Love
We get drawn away from the simplicity of love with today’s current culture.
He Knows My Name
How can I have a bad day when I realize God is thinking precious thoughts about me—so many wonderful thoughts that they are as abundant as grains of sand. They are so numerous I would have trouble counting them all! But that is our loving God. He sees each of us as an individual. He knows our personality quirks. He understands our worries. He sees our heart’s desires. He created us and has known us since we were cradled in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-14).
As I start my day, Lord, it is comforting and powerful that You know my name and You think precious thoughts about me. No matter the struggles I may face today, no matter the disappointments or hurts I may endure, You haven’t forgotten me. You know who I am, and You have good plans for me. You assure me I am Yours. Thank You for Your amazing, mind-boggling love. I love You too!
Today’s Reading is John 6:35
A Prayer for Thanksgiving Day
All across our nation, Thanksgiving is a day that we set aside in order to do one thing.
How To Grow A Vibrant Spiritual Life
I’ve always thought about today’s passage in an external sense, rather than about the spiritual life. After all, that’s how it presents itself.
The lazy person reaps ruin while the diligent can expect a healthy harvest.
Simple. Makes sense. It’s a good challenge to keep me working hard and ensure I don’t let myself slack off.
But what if we consider this sowing-and-reaping principle in terms of our spiritual life? Specifically in our relationship with God.
We might not all live in castles or own vineyards, but we do all have the most valuable possession in the world: a human heart, soul, and spiritual life that needs tending.
Which scene resembles your inner quality of life in the following ways:
1 . Your spiritual life and relationship with the Lord,
2 . and your relationship with yourself?
If you’re like me, it’s probably a mix of the two.
TENDING TO YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE
There are places in my relationship with the Lord I can honestly say are well-cultivated.
For me, being in the Bible and in prayer are two places I’ve experienced incredible life. I have also put myself on the line in order to be obedient to his direction—even though it’s been scary and uncomfortable.
It’s a mainstay of my personal relationship with Jesus.
I may not have a heart populated by colonnades and cascading fountains, but there is life there for both myself and for others.
But if I dig deeper:
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- What about pride and my desire for recognition and praise?
- What about envy?
- What about my greed?
- What about mean-spiritedness and incessant judgment of other people based on appearances?
- What about how I deal with anger?
- And the list goes on…
You see, the further I look past the well-tended fixtures of my inner life, I notice neglected places and crumbling walls.
I see nettles intruding on flower beds, choking the life out of what is good.
TENDING TO YOUR PERSONAL INNER LIFE
The same goes for my relationship with myself.
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- Do I hold myself accountable for my attitudes?
- Do I deal with anger before it blossoms into resentment?
- Am I the same man in private as I am in public?
- Am I cultivating habits that, while not comfortable, will produce life?
- And again, the list goes on…
I encourage you to survey your spiritual life in the same way. Find both areas that are flourishing and those that are crumbling.
How can you be diligent to tend to both? How will you increase fruitful areas while tilling up the weed-infested ones and starting over?
For me, it all starts with a willingness to see reality. So, are you willing to see the real problems that exist in your heart? Are you willing to admit that there are cycles of trouble in your life that don’t stem from everyone else’s actions, but are caused by your own attitudes and dispositions?
Here’s the deal. Until you own the entirety your inner life—the fruit trees and the weeds—you’ll never have the power or clarity to nurture it to its full potential.
So, if you find yourself in a spiritual draught, be diligent in cultivating the places where life can be found.
We can nurture wonderful landscapes within our hearts and minds—but we must do so on purpose. The question today is, are you?
This devotion blessed me. I felt it was so powerful and something that needs to be shared time and again. After reading this devotion today I pray you stop and ask yourself, am I cultivating the places in my spiritual life where life can be found?
I pray you have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Hebrews 12:28
Purpose Through Process
Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Syria. He was a “mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.” Naaman wanted to be healed of his leprosy.
Through the words of an Israelite servant that was in the service of his wife, Naaman heard about the prophet Elisha and was told that Elisha would cleanse his leprosy.
With a letter from his king as well as his blessing, Naaman sets off for Israel to seek healing. The letter does not reveal that Naaman is looking for Elisha, it just states that he is seeking to be clean.
Naaman arrives in Israel and hands the king the letter. The king of Israel is greatly distressed, tearing his own clothes he says, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me”. (Verse 7)
Fortunately for the king, Elisha catches word of what has happened. Elisha instructs the king to send Naaman to the prophets house. Naaman expects to be healed by Elisha himself.
Imagine yourself in this situation. You’ve had a crippling disease for your entire life. You’ve finally arrived at the place where you know you can find healing! All you need is for the prophet to come speak it over you.
Your excitement builds as you anxiously await the prophets arrival.
There’s noise on the other side of Elisha’s door. Your moment to meet the man of God has come! Good health is about to be yours.
And what happens next? The prophet is a no-show! The person standing before you: the messenger of Elisha. He doesn’t bring word that the prophet will be arriving soon. No, he brings instructions.
“Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.” (Verse 10)
Naaman is angry! The Jordan is a dirty river; the waters of his own home are much cleaner than it. If all Naaman wanted was to be clean, he could have just as easily stayed home and bathed. In a rage, Naaman starts to turn away, unwilling to heed the words of the messenger.
Fortunately, Naaman’s servants spoke boldly to their master. They encouraged him to follow the messenger’s instructions, and so he did.
“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” (Verse 14)
Naaman had certain expectations of how this story was going to begin, continue, and end. He probably thought that it would be pretty simple: head to Israel, see the prophet, get healed, return to Syria in time for dinner.
But God’s process was quite different. Instead of sending Naaman to the prophet, God sends him to the king, who sends him to Elisha, who sends the messenger in his place, who sends instructions.
And even then, the instructions weren’t what Naaman expected.
But look at how the story still ends: with Naaman being healed. I would suppose that Naaman would have died a leper had he not been obedient to wash himself in the Jordan.
God’s purpose was brought about by God’s process. Oftentimes, God’s process looks much differently than we expect.
Despite his rage at the situation, Naaman still obeyed and was cured of his leprosy. He obeyed despite his lack of understanding.
Will you obey God and seek his purpose, even when his process is beyond your understanding? Read 2 Kings 5:1-14 today.
What a powerful devotion. I felt it had to be shared today. I pray after reading this devotion you are left with this thought, don’t reject God’s purpose just because you don’t like or understand His process.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Colossians 3:17
Judging Others
Some parents judge their children for things they are guilty of themselves. Some teachers put down students for things the students cannot change. Some children judge their parents simply for being their parents. We judge and find fault with our coworkers, our colleagues, our neighbors, or others we encounter.
No, we are not told to overlook sin in someone’s life. But before we judge, we need to take a close look at ourselves. Says Jesus, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? … First take the plank out of your own eye.” And once we have done that, we may be able to see with enough love to help someone remove a speck from their eye.
Father, please keep us from judging other people. Help us to take a close look at ourselves before we make assessments. In all things, help us to act with love. In Jesus, Amen.
When I read this devotion it challenged me. I knew it had to be shared. We are all guilty of judging others in one form or another. I pray in those moments of judgement you feel the nudge in your heart from The Holy Spirit convicting you and you stop and put yourself in there place, but by The Grace of God there goes I. Act with love towards those you don’t understand, you never know the depth of their scar and remember when you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Discouragement
It feels like the world is against me, and I’m overcome with feelings of “nobody really likes me.” Sometimes I get discouraged because of my past regrets, and sometimes I get discouraged because God so clearly has not answered my prayers and cries for help, when and the way I want.
God’s Perspective
- God watches over us from his infinite perspective
- God loves us and will provide in our time of need
Even though it’s a simplistic example of God’s perspective, it is in “large” what my driving experience is in “small.” Even though we may only look at life through a rear view mirror, God has infinite perspective on our situation and concern for us.
Though we can’t see the dangers ahead, he can. Though we can’t see the trials ahead, he can. And not only can he see them, but he also prepares us for them and walks with us through those experiences.
He has set out his Word that we may see and worship him as the all powerful God he’s revealed himself as and avoid many hardships of sin and evil. Also, when we do encounter difficult times in life, he will deliver our souls from death and keep us alive in famine.
Remember, God’s watchful eye is on those who fear him. Trust in him and his infinite perspective today.
I pray this devotion blesses you as much as it blessed me today. Remember, He is always faithful, always.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalm 1:1-2
How to be Happy
What determines your happiness everyday?
In the midst of the stresses and problems facing you, you can choose to enjoy your life. Just like you can set the alarm clock on your phone to get up in the morning, you can choose to set your attitude everyday.
* Don’t allow your joy to be stolen by the negative things that happen to you everyday.
* Forgive yourself and others for mistakes.
Happiness is a choice. You choose everyday if you’re going to let the worries, problems and junk from your day get you down. Determine that you’re going to decide to be happy no matter what is going on around you. You’ll find that you’ll quickly start enjoying life more!
But I Really Want This, God . . .
The truth is, God has expectations for how humanity, whom He created in His image, is to live and act. Yet, sadly, humanity is prone to wander, and this is the repetitive story we see throughout Scripture. Yes, God is in control. But He doesn’t control our choices. God has given responsibility and freedom to humans to choose Him, His way and His best.