Tag Archives: christian living

April 30, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Conditioning

When I was in high school I played basketball. I loved being on the team, but I always hated the start of the season. I’m not talking about the first few games though. When we were allowed to start practicing, coach would spend the first few weeks conditioning our bodies and getting us back into shape. We ran sprints, horses, long distances, did calisthenics, jumped over benches and more exercises. I don’t remember touching a basketball those first few weeks. It was painful and my body was sore. I spent a lot of time soaking in epsom salt trying to recover. However, once the season started, we were better conditioned than any team and could out run them and wear them out giving us lots of victories. It turns out coach had a plan the whole time.

We read the story of Joseph in the late chapters of Genesis. When he was just a teenager, God gave him dreams that his family would now down to him. Foolishly, he told his brothers all about them. Being the younger brother, he probably rubbed it in while wearing the special coat his dad made for him. It’s clear that he wasn’t ready to lead at that time. His brothers then decided to kill him, but sold him into slavery instead. He was then falsely accused of trying to rape his master’s wife and thrown in prison where he was forgotten. He went through this period of conditioning for 13 years before God exalted him to be second in command of Egypt. When he ruled Egypt, we see a very different person because of what he went through.

Psalm 66:12 says, “You’ve allowed our enemies to prevail against us. We’ve passed through fire and flood, yet in the end you always bring us out better than we were before, saturated with your goodness” (TPT). God allows us to go through storms and difficult times in order to condition us for the plans He has for us. His plans are good, but we are often not ready to fulfill them yet. In His processes, we are changed for the better and made ready to receive His promises. If you’re going through a tough time right now, hang in there. God is building your endurance and your character so that you’re able to handle what’s coming and help others. Conditioning doesn’t last forever. Victory is on the way.

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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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April 28, 2026 · 5:46 AM

But Lord Moments

I was reading in Acts 9 where God met Saul on the road to Damascus. Saul had papers in hand with permission to persecute believers and throw them in jail when God blinded him and called him to be a minister of the Gospel. God then spoke to a believer in Damascus named Ananias to go pray for Saul to receive his sight. Ananias responded like many of us, “But Lord!” He reminded God who Saul was and what he had come to do. Then God told him what He had in store for Saul. The Bible says that Ananias then went to find Saul and pray for him. Saul regained his sight and was baptized.

Ananias isn’t the only one to say, “But Lord,” to God. When God called Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, he said, “But Lord I can’t speak.” When Gideon was called upon to deliver Israel from Midian he said, “But Lord I’m too weak.” When Jeremiah was called to be a prophet, he said, “But Lord I’m too young.” When Peter was told to cast his nets on the other side of the boat, he said, “But Lord, it doesn’t make sense. I’ve been fishing all night.” In each of these instances, they did push back, but they also obeyed. Instead of trusting what they thought to be true, the believed what God told them. Each time, God responded to their hesitant faith.

When I’m faced with those same moments of hesitation, I think of Psalm 56:3. It says, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you” (NLT). Honestly, our hesitation is born out of fear. We’re afraid of the same things these people in the Bible were afraid of. We think we can’t speak, we’re too timid, too young or that we will look foolish. We can be honest in those moment like the psalmist and admit we are afraid. However, we must also take that next step of faith and say, “Nevertheless I will trust you, Lord.” When we take that step of faith, God will strengthen you and meet you just as He did in each of the stories above. You can trust Him because He’s already standing in the place He’s called you to.

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April 23, 2026 · 5:30 AM

God Leads

We all have leaders in our lives. Some of them we trust, and some we don’t. I’ve had some whom I didn’t question. If they said we could walk on water, I’d get out of the boat. There have been some I’ve had that if they told me to go right, I’d think really hard about going left. I’m always working on my leadership skills which means I’m always learning how to build trust. There are thousands of books on how to be a better leader. There are thousands of trainings you can take too, but not much is out there about how to be a good follower. None of us like to think of ourselves as followers, but we are. To be a good follower, you have to put pride and selfishness away, and trust the one who is leading you.

Following God starts with surrendering the leadership of your life to Him. Think of Psalm 23. That’s what it’s really about. “The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters” (AMP). Sheep don’t negotiate direction, question the pace or complain about their position. They follow where their shepherd leads them and trust him even when it seems contradictory to their logic. They understand he sees the bigger picture and is there to feed, guide and shield them through life.

The Bible is full of verses that talk about how God leads us. It’s also full of men and women who refused to follow where God was trying to lead them. They felt their plan was better or they failed to clarify what they understood of His plan. There are also many people who followed where God led them, and they were blessed immensely. God doesn’t force us to follow where He leads us. It’s always our choice. How well have you been following where He has been trying to lead you? Has pride or selfishness kept you from following? No matter how far you’ve gone in the other direction, it’s just one step back to following where He wants to take you. Learning to follow where He leads is a process each of us are in daily.

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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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April 8, 2026 · 5:19 AM

Return To The Shepherd

A sheep’s greatest need is not food and water. Their greatest need is a shepherd. They cannot survive without one. They naturally flock together, but without a shepherd they tend to get distracted at times and wander from the heard. They’re also a defenseless breed. Without a shepherd to protect them, they are easy targets for predators. Also sheep must be sheared at least once a year. Without a shepherd doing that, their wool will get matted up and become too heavy to bear. They will either succumb to the weight of it or get sick from the diseases that wil be acquired from the matted wool. The last reason why sheep can’t survive without a shepherd is because they wouldn’t be able to find pasture or water for themselves. Without a shepherd they would eventually starve to death.

In Mark 6, Jesus and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. Verse 34 says, “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things” (ESV). Jesus saw the people and knew they couldn’t survive without a shepherd and needed spiritual food. After teaching them, the disciples saw they were hungry and asked the Good Shepherd to send them away to find their own food. Jesus, who was trying to teach the disciples how to shepherd people, told them to feed these sheep. They replied they didn’t have enough money to feed them all and they only had five loves of bread an two fish. In the Good Shepherd’s hands, that was enough to care for a flock of five thousand. These sheep need their shepherd to provide spiritual and physical food.

Zachariah 1:3 says, “Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.” Have you wandered away from the flock and the Shepherd? We all do it at times. We get distracted by the cares of this world and we sometime put a greater priority on earthly things. You need the Good Shepherd if you’re going to survive. You need the flock of your local church as well with God’s under shepherd. You can’t survive on bread alone. I know because I’ve tried it before. God is calling to each of us, searching for us to bring us back into His flock. We need His loving care so we are not weighed down by the cares of this world. We need to return to Him so we can find lie down in green pastures and rest beside streams of water. Our natural place is with Him. If you’ve been separated for whatever reason, call out to Him today and return. He is a loving shepherd who won’t be mad at you. Instead, He has compassion for you each time He sees you and wants to be your shepherd.

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March 10, 2026 · 5:51 AM

Changing Your Destiny

I truly believe that the direction your life is going is based on the things you think about. What you choose to think about and dwell on becomes your mindset. It’s not a single thought that sets your course, but the ones you continually let rule your mind. Your mindset then becomes how you make decisions. Your decisions reveal what’s been going on inside because your decisions become your actions. Those actions then become your habits that are hard to break. Finally, your habits determine your destiny. If you want to change the trajectory of your life, you have to change what you consistently think about.

Let’s look at Psalm 23 through this lens. David reveals his thoughts in verses 1-2. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams” (NLT). He sees God as his shepherd, leader and care giver. Next he says, “He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” His mindset expects restoration from God. Verse 4 reveals his decision despite his circumstances. “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” God then prepares a table for him in the presence of his enemies where his actions and habits are based on his thoughts of God and not fear. Finally his destiny is “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

Romans 8:5 says, “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.” Your thoughts also reveal your ruler. If your thoughts are selfish, prideful, revengeful, angry and full of worry, they’re not from the Holy Spirit. If your thoughts are true, honorable, right, pure and lovely (Philippians 4:8) your mind is controlled by the Spirit. It’s not easy to change your thought life, but it is possible through the Holy Spirit. When your thoughts don’t line up with the Bible, you must capture them and make them obedient to the Spirit (2 Corinthians 10:5). The Holy Spirit will help you make this transition so you can change to the destiny God has for you.

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March 9, 2026 · 5:10 AM

The Slow Fade

Last year I decided to change my diet. I counted the carbs, sugars and calories I was consuming every day. I kept up with what I was eating, said no to some of my favorite dishes and made tough choices. From August to December, I was vigilant about it and I lost over 20 pounds. Then when the holidays came, I gave myself room to relax and enjoy some of the foods I had skipped out on. A few days later, I went back strong, but then justified a cheat meal here and there. In my mind, I was still following the rules, but I was beginning to drift and slowly gained weight. Neglect in any area of our life, including our faith, works this way. It’s a slow process that starts with justification of a behavior. When things become optional, they become occasional. Changes start occurring in our life without us knowing until we’re far from where we want to be.

In 2 Kings 22-23, the nation of Israel had drifted from God’s Word. They had begun to allow idols in the Temple and had neglected their relationship with God until King Josiah had the Temple cleaned out. Someone found the Book of the Law and read it to him. Immediately he realized how far they had drifted from God and he tore his clothes in repentance. He called everyone to Jerusalem then verse 8 says, “The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord’s presence. He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul” (NLT). The nation had revival like never before. They tore down the shrines that caused them to drift away and neglect God. They did away with anything and anyone that stood in the way. Then they celebrated the Passover as a nation.

In Revelation 2:4-5 Jesus says, “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” How far have you drifted from where you once were? What things have caused you to neglect your relationship with God? God is calling us to return from the drift. He’s calling us back to doing the daily disciplines we once were so focused on. Like King Josiah, we need to take a look at where we are versus where we should be. We must choose to make the decision to return to our first love, to return to the things that were not optional or occasional before. Revival in our life starts with a return to God’s Word. It is the cure for the slow fade of neglect.

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March 3, 2026 · 5:27 AM

From Shamed To Loved

One of the most powerful stories of giving and receiving godly love is found in John 8. The religious leaders brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus. Her accusers pointed to the Law and said she must be stoned to death for what she did. They asked Jesus what He thought should happen to her. With stones in their hands they waited and demanded an answer as He drew in the sand. Then He said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” (NLT) One by one they dropped their stones in the sand and left. Then Jesus asked her where her accusers were. She said there were none. He said that He wasn’t going to condemn her either. Then He told her to go and sin no more.

Many of us have stood where this woman stood. We hear the voices of our accuser highlighting our failures, our past and our sin as they play on repeat in our mind. We feel too ashamed to move forward because of what we’ve done. We begin to believe that we deserve the judgement and condemnation that we earned through our actions. We’re tempted to pick up the stones and condemn ourselves. However, the same act of God’s love that sent away her accusers can cut through the accusing voices in our mind and send them away too. To do that you must start giving His voice the authority to define you and your future. Remember He made you into a new creation when He forgave you. You are no longer who you were. He has cast your sin as far as the east is from the west to be remembered no more so that your accuser would have no choice but to drop the stones of accusation in the sand.

God doesn’t rehearse your failures once you are forgiven. He no longer condemns you for what you’ve done. Removing the roots and voices of shame and condemnation isn’t easy. Start by receiving God’s love along with His forgiveness. His love covers a multitude of sins. Next you’ll need to start daily saying out loud who God says you are. Saturate yourself in worship, reading God’s Word and prayer each day as well. The shift from shame to love is rarely a one time decision. It’s a daily one you must make despite how shame is making you feel in the moment. You CAN break free from the voices. You DO have a future that is defined by God’s love rather than your past. You ARE who He says you are. He no longer condemns you. Leave the stones on the ground where they were dropped when Jesus forgave you. Refuse to pick them up again as you shift from shamed to loved.

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February 24, 2026 · 5:41 AM

Life Qualities

What qualities define you as a person? Have you ever thought about that? Proverbs 3:3 says, “Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; Bind them [securely] around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart” (AMP). Mercy is listed first as a quality that should define you because it is about loving people the way God loves them. It’s showing compassion when it’s inconvenient or you don’t feel they deserve it. I believe it is the foundation for godly character in our lives. It’s something we all want given to us and we need to get better at showing it to others.

Next up is kindness in this list. Galatians 5 includes this in the Fruits of the Spirit. This type of kindness isn’t just about being nice to others. It’s about a sacrificial choice to act out of the benefit of others. Kindness seeks ways to lift burdens off of other people. It finds a way to be tender even when you have every right to be angry. Godly kindness values people and makes them feel seen. I believe it is the visible expression of mercy. Remember, Romans 2:4 even says that it’s God’s kindness that draws people to repentance. The kindness God wants to produce in our lives will point people to Him.

Finally it mentions truth. It is the consistency in your character that lives out what you say you believe. It anchors mercy and kindness to our lives. It’s the doorway to spiritual and emotional freedom. There’s a reason that the Bible wants these bound around our neck. It’s so they are visible to others in our lives. That is the outcome of writing them on our heart. Once they become part of who we are at a heart level, they will be expressed in our lives. God’s desire is that these become so ingrained in our lives that He is seen and felt by other through you. Which one of these is strongest in your life, and which do you need to be producing more of?

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February 23, 2026 · 5:44 AM

Let Go To Grow

I grew up with the mentality that if you want something done right, you need to do it yourself. What a damaging way to look at things! We were not created to do everything on our own. I can tell you from personal experience that if you try to do everything yourself, you’ll burn out. Another thing is that you’ll lose clarity and start making poor decisions after a while. However, the worst thing for me is that when I try to do everything myself, I keep others from stepping into their calling. God sends us people to share the load with, but we keep denying them what God has sent them for as we wear ourselves out. Delegation is not a sin. Handing things off is not bad. When you learn to do this, you’ll start accomplishing more.

In Exodus 18, Moses’ father in law, Jethro, came to visit. Moses told him all God had done in Egypt and they celebrated. The next day from sun up to sun down Moses listened to people share their disputes with him and he made judgements for them. Jethro asked him why he was doing that by himself. Then in verse 18 he said, “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself” (NLT). He told Moses how to delegate that role. The best part is that Moses listened. He didn’t tell him that he didn’t have a right to tell him how to do things. He didn’t try to justify it, nor did he get upset. He recognized wisdom and implemented it making his life exponentially better.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.” How good are you at letting things go? What has God been trying to move off of your plate? It’s been my experience when you let go of certain things, it frees you up to grow and make a greater impact. The Bible tells us to share each others burdens, to entrust work to faithful people, to pray together and to encourage and build each other up. When we try to do these things on our own, we miss so many of the blessings God has for us. Let go of the lie that you need to do everything yourself. Quit holding on to things you are supposed to let go of and open yourself up to more of what God wants to give you. It’s time to let go so you can grow.

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February 19, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Trust God Anyway

To me, one of the worst feelings in the world is the feeling of being helpless. When everything seems to be going against me and there’s nothing I can do to stop it, there’s a sense of fear and desperation. In those times, all my efforts to help myself, or to get myself out of it, are fruitless. Many times when that happens, the harder I try to get out of the situation, the worse it gets. It’s that feeling where you’re stuck in the mud and the more you push the gas, the worse you get stuck. My feelings and thoughts quickly turn negative, and if I’m not careful, those feelings and thoughts can dictate my actions. We all face times like these, even the heroes of the faith who are in the Bible.

David often found himself in desperation. You can see how his thinking affected him and his actions. In Psalm 28, he’s going through a helpless situation. In verse 1 he prays, “I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die” (NLT). At this point, he’s not even sure God is going to come help. His fear is causing him to doubt just like our fear does to us. If we trust our feelings over our faith, life can feel a roller coaster. Emotions were given to us to help us gauge a situation. They were not meant to be what we trust in. They often lie and manipulate us. We must learn to trust God over our emotions and over how they’re making us feel about our situation.

In verse 7, David moves his trust his emotions to God. He reminds himself, “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” When we switch where we place our trust, our emotions follow. We need to trust God with all of our heart instead of our emotions. He sees what you’re going through, and He will not abandon you in it. He doesn’t always remove us from the situation or give us the answer we’re hoping for. The question is, will you trust Him anyway? Will you have faith that whatever it is, He can turn it for your good? It’s not easy to do. However, where you place your trust will determine how well you come through it.

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.

Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

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