So Loved
From the heart of God to the cross of Christ, redemption came into view. God was not willing to turn His back on the human race. His love was too deep, His mercy too wide. He longed to recover, redeem, and bring us back to Himself. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
This is what God did for us. God took Heaven’s best—the Lord Jesus Christ—to redeem earth’s worst. The Son of God died on a cross, an instrument of Roman torture made for the vilest offenders.
We, as a race, have been enticed into the service of Satan, but our unfaithfulness and waywardness have not canceled out God’s love for us. Instead, He has made the way for our rescue through His Son, Jesus Christ. He made the sacrifice and paid a price unthinkably greater than our true value. We are redeemed, recovered, and restored, not with money—silver and gold—but with the precious blood of Christ.
What a mighty God we serve!! When I read this devotion I was reminded of an old hymn, He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to wash my sins away. How true is that? I have followed after Christ all my life and yet every single time I am reminded of His sacrifice for my sins long before I even existed, I can’t hold back the tears. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!!
Today’s Reading is Acts 20:35
A Blind Man’s Prayer Request
In Mark 10:46-53, Jesus left the city with a large crowd following close behind. Most likely this crowd was creating a great deal of noise and excitement. A blind man begging for help would be sensitive to hear the activities as the people scuffled by. It is amazing that a blind beggar would know about “Jesus of Nazareth” and somehow would know that Jesus could help him. The blind man cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” While Jesus walked on earth, He answered that kind of prayer frequently. It must have been music in our Savior’s ears, because that is why Jesus came, to grant mercy to blind beggars like you and me. Jesus stopped, called to him and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” This man could have asked for money or help with some other desperate need, but instead he asked specifically for his sight. Jesus said that his faith healed him as the beggar immediately received his sight.
There are many situations and circumstances in our lives where we are blind to the will of God. But how many of us cry out to God for mercy? How many of us really bring our specific need to the Savior to ask for His touch? Too many times, we are faithless to ask for what we really want. Too many times, we hear that Jesus is near but are apprehensive to call out to Him. This blind beggar received what he asked for. This blind beggar knew that Jesus could touch him and change him. He did not hold back but yelled into a crowd full of people. Jesus says in Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”We need to take Jesus at His word. We need to understand that God desires to grant mercy and He wants us (the spiritually blind) to see. Are you in need of His mercy today? Tell Jesus what You want Him to do for you…tell Him that you need Him today. Just think, it is not necessary to yell or push through a crowd – He is just a prayer away.
We must not be faithless and apprehensive as today’s devotion says. Hebrews 4:16 says, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Let us never forget this truth, He is just a prayer away. Had the blind man been faithless and apprehensive he would have never received what God had for him. Are you in need of His mercy today? Call out to Him, He will hear and He will answer.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalms 27:4
Child-Like Faith
My sister and I had a good laugh the other day as we shared a conversation she had with her granddaughter. There was a minor problem with her car engine so my sister reached in the glove compartment for the owner’s manual. As she was looking through the pages, her granddaughter said, “Mamaw, why are you looking in that book?” To which my sister replied, “Because I want to fix this problem with my car.” At that point, little 4 year-old Emma ran into the house and came out with her own book. “Here, Mamaw, this book will tell you how to fix your car.” My sister looked at the book and said, “It is your Bible, Emma.” “Yes, Mamaw, everything you need to know is in this book, even how to fix your car.” What great faith!
I wonder how much more God would fix in our lives if we truly lived out what the Bible teaches us. Little Emma is right when she says that her book has all of the answers. God’s Word has the answer for every question we have and for every step we need to take. The only thing we need to do is to have the faith to believe it and obey.
Pray for that child-like faith today and ask the Lord to plant His Word on your heart and mind. “Meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
Today’s Reading is Hebrews 11:6
Giving the Gift of Prayer
One of the best ways to love others is to pray for them. Jesus is our ultimate example in this. The New Testament tells us about Jesus praying for others on many occasions, and even shows us that He continues to come to the Father on our behalf. Romans 8:34 says that He “is at the right hand of God, making intercession for us.” Even after showing such selfless love at the cross, the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ continues to express His care for us by praying for us at this very moment.
All around us are people who need us to follow Jesus’s example and love them with our prayers, inviting God’s help and intervention in their lives. We can ask God to help us pray for them, and He will! May our loving Lord strengthen us to generously give the gift of our prayers for others today.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for praying for me. Help me to serve You and others through faithfully praying today. Amen.
When I read this devotion I couldn’t help but think, what an incredible God we serve. He sent His son so long ago to die for us and no, It didn’t just stop there. Jesus’ love for us continues even to this day, what an example, Jesus is continuing to make intercession for you and I, He loves us so much that it didn’t stop at the cross, what love. Even when we may not deserve it, He’s making intercession for you and I. Go today, make prayer a priority and pray for someone today, we all know someone who needs our prayers. Prayer is one of the most powerful tools and the enemy knows if he can quench your prayers he can quench you. Prayer is a gift to be shared, share it with someone today. Time spent in prayer is never wasted.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Romans 8:28-34
Three-Lettered Faith
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:18)
Habakkuk had great cause for despair after having seen the coming troubles for God’s people; long and arduous years lay ahead. Things really did look dismal: no fruit, no meat, and no creature comforts. His words lure me into a pessimistic bed of hopelessness until he jars me awake again with a small three-letter word: yet. “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord” (Habakkuk 3:18). Despite all the hardships he anticipated, Habakkuk found cause for rejoicing simply because of who God is.
While we might be prone to exaggerate our problems, Habakkuk truly faced some extreme hardships. If he could summon praise for God in those moments, perhaps we can too. When we’re bogged down in the depths of despair, we can look to God who lifts us up.
Lord, You are the reason for all my joy. Help me to fix my eyes on You when my circumstances are painful and hard. Amen.
When I read this I was encouraged, encouraged and reminded despite what I’m going through He is able, YET, I will rejoice in the Lord. No matter what your facing today, remind yourself of this Three Lettered Faith, Yet. As I was studying and reading scripture I was reminded of this setting of scripture and David also used the word yet and although I’ve heard this setting of scripture over and over in my walk with Christ that word didn’t stand out to me like it does now, I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
(Psalm 37:25). I challenge you today to look at your circumstances and proclaim the yet in your faith towards God. Yet, I will rejoice, Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Amen! Find the beauty in today.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Habakkuk 3:17–19
We Won’t Break
As a native Californian and lover of all things sunny, I shy away from all things cold. I do, however, enjoy beautiful photos of snow. So I couldn’t help but smile when my friend from Illinois shared a winter picture of a sapling outside her window. Admiration turned to sadness when I noticed its bare, knotted branches bowing under the heavy fringe of sparkling icicles.
How long could those bending boughs endure before breaking under their icy burdens? The heaviness threatening to crack the tree’s limbs reminded me of my shoulders, hunched beneath the weight of worries.
After Jesus affirms that the greatest treasures are not earthly or temporary, He encourages us to release our anxious thoughts. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe loves and provides for His children, so we don’t have to waste our precious time worrying. God knows our needs and will care for us (Matthew 6:19–32).
He also knows we’ll be tempted to succumb to worry. He tells us to come to Him first, trust His presence and provision in the present, and live by faith one day at a time (vv. 33–34).
In this life, we’ll face overwhelming troubles and uncertainties that can make our shoulders droop. We may temporarily bend under the weight of worrying. But when we trust God, we won’t break.
Thanks for assuring us that we never have to worry, Lord, because You never fail to meet our deepest needs. Amen.
I was so uplifted and encouraged by this devotion today. I was reminded of this setting of scripture in Ephesians 6:11, Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The Lord has given us instruction and guidance in His word to overcome worry and fear. It’s up to us to reach out, grab it and apply it to our lives every single day. Remember, live by faith one day at time, worry won’t break us when we trust the Giver of all good things. Let your faith be bigger than your fears.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Matthew 6:25-34
Growing Gratitude
Would you like to cultivate a greater sense of gratitude? George Herbert, a seventeenth-century British poet, encourages readers toward that goal in his poem “Gratefulness”: “Thou that hast given so much to me, give one thing more: a grateful heart.”
Herbert recognized the only thing he needed in order to be thankful was simply an awareness of the blessings God had already given him.
The Bible declares Christ Jesus as the source of all blessing in Romans 11:36, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.” “All things” encompasses both the extravagant and the mundane, everyday gifts in our lives. Everything we receive in life comes directly from our heavenly Father (James 1:17), and He willingly gives us those gifts out of His love for us.
Take a few minutes to thank God for what comes to your mind right now. Try to do that throughout the day as well.
What a beautiful devotion! Let us do as today’s devotion encourages, let’s take time today to acknowledge the source of all our joys that we experience each and every day, especially the ones we take for granted. This devotion inspires me to see joys in today that I must admit I’ve taken for granted. For instance, I awoke to the alarm going off, why is that a joy one might ask, because I was able to hear the alarm, open my eyes and embrace another day to look after my beautiful family, I have purpose in today. It may seem silly to point out all the sources of joy in your life today but I guarantee the joy’s in your life will far outweigh whatever it is your dealing with and will give you the strength to overcome the lies and whispers of the enemy. You are blessed, You are loved by God. Now, let’s do as today’s devotion encourages, Take a few minutes to thank God for what comes to your mind right now. Try to do that throughout the day as well.
Make today beautiful!
Be a Doer of the Word
God knows our needs and hears our words. God opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:16). He knows our wants before they are even formed on our tongue. He is faithful in all things and will not let the righteous beg for bread. So why are we so discontent? Why do we complain to each other? Why don’t we pray more and trust Him more?
There is a consistent theme in the lives of the Israelites that left Egypt. They complained. Over and over, they saw ?the miracles? of the Lord to provide for them and protect them. They were witnesses of His ever constant presence and received daily manna from heaven. But it wasn’t enough. They wanted more and bigger and better and newer. They even complained that they wanted what they had when they were slaves. How quickly they forgot. It was because of their oppression in Egypt that God intervened to save them from slavery. God answered their prayer in unbelievable ways, but it wasn’t enough. And over and over, they were punished for this behavior but they didn’t change. Why?
I see patterns like this in my own life too. The Lord will reveal to me a message in the morning like “be thankful today” or “be quiet today.” For some reason though, I remember His message after I disobeyed. I have frequently asked the Lord how the Holy Spirit was able to impress upon me my sin immediately after I did it instead of helping me before. The answer is always the same…my lack of self control. We speak without thinking, complain to whoever will listen, and become forgetful in the busyness of the day. I have learned, slowly but surely, to write down those things He told me in the morning on a 3×5 card. I then place the card in my pocket or on my dash board to help me to remember. The responsibility isn’t all on the Lord. We need to be active in our faith and fight for victory. Let’s stop being hearers and complainers and become doers of the Word. Join me in entering the promised land of God’s rest and peace today, for we have a God who parts Red Seas and pours water from rocks.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is 1 John 3:18
For The Lord
We are alive to bless the Lord, not for the Lord to bless us. Although God desires to bless us, our desire needs to be that we just want to please the Lord. That means that everything we do should be done to please the Lord and not man. We can do dishes for the Lord, we can wipe noses for the Lord, and we are to help others for the Lord. It is not about being appreciated and complimented by others but by Him. A good test to check your motives is to examine what you do when no one is looking. Do you realize that God is watching? The Lord is with you all the time. When we become aware of His continual presence, we change. And this change is good because as we align our hearts to please Him, we receive His peace.
God has given us internal monitors that let us know if what we are doing is right or wrong before Him. When we make choices that please Him, we have peace. If we are making wrong choices, the Lord convicts us. We become uncomfortable with a lack of peace. We realize quickly that we are not pleasing God when gossiping or speaking negatively. When this happens to me, I sense the quenching of the Holy Spirit and I want to get out of that conversation as fast as I can. Praise God for His conviction. I don’t want to do anything that quenches the Spirit because I have learned that whatever quenches His Spirit hurts Him because it is bad for me.
Let’s live to bless the Lord. Ask Him to convict your heart today when you are doing anything that isn’t right before Him. Some day we will each give an account of our actions before Him. If we become aware of His presence now, we will live a life that brings Him glory, which in turn blesses us.
When I read this devotion it blessed me. What truth! Remember, He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles so if today after reading this devotion, you feel there are things you struggle with and the Holy Spirit has been convicting you, remember this, He already knows, turn it all over to Him, walk away from it and watch peace flow over you and through you. Today is your day to receive victory over strong holds.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Revelation 21:4
God’s Blessings
If we meditate on these verses, we can discern the heart of God. Three times the Lord uses the word “bless.” As the Lord fills us with His countenance and peace, we are able to represent Him to others. We cannot be blessed apart from God because blessing is two-fold. His face shines upon us so that we in turn bless Him. His desire for us is to bless us and keep us in His care. He wants His face to radiate through our faces so that others may know we serve a God who makes us shine with His favor and His countenance. The Lord is gracious and desires for us to live with peace. These spiritual characteristics take on physical attributes displayed in our lives.
As you look at your life today, do you reflect the countenance of the Lord who loves you and knows you by name? Do you live in fear or in peace? Not only does He know us by name, but He places His name on us, so that our words, attitudes and actions represent Him. Do you have peace, even in the midst of trying circumstances? By understanding the heart of God, our desire should be to draw closer to Him. The Lord is consistent. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His heart’s desire is to bless you and to give you peace. We realize that we are not blessed because of anything we have done but because of His mercy through the blood of Christ. Ask for the Lord’s blessing on your life today. If you have come to know Jesus Christ, you now bear His name and are called a child of God. And, we know from Numbers 6:27 that by receiving His name as His child, He will bless us.
As I was reading my word this morning The Lord was speaking to me about fear, then when I was praying and searching for a devotion to post, again, He led me to this devotion about fear. I don’t know who this is for but my prayer is that it uplifts and encourages you in your walk today with The Lord. Ponder on this scripture today whenever circumstances try to take hold of you and overwhelm you, when you feel the enemy is whispering lies into your ear, stop and trust Him, He is faithful, He is always present and He is always your biggest fan. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10) God is enough, He is all we ever need. He is love and He loves you beyond measure. Smile today, His blessings are great!
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is 1 Timothy 4:8