Lord. When I walked into it the first time, I had visions of Bible studies, group gatherings, and a place of refuge for those who need it.  God blessed us so that we can bless others.

Free will offerings naturally respond to the Lord’s work in our lives.  Praising Him for all He does comes easily to the lips.  As we begin counting our blessings, we will realize that the list never ends, and we have many reasons to praise the Lord freely.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for the work You do in our lives.  Please help us recognize the blessings You’ve given us and let them flow freely to others as we praise You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

God’s precepts bring life to those who follow them. Righteous rules lead to right living because we learn an important lesson: life doesn’t revolve around us. Implementing the Lord’s word into our lives teaches us to prioritize loving Him and others.

Many people debate the Lord’s precepts, but loving Him and others has no gray areas. No matter what we may feel toward someone, we must find a way to love them.  By implementing God’s righteous rules into our lives, we will find ways to love others.

For one thing, God judges people, not us.  Scripture clearly shows that He will decide on someone’s words and actions.  Secondly, where someone starts differs from where they end.  Christ gives us new life, transforming our lives one day at a time as we follow Him.  And thirdly, we only grow and mature when we do.  We must apply God’s word to our lives, doing it regularly, to experience the transformation that comes from it.

Embrace God’s righteous rules, which allow us to live fully for Him. Putting ourselves last, God and others first, leads to a joyful life filled with unexpected blessings. Try it; you just might like it.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us righteous rules that lead to right living.  Please help us embrace and do them, experiencing the abundant life of following You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

On our honeymoon, Ron and I rode our bikes to the movies.  Staying on Hilton Head Island, famous for its bike paths, we rode to the quaint theater in daylight, not thinking about the sun going down while we watched the movie.  However, with no bike lights or street lamps, the three-plus-mile ride back to our place quickly made us aware of our miscalculation.

Ron went first, holding his phone flashlight to light the path for us. I followed, doing the same.  Slowly but surely, we made it to our temporary home and created a lasting memory.

God’s word lights our path.  Sometimes, we can see as clearly as a bike ride in the sun.  But other times, the light barely breaks the darkness, only enough visibility to take the next step, or in our case, ride the next foot.  But you can count on scripture to light your way and give you direction.

Whatever area you struggle with today, find scripture that applies to it.  Within the 66 books of the Bible, God doesn’t leave anything out.  Following the book’s directions will teach you how to love God and others, and enjoy an abundant life filled with the Lord’s unexplainable peace.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for lighting our path and giving us direction.  Please help us follow You closely, allowing You to illuminate our way, and lead us where You want us to go.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Gaining understanding from obedience to the Lord’s precepts prompts more obedience.  As we apply God’s word to our lives, things unfold in miraculous ways that cause us to desire more.  Sweeter than honey, the Creator’s ways inspire transformation in us.

Scripture changes us from the inside out. Our outward actions change as we plant verses in our hearts, letting them take root and blossom. With the Lord’s help, we can change our selfish responses into Godly ones that encourage and uplift others rather than tear them down.

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” Prov. 11:25

God blesses us, and we let the blessings flow to others, creating a circle of life that keeps giving.  The more we follow the Lord’s precepts, the larger the circle grows, sweetening our souls.  Apply the Father’s commands to your life, and gain divine understanding as miraculous things happen in your life.

Nothing compares to living divinely.  Trusting and implementing God’s promises into your life will never cause regret.  In Him, we have everything to gain and nothing to lose. The Teacher educates us with grace and mercy, then shows us how to share it with others.  Through His precepts, we gain sweet understanding.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us sweet precepts to follow, bringing new life to us.  Please help us obey quickly and gain the understanding that comes from it, following You with our entire being.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

“Do you like chocolate?” My friend messaged as we planned our future lunch date.

“Absolutely!  Too much!” I responded.

At this point in life, I’ve learned the things that can derail me, physically and spiritually.  Learning and keeping God’s precepts helps me not overdo it in any one area:

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.”

1 Corinthians 6:12

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians talks about moderation.  Although Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law, that doesn’t mean we have a hall pass on living lawlessly.  God’s precepts protect us from ourselves and the evil desires we all battle.

Gluttony challenges me. I tend to overdo it, and keeping chocolate in my house sets me up for failure with my health goals. Therefore, I buy small amounts and don’t stock them, which helps me enjoy my favorite dessert in moderation.

Learn and apply the Lord’s precepts daily to keep your feet from evil. You will find freedom and renewal as you keep your steps on the straight and narrow path.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for Your precepts that help us avert evil desires and stay focused on You.  Please help us hold back our feet from temptation and win the battle of selfish desires.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

During my single years, I tried online dating. Using eHarmony, I didn’t have much luck. Anytime a connection got close to a meet, they would ghost me. At first, I let the dating game bring me down, but then I realized God protected me from the wrong mate. Years later, I can see His hand at work, but at the time, I couldn’t.

As I started to apply God’s precepts in my life, I realized that the Lord didn’t want us to get hurt, so He gave us laws to live by that protect us from ourselves and the actions of others.

For instance, if you study the Biblical diet of the Old Testament, you will find its nutritional value. Eliminating preservatives, food processes, and sugar from our diets won’t hurt anyone, but it will help them live healthier, fuller lives. Not having sex outside of marriage protects the heart from the pain of abuse and rejection. Living in moderation doesn’t let anything control our lives. On and on the list goes of the way the Lord puts guardrails in our lives to help us enjoy it to the fullest.

Keeping God’s precepts will illuminate His wisdom in your life. Meditating on the Lord’s ways helps us enjoy an abundant life under God’s wings.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for Your precepts, which protect us from ourselves and others. Please help us keep them to the fullest and enjoy the wisdom that comes from You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

“You have the Bible in your pocket.”

The words came from a video on Facebook when I did a quick scroll. A new friend posts videos and photos regularly of his faith journey. Having had a rugged start to life, his salvation during his teen years started his evangelistic journey. Forgiven much, he loves much.

We do carry the Bible in our pocket. The Youversion app costs nothing but gives everything. At any moment, you can draw from the Bible’s wisdom and let it guide and direct your life. Meditating on God’s word becomes easier when you always have it with you.

During Biblical times, religious leaders wore little boxes on their arms that carried specific scriptures written on scrolls. Now, we have a smaller device containing the entire 66 books, with an easy-to-navigate system allowing us to access what we need when needed.

Applying God’s word to our lives does make us wiser. We avoid worldly pitfalls and stay focused on the truth of the Savior.  Meditating on Biblical precepts gives us discernment.  Instead of falling for the fake news and partial stories we see online, we recognize the emotional manipulation and can let logic take the lead as we search for truth.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us easy access to Your word and helping us to live wisely.  Please help us quickly find what we need, when we need it.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Freedom comes through Christ as we receive His forgiveness and experience new life. No longer bound by our past, we can live differently, making choices based on God’s word instead of our limited perspective.  Though enemies may attack, they will not win, because Jesus protects us from their ploys.

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Psalm 118:6

When Jesus overcame death with His resurrection, giving us eternal life, we no longer need to fear it.  Glory awaits us when we take our last breath, today’s trials gone forever as we bask in the light of the Son.

Don’t let the emotion of an attack cause you to lose sight of the Savior.  Lies can easily distract us from God’s truth.  Stay focused on Jesus, look to Him for guidance by following His example.   Christ faced every persecution, even more than we will endure, and He did it all with love and grace.  Evil doesn’t stand a chance with the Savior.

Enjoy the freedom that comes with Jesus.  Place your faith in Him, learn His ways, and experience the peace that surpasses all understanding, no matter what the enemy tries to do.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us new life in Christ that comes with freedom.  Please help us live fully for Jesus, trusting His promises, and not allowing the enemy to get a foothold.

IJNIP. Amen