Tag: Devotionals

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A Mother’s Sacrifice

Exodus 2:1-3 NIV

[1] Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, [2] and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. [3] But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

Moses was born in Egypt under the rule of a pharaoh who wanted all of his people destroyed. Not necessarily extinct, but destroyed so that they would never raise up and see their true potential. So, he had all the male children born to the Hebrews (the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) thrown into the Nile River. Moses’ mother didn’t just comply with Pharaoh’s orders; she hid him. She risked it all for the sake of her child.

This is the heart of a mother. Someone who sacrifices herself for the safety of her child. In today’s world, we’ve lost sight of this. We’ve become self-absorbed and selfish. Instead of sacrificing ourselves for our children, we sacrifice our children for ourselves, our careers, relationships, and even just our bodies.

If Jochebed (Moses’ mother) had allowed fear to overcome her, she would have allowed Pharaoh to murder the hope of all of her people, including herself and her other two children. As mothers, we are the first influence our child has. From the womb, they feed off of our emotions and food we eat. When they’re born, they feed off of their mother’s milk and bond even further.

If the enemy can destroy and/or sever a mother’s love and bond with her child, then he can destroy the people of God just as Pharaoh attempted to do all those millennia ago.

Dear LORD, thank You for giving us mothers. Thank You for allowing us to have a bond on this earth that faces us a glimpse into the bond we will one day have with You. Please continue to raise up mothers who will love and protect their children. Please heal and mend any broken heart, wound, or hurt soul that has been either mistreated or abandoned by their mother. Please heal our land and forgive our sin. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Act In Faith

Ruth 4:18-22 NIV

[18] This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, [19] Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, [20] Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, [21] Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, [22] Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

I often see people trying to argue that the Messiah’s bloodline was perfect and pure, but that’s far from the truth. His line consisted of adulterers, murderers, liars, and even prostitutes. There are only four mothers named in Jesus’ genealogy: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Mary (Matthew 1:1-16).

Rahab even made it into the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. Now, I want you to understand that Rahab wasn’t a Jew. She was a Canaanite from the city of Jericho. Not only was she a gentile, she was also a prostitute. These would have been pretty damning traits, but one act of faith in Jericho that night not only redeemed her and her entire family but gave her a line in the ancestry of the messiah.

You may be an enemy of God living in sin that you think is too great to be forgiven, but God is calling you to Himself. His desire is that none should perish, but all come to everlasting life (2 Peter 3:9). If God could use a prostitute who wasn’t just a gentile but was a gentile God said would be expelled from the land because of their great sin and idolatry to be an ancestor of King David and the Messiah then He can use you as well. It’s never too late for God to use anyone. All that is necessary is the act of faith: repentance and confession in Christ Jesus, our LORD and Savior.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Act In Faith. 

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Build Eternal

1 In early autumn, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled in Jerusalem with a unified purpose. 2 Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak joined his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family in rebuilding the altar of the God of Israel. They wanted to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the Law of Moses, the man of God. 3 Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the Lord each morning and evening. ~ Ezra 3:1-3NLT

The Temple was destroyed and the land laid waste in 586 BC. It stayed that way until King Cyrus the Great of Persia liberated them in 538 BC in his first year of reign after defeating the Babylonian Empire. Seventy years the Jews had spent in exile, living in a foreign land not their own, serving a pagan king.

After King Cyrus’ proclamation, a group of over 42,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest. Despite the mandate that King Cyrus had given the Jews living in all his kingdom to rebuild the Temple, they had not begun any work on the Temple thus far. Now, it may have been King Cyrus’ proclamation, but it was God’s mandate. The LORD God had mandated that the time had indeed come to rebuild His house. They had the finances. They had the skill. They had the help. They even had the Temple vessels for worship, because Cyrus had given them back. But still, no one was doing anything about it, including Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest.

They were all too busy building their own homes. Planting their own vineyards. Starting and running their own businesses. They had gotten caught up ‘in life.’ Yes, they had rebuilt the altar and were sacrificing on it. Yes, they were even celebrating the Feast of Booths in the seventh month, but the Temple … not so much. It hadn’t even been started.

Why? One word: Fear. Fear had gripped their hearts. Fear had stayed their hands. Fear kept them quiet. Fear stopped God’s work. The same is true with us today.

Why do we not witness? Because of fear of persecution. Why are we silent about issues that the Church should be involved in? Because of fear. Why do we not speak up about the insanity of so many different genders, although we know that it is not of God? We don’t speak up because of fear.

Although we know that the Scripture says that those who do such things will be condemned, still fear keeps our mouths shut. Listen, God said that He made man in His own image, male and female He created them, therefore, there is no other choice, it’s either male or female that is it, nothing else. You are either a man or you are a woman. You cannot be both, and you cannot change from one to the other, or to anything else for that matter. What you have is what you are.

It’s not about your feelings, it’s about the Creator and Judge of the whole earth, and He’s coming back soon. And it’s His laws that we will be judged by, not man’s. So, fearlessly build His Kingdom regardless of what mankind has to say. God’s Kingdom is the only Kingdom that will remain forever and ever; therefore, focus on the eternal and not the temporal.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Build Eternal.

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Waiting On God’s Perfect Timing

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… He has made everything beautiful in its time” NIV (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11).

Life often feels like a race against time. We set goals, make plans, and expect results on our schedule. But God’s timing is not always our timing. Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a season for everything, and God makes everything beautiful in His time. Trusting God’s timing requires patience, faith, and surrender, but it leads to outcomes far greater than we could imagine.

Consider the story of Abraham and Sarah. God promised them a son, but years passed with no child. They were old, and hope seemed lost. In their impatience, they tried to fulfill God’s promise their way—through Hagar, Sarah’s servant—resulting in Ishmael’s birth and family strife (Genesis 16). Yet God’s promise was not forgotten. At the appointed time, when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90, Isaac, the child of promise, was born (Genesis 21:1-3). God’s timing was perfect, fulfilling His plan not only for Abraham’s family but for generations to come, as Isaac became part of the lineage leading to Jesus.

Like Abraham and Sarah, we often struggle to wait on God. We may pray for a job, a spouse, healing, or a breakthrough, only to feel like God is silent. In those moments, doubt creeps in: Does God hear me? Has He forgotten me? But Scripture assures us that God is never late. His delays are not denials but opportunities to grow in faith and dependence on Him.

Waiting on God is not passive; it’s active trust. It’s choosing to pray instead of worry, to obey even when the path is unclear, and to rest in God’s goodness. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Waiting strengthens our spiritual muscles, teaching us perseverance and deepening our reliance on God’s wisdom over our own.

A young woman named Emily dreamed of becoming a missionary. She applied to several organizations, but doors kept closing. Discouraged, she took a job teaching at a local school, feeling like her calling was on hold. Over time, she built relationships with her students, sharing her faith in small ways. One day, a student approached her, saying, “Because of you, I started reading the Bible, and I gave my life to Christ.” Emily realized God had placed her exactly where she needed to be. Years later, she did go overseas as a missionary, but she saw that God’s “delay” was preparation, equipping her with skills and maturity for the mission field. God’s timing was perfect, aligning her heart with His purpose.

Why is waiting so hard? Our culture prizes instant gratification, and trusting an unseen God feels counterintuitive. Yet God’s timing is rooted in His omniscience—He sees the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). He knows when we’re ready, when others are ready, and when circumstances align for His glory. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. His plans are higher, and His timing is flawless.

So, how do we wait well? First, stay in God’s Word. Scripture anchors us in truth, reminding us of God’s faithfulness (Joshua 23:14). Second, pray continually. Prayer aligns our hearts with God’s will (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Third, reflect on past faithfulness. Recall times God came through—your “Ebenezer stones” (1 Samuel 7:12)—to fuel hope for the future. Finally, serve where you are. Like Emily, use the waiting season to bless others, trusting that God is at work.

As you face your own waiting season, remember that God is not slow in keeping His promises (2 Peter 3:9). He is weaving a story far greater than you can see. Just as spring follows winter, God’s answers come in their season, beautiful and right on time. Trust Him, rest in His love, and let His peace guard your heart (Philippians 4:7).

Father, thank You that I can trust and depend on Your word, and that not one of Your good promises will ever fail me. Teach me how to depend and trust in You, in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Take One Step In Faith

And as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam…” NKJV (Joshua 3:15–16).

The Israelites stood at the Jordan River, its waters raging at flood stage, giants lurking in the promised land beyond. After 40 years of wandering, the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey was within reach—but the river blocked their path. God’s command was clear: “Step into the water” (Joshua 3:8). The priests, carrying the ark of God’s presence, didn’t wait for the river to part or the waters to calm. They acted in “ho pistis,” the faith that trusts God to move despite impossible odds. When their feet touched the flood, God stopped the waters miles away at a town called Adam, opening a path on dry ground to the promise (Joshua 3:16–17).

Imagine Mark, a single father, staring at a job application for a role that could transform his family’s future. Fear whispers, You’re not qualified. You’ll fail. Like the Israelites at the Jordan River, its waters raging at flood stage with giants lurking just beyond, Mark faces a barrier. God’s command to the priests was: “Step out into the water” (Joshua 3:8). Carrying the ark of God’s presence, they didn’t wait for the river to part. They acted trusting God against impossible odds, and God came through for them. As soon as their feet touched the water, it was God’s turn to act, and He did by opening a dry path to their promise (Joshua 3:16–17).

What’s your Jordan? A fear that paralyzes you? A calling you’ve delayed? A relationship needing forgiveness? Spiritual laziness tempts you to stay on the bank, waiting for perfect conditions or a guaranteed outcome. But “ho pistis” isn’t passive belief—it’s a deep trust that exercises faith to make the waters stop. You don’t need to wade in deep or have all the answers. Like the priests, you just need to take one step, carrying the Holy Spirit’s presence. Your step invites God’s power to do the impossible, bringing “sōzō”—His healing, deliverance, and salvation (Matthew 9:22).

The priests’ faith wasn’t reckless; it was rooted in God’s promise and presence. You carry the same Spirit who stopped the Jordan, who empowered Jesus’s miracles (Acts 1:8). What’s holding you back? Doubt whispering failure? Comfort keeping you stuck? Stop making excuses—God’s word is sure: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:2). The Jordan didn’t part until the priests acted. Your miracle won’t come until you move. Today, reject timidity and exercise your faith like a muscle. Name your Jordan, trust the Holy Spirit, and take one bold step. God is already working, stopping your waters before you see it.

Father, thank You that You always go ahead of me in every circumstance and in every situation. Thank You that You always work everything to my good. I want to praise You and thank You for being a good, good Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Prepare To Step Out

You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, “When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan” NKJV (Joshua 3:8).

The Israelites faced a raging Jordan River, swollen at flood stage, with giants waiting in the promised land. God’s command to the priests was daunting: step into the water’s edge, carrying the ark of His presence (Joshua 3:8). Joshua didn’t flinch—he boldly proclaimed that when the priests’ feet touched the river, the waters would stop and pile up (Joshua 3:13). This wasn’t reckless courage; it was preparation rooted in “ho pistis,” the faith that acts on God’s word. The priests didn’t just hope for a miracle. They readied their hearts, surrendered their fear, and stood poised to move, trusting the LORD of all the earth to lead them.

Now,  picture a young woman named Sarah, standing at the edge of a turbulent river, her heart pounding. She’s been called to lead a ministry, but doubts flood her mind: What if I fail? What if no one listens? The water churns before her, much like the Jordan River at flood stage, which the Israelites faced with giants waiting beyond. God’s command to the priests was daunting: step into the water’s edge, carrying the ark of His presence (Joshua 3:8). Joshua didn’t waver—he boldly proclaimed that when the priests’ feet touched the river, the waters would stop and pile up (Joshua 3:13). This wasn’t reckless courage but “ho pistis,” the faith that acts on God’s word. The priests didn’t merely hope for a miracle; they readied their hearts, surrendered their fear, and stood poised to move, trusting the LORD of all the earth.

Like Sarah, what’s keeping you from stepping out? Fear of failure? A need for certainty? A comfortable routine? God doesn’t call you to linger on the bank, spoon-fed and timid, waiting for calm waters. Spiritual laziness—clinging to doubt or delay—robs you of His promises. The priests carried the ark, a symbol of God’s presence; you carry the Holy Spirit, the same power that stopped the Jordan and raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11). Joshua’s proclamation wasn’t guesswork but faith speaking God’s truth before the manifestation of the miracle (2 Corinthians 4:13).

Imagine Sarah again, clutching her Bible, whispering a prayer for courage. She steps forward, trembling, and shares her vision with her church. The doubts don’t vanish, but as she speaks, hearts stir, and a team forms around her. The “waters” of fear part, not because she’s fearless, but because she trusts God’s promise. Your Jordan might be a conversation you’ve avoided, a ministry you’ve delayed, or a sin you need to confess. Preparation means rejecting excuses and casting aside procrastination. The priests faced a flood yet trusted God’s command over their own eyes. God goes before you, declaring, “I will go before you and level the exalted places” (Isaiah 45:2).

Today, prepare your heart—surrender your fear, pray for boldness, and proclaim God’s promise. Like Sarah and the priests, stand at the edge of His call, ready to act and make the waters stop.

Heavenly Father, I pray for boldness and for confidence. I pray that the faith would stir deep inside me and come flowing out like a mighty river of praise, in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

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Trust God’s Promise

And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the Ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap. ~ Joshua 3:13 NKJV

For nearly 500 years, God’s promise of a land flowing with milk and honey burned in the Israelites’ hearts, a hope passed from Abraham right down to a nation wandering in the desert. Now, they stood at the Jordan River, its waters raging at flood stage, with giants lurking in the land beyond. The promise seemed impossible—how could they cross a flooded river or face such enemies? Yet God spoke through Joshua: when the priests, carrying the ark of His presence, step into the water, the river will stop (Joshua 3:13). This wasn’t blind hope or wishful thinking. It was “ho pistis,” the faith that trusts God’s word over raging waters and towering obstacles. 

What promise has God given you? A calling to serve? Healing for a broken body or a broken heart? Restoration of a relationship or a dream? Like the Israelites, you face your own Jordans—fear that paralyzes, doubt that whispers failure, or circumstances that loom like giants. Spiritual laziness tempts you to shrug off God’s word, to stay safe on the riverbank, craving certainty before you move. But “ho pistis” isn’t passive—it’s a deep trust that believes God will do the impossible. The priests didn’t see the waters part first; they trusted God’s promise to part the waters, knowing His presence led the way. 

God’s word is sure. He promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5), and “I will go before you and level the exalted places” (Isaiah 45:2). Your Jordans don’t intimidate Him. Stop wavering—don’t let doubt or comfort keep you stuck. Trusting God means anchoring your heart to His promises, even when the waters rage. The Israelites’ 40 years of wandering ended when they believed God enough to prepare for action. Today, reject timidity. Name the promise God has spoken, whether through scripture or His Spirit, and hold fast. He’s already moving, ready to stop your Jordan before you see the waters part. Trust Him, and get ready to step out.

So, go on, believe God’s Word despite the raging waters around you or the giants that stand in your way.

Father, thank You for Your great promises. Thank You that not one fails. Thank You for always going ahead of me to clear the way and smooth the rough paths. Please, increase my faith that I might believe You for greater and mightier things. Help me always to remember that You lead the way and that You will never leave me nor forsake me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Embrace His Joy

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ~ Hebrews 12:1-2NIV

Paul tells us that Jesus endured the cross and all that came with it for the joy set before Him. What was the glory set before Him? I never really used to think about it. Before, I always kind of wrote it off as His throne, Glory, title, Heaven, etc. but then the other day, it randomly hit me out of nowhere. Jesus didn’t need to endure the cross for those things. He already had all of those things prior to the cross prior to creation. In fact, He set those things aside for the cross. So, what was that joy set before Jesus that kept Him going and gave Him the willpower to endure the cross? Us. We were the joy set before Him.

Jesus got off of His throne, set aside this Godliness, and willingly endured pain, share, mockery, hatred, refection, and every form of disrespect for us. We were once separated from God. In fact, we were once enemies of God doomed to an eternity apart from Him, but Christ showed His love for us by enduring the cross.

Whenever you feel unloved, rejected, alone, and unwanted, remember Jesus endured the cross for you. He endured the shame, ridicule, and mockery for you. He could have easily taken Himself off of the cross. He could have easily shown them who He is. He could’ve shed that weak, broken, hurting, aching human body and picked back up His Godliness at any moment in time, but He didn’t. One reason and one reason alone, you. You are His joy, and He is ours. The joy of the LORD is our strength. The joy of the LORD is you. He endured everything for you, so lean on that strength, and encourage yourself in the knowledge that the LORD loves for you and will do anything to protect you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Embrace His Joy.

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Keep The Faith Pure

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as LORD, continue to live your lives in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through your faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. ~ Colossians 2:6-12

In this passage, Paul urges all believers to stay firmly rooted in their faith in Christ, encouraging them to grow in Him and overflow with gratitude, while cautioning against deceptive philosophies grounded in human traditions rather than in Christ’s truth. Like preaching that Jesus was out of order 85% of the time. Or preaching a message of racism and bigotry.

He highlights that Christ embodies the fullness of deity in human form, meaning that all the attributes, power, and essence of God—His wisdom, authority, and divine nature—are perfectly and completely present in Jesus, even as He walked the earth as a man, bridging the divine and human in a way that reveals God fully to us.

We reject any religion that displaces Jesus from His rightful place as the second member of the Godhead. Likewise, we do not embrace any belief system—even one professing to be Christian—that diminishes Jesus’ divine role as Creator God to merely a human figure, or that elevates His earthly mother or His followers to the status of deity.

We keep our religion pure by not being polluted by the philosophies of this world, as James advised us to do (James 1:27). Paul goes on to use vivid imagery like spiritual circumcision and baptism to show how faith in Christ transforms believers, stripping away our sinful nature and uniting us with His death and resurrection, securing victory over sin and death through His supreme authority over all powers.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Keep The Faith Pure.

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Live A Strong Testimony

3 And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know Him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: 6 whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked. ~ 1 John 2:3-6

Paul explained to Titus that people can claim to know Jesus, but yet deny Him with their works, or with their actions. Actions do indeed speak louder than words. Just like you witness with more than just words, you deny God with more than just words.

Paul had some choice words for those kinds of Christians. He called them insubordinate, empty talkers, deceivers, liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons, detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work. In verse 11, he writes plainly that these kinds of lying teachers must be silenced, because they were upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

That was Paul’s own words. And you know what? We still have the same kind of preachers doing the same things today. They preach for shameful gain. Others… preach to spread a false narrative, throwing whole communities… not just families, but whole communities into confusion by preaching a lie, and thus, leading countless many astray.

They preach a lifestyle that is contrary to the Word of God. And the work that they were called to do, they won’t do. That is to keep His commandments and make disciples, teaching them to obey all that He taught us to obey (Matthew 28:20). There is no alternative lifestyle for the Christian. We will be judged on what is in the Bible, and not on what man deems is right or wrong.

Look, real love does not deceive, but rather, real love tells you the truth even if it hurts. I know that you’ve been taught that if someone does not confirm your actions, or your lifestyle, they obviously hate you, or at the least, they do not like you. And that person, or persons who tell you the truth, are judged to have a phobia. But nothing can be further from the truth.

True love corrects with love, respect, patience, and hope. True love will never watch as another soul walks towards destruction and never once open their mouth to point them to Christ. As Christians, our testimony isn’t just what we say. Our testimony is how we live our lives. Therefore, live your life in a way that when you tell others about Jesus or correct them in their sin, they will know it is from a true place of love and not one of hatred or hostility.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Live A Strong Testimony.

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