November 11, 2025 · 5:55 AM

Armor Up

As a person who is on social media, I’ve noticed there’s less and less originality. People copy what others are doing and follow trends. In 2020 Nathan Apocodaca went viral for drinking cranberry juice while skating down the road. Thousand of people tried to recreate his video doing the same thing with the same music. It’s clear the world rewards imitation. Trends tell us what to wear, what to do and where to go. As people follow along, they’re slowly being lulled into culture and away from the discipline of critical thinking. The more we get pulled in, the less we also spend time in prayer, the Bible and spending time with God. We consume a diet of what’s popular rather than truth that creates a slow fade away from following God’s Kingdom principles.

Daniel experienced this in the Bible. He was taken from his own land and culture into Babylon, a city built on pride, indulgence and idolatry. The goal wasn’t just to relocate the Israelites, it was to indoctrinate them into a new culture away from God. Daniel was given a new name, a new diet, a new education and a new language. However Daniel pushed back on the culture change. He resisted with clarity, courage and conviction. Verse 8 says, “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile (taint, dishonor) himself” (AMP). He didn’t go along with culture and increased his time of prayer to help him combat the temptation to be pulled into a culture that was trying to redefine him and his people.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 says, “But since we belong to the day, we must stay alert and clearheaded by placing the breastplate of faith and love over our hearts, and a helmet of the hope of salvation over our thoughts” (TPT). Paul was writing to an audience that was also in a culture that was trying to redefine their beliefs and thinking. The way we combat it is to armor up. We must protect our heart and our mind in today’s culture. Jesus taught us where our treasure is (what we value), is where our heart is. Combine that with the fact that our thoughts control our actions, we must be vigilant and make up our minds the way Daniel did to not redefine our beliefs in a culture that is trying to pull us away from God. You can start right now by asking God to cover your heart and mind with the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation.

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November 10, 2025 · 5:30 AM

Reframing Gratitude

My life group leader recently shared a story about how he reframed washing dishes as something he GETS to do versus something he HAS to do. That change in his mindset helped him approach it differently. It reminded me of the note Matthew Henry, who wrote a Bible Commentary, shared in his journal after he was robbed. He said, “Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, although they took my [possessions], they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.” He reframed a bad situation through gratefulness and his perspective changed.

I don’t know of many other people who sustained long term difficulties more than Joseph. His story is found throughout Genesis 37-50. When he was a teen, his brothers hated him, beat him and sold him as a slave while telling their father he was dead. He was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown in prison. There he was able to interpret the dreams for two of Pharaoh’s attendants, but the one who lived didn’t tell anyone. For 13 years he was in a foreign land and forgotten with a shattered dream. However, God raised him to power in Egypt and he fulfilled his destiny. As he was dying, his brothers were scared. His reply in Genesis 50:20 shows how he had reframed things with a grateful heart. He said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (NLT).

1Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Notice that it doesn’t say to be thankful FOR all circumstances, but rather IN all circumstances. Reframing our circumstances is about keeping our eyes on Jesus who remains faithful in them. Reframing doesn’t erase our hardship. Instead it helps us interpret them to see what God is doing. The enemy wants you to frame them as what was taken from you, but gratitude helps you see what God has preserved in you and what He can accomplish through any situation. If God can preserve a nation through Joseph’s trials, imagine what He can do through yours. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Today ask the Holy Spirit to use gratitude to reframe your testimony.

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November 7, 2025 · 5:51 AM

God Lifts Us

Do you ever feel forgotten or unseen by God? One of my favorite names given to God comes from Genesis 16. Hagar felt secluded and alone as if God had not seen her suffering. When He showed up, she called Him “El Roi”, God who sees me. It’s a great reminder that God not only sees me when I feel that way, but He also shows up at the right time. There were many people who felt that way in the Bible. Not only did He see them, He lifted them up from the pit of despair and placed them in a better position. Just as God saw them and lifted them up, He sees you and will lift you up. He will not leave you where you are forever.

Here are some Bible verses on God lifting us up:

1. Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time.

1 Peter 5:6 GNT

2. For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

Psalms 27:5 AMP

3. Your rule is eternal, and you are king forever. The Lord is faithful to his promises; he is merciful in all his acts. He helps those who are in trouble; he lifts those who have fallen.

Psalm 145:13-14 GNT

4. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

James 4:10 NLT

5. He stooped down to lift me out of danger from the desolate pit I was in, out of the muddy mess I had fallen into. Now he’s lifted me up into a firm, secure place and steadied me while I walk along his ascending path.

Psalms 40:2 TPT

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November 6, 2025 · 5:30 AM

Be Patient And Wait

One of the hardest things for me to do is to be patient while God is at work on my behalf. I live by the motto, “Work like it depends on you. Pray like it depends on God.” But there are seasons, like the one I’m in now, where God is at work and He says, “Be still and be patient.” Everything in me wants to jump up and do something as if God needs my help. There’s a line in “Way Maker” that resonates with me right now. It says, “Even when I don’t see it, you’re working. Even when I don’t feel it, you’re working. You never stop working.” Faith is truly about trusting that God is at work when you don’t see it or feel it. It’s about being patient in the waiting knowing that God is going to bless you according to a His goodness and not your good works.

I don’t think Abraham was much different. God was at work, but he couldn’t see it. God had promised him a son when he was 75. Ten years later, there still wasn’t a son and he was getting older. He decided to help God out and married Hagar, his wife’s handmaiden. But when she got pregnant, God let him know that wasn’t what He promised. Sarah would give him a son, but Abraham had to wait another 15 years. That’s a long time to be patient and to trust God to fulfill a promise, especially when your physical condition, or things around you, are telling you the possibility is going down daily. Yet God still requires us to have faith and to be patient.

Psalm 37:7 says, “Be patient and wait for the Lord to act” (GNT). I understand that having patience and waiting on God is tough. It can feel like you’re missing the boat and that you need to do something to make it happen. Learn from Abraham though. If God has promised it, trust Him to fulfill it in His timing, not yours. Even when you see the window of opportunity closing, trust anyway. God does not need our help. He is able. If He can speak the universe into existence, surely He can say the word and turn your impossible situation around. If He can give Abraham a son at 100 years old, He can make a way where there seems to be no way. It’s in the waiting that our faith is stretched and we are prepared for greater things. Don’t give up too early or try to jump in and help. Be patient and wait on the Lord.

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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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November 5, 2025 · 5:53 AM

The Cost Of Discipleship

In one of my small groups we are talking about personal growth so we can become better husbands and fathers. The first question I ask is, “Are you committed to growth?” We then look for two areas to grow in over the next few weeks. Most of us want growth, but we don’t want to make changes in order to achieve it. We often have to let go of habits that are holding us back. We have to weigh what is more important to us: the things we are holding on to or the growth we want to see. It’s usually something that’s comfortable to us or makes our life comfortable that holds us back and causes us to fight change and growth.

In Luke 18, a rich, young ruler approached Jesus and asked what he needed to do to inherit the Kingdom of God. Jesus recited some Old Testament commandments, and the guy said he had followed them all his life. “‘Ah,’ Jesus said, ‘there’s still one thing you’re missing in your life.’ ‘What is that?’ asked the man. ‘You must go and sell everything you own and give all the proceeds to the poor so you will have eternal treasures. Then come and follow me’” (TPT). Jesus was testing him to show him what was competing for first place in his life. He wanted what Jesus offered, but he wasn’t willing to make Jesus number one in his life. The man walked away sad because he wasn’t willing to let go of comfort for discipleship.

In Mark 8:34 Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]” (AMP). What are you holding on to that’s holding you back? Are you committed to being a disciple of Christ? Then we must make sure He is number one in our life and be willing to make whatever changes He asks us to. Discipleship is about conforming your life to His way of living. It’s not conforming His teachings to your way of life. The cost of discipleship is high and that’s why many walk away sad just like the rich young ruler.

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November 4, 2025 · 5:47 AM

Feedback And Correction

One of the things I have to remind myself and others is that feedback and correction are gifts. In one of my previous jobs, after I had completed an assignment, I had to stand in front of my peers to receive feedback and correction. They would say what I did well, what I didn’t do well and what I should do differently next time. Some who stood up there were thankful for it and incorporated the feedback and correction. There were others though who tried to defend what their intentions were or why they chose to do it a certain way. Some would even attack the person trying to help them. How we receive feedback and correction says a lot about who we are.

In 2 Samuel 12, David had sinned by having an affair and then having her husband killed. He thought he had gotten away with it, but God saw what he had done. The prophet Nathan was sent to David to confront his sin. He told him the story of a poor man who had his lamb stolen by a rich man, who killed the lamb and served it to a friend. David screamed out that anyone who could do such a thing should be put to death. Nathan looked at him and said, “You are that man!” Instead of denying, defending or attacking, David admitted his sin and sought forgiveness. He accepted the feedback and correction which allowed him to remain king. He asked God to create a clean heart in him and to renew a right spirit within him.

Proverbs 25:12 says, “When you humbly receive wise correction, it adorns your life with beauty and makes you a better person” (TPT). How well do you receive feedback and correction? God uses people to confront our sin, shortcomings and areas that need improvement. Do you reject what they say, defend your intentions or attack them? David, as king, could have easily put Nathan in jail or killed him. Instead, he received the correction and became a better person and king. By the way, the one who wrote this proverb was not only David’s son, his mother was the one whom David had the affair with. God not only redeemed David after his son, He birthed a kingly succession out of his greatest sin. When we receive Godly feedback and correction, God can redeem whatever He’s pointing out.

Photo by Víctor C.on Pexels.

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November 3, 2025 · 5:51 AM

Guarding Your Heart

There’s a show on TV called “To Catch A Smuggler.” It follows different border patrol security agents around the world who work at airports. When they see something on the scanner, they pull the person aside and question them. They open the suitcases and dig around looking for contraband. Many times they are catching drug mules. Their job is to protect their nation and they’re not passive about it. They often find hidden compartments full of illegal items. The show is interesting to me as I watch for the behaviors of those trying to do harm and for those who are trying to protect their nation. It reminds me how important it is to be vigilant as we watch over our lives.

Joseph was a young man when his brothers took his famous coat of many colors and sold him into slavery. When his master’s wife tried to seduce him, he could have told himself that he deserved it because of his hardship, but instead he ran. When he spent years in prison, he could have grown bitter against God and his brothers, but he didn’t. The Bible doesn’t give us much insight into his thought processes during all those years. However, we can see his actions throughout his story to see that he guarded his heart closely. He made sure not to let bitterness, selfishness or anger in. He guarded what came into his heart and he was able to see the realization of the dream God gave him.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (NLT). Think about that verse. It urges us to guard our heart more than anything else because what you let into your heart will spill out in behavior and affect your life. How strict are you on guarding your heart? Do you entertain whatever thoughts come your way, or are you like those border patrol agents who inspect everything? Just like what comes through a border can destroy a nation, what comes into your heart can destroy your life. We must be vigilant about protecting it. Like Joseph, each of us will be tested by the enemy to disrupt God’s dream for our life. If we are diligent to guarding our heart, the course of our life will follow God’s path.

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October 31, 2025 · 6:00 AM

Maintaining Your Integrity

When I think of integrity, I think of Job. After having lost everything, he still fell down and worshipped God. Satan went back to God for permission to do more, and God noted how he maintained his integrity despite loss. Then his wife asked, “Do you still cling to your integrity [and your faith and trust in God, without blaming Him]? Curse God and die!” (AMP) Integrity is still living out your faith and trust in God despite what’s going on in your life. We can say we trust God in the good times, but can we really do it over periods of difficulties? Job shows us it is possible to keep your faith and trust in God no matter what. We can maintain our integrity despite our circumstances.

Here are some Bible verses on integrity:

1. The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.

Proverbs 20:7 NKJV

2. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.

Titus 2:7 NLT

3. But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

Psalm 41:12 ESV

4. I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.

Psalms 101:2 NLT

5. The one who walks in integrity will experience a fearless confidence in life, but the one who is devious will eventually be exposed.

Proverbs 10:9 TPT

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October 30, 2025 · 5:30 AM

A Foundation Of Love

I was at celebration of my aunt and uncle when a lady walked up to me. She said, “You don’t know me, but I know you. I grew up in your grandfather’s church.” She shared some stories with me about him, and then she said, “He gave that church a foundation of love.” That phrase resonated with me for many reasons. I couldn’t help but think of how you and I are the Church. It’s important that we build our faith and our lives on a foundation of God’s love. If we don’t do that, our lives can become full of meaningless rituals or a cold relationship with God. When that happens we must return to our first love.

In Luke 7:36-47, Jesus was dining at a Pharisee’s house. A lady who was a prostitute came in, bowed at Jesus’ feet, cried tears on His feet, then dried them with her hair and poured perfume on them. The Pharisee was stunned that Jesus allowed this to happen. Jesus told him a parable of two men who owed a debt to someone. One owed a little and the other a lot. The creditor forgave them both. Jesus then asked the Pharisee which person loved the creditor more. He replied that the one who was forgiven more. Jesus agreed. He then looked down at the lady and told the Pharisee that her many sins had been forgiven and this was a display of her love.

In Ephesians 3:19 Paul concluded a prayer by saying, “And [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself]” (AMP). You and I can’t just have a head knowledge of God. We must experience His love and forgiveness in our lives. When we do that, we will experience God’s presence and be filled with it. When we have the foundation of His love in our lives, we can make a greater impact on the people around us.

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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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October 29, 2025 · 5:47 AM

Searching For Treasure

Almost every time I’ve gone to the beach, I’ve seen people walking around with metal detectors. They walk up and down them scanning for treasures lost by others. You can hear it beep, and then they start digging. I’ve also watched videos of people who drag sifters through the sand trying to pick up things. I wonder if they found something, and then think I should buy a metal detector. I never do though. The difference between us is that because they are searching for it, and I’m not, they’re the ones who are likely to find hidden treasure. They’re willing to dig, to sift and to do what it takes in order to find treasure. Hoping to find it, without doing anything, will not result in me finding treasure.

I love the story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. He believed in God and had come to Jerusalem to worship. He was on his way home and had purchased a scroll of Isaiah, which was very costly. While he was riding along in his chariot, the Lord spoke to Philip and told him to go south of Jerusalem to the desert road. Philip obeyed not knowing why. It was on that road that their paths crossed and he heard the Ethiopian reading Isaiah searching to know God more as he read chapter 53. Philip asked if he understood, but the Ethiopian said he couldn’t unless someone explained it. That day, the Ethiopian found the treasure he had been seeking and accepted Jesus as his savior. Philip baptized him and was carried away by the Spirit while the Ethiopian returned home spiritually rich.

Colossians 2:3 says, “For our spiritual wealth is in him, like hidden treasure waiting to be discovered—heaven’s wisdom and endless riches of revelation knowledge” (TPT). In Christ are all the spiritual treasures are available to us. Like any treasure, we must seek it, dig deep and do what it takes to find it. The more you dig into God’s Word, the more you will discover who He is. The more time you spend with Christ Jesus getting to know Him, the more treasure you will find. If your Bible is never opened or you never stop to pray, you can’t expect to find the hidden treasure He has for you. If you seek Him, you will find Him, but you must search for Him as you would a hidden treasure.

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