Now [in Haran] the LORD had said to Abram, “Go away from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you. — Genesis 12:1

The Bible tells of a man named Abram who trusted God in spite of his own personal fear.

How would you feel if God told you to leave your home, your family and everything that is familiar and comfortable and head out to an unknown destination? Full of fear? That’s exactly what God told Abram to do—and it frightened him. But God’s words to him were “Fear not.”

Many times we think we should wait to do something until we are no longer afraid, but if we did that, we’d probably accomplish very little for God, for others, or even for ourselves. Abram had to step out in faith and obedience to God, despite his fear.

If Abram had bowed his knee to fear, he never would have fulfilled his destiny to become all God created him to be—the father of many nations.

Giving in to fear alters God’s best plan for your life, so do what He wants you to do…even if you have to do it afraid! Like Abram, you’ll find that the rewards are great.

Prayer Starter: God, You were faithful to Abram when he obeyed You in spite of fear, so I also decide to resist fear and do whatever You tell me to do.

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But love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; for your reward will be great (rich, abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High; because He Himself is kind and gracious and good to the ungrateful and the wicked. — Luke 6:35

A few years ago someone told me about a person who was doing business with our ministry and making a good deal of money because of their relationship with us. My friend happened to be at the same restaurant, seated in the next booth, and overheard their conversation, which just happened to be about me—and they weren’t saying good things either.

At first I got mad and just wanted to tell him that he was never getting our business again. But that night, the Holy Spirit said to me, “You’re not going to do any of those things.” He said, “No, you’re going to do what you teach. You’re going to go buy him a present, and you’re going to tell him how much you appreciate the services that he’s given you all these years.”

It wasn’t easy, but God gave me the grace to obey His direction and be a blessing to this man.

What I remember most about the situation is that as soon as I started taking action to do something good for him, I actually had fun doing it.

When we can look at people who’ve hurt us with compassion, there’s a party that goes on inside of us because of how God’s joy fills our soul.

So who can you forgive and do something nice for today? Practice forgiveness and follow the path that leads to real peace and joy!

Prayer Starter: God, I need Your grace to obey Your Word and do good to those who have hurt me. I know that as I forgive and bless them, You will reward me with peace and joy in my soul.

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Jesus said to him, “Get up; pick up your pallet and walk.” — John 5:8

In John 5, there’s a story about a man who I believe represents a lot of people who refuse to change.

During a Jewish feast in Jerusalem, Jesus visited the Bethesda pool where sick people gathered, hoping to get healed. One of the people waiting to get healed was a man who had been crippled for 38 years. When Jesus saw him, He asked if he wanted to be healed.

To me, the man’s answer tells us why he hadn’t been healed in 38 years. He said, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.” Bottom line, the man was avoiding responsibility.

His second problem was that he blamed others. The man said, “While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

How did Jesus respond? He didn’t feel sorry for him. Instead, Jesus said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

For change to happen in your life, you can’t be a prisoner of your circumstances. Know that God is willing to help you today. You just have to decide to trust Him, get up, and actively pursue the freedom He’s giving you.

Prayer Starter: God, I don’t want to be a victim of my circumstances. I want to change. I receive Your strength and Your freedom today. I believe real change will happen in my life as I walk with You.

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He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]. — 2 Corinthians 5:21

Daily Devo In John 5, there’s a story about a man who I believe represents a lot of people who refuse to change.

During a Jewish feast in Jerusalem, Jesus visited the Bethesda pool where sick people gathered, hoping to get healed. One of the people waiting to get healed was a man who had been crippled for 38 years. When Jesus saw him, He asked if he wanted to be healed.

To me, the man’s answer tells us why he hadn’t been healed in 38 years. He said, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.” Bottom line, the man was avoiding responsibility.

His second problem was that he blamed others. The man said, “While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

How did Jesus respond? He didn’t feel sorry for him. Instead, Jesus said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

For change to happen in your life, you can’t be a prisoner of your circumstances. Know that God is willing to help you today. You just have to decide to trust Him, get up, and actively pursue the freedom He’s giving you.

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For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it, Because it will certainly come; it will not delay. — Habakkuk 2:3

Are you waiting for the desires of your heart to begin to manifest? Are you praying for freedom from fear or other things that are holding you back so you can see your dreams come to pass? Are you waiting and praying for the salvation of friends and family? Are you trusting God for provision, favor, promotion, honor, and all the blessings found in His Word?

Are you tired of waiting for answers to your prayers? If you’re frustrated, wondering, “When, God, when?” then it’s important for you to know that God’s timing is often a mystery. He doesn’t do things on our timetable. Yet His Word promises that He will not be late, not one single day.

God causes things to happen at exactly the right time! Your job is not to figure out when, but to make up your mind that you won’t give up until you cross the finish line and are living in the radical, outrageous blessings of God! The more you trust Jesus and keep your eyes focused on Him, the more life you’ll have. Trusting God brings life. Believing brings rest. So stop trying to figure everything out, and let God be God in your life.

Prayer Starter: God, I know Your timing is perfect, even when I grow tired of waiting. Help me to trust in You and rest in Your plan for me.

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For I made the decision to know nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection]. — 1 Corinthians 2:2

Many Christians suffer because they’re too busy seeking carnal knowledge instead of the Word of God. The Lord Himself said, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… (Hosea 4:6).

Paul was an educated man, with a wealth of carnal knowledge. He thought himself better than others and even sought to kill Christians. Thankfully, God had other plans for him and revealed Himself to Paul in a way that changed his life forever.

When Paul realized that seeking carnal knowledge didn’t compare to the importance of spiritual knowledge, he decided to only pursue that instead.

Like Paul, we need to realize the importance of learning spiritual things. Instead of seeking worldly things and filling our heads with things that don’t matter, we need to read, study, meditate on and fill our minds with God’s Word.

I can tell you from experience that knowing God’s Word will change your life. It turned Paul into one of the greatest Christians who ever lived, and it can transform you and lead you into your amazing destiny in Christ.

I encourage you today to seek out the spiritual knowledge found in God’s Word. More of God’s Word in your heart and your mind will help you find what you’re really looking for.

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Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. — Romans 12:1

In 2 Corinthians 8, when Paul was talking to the Corinthian believers about their giving, he gave them the example of the churches in Macedonia. He said in verse 5, Nor [was this gift of theirs merely the contribution] that we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His agents] by the will of God [entirely disregarding their personal interests, they gave as much as they possibly could, having put themselves at our disposal to be directed by the will of God].

That just amazes me, because they didn’t just give their money—but they gave themselves.

I wonder how many of us are willing to write our names down and stick that in the offering plate. Romans 12:1 says we should offer all of ourselves as a sacrifice to God.

This means living for God outside of church. It means being willing to give money, but it also means being ready to love anyone God brings across your path. It means being willing to use any resource you have for His kingdom.

So the next time you’re in church and the offering plate comes around, I encourage you to tell God that you’re giving all of yourself to Him!

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[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. — Hebrews 12:2

There are usually two sides to everything. The cross has two: a crucifixion side and a resurrection side. Jesus had to endure one side to get to the other. But if He hadn’t endured, then we’d all still be left without a Savior and no forgiveness of our sins.

Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus, for the joy of obtaining the prize on the other side of the cross—the resurrection—endured the pain. Like Jesus, we have to endure difficult things. My definition of endure is “to outlast the devil; to be steadfast long enough to let the trial do whatever it’s going to do in our lives and get from one side of the cross to the other.”

Whether we’re hit by an unexpected circumstance, suffering for doing something wrong or for resisting temptation and sin by doing what’s right, we have to go through things. But waiting for you on the other side of the hard times is the joy of obtaining the prize—the good result.

Today, be encouraged by the way Jesus handled trials. He knew the joy that was before Him and persevered until the end. He’s given you the power to do the same.

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I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins. — Isaiah 43:25 (AMPC)

Did it ever occur to you that you have a relationship with yourself? You may have never given it much thought, but you spend more time with yourself than anyone else, and it’s vital that you get along well with you because you are the one person you never get away from.

We should love ourselves—not in a selfish, self-centered way that produces a lifestyle of self-indulgence, but in a balanced, godly way that affirms God’s creation as essentially good and right. No one is perfect, and we may be flawed by unfortunate experiences we’ve gone through, but that doesn’t mean we’re worthless and good-for-nothing.

We must have the kind of love for ourselves that says, “I know God loves me, so I can love what God chooses to love. I don’t love everything I do, but I accept myself because God accepts me.” We must develop the kind of mature love that says, “I believe God is changing me daily, but during this process, I will not reject what God accepts. I’ll accept myself as I am right now, knowing I will not always remain this way.”

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nor will people say, ‘Look! Here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For the kingdom of God is among you [because of My presence].” — Luke 17:21

Sometimes we wish for things to change but are unwilling to do what it takes to make things better.

There was a time in my life when I was always upset about my circumstances. I wanted God to change them for me, and I wanted Him to change the people around me too. But then He showed me that I needed to work on changing my inner life before I could expect real change in my outer life.

Matthew 6:33 (NLT) says, Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

So what is God’s kingdom? The Bible says the kingdom of God is in us. If you’ve accepted Christ, that means He’s living in you—and He wants to live in a good spiritual home. That’s why your inner life is so important to God.

We must seek first His kingdom, letting His Holy Spirit take hold of us on the inside. When we allow Him to work in us, eventually we won’t be able to contain it, and it will spill out and change the world around us!

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The wise in heart are called prudent, understanding, and knowing, and winsome speech increases learning [in both speaker and listener]. — Proverbs 16:21

A word we don’t hear much about today is prudence. It means “careful management: economy.”

In the Bible, prudence, or prudent, means “being good stewards or managers of the gifts God has given us to use.” Those gifts include time, energy, strength and health—even material possessions. They include our bodies, as well as our minds and spirits.

Just as each one of us has been given a different set of gifts, each of us has been given different levels of ability to manage those gifts.

Too many people burn themselves out, constantly using their gifts and abilities in ways that God did not intend them to. Instead of pushing ourselves too hard to please others or reach our own personal goals, we need to listen to God and do what He’s telling us is wise.

Trying to impress people and live up to their standards isn’t prudence. Prudence means asking God how He wants you to use your gifts and then obeying. Learn God’s prudence today and put it into practice so you can enjoy your life the way He intended.

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Cast your burden on the LORD [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail). — Psalm 55:22

Did you know that God wants to make a trade with you? He wants you to give Him all your cares, problems and failures. In return, He’ll give you His peace and joy.

God really does want to take care of us, but in order to let Him, we’ve got to stop trying to take care of ourselves and worrying about every little thing we can’t control. Many people would like for God to take care of them, but they insist on worrying or trying to figure out an answer on their own, instead of waiting for God’s direction.

God will give us peace, but we must first give Him our worries. What a great trade! We give God our worry, and He gives us His peace. We give Him all our cares and concerns, and He gives us His protection, stability and joy. That’s the amazing blessing and privilege of being cared for by Him.

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For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us! — Romans 8:18

As Christians, we like the thought of sharing in Christ’s glory, but what about sharing in His suffering? Jesus’ sacrifice gives us the gift of eternal life and also abundant life while we’re here on this earth. But the Bible teaches that we must suffer times of trial if we are to share in His glory. Is it worth it? According to Romans 8:18, it certainly is!

We tend to believe that we suffer because of our circumstances, and if they would only change, we’d be able to act right. But God wants us to become so mature and stable that we act right even when our circumstances aren’t good. There are different levels of faith, and most of the time we want to use our faith to get rid of all suffering. But sometimes God’s plan is for us to exercise a higher level of faith that will carry us through life’s challenges.

Too often we marvel at the delivering power of God and overlook His keeping, strengthening and enabling power. Jesus promised in John 16:33, that He will give us His peace during the trials of life and the power we need to overcome them. I encourage you today, if you are going through a time of suffering, take heart because in Christ, you will come through it and share in His glory, which shall be revealed!

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But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, — Galatians 5:22

As Christians, we like the thought of sharing in Christ’s glory, but what about sharing in His suffering? Jesus’ sacrifice gives us the gift of eternal life and also abundant life while we’re here on this earth. But the Bible teaches that we must suffer times of trial if we are to share in His glory. Is it worth it? According to Romans 8:18, it certainly is!

We tend to believe that we suffer because of our circumstances, and if they would only change, we’d be able to act right. But God wants us to become so mature and stable that we act right even when our circumstances aren’t good. There are different levels of faith, and most of the time we want to use our faith to get rid of all suffering. But sometimes God’s plan is for us to exercise a higher level of faith that will carry us through life’s challenges.

Too often we marvel at the delivering power of God and overlook His keeping, strengthening and enabling power. Jesus promised in John 16:33, that He will give us His peace during the trials of life and the power we need to overcome them. I encourage you today, if you are going through a time of suffering, take heart because in Christ, you will come through it and share in His glory, which shall be revealed!

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[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). — 2 Corinthians 10:5

When we start the process of renewing our minds, there will be times when we mess up. God knows we’re not perfect and He’s always there to help us get back on track.

Unfortunately, the devil also knows we’re not perfect, and he does his best to remind us every step of the way.

We can be going along, serving God, doing good, stepping out in faith and then all of a sudden, without any obvious justification for it, we’ll have a day or week when we experience an attack in our minds. Satan will tell us that we’re failures, that we’re not good enough, that God doesn’t love us…the list goes on and on.

Thankfully, God’s Word tells us just what to do in a situation like this. Second Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive and into obedience to God. So when the devil tries to lie to you, go to the Word and find the truth that refutes that lie.

When those doubts come your way, don’t get discouraged. Bring them in line with God’s Word. It works every time!

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But about midnight when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; suddenly there was a great earthquake, so [powerful] that the very foundations of the prison were shaken and at once all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. — Acts 16:25-26

Sometimes we find ourselves in such horrible messes that it’s hard to imagine waiting one more second for relief and release. But we need to keep waiting on God and trusting Him with a sweet and simple faith. Then, in a way we never could’ve figured out—God moves suddenly!

Paul and Silas knew about waiting, and they waited well. Acts 16 tells the story of how they were attacked by a crowd, beaten and thrown in jail. Verse 24 says the jailer put them into the inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks. Paul and Silas didn’t seem to mind—they just decided to start singing and began to worship the Lord. They began to wait on God.

Suddenly, God sent an earthquake that opened the prison doors and loosed their chains. He set them free!

When people patiently and expectantly wait on God in the midst of horrible circumstances, suddenly God breaks through. So don’t give up! Don’t stop believing! Stay full of hope and expectation. God’s power is limitless, and He’ll break through for you.

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He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’ — John 7:38

As believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in us, abiding in our spirits. He is the river of life within us. This river is a wonderful gift given to each of us by God. It flows with good health, a positive outlook on life, and a generous and forgiving attitude.

Many people, however, have allowed their river to become stopped-up. They are always discouraged, and no matter what they do, they can’t seem to snap out of it. Years of neglect have turned a once-powerful flowing river into a small stream. Do you know people like this? Does this sound like your life?

Until you’re able to get your river cleared out and unclogged, everything will be difficult, disappointing and unfulfilling. You’ll be unable to taste the water that satisfies like nothing else.

Make a choice today to stop spending your life fighting, struggling and trudging through the mud with every step. Ask God to help you clear out the debris. He’ll show you what’s blocking the flow and how to get rid of it. Then, enjoy the satisfying flow of the river of life!

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Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. — Romans 5:3 (AMPC)

It’s important to renew our minds, but it’s also important to realize that this process of reprogramming or renewing our minds will take place little by little. Don’t be discouraged if progress seems slow, or when you have setbacks or bad days. Just get back up, dust yourself off and start again.

When a baby is learning to walk, he falls many, many times before he develops the ability to walk without falling; however, the baby is persistent. He may cry for a while after he falls down, but he always gets right back up and tries again.

Learning to change our thinking works the same way. We struggle and fall down, but God is always there to pick us up. Rather than get frustrated, remember to do what the Bible says and “triumph” in your hardship, because the very fact that you’re struggling means you’re fighting the good fight of faith.

There will be days when we don’t do everything right—days when our thinking is negative. But never stop trying. God is gradually bringing us around to His way of thinking, as long as we don’t give up!

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Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. — Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV)

Has this ever happened to you: You break a rubber band while trying to stretch it around something. You can’t find another one, so you try to fix the broken one by tying the ends together.

Sometimes in our daily lives, we stretch ourselves beyond our capacity, and we snap like the rubber band. We think we’ve fixed the problem by simply tying the ends back together. But soon we fall into the same behavior that caused us to break down in the first place.

Over time with repeated exposure to stress, our lives begin to resemble that worn-out rubber band. It can completely deplete us.

Ignoring God’s laws and His ordained limits for our lives will ultimately cause burnout. You simply can’t continue to overwork your mind, emotions and body without eventually paying the price. But that’s not how God wants you to live.

Adjust your perspective to match God’s. Seek His peace and His pace for your life. Respect your body. Treat good health as a priceless gift. Don’t waste the energy God has given you on stress. Save it for living and enjoying life!

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But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. — Matthew 5:44-45

Have you ever seen someone receive a blessing from God and felt like they didn’t deserve it? Have you seen good things happen to someone who has hurt you?

When a person who offended you gets a blessing, it can grate on you…at least it did for me until I learned how to forgive.

The Bible says that good and bad things happen to both the righteous and the unrighteous. When someone who’s hurt you receives a blessing, it makes it even harder to forgive them, but you are still called to pray for them.

I want to encourage you today to bless the people who have hurt you by praying for them, even though you may feel hurt and irritated by them. When you pray for people who have hurt you, it’s a choice you make. And forgiveness is based on your decision – not a feeling. But there’s healing in that for you.

A forgiving lifestyle helps you become more like Christ. As you learn the importance of forgiveness and begin to pray for blessings for those who have hurt you, your heart will heal from bitterness, and your personal growth will lead you to the blessings God has planned for you.

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