Tag Archives: daily devotion

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – When Your Attitude Needs Saving

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. For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.

Matthew 12:37 (AMP)

When Jesus died to save us, He wanted to save all parts of us and make us whole. And that includes our attitude!

Many people need to get their attitude saved—because every time something doesn’t go the way they want it to go, their first response is a bad attitude. When we don’t get what we want, our emotions flare up, and instead of doing what the Word says, we follow how we feel. We think wrong, and then what we think comes out of our mouths.

Words are containers for creative and destructive power. I can say, “Something good is going to happen to me,” or I can say, “Nothing good ever happens to me.” Either way, I’m likely to get what I say.

With our thoughts, our words, and our attitudes, we either give God permission to work in our lives, or we give the enemy permission to work in our lives.

One of the best things we can do is learn to discipline ourselves to think before we speak. When something doesn’t go the way we want it to, instead of defaulting to being negative, have your mind set ahead of time that you are going to praise God anyway and trust that He has something even better in mind for you.

Prayer of the Day: God, You know that it is hard for us to keep positive attitudes when things don’t go the way we think they should. Help me to discipline my mind, to think before I speak, and to keep trusting and believing in You. I want to keep the door open for You to work, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Pray About Your Problems 

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The moment you sense a problem, however large or small, take it to Christ. “Max, if I take my problems to Jesus every time I have one, I’m going to be talking to Jesus all day long.” Now you’re getting the point.

An unprayed for problem is an embedded thorn. It festers and infects the finger, then the hand, then the entire arm. Best to go straight to the person who has the tweezers. We can only wonder how many disasters would be averted if we first go to Jesus. Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about anything. Instead pray about everything.” Tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks, pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Grow in Grace

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Read 2 Peter 3:17–18

Every semester, I prepare a syllabus for my college courses, including assignments and required reading. On the first day of class, we go over the syllabus to make sure students understand the expectations. Later, if a student says, “I didn’t know a paper was due today!” I point them back to the syllabus. They had been warned.

As he closes his letter, Peter reminds the church that they too have been warned. He has warned about the dangers of false teaching (v. 17). They are to be on their guard and vigilant. They are responsible for the truth God has revealed to them. They are to hold fast to the teaching of the apostles and not be “carried away by the error of the lawless” (v. 17). There is a certain rigidity to the Christian faith. We hold to the truths of Christ’s divinity, His sacrificial death for our sins, the resurrection, and His Second Coming with unshakable faith. No teacher, no matter how gifted, should be able to sway us.

But Christians are not stagnant in their faith either. Peter challenges the church to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 18). Over the course of our lives, we learn to live the truth of the gospel. This is what Paul commanded as well: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:6–7).

We should be able to look back over our lives and see how God has been at work shaping and forming us into the image of Christ. Peter’s ultimate hope is that we would remain rooted in the faith and growing in holiness.

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Pray with Us

Lord, as we conclude this month’s study of 1 and 2 Peter, may we remain rooted in the faith and grow in holiness. Help us always persevere through suffering and seek the truth in Your Word. Amen!

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.2 Peter 3:18

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Drive-Thru Prayers

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But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God.
Jude 20-21

Recommended Reading: Jude 20-25

If you drive down 6th Street in Lambert, Mississippi, on a Tuesday morning, you might see this sign in front of a local church: “Drive-Thru Prayer.” Several church members will be waiting outside for cars to pull up. “How can we pray for you today?” they ask. Both men and women have poured out their troubles and received prayer for their needs.1

It’s wonderful to know we can pray on streets and sidewalks, in offices and factories, at our homes and with our families. It’s also vital to learn to withdraw to the Lord in solitude during our daily time with the Lord. We have the Holy Spirit to help us pray. Ephesians 6:18 tells us to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”

When the Holy Spirit is within us, we should also be vigilant in prayer. This means to be spiritually alert, looking out for spiritual danger in our lives and the lives of others. Have you missed a few days of prayer? God longs for your fellowship! Get back to God and back to vigilant prayer.

The very act of prayer is a blessing.
Charles Spurgeon

  1. Lindsey Williams, “Drive-Through Prayer Ministry Sparks Unexpected Prison Outreach,” The Baptist Record, February 9, 2026.

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Jesus—Our Substitute

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We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10

Today’s Scripture

Hebrews 10:1-10

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Today’s Devotion

As the US Civil War (1861-65) dragged on, both sides resorted to conscription (the draft) to fill their ranks. Under the Confederate law, a draftee could dodge service by hiring a man who was exempt from the draft to replace him—in most cases someone under or over the conscription age. Generally, the “principal” (as one evading the draft was called) paid a fee to the government as well as a large sum to his substitute. Only the wealthy could afford substitutes.

The apostle Paul writes of the cosmic spiritual war, where “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death” (6:23). There was no clause or loophole that gave those with “means” some way out. But what about a substitute for us all? The writer to the Hebrews praises God, who in His infinite mercy sent Jesus to be our substitute—to bear the punishment our sin deserved, to pay our debt by sacrificing “the body of Jesus Christ once for all” so that we would be “made holy” through His substitutionary sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10). We have “died with Christ,” and one day “we will also live with him” (Romans 6:8).

That’s the good news right there. Christ died for you and for me; the substitute took our place. We’re now more than simply survivors of the war. We’ve become the sons and daughters of God.

Reflect & Pray

How does it make you feel to realize that Jesus died in your place? How might you explain this good news to a friend?

Dear Jesus, I praise You for being my substitute and securing for me life eternal.

Today’s Insights

As the writer of Hebrews explains the thorough effectiveness of the sacrifice Christ made for us, he makes it clear that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (10:4). So what was the point of the sacrificial system the Hebrew people practiced for centuries? It was “only a shadow of the good things that are coming” (10:1). This is why John the Baptist declared of Jesus, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). What the slaughter of animals couldn’t do, Christ did. As a result, “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).

Learn more about the hope that resurrection gives us by reading Hunting for Resurrection Hope.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – “A nation with the soul of a church”

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Pulling together America’s spiritual heritage, strengths, and failures

We’ve finally arrived at the week of our nation’s anniversary. Over the coming days, you’re likely to see even more reminders of this country’s past, both the good and the bad. But as we reflect on the path that turned thirteen disparate colonies into the strongest nation on earth—and, yes, the United States does still hold that title, even if the gap is narrowing—let’s bring this discussion together in order to highlight the truth about how God sees America.

Last week we discussed the importance of turning control of everything we have over to God and actively recognizing his authority to use us and our possessions in whatever way he sees fit. What is true in our personal lives is true for our country as well.

Think back to the three purposes behind America’s founding: launching evangelistic missions, building a secular economic venture, and establishing Christian community. Now, let’s add to them what we have learned from Scripture about God’s judgment and blessing on the nations. Doing so will help us to gain a better understanding of the ways our actions have enabled him to bless our nation as well as the manner in which our sins that have invoked his judgment.

Continue reading Denison Forum – “A nation with the soul of a church” →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Not Home Yet

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 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. 

—Hebrews 13:14

Scripture:

I heard a story about an old missionary couple who had been serving in Africa for years and were returning home to retire. Their health was broken down, and they had no pension. As it turned out, the same steamer ship they were traveling on had a very well-known passenger, President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning home from a hunting expedition. As the passengers disembarked, a crowd of admirers gathered around. They were all there to greet the president of the United States. A band was playing, and the cheers of the crowd were deafening.

But when the missionary couple came ashore, there was no band playing for them. There was no applause. There was no one to welcome them—not a single soul to meet them. Discouraged, the husband buried his face in his hands and moaned, “God, I didn’t expect a band or a parade, but someone could have seen to it to welcome us home.”

Hearing this, his wife looked at him and said, “Now, honey, we are not home yet.”

One of the costs of following Christ is the challenge of living in a place that’s not our home. This creates an inescapable tension. We can’t ignore our earthly responsibilities. We must involve ourselves in many different aspects of life on this planet. At the same time, we can’t become too comfortable in our earthly environment. We must keep the prevailing attitudes and priorities of this world at arm’s length. And we must keep one eye trained on our forever home so that we never lose sight of our ultimate destination.

God’s Word makes it clear that believers are not home yet, but one day we will be. The author of Hebrews wrote, “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” (Hebrews 13:14 NLT).

We have no say in the timing of our eventual homecoming. God will call us home according to His timetable. Our job, until that day, is to be faithful with the opportunities and resources He has given to us. There are some people who simply “go for it” as Christians. They take risks for God. They want to do great things for Him. They give it everything they have. Then there are others who want to serve the Lord, but in a more cautious, careful manner. Some people are setting the world on fire while others are still looking for a match.

God has equipped us for our sojourn in this world. We must focus on being faithful to Him and using the gifts, opportunities, and resources He’s given us. This world may not be our home, but while we’re here, we can make a big difference in it.

 

Reflection question: How do you deal with the challenge of living day to day in a place that isn’t your home? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Doing God’s Pleasure

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by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12–13)

With an unusual play on words, in this passage we are told to give our salvation a “workout.” The Greek word is katergazomai, an interesting compound word that means to “perform.” When we are told that God is working in us, the Greek word is energeo, which is the “energy” to do work.

Paul puts it this way: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh [energeo] in us” (Ephesians 3:20). This “energizing” is an internal and spiritual resource, demonstrated most poignantly by “the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working [energeo] of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:19–20). Since the energy to produce comes from the same Creator who saved us by grace, He has every right to expect us to “will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Peter taught us that God provided “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). The Thessalonian church was told that “the word of God . . . effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). And of course, “all scripture . . . is profitable . . . that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

Our objective, having been supernaturally supplied by the One who saved us, is to “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:10–11). HMM III

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Give Your Soul a Rest

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. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

Hebrews 4:9 (ESV)

If you have ever had a good, hard workout at the gym, you know how nice it feels to give your body a rest afterward. Your body not only enjoys the rest, it needs it. When your soul has been wounded, just like a body after a workout, it also needs a rest. Thankfully, God promises us rest for our souls in His Word. In Exodus 33:14, God speaks to the Israelites, saying: My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest

The psalmist declares: Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him (Psalm 62:1 NIV). Interestingly, the psalmist speaks to his soul in Psalm 62:5, saying: Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him (NIV) and again in Psalm 116:7 (ESV): Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. Also in Psalms is a phrase familiar to many people, saying that the Lord restores our souls (23:3). When our soul has a chance to rest, it can be strengthened and restored.

In Matthew 11:28–30, Jesus says: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (NIV). A wounded soul can be a heavy burden, but Jesus invites us to come to Him because He will give our souls the rest they need.

Many people whose souls have been wounded try all kinds of ways to feel better and find peace before they ultimately surrender to God. That can be frustrating and exhausting. Nothing and no one apart from God can ever give our soul the rest it needs.

Hebrews 4:1–3 teaches us that we enter into rest by faith, by believing God. It says: Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest.

Believing (trusting God) is the only doorway into the rest of God. The more we trust God, the easier life becomes because we find that what we commit to Him, He does take care of. He may not do it on the schedule we have set or in exactly the way we want it done, but He will always take the best possible care of us because of His amazing love for us.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me find true rest in You. Teach me to trust You fully, release my burdens, and receive the peace and restoration my soul needs, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Gifts From the Father 

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James 1:17 says, “Every good and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

Take this simple pocket prayer for you today: Dear Father, teach me to accept what you’ve given. I may not always understand the circumstances, but show me how they are blessings and give me gratitude for all your gifts. Rain your blessings on my friends and family today. Give them hope whatever they face. Thank you that your blessings never end. In Jesus name, amen.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Live in Hope

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Read 2 Peter 3:14–16

In the ancient world, sometimes people would put short sayings on their tombs like this: “Once I had an existence; now I have none. I am not aware of it. It does not concern me.” Today, many people feel the same way. This life is all there is.

Peter had a very different view. He knew the day of the Lord would come and judgment administered. As followers of Jesus, we too hold that truth, giving our lives significance and meaning. This should impact the way we live today. Peter says, “Since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” (v. 14). The new heavens and new earth will be a place of righteousness (v. 13). God is preparing us to be the kind of people who belong there.

Peter supports his argument by appealing to “our dear brother Paul” (v. 15). This is a remarkable passage. It shows that Peter and Paul had the same message. Paul also spoke of the return of Christ and of God’s kindness being a reason for the delay in judgment (1 Thess. 4:13–18; Rom. 2:4). But even more remarkable is that Peter puts Paul’s writing on par with the Old Testament Scriptures. Notice what he says: “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do other Scriptures” (v. 16).

There is a warning here. Scripture teaches the truth, but false teachers can twist Scripture for their own purposes. We need to be on guard. This is especially the case when it comes to teaching about Christ’s return. Our focus should be like Peter’s, on how the truth of the Second Coming should lead us to repentance and a transformed life today.

Go Deeper

Have you encountered people who believe that this life is all there is? How can sharing the gospel communicate hope for their future?

Pray with Us

Father, thank You that “every word of God is flawless” (Prov. 30:5). In a world where so many people are led astray by lies, You have given us absolute truth. We praise You!

Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.2 Peter 3:14

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – God’s Timing

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Read 2 Peter 3:8–13

When I was a child, the summer months seemed endless. Those long hot days were spent playing outside with friends or riding our bikes to the park. As an adult, my perspective on time is much different. When the 4th of July arrives, I am always shocked to realize summer is nearly half gone.

At the start of chapter 3, Peter explains that God’s view of time is much different than our own. He addressed scoffers who interpreted the delay of Christ’s return as evidence that He would never come. Peter corrects their perspective, analyzing the delay through the lens of Scripture. Quoting Psalm 90:4, he points out that time is not the same to God as it is to us (v. 8). Our perspective is limited by our short lifespan. God has all eternity in which to work. A long time to us means something very different to God.

The reason for the delay is not that God does not care. Rather, He delays because He cares so much. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (v. 9). What we may interpret as God being slow to keeping His promises is in reality an example of His kindness and compassion.

We should not mistake His delay for indifference. The day of the Lord will come, “like a thief” (v. 10). The New Testament teaches that history has a goal that it is moving toward. It is not a meaningless series of random events. One day, the Lord Jesus will return and make all things new. This motivates us to live differently today, “to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (vv. 11–12). Amazingly, Peter here says that through our faithfulness, we can hasten the day when the Lord comes.

Go Deeper

How is God’s timing different than our timing? How does this shift your understanding of God? Of your prayer life?

Pray with Us

Who is like You, God? Your patience, kindness, and compassion inspire us to praise and worship You. We long to see Your face. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.2 Peter 3:8

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Sweeter Than Honey

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How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 119:97-104

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Today’s Devotion

If you want to bring a smile to Jarrett’s face, ask him about his bees. He’s an apiarist—a beekeeper. Though our meetings in his backyard are not about bees, it’s not uncommon for “apiculture” lessons to be a stimulating part of our conversations. But even better than “bee talk” is the nature-fresh, sweet taste of the golden-colored honey produced by Jarrett’s hardworking bees. Mm, mm, good!

In Psalm 119:103, the psalmist exclaims, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Closer examination of verses 97-104 reveals that the “sweeter than honey” comparison is just one of several phrases the writer uses to accent the supreme value of Scripture: “Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts” (vv. 98-100). The bottom line is that wholeheartedly embracing what God has revealed through the words of the Bible situates us to live well in this world.

Similarly, when Jesus, the living Word (see John 1:1-14), is experienced and valued, His followers, empowered by the Holy Spirit, are well-positioned to live in ways that honor God and serve His purposes.

Reflect & Pray

How can you better savor the written words of the Bible? What have you experienced that was particularly sweet in your journey with Jesus?

Dear Jesus, I’ve tasted and seen that You and the Scriptures are good. Please help me love and embrace You more and more.

For further study, read Reading the Bible without Fear.

Today’s Insights

Psalm 119 celebrates the unsurpassed value of the Scriptures. In this psalm, we journey with one whose mind was saturated with the words of God. The beauty of Psalm 119 includes how it’s arranged. The author takes the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet—from aleph to taw—and expresses himself to God. At the same time, the psalm provides instruction for the people. The psalmist’s delight is expressed in verse 97, where he summarizes his sentiments: “Oh, how I love your law!” The psalm highlights several advantages of engagement with the Bible: “Your commands . . . make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers . . . . I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts” (vv. 98-100). Not only are the words of Scripture sweet to the taste, they strengthen and enrich our lives and help us to honor God.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Abiding Words

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7)

In order for the words of the Lord really to abide in us, it seems clear that we should commit as many of them to memory—not only in our minds but in our hearts—as we possibly can. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart,” the psalmist said, “that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).

There are many promises of blessing to those who have God’s Word in their hearts. “For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips” (Proverbs 22:18). “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee . . . then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1, 5).

Both the apostle Paul and the apostle Peter have noted the importance of Scripture memorization. Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).

Peter’s exhortation is as follows: “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets [i.e., the Old Testament Scriptures], and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour [i.e., the New Testament Scriptures]” (2 Peter 3:1–2). The words “be mindful” mean essentially “recall to mind.”

Since the Scriptures cannot be recalled to mind unless they’ve first been installed in the mind, and since they cannot abide in our hearts unless we first hide them in our hearts, it is surely pleasing and honoring to God that we learn by heart as much of His Word as we can. HMM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Trust God Beyond Understanding

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. Adapted from Battlefield of the Mind

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 (AMPC)

I have heard many people say that reading the Bible is confusing. They say, “I have tried to read the Bible, but I don’t understand what God is saying, and I end up feeling frustrated and confused.”

In seeking God’s guidance regarding this situation, I sensed Him saying, “People keep trying to figure out everything. Tell them to stop trying to reason and explain everything.” As the above verses point out, we cannot always rely on our understanding. There are some things that we are not meant to know or understand.

Moses understood this concept, and he explained to the children of Israel that there are “secret things” known only to God. He pointed out that when God revealed His will—making things clear—those were the words they should obey.

It really is that simple. Like the psalmist, we can say, Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law; yes, I will observe it with my whole heart (Psalm 119:34 AMPC). We must ask God to show us what to do, and then we must not question it when He reveals it to us.

Too often people try to reason things out, but that can be dangerous. When we start trying to figure out why God says or does something, our first mistake is thinking we’re smart enough to understand the mind of God.

Reasoning can also move us in a particular direction that, although it may seem logical, may not be the will of God. A biblical account found in 1 Samuel is a good illustration of this point. Saul, the first king of Israel, made a decision to offer sacrifices. As a part of the tribe of Benjamin, it was unlawful for him—even as the king—to offer sacrifices. The king and his army waited several days for Samuel, the high priest, to arrive. But eventually Saul grew impatient (or perhaps fearful) and offered sacrifices just before the holy man arrived. When Samuel rebuked Saul for doing such a thing, the king had what he believed to be a reasonable explanation: I thought, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord. So I forced myself to offer a burnt offering (1 Samuel 13:12 AMPC).

Samuel rebuked the king, told him he had acted foolishly, and said the Lord was going to strip him of the kingdom.

That was Saul’s mistake. He reasoned that it would be wise to sacrifice, and he didn’t wait to hear from God.

The human mind likes logic, order, and reason. We like to deal with issues we can wrap our understanding around and come up with solutions that make sense to us. We have a tendency to think small because we are limited creatures, and we don’t have the perspective to understand from God’s point of view. We tend to put things in tiny, neat compartments in our minds, telling ourselves this must be right because it fits nicely there.

By contrast, we read the words of the apostle Paul: I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying; my conscience [enlightened and prompted] by the Holy Spirit bearing witness with me (Romans 9:1 AMPC). He was making the point that he was doing the right thing—not because he had figured it out or analyzed the situation, but because his actions bore witness in his spirit.

That’s the attitude you need in your life. You need to depend on God to show you things in such a way that you know—with an inner certainty—that what has been revealed to your mind is correct. You must not allow yourself to reason with your mind, searching for logical solutions. Instead, you must say, “My trust is in the Lord, and whatever He tells me to do, I will obey.”

Prayer of the Day: Dear God, thank You for loving me more than I can even comprehend. In the name of Jesus Christ, I ask You to help me love and honor You so much that when You speak, I will have only one thought in my mind, and that is to obey, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – The Great Outdoors: Nature Is for Enjoyment

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How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
Psalm 104:24, NIV

Recommended Reading: Psalm 104:24-27

National Geographic had a story with this title: “Letting Kids Run Wild Outside is Surprisingly Good for their Brains.” Harvard Medical School published a report entitled, “Six Reasons Children Need to Play Outside.” The Washington Post wrote on the same subject: “How Time in Nature Builds Happier, Healthier, and More Social Children.”

Many children spend too much time sitting on couches, looking at screens, and playing video games. How they need to be outside more, under God’s sky, climbing His trees, running across His grass, blowing the tufts off His dandelions!

But wait! It’s not just children that need more time outdoors. It’s you and me too! God has given us two sources of revealed truth—His Written Word and His world of nature. We can learn much about Him by looking at His manifold works, crafted with omniscient wisdom. The whole earth is full of His glory!

This summer spend more time outdoors—and if you have kids, take them along!

One of the central teachings of Scripture is that the natural world is not at all natural. It is the creation of a supernatural God. What we routinely call “nature” is in fact “creation.”
T. M. Moore

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – One Sure Thing

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He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17

Today’s Scripture

Colossians 1:15-23

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Today’s Devotion

Trees in cold climates prepare for winter through a process called “hardening.” Water drains from cells so they won’t freeze, expand, and burst the tree. The water that remains between the cells is too pure for ice crystals to attach. Its temperature may now drop to forty degrees below zero without cracking the tree. Trees harden at the same time each year because they take their cues from the fixed calendar of shortening days. They don’t stake their lives on the weather, which may be unseasonably mild. They trust the sun, their one sure thing.

The Son who made the sun is surer yet. He is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created,” and “in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17). Who tells trees when to harden each year? The same Son who makes the sun rise each morning and puts it to bed each night, pulls tides with the moon, whirls electrons in every cell, pumps your heart and inflates your lungs, and holds you when your heart is broken.

What holds the world together isn’t a force within nature but a person outside it. A person who entered the world He’d made so he could “reconcile to himself all things,” including you (v. 20). In this unpredictable world, you’ve got one sure thing. Jesus will “present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (v. 22).

Reflect & Pray

What frightens you? How does Jesus’ power over the world encourage you to pray and rest in Him?

Dear Jesus, I trust You today with whatever comes my way.

Today’s Insights

In Colossians, Paul refutes false teaching about who Jesus is and affirms His identity, deity, and authority. He’s God (1:15), the creator who sustains all creation (vv. 16-17). He’s the head of His new creation, the church (v. 18). And He’s the Savior who redeemed and reconciled us to God by shedding His blood on the cross (vv. 19-23). The apostle praises the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus as Savior: “In Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority” (2:9-10 nlt). Paul says, “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him” (v. 7 nlt). Our salvation is certain in Jesus, and we can trust Him no matter what we face.

Learn more about overcoming fear by reading When Fear Seems Overwhelming.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Stress on San Andreas Fault at thousand-year high

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Three biblical reasons for hope in hazardous days

Rescuers in Venezuela worked through the night Friday to save hundreds trapped in rubble and find thousands more missing in the aftermath of Wednesday’s earthquakes, the strongest to strike the country since 1900. What happened there could happen here: New research warns that stress on Southern California’s San Andreas and San Jacinto fault lines has reached the highest level in a thousand years, putting the region in a “critically loaded” state that could cause a large, multi-fault earthquake.

Whether you and I live in an earthquake zone or not, we need hope that sustains our hearts in hazardous days. I found such encouragement recently in an unexpected place.

Dodgeball as a metaphor for life

My wife and I were keeping two of our grandkids, and I took them to a local indoor trampoline park. It includes a dodgeball arena where kids bounce up and down while throwing balls at the other side. I am proud to report that each of them won a game, outlasting everyone else on their team while “knocking out” everyone on the other side.

Upon reflection, I see their experience as a metaphor for my own. While I have never competed in trampoline dodgeball, it seems I have done little else for much of my life.

I have thrown my “ball” at targets that seemed appropriate while trying to dodge those thrown at me. All the while knowing that even if I win, the game starts again and the competition resumes. I’m never done for long. And even if I outlast others, there are days when I wonder if I’m doing anything that truly matters or just playing a game to while away the time until the game is over.

With regard to those suffering in Venezuela, I don’t live in an earthquake zone, but tornadoes are common in our part of the world. We don’t fear hurricanes this far inland, but we don’t get to see sunsets on the ocean. And terminal illnesses are just as threatening here as anywhere else.

If I’m not facing disaster or disease today, that doesn’t mean I won’t tomorrow. In this “game,” there’s ultimately no winning. Unless Jesus returns first, a “ball” will one day knock me out. Perhaps today.

But the more I reflected on this fact, the more I was drawn to hope that redeems it.

What my horoscope said for today

There is no logical way to prove in this life that this life is not all there is. Near-death experiences come close, but even they have their skeptics. As John Hick’s parable illustrates, when a Christian walks with an unbeliever down the road of life and they come to the last turn in the road, one will be proven right and one wrong.

In the meantime, is religion the “opium of the people,” as Karl Marx alleged? Believing that there is a Supreme Being ruling this world gives us hope, but is this hope real? The Greeks presumably had such hope in Zeus and his fellow deities, but we would not make their faith ours. Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus have their religious hopes, but I don’t believe what they believe simply because they believe it.

I am confident that God redeems all he allows (cf. 1 Peter 5:10), but I must admit that I cannot demonstrate such redemption for all suffering on this side of eternity. Paul claimed, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Is my similar trust in God’s redemption just wish fulfillment akin to a horoscope?

I checked mine this morning, something I’ve never done before and absolutely do not recommend. I am doing so now only for illustrative purposes: it tells me that “clearing backlogs and improving workplace systems can attract positive attention,” but I knew that already. If I do what it says and experience what it promises, I can fallaciously credit its “wisdom” or I can correctly view this as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Is this how our faith in Christ works in the face of innocent suffering?

Why I believe in the sun at dawn

I’ll respond with three interrelated biblical facts.

One: Innocent suffering does not disprove our faith. To the contrary, it shows that Jesus was right when he told his followers, “In this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). Paul even warned us, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Two: A worldview should be evaluated by the degree to which it does what it promises to do. With regard to God’s redemption, trusting him to redeem all he allows positions me to experience such redemption (cf. Psalm 130:7). When I ask for his help, I draw close enough to him to receive it—to hear his voice, to feel his touch, to experience his empowering presence.

Three: The best way to know my hope in Jesus is real is to experience Jesus (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:6). When Paul and Silas sang hymns to God in prison at midnight, an earthquake miraculously freed them from prison (Acts 16:25–26). Writing later from another imprisonment, Paul testified that “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” gave him hope and purpose that sustained him in the hardest places and times of life (Philippians 3:8–14).

I walked around a pond in our neighborhood yesterday morning at sunrise. The sun was not yet visible to me, but the dawn it produced was nonetheless spectacular.

My experience called to mind an observation from C. S. Lewis. To paraphrase: I believe in the sun at dawn, not because I can see it, but “because by it I see everything else.”

Why do you need to make his faith yours today?

Quote for the day:

“No words can express how much the world owes to sorrow. Most of the Psalms were born in the wilderness. Most of the Epistles were written in a prison. The greatest thoughts of the greatest thinkers have all passed through fire. The greatest poets have ‘learned in suffering what they taught in song.’” —George MacDonald

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Denison Forum

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Attacking Giants

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 David asked the soldiers standing nearby, ‘What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?’ 

—1 Samuel 17:26

Scripture:

David may have thought to himself, “This is a joke. This guy can’t be serious!”

David was on an errand for his father, who had sent him to the front lines to deliver food to his brothers. He arrived to find Goliath bellowing from the valley, mocking the God of Israel, blaspheming his Lord that he loved so deeply.

Goliath was a gigantic Philistine—nine feet and six inches of solid muscle, covered in armor. Every day he would taunt the Israelites, shouting something to the effect of, “I’ll make you a deal. Send someone out to fight me. If he wins, we’ll be your servants. But if I win, you’ll be our servants. Any takers?”

No one wanted to go near him.

Meanwhile, there stood David. Though David was a musician, a poet, and a tenderhearted guy, he was also as tough as nails. When there were threats against his sheep, he took them on. He had killed a lion and a bear. He wasn’t afraid. And he wanted to know why someone wasn’t responding to Goliath’s challenge.

“David asked the soldiers standing nearby, ‘What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?’” (1 Samuel 17:26 NLT).

David wasn’t intimidated by this giant because David looked at things differently than everyone else. Everyone else saw a giant of a man and, apparently, a small God. David, however, saw a big God. That giant didn’t intimidate David the way he intimidated everyone else. And we know how that perspective paid off for David in the end.

Maybe you have a giant in your life that’s taunting you right now. Maybe it’s some kind of threat. Maybe it’s a habit or an addiction that has you in its grip. Maybe it’s a situation that needs to be dealt with once and for all. Or, in keeping with the theme of preparing for the Harvest Crusade next month, maybe your loved one does not have a personal relationship with Jesus. This giant, so to speak, seeks to control you. It seeks to hurt you. It seeks to torment you.

What should you do? Like David, you should see God for who He is and your giant for what it is. Align your perspective with spiritual reality. Nothing in your life is too big for God. Nothing is too complex for Him to solve. Nothing is beyond His experience or expertise. Call on the Lord and pray for His power. Pay attention to His prompts. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone in faith, to do the hard—but doable—things necessary. Attack your giant and see what God does in and through you.

 

Reflection question: How can you attack the most prominent giant in your life right now? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Vessels of Wrath

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by Michael J. Stamp

“What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?” (Romans 9:22)

Most of us have met people who appear to be beyond salvation. We may even judge them to be “vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.” Is there any hope for them?

Consider some of the characters Jesus interacted with: the woman at the well, tax collectors, lepers, cripples, the demon-possessed, the woman caught in adultery, and the thief on the cross. These were outcasts and seemed to be without hope.

But God tells us, “As I live . . . I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). Clearly, Jesus did not come “into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17).

Despite appearance, words, or actions, no one is beyond saving. Christians are instructed to witness to and pray for all who don’t know Jesus as their Savior, not judge their spiritual standing. We are exhorted to love them and preach the gospel to them, for the gospel exists “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins” (Acts 26:18).

The “vessels” Paul mentions are people who persistently rebel against God, and only He knows whether they will be hardened or saved. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). We not only can’t know all His ways, but we aren’t supposed to!

Do you know someone who appears beyond redemption: a family member, friend, or even foe? Prayerfully place them in Jesus’ saving hands. Our God is gracious and merciful, and miracles happen! MJS

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6