Tag: Devotional

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Find True Joy

Psalms 16:11 NIV

[11] You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

I started selling on a new site and I’ve been pretty successful on it, so far. My first weekend I had 17 or so packages to go out. Now, this is the most packages I’ve ever had to send out at once. It was pretty cool. The mail lady was like “Wait. What?” Made me feel pretty proud of myself. But I never had that many again. The next pick up was only 5. The mail lady noticed and said something along the lines of “Huh… thought it’d be more…” Now I’ve noticed a bit of a look when I bring out my packages and it started to get to me.

See, that first weekend had a lot of packages but there wasn’t as many sales as the smaller packages. Those items were too large to pack together so they each needed individual boxes. I didn’t even make money on those several large boxes of items I lost money on them. But because it looked good on the outside it seemed like I was going backwards. But it was quite the opposite.

I ended up selling out of all of my inventory in just 5 days. The items were small so several items could fit in one box. My box count went down but my sales and profits both skyrocketed. The crazy part is that the subtle looks that I was getting actually started to discourage me. Then it hit me. My pride was hurt.

I was getting a good amount of sales both online and local pickups, but because the box count went down I was feeling defeated.

When we focus on what boosts our pride instead of how much we’ve been blessed by God, we begin to lose our joy. The LORD is our source of joy not random encounters with strangers, not how much we make, not how well we’re doing financially. God is our one and only source of joy. The moment we allow anything but God to be our source of joy is the moment we lose joy all together and trade it in for happiness.

Happiness is based on our emotions, feelings, surroundings, environment, other people, but joy that is based on the LORD. That isn’t shaken when it’s rooted in Him. That isn’t shaken when we build on the Rock.

When little things that are truly insignificant in the grand scheme of things bring you down, ask yourself “in whom or in what do I find my joy?”

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Find True Joy.

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Go Through The Word

1 Samuel 3:7 NIV
[7] Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

It says, Samuel did not yet know the LORD because the Word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. Did you catch that? In order to get to the LORD, you have to first receive the Word. The Word of the LORD was, is, and always will be Jesus (John 1). Even in the Old Testament before the new covenant the Son was the gateway to the LORD God. The Son was the gateway to the Trinity.

Jesus doesn’t just say He is the door for no reason. He doesn’t just claim to be the way to the Father just to do it. Jesus, the Word, has, is, and always will be the only path to eternal life. It’s the Word that changes us and therefore, it’s the Word that ushers us into the presence of the LORD. It’s what gives us an audience with God Almighty.

If you’re struggling to feel the presence of the LORD or see Him affect and change your life, start in His Word. Get to know who He is and what He has for you. Get to know His likes and dislikes. His characteristics. Get to know Him, just as you get to know a new friend, and watch your life change.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Go Through The Word.

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Fight To Be Humble

Luke 18:9-14 NIV

[9] To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: [10] “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ [13]  “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ [14]  “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

A proud heart won’t pray sincerely. But the poor in spirit pray like the tax collector in Luke 18:13: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” That man, Jesus said, went home justified. Why? Because humility always gets heaven’s attention.

God always elevates the humble, but he humbles the proud. When God elevates us, it isn’t always physically in front of others so that they can see. Sometimes it’s spiritually. Sometimes it’s not in this life. God however, is always faithful. God doesn’t forget us.

Therefore, don’t think more of yourself than you ought. Never think yourself better than others. In this world pride will try to keep us from what God has in store for us, but if we remain humble, completely and entirely submitting ourselves to Him, then He is faithful to reward us with greater things than we could ever hope or imagine.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fight To Be Humble. 

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Live Humbly

Matthew 5:3 NIV

[3]  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus made the kingdom of heaven is accessible now through faith in Him as the ultimate sacrifice (1 Corinthians 5:7-8), and then will be fully realized when He returns to make all things new.

Therefore, we don’t have to wait for the physical manifestation of God’s kingdom of heaven to enjoy its royal decrees and privileges, such as:

  • No weapon formed against us will prosper, and we will refute every tongue that accuses us (Isaiah 54:17)
  • By His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24)
  • He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6; Heb 13:5)
  • We will renew our strength and we soar on eagles’ wings (Isaiah 40:31)

But here is the thing, Jesus only promises this kingdom to the “poor in spirit”—those who humbly acknowledge their need for God’s grace by fully submitting to His authority, as I described with the Greek term ptōchos meaning to bow down timidly and the Hebrew concept of “afflicting” one’s soul (ʿānâ with ně·p̄ěš) (Leviticus 16:29-30).

Matthew 5:3 is a promise to those who live humbly, seeking God’s forgiveness, as foreshadowed in the Day of Atonement when the high priest made atonement for Israel’s sins.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Live Humbly.

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Follow His Voice

John 10:4-5 ESV
[4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. [5] A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

I always knew this verse, but never really understood how it was possible. Jesus tells us that His sheep know His voice and will not follow a stranger but will flee from a stranger. I never really understood until the other day, and then it clicked in my head. My mom was upstairs calling my dog, who was downstairs. She called and called and called, but my dog refused to come, so I got up, walked to where my mom was and called my dog. I immediately heard footsteps and saw her fluffy tail bouncing up the stairs.

A little while later my dad and I were talking about the situation, and he told me that when she heard her name called she would stop listen then keep walking. She did that until she heard my voice. Then she stopped immediately, turned around, and ran up the stairs.

See, even though my dog knows my mom’s voice, because she isn’t her leader (if you will) she refused to listen. She just kept going. Now, when she’s in the mood to listen (she’s a husky… need I say more…) she’ll listen to my mom, but when she’s not in the mood to listen or she doesn’t feel like obeying she’ll ignore anyone who isn’t me. Why? Because I’m her leader.

When we half-heartedly follow Jesus, when He calls to us our flesh will take over and we’ll keep doing whatever it is we want. Our spiritman that keeps us in check will be overpowered by the flesh and we won’t follow His instruction. But when we wholeheartedly follow Christ, we feel every tug, hear every whisper, and see every sign. We follow the path set before us.

Our relationship with God is determined by how much time we spend with Him. Do you spend time in prayer? Fasting? Worship? Reading and studying your Bible? Do you spend time with the LORD? The first thing my dog hears in the morning is my voice. The last thing she hears at night is my voice. Can you say the same about God? Do you make sure He’s the first and last of your day?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Follow His Voice.

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Live Poor In Spirit

Matthew 5:3 NIV

[3]  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus promised the Kingdom of Heaven to the poor in Spirit. How does one become poor in spirit? By praying, fasting, and seeking God’s kingdom with a heart that’s fully surrendered—referred to as “crucifying” selfish desires, as Paul says in Galatians 5:24—those who are “poor in spirit” are promised a life connected to God now and forever.

This means living daily with the humility to admit our need for Jesus, who died and rose again to forgive our sins, and trusting Him as our LORD and Savior.

Those who live this way, seeking God’s kingdom with a sincere and repentant heart, receive the promise of the “kingdom of heaven,” a life filled with God’s presence now, along with all the privileges that it comes with, as well as the hope of eternity with Him in a perfect, future world.

Peace.  Love. Go Forth and Live Poor In Spirit. 

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Show Your Thankfulness

Romans 5:8 (ESV)

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

There is nothing that we can do to cause God to love us more. He loved us so very much that He gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice so that we might be saved.

As Charles Finney taught, God’s love and grace are gifts that are not earned, but they demand a response of faith and obedience, aligning with the humility of being “poor in spirit” and Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17-19).

Therefore, show God how grateful and thankful you are for His love, mercy, and grace by honoring Him with your actions. By loving by the law of Christ: loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and loving your neighbor as yourself.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Show Your Thankfulness.

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Beware The Easy Path

Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

[13]  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. [14] But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

I recently went back and watched the Land Before Time movie series for the first time in over 20 years. It had been so long, it was like I was watching it for the first time. And as I watched I realized that the teachings of the Bible will always be seen in everything, whether we want them or not. For instance, these kids got separated from their parents and had to make a long journey by themselves to the meeting place.

So, as they’re going along they reach a split in the journey, if you will. One tells them they have to go one way the other says to go another way. Why the disagreement? Because the one leading was taking them through a path the rest deemed too difficult when there was a perfectly good easy path next to it. Why did he choose that path? Because that was the way his mother had told him to go.

So, what happens? They split from the leader and follow another one down the easy path. The issue? It leads them to tar. To lava. To unforeseen dangers. The path the leader was taking them was rougher. It would take more work and effort but it was the safest way. It was the most reliable. The best way to go.

The life God has called us to isn’t an easy one. It’s a rough one. It’s one of denying our flesh. Picking up our cross and carrying it. It’s one of rejection from the world. Sometimes, it’s even lonely. But it’s the only path to Christ. It’s the only path to salvation. No it Isn’t easy, but won’t lead you to destruction.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Beware The Easy Path.

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Put Your Faith In God Alone

1 Kings 19:1–4 (ESV)
1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.”
3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

Elijah just had a huge victory. He took down almost 1000 prophets of Baal by himself. There were no other prophets of God with him. Just him one was there. He, in the strength and power of God, defeated them. Then when Jezebel finds out, she threatens his life and fear takes a hold of Elijah. It grips his heart. It holds him captive and chases him into isolation like a lioness separating the wounded gazelle.

So, what does Elijah do? He prays that the LORD would take his life. I believe he prayed that God would take his life so that he wouldn’t fall into the hands of Jezebel because she was wicked. He would rather the LORD take his life than Jezebel.

Often times, fear will convince you it’s better to give up than to even try. It’s better to die than to fight. Fear will grip your heart and refuse to let go. And many times, fear comes when you’ve just overcome. Why? Because it needs to stop you from achieving your goal. From fulfilling all God has for you. It has to stop you, so it will do anything to freeze you where you are. It’ll make you forget the great victory you had so that you never truly go forward but are always one step forward and two steps backward.

Our only option is to turn our focus to God. We have to put our faith and trust in the LORD God so that we might overcome through Him. Because fear is a liar. He cannot overcome us if we refuse to believe him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Put Your Faith In God. 

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Roots Before Fruit

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught. ~ Colossians 2:7 (NLT)

Many of us want results, but we don’t want to take the time to let our roots grow deep in Christ. Why? Because of laziness. We are spiritually lazy. Our flesh often controls us, and because of that, our spirit man suffers.

Root growth takes discipline. It means we sacrifice our time for quiet time in the Word and with God. It means prayer when it feels dry, and obedience when it’s inconvenient. Why? Because without deep roots, there will be no lasting fruit. Spiritual growth isn’t about hype or emotion. It’s not about just showing up on Sunday. It’s about digging down when no one sees. If we want to be strong in faith, we have to stop feeding the flesh and start feeding the spirit.

We have to wake up our spiritman and crucify our flesh. We have to awaken from our spiritual slumber that has kept us from growing deep enough roots that our fruit bearing trees will withstand the storms. We have to be spiritually awake.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Nurture Your Roots.

 

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