July 31, 2026 · 6:04 AM

God’s Justice

When we hear that God is just, it’s easy to picture a courtroom with God holding a gavel. While he is a righteous judge, His justice is never separated from His mercy. While His justice restores us, His mercy heals us. His justice sets things right and His mercy makes us whole. When we read that God is just, the Bible is telling us that He doesn’t just punish wrong, but He is actively working to put back together what sin tore apart. We don’t have to be afraid of a just God. We need to submit to His processes and His promises. His justice is served when our lives are restored tomHis purposes. While sometimes we want just His justice in situations, it’s good to know that it’s always coupled with His mercy.

Here are some Bible verses on God being just:

1. If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

1 John 1:9 AMP

2. Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them].

Isaiah 30:18 AMP

3. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Romans 3:25-26 NLT

4. He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

Deuteronomy 32:4 NLT

5. He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

Deuteronomy 32:4 NLT

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July 30, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Seasoning With Salt

There’s a saying that says, “Always leave them wanting more.” When teaching people this principle, I like to tell the story of something that happened a couple of years ago. I was riding with my friend in his truck on a rainy day. As we were going down the road, we saw a guy carrying a duffle bag walking on the shoulder. He was getting soaked and we thought the Christian thing to do was to pick him up. He put the duffle bag in the bed of the truck where it was still getting rained on, and climbed in the back seat. My buddy told him he could bring it inside, but he declined. As we we driving, he asked him what was in the bag. The man said sternly, “It’s none of your business!” Shocked, I said, “You don’t have to be rude about it. We just wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to get messed up.” He repeated himself with even more attitude. My buddy pulled the truck over and told him to get out. Before he could grab the bag, we sped off!

On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Your lives are like salt among the people. But if you, like salt, become bland, how can your ‘saltiness’ be restored? Flavorless salt is good for nothing and will be thrown out and trampled on by others” (Matthew 5:13 TPT). Salt brings out incredible flavors in food, and it also makes you thirsty. If there’s too much, it makes the food inedible. If there’s too little, or you can’t taste it, what’s the point. The question my wife and I ask all the time is, “Did you leave them thirsting for more?” As people explore faith or are around us as Christians, that’s the question we have to ask. Did our conversation, and the way we acted, make them want to know more about God?

Colossians 4:5-6 says, “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone” (NLT). The word “attractive” means seasoned with salt. We need to make sure we’re interacting with people who don’t know Jesus so we can be salt and light. There’s little point to salt or light unless you’re around unseasoned people in the dark. Jesus didn’t spend all His time in the Temple or only with believers. He made a point to be among people who didn’t believe in God, taught them in ways they could understand and left them wanting more. We need to ask God daily for wisdom in how to live, speak and act in front of non-believers so that we make them thirsty to know more about Him. We will know it’s the right amount when they ask for more.

P.S. I know you’re dying to know what was in the bag, and it’s none of your business. 😉😂

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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July 29, 2026 · 5:51 AM

Seeing God Clearly

One of the quotes I think about often is from A. W. Tozer. He said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” How you view God governs everything else about you. Whether your view is accurate or distorted, it shapes how you interpret life, make decisions, pray, how you treat people and respond to pressure. Because of that, it’s important that we read through Scripture to see how God has revealed Himself through the lens of eternity instead of making our determination of how we see Him in the moment we’re standing in.

I love the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25. Today I want to focus on the guy who received one talent and buried it in the sand. When the master asked him what he did with his talent, he responded, “Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back” (NLT). He viewed God as a harsh task master and so he didn’t do anything with what was given to him. He let fear and a distorted view keep him from making and impact. Instead, he should have seen Him as generous. The master gave three servants talents. Then when the other two returned them to the master, the master returned the full amount back to them.

In Psalm 145:8-9, the psalmist described God by saying, “The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.” God is merciful, compassionate, good and generous. He’s not waiting for you to fail so He can get angry at you. Does your view of God line up with this? If not, you may find yourself like the third guy in that parable. Don’t go another day with a distorted view of God. It’s holding you back from doing the most with what you’ve been given. Let this verse restore your trust in God and reshape how you live. Remember, seeing God clearly is the most important thing about you.

Photo by Erhan Dayı from Pexels.

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July 28, 2026 · 5:56 AM

Whole Hearted Commitment

I got an email at work that’s promoting a new perk. It said, “Why commit to one gym when you can have access to 20,000 gyms? Change gyms any time you like!” I started thinking about how everything has become about convenience instead of commitment. You can go month to month on so many things these days instead of having to sign an annual agreement. Other prices let you cancel any time. The ability to opt out when things become inconvenient is appealing to our nature which is why so many marketing campaigns go after it. The problem comes when we have things God created for us to commit to and we opt out for the sake of convenience.

After Moses died, Joshua led the children of Israel. He led the younger generation into the Promised Land and conquered the cities. At the end of his life, he gathered the nation together at Shechem where God had promised the land to Abraham. Before passing away, he wanted to remind the people what God had done for them and to have them recommit to following and serving the Lord. In Joshua 24:15 he said, “If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve:… as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (AMP). Joshua didn’t want there to be any doubt about his commitment to following the Lord. He made a bold proclamation in front of everyone and we remember it to this day.

Deuteronomy 6:5-6 says, “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today” (NLT). God is asking us for a whole hearted commitment that doesn’t change with the times or for convenience. Not only are we to love Him with every part of our being, we must commit ourselves to following His way of living. Like Joshua, we must stand up in this generation and choose to serve and follow the Lord. We need to look back at all God has done for us, remember the promises He’s kept and choose to daily take up our cross and commit to the life He’s called us to live in the Bible. God is asking each of us to decide if we’re going to have a whole hearted commitment to Him or not.

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July 27, 2026 · 5:58 AM

Led From The Front

One of the questions I ask in my leadership training is, “What’s the difference between a boss and a leader?” Answers vary, but eventually they’re summed up in a picture I’ve seen where a boss is on a block that the team is pulling while he points forward. The leader is at the front of the team pulling the rope. John Maxwell says that a leader knows the way, shows the way and goes the way. They lead from the front, they’re accessible and they’re interested in the success of the team. I’m sure at some point you have worked for a boss and a leader. Who would you rather work for? The leader wins every time.

In John 10 Jesus is talking to the people using terminology they could understand. He referred to them as sheep and Himself as the Good Shepherd. He explained that the sheep know the shepherd’s voice and go to Him. Then in verse 4 He says, “After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice” (NLT). There are two types of shepherds. One that drives the sheep from behind and one that leads from the front. The shepherds who lead from the front, choose the path, face the dangers first and create a safe environment for the sheep. It’s the responsibility of the sheep to align themselves with the steps of the shepherd, follow his direction and respond out of relationship.

Romans 8:14 says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Are you being led by Jesus or are you out front trying to lead Him? As children of God, we are to be led by Him, recognize His voice and to respond to Him. We need to let Him choose the path we’re following versus us choosing the path and asking for His blessing. As the Good Shepherd, He knows our name and calls to us. He’s out front doing what a shepherd does. He’s not trying to drive us. Instead He’s trying to lead us to the life He has for us, but we must be willing to be led and to follow. His call to each of us has always been, “Follow me.” Are you aligning yourself with His steps and following His direction? As His children, we must let Him lead from the front.

Photo by Quan-You Zhang on Unsplash.

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July 24, 2026 · 5:50 AM

Seeking The Lord

My nieces and nephews were playing hide and go seek in my house recently. One of them loosely looked around the first floor for the others and didn’t find anyone. She then went to the stairs and said, “I’m not coming up there to search for you!” She wasn’t really searching to begin with, but many of us search for God, the Bible and the things of God just like my niece was “searching.” When the Bible tells us to search or seek, it’s using the Hebrew word “darash.” It means to pursue intentionally, repeatedly seeking relationship. It’s more of a way of life than a temporary assignment. We’re not supposed to simply search, we’re to continually pursue Him. Don’t give up after a short while. Make seeking Him a lifestyle.

Here are some Bible verses on searching for God:

1. If you reach out to me, you will find me when you search for me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 TPT

2. Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.

Isaiah 55:6 NKJV

3. Seek and deeply long for the Lord and His strength [His power, His might]; Seek and deeply long for His face and His presence continually.

Psalms 105:4 AMP

4. The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Psalm 34:10 ESV

5. The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.

Lamentations 3:25 NLT

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July 23, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Take Time To Prepare

Years ago I had a corporate job where I stood in front of groups to train soft skills and also processes. Every once in a while, someone would come up and tell me that they wanted to be in a position like mine. They would ask if they could shadow me for a day. I would usually agree to it, and then they would ask what training they could shadow. I’d laugh and say, “I’m not going to have you shadow me on a teaching day. I want you to come up here during my preparation time.” They would look puzzled and ask why. I always responded, “Because what you see in the classroom is the result of my work. I’ve spent hours preparing to stand here and deliver this content. If you want to do this job, you need to see the amount of preparation it takes to stand here for 8 hours.” Not many people wanted the job after that.

When we read the Gospels, we’re looking at 3 years of Jesus’ ministry. It was the result of 30 years of preparation. We don’t really get a glimpse of the years He prepared. We know as a twelve year old, He was in the Temple preparing. He knew He needed to be about His father’s business even then. We know that His earthly father was a carpenter. He would have learned His father’s trade of looking at the details, measuring twice, cutting once and using tools to create masterpieces from wood that had been cut. All of His life was preparation for ministry. We even read how He took time away from the disciples and people to get alone with God as preparation for the ministry He would do the next day.

2 Timothy 2:21 says, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things [which are dishonorable—disobedient, sinful], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (AMP). God wants to use each of us somewhere in His Kingdom, but we each must take the time to prepare for it. We must be willing to be alone with God in prayer. We have to be willing to be taught skills that God can use. We must be open to learning more about who He is. We also have to make choices to be set apart, live pure lives and to be ready when God wants to use us. Most of us will touch one or two lives at a time rather than the masses. That will still require you to spend time in prayer and preparation. Every person who wants to be used by God must take the time to be prepared for every good work God wants to do through them.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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July 22, 2026 · 5:44 AM

Life’s Building Materials

One of the sites my wife and I visited on our honeymoon was Notre Dame. For it had stood there for over 800 years. We marveled at the architecture, the stained glass and the history. It was one of our favorite places to visit in Paris. I believe that’s why it was so painful to see the fire in 2019. I kept wondering how it could burn. I remembered a stone building, but its roof and spire were built of medieval timber that was dry. It hurt to see the roof collapse and the spire fall. All that work and history were gone in seconds. The parts that were flammable burned and disintegrated while the parts that weren’t remained.

It reminds me of how we as people can be. When Israel demanded a king, God chose one that was from a wealthy, influential family. 1 Samuel 9:2 says, “Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land” (NLT). He looked great on the outside, but on the inside, he was like Notre Dame’s roof. Later, when it was time to choose the next king, Samuel was still looking at the outside when Jesse brought his sons before him. God reminded him, “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” David didn’t look the part on the outside, but his heart was in the right place.

1 Corinthians 3:11-13 says, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.” One day our lives will be exposed to fire. What’s done for eternity will survive it. What’s done for selfish ambition will burn like wood, hay and straw. As long as we’re still alive, there’s time to change the materials we’re building our lives with. Our lives will be exposed to show whether we are like Saul or David. Man may be impressed by what looks good on the outside, but God is looking on the inside. Make sure your heart is in the right place.

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July 21, 2026 · 6:07 AM

The Familiarity Trap

To me, Matthew 13:58 has one of the biggest warnings in the Bible. It says, “And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief” (NLT). The town that was most familiar with Jesus had a hard time accepting Him for who He was. They knew His family, His father’s trade and His siblings. They saw Him perform miracles, and heard of many more that He had done. They heard Him teach in the synagogue He grew up in. They recognized the authority He spoke with and marveled at His understanding of Scripture. However, they had placed Him in a box and couldn’t accept Him outside of it. They couldn’t see He was God because they had shrunk Him into something they could predict, understand and control.

In 1 Samuel 2:12, it says, “Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord.” Eli was the priest of Israel who lived next to the Tabernacle which carried the Ark of the Covenant. They grew up around the presence of God. They witnessed answered prayers and prophecies fulfilled, yet their hearts became hardened and far from God. They began to treat the things that were holy as common. They stole offerings before they were offered to God, they treated God’s people poorly and had contempt for God’s house. They rejected God even though they grew up around His presence and in His house. Their hearts became hardened even though they had familiarity with God.

The writer of Hebrews warned us of the same temptation that Nazareth, Eli’s sons and the nation of Israel did when they left Egypt. Hebrews 3:15 says, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” We can go to church every Sunday, experience God’s presence and hear His voice, yet harden our hearts towards Him if we don’t honor His presence. We can become so familiar with the things of God that we reject the work He wants to do in our lives. God doesn’t always fit into the nice, neat little box we try to fit Him into. When we honor His presence and allow Him to have His way, we will find ourselves like so many others who experienced fresh revelation, greater faith and miracles. His presence should still stir awe in us, shape our lives and remain holy to us. Let us not become so familiar with Him that we harden our hearts.

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July 20, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Purpose Driven Living

In the early 2000’s, one of the life groups I attended went through “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. The book opened with the phrase, “It’s not about you.” Our purpose is found in serving God and others. John Maxwell teaches that success is internally focused and significance is externally focused. So many people in life think their purpose is to be successful, but God’s purpose for each of our lives becomes apparent when we stop focusing on ourselves and start focusing on others. I believe that’s why Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God with all of our heart, soul and strength, and to love others as we love ourselves.

In the book of Acts, one of the members of the Early Church was Barnabas. His given name was Joseph, but everyone called him Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.” He sold some land that he owned in order to fund the ministry. He was also the one who vouched for Paul to the leaders after his conversion on the Damascus Road. They sent him on the road with Paul to mentor him and lead the missionary journey. When John Mark and Paul had a disagreement and split, it was Barnabas who facilitated the reconciliation behind the scenes. Barnabas lived out a purpose driven life by seeing potential in others, sharing responsibilities even when he was overlooked and multiplied his impact through the work of mentorship, discipleship and reconciliation.

Philippians 2:3-5 gives us the description of purpose driven living. It says, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (NLT). When we have the same attitude as Jesus and follow these steps, our lives take on eternal significance. If you’re searching for your God given purpose, quit chasing success and start living a life that helps others reach their potential, points them to Jesus and helps them live out their purpose. In the end, trading the spotlight of selfish ambition for the servant heart and attitude of Christ is the only path to a life of purpose.

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