Tag Archives: Devotional

March 11, 2026 · 5:50 AM

Wisdom And Understanding

We know that when God asked Solomon what he wanted, he asked for wisdom to lead God’s people. Years later he writes the book of Proverbs to his son sharing both the wisdom God gave him and that his father gave him. In chapter 4 verse 7 he says, “The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]! And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]” (AMP). He’s telling us that we all need wisdom more than knowledge or information. The problem is that we normally get wisdom right after we need it.

I love that he says to get skillful and godly wisdom because it’s the most important. I constantly pray for wisdom according to James 1:5. I want wisdom from God especially when I don’t know what to do. Godly wisdom is being able to choose the things that align with God’s plan and design for your life. It is choosing what is best and what will yield the most fruit. More than just knowing what the right choices and ways to live are, wisdom puts those into action. We can know what’s right and not do it. This kind of wisdom is found in application as much as it is in the knowledge of it.

Next he says as you look around at all the things in life you want to acquire, get understanding too. We live in an age of mass deception. It’s hard to know what is real and what is fake. The kind of understanding we need involves spiritual discernment. It gives us the ability to see beneath the surface of things. It’s more than just wisdom. It’s insight that helps us see the truth. We need this today more than ever. If wisdom is knowing what to do, understanding is knowing why it matters and how it fits into God’s plan. God offers both to us by asking for them and through reading His Word. Take time each day to seek both of these.

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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 6, 2026 · 5:58 AM

Confidence In Christ

To have confidence is to have a firm trust and belief that you can rely on someone or something. I think of the Brooklyn Bridge when it first opened in 1884. People weren’t confident it was safe. PT Barnum marched 21 elephants across it to prove to people it was safe. He had confidence and gave confidence to other people by his actions. The same holds true for us. How confident are you in God? Are you standing on the sideline afraid to trust or are you out there marching along with His promises? How you approach and trust in God affects others. It’s time we lived by the old adage, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” Have confidence in God today in who He is, what He said and how you approach Him.

Here are some Bible verses on confidence:

1. This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us.

1 John 5:14 AMP

2. So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

Hebrews 13:6 NLT

3. Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power].

Romans 5:2 AMP

4. Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

Psalms 27:14 AMP

5. Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.

Hebrews 4:16 GNT

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March 5, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Finding Joy

Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsy were sent to a German concentration camp during World War II for hiding and smuggling Jews. They were taken to Ravenbruck and faced some pretty inhumane conditions. Women were packed in their barracks stacked on three high bunk beds where they used rotten hay for cushion. The conditions were so unsanitary that it was overrun with lice. Betsy reminded Corrie to be thankful in all circumstances, but Corrie said she’d never be thankful for the lice. Her tune changed not long after when her tormentors refused to come in their barracks because of the lice. This provided them the opportunity to pray, read the Bible and share the Gospel. Corrie found a way to be thankful even for lice.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus” (GNT). This trifecta seems impossible at times, especially when we’ve been given life shattering news. However, God isn’t asking us to be thankful for all circumstances. It’s to be thankful in all circumstances. Thankfulness is always possible. It just matters how we look at our circumstances. A thankful heart looks for the goodness of God despite what the current outlook is. It clears all the confusion and the distractions when we turn our focus to God. He is the only one who can give us strength and grace in every circumstance. That is what allows us to pray at all times.

Finally, don’t confuse happiness with joy. Happiness is dependent on your circumstances, joy is not. Happiness is a reaction while joy is a lifestyle born from possessing inner peace that passes all understanding. Joy is your strength to endure whatever you face (Nehemiah 8:10). It is critical in this life and why the author mentioned it first. If you lose your joy, you’ve lost your strength to pray and be thankful because you’ve quit trusting in God. Joy trusts God even when the outcome is unsure and looks unfavorable. God holds your life in His hands. No matter what you face, it will never separate you from His love (Romans 8:38). Joy gives us an eternal perspective in temporary bodies. Because of it, we can keep our eyes on Jesus, pray at all times and find a way to be thankful.

Photo by Felipe Zanchetta on Pexels.

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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March 4, 2026 · 6:02 AM

Faith And Facts

All of us have face moments where our circumstances stand in opposition to God’s promises to us. In those moments the facts of our situation can seem overwhelming. When faith and facts collide, who will you believe? Facts can be loud. We see them, hear them and feel them. However, the truth is greater than the facts. The truth is what sets us free. We put our hope in God who does not lie, nor does He fail. Where we place our faith will not only determine our next steps, it will set the course for our life. It’s not about denying the facts of our circumstance. It’s about denying the facts the authority to overrule God’s Word in our life.

In Romans 4, Paul is talking about having this kind of faith. He uses Abraham as our example. The facts were that he and Sarah were beyond child bearing years when God made the promise that he would be the father of many nations. Instead of giving the facts the authority to overrule God’s voice, he worshipped and trusted His ability to do what He promised. It was years before God fulfilled the promise to him, but he kept trusting God. The Bible says that he was fully persuaded that God would keep His word. God counted his faith as righteousness. When the time came, Sarah got pregnant and gave birth to a boy whom they named Isaac. His name meant laughter. She had laughed in disbelief at first, but when she trusted God, she laughed in joy because God had turned disbelief into delight.

Romans 4:18 says, “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, ‘That’s how many descendants you will have!’” (NLT) You may not feel like you have a reason to hope right now. You may feel like Sarah did at first and laugh in disbelief because there is no hope according to the facts. Yet put your hope in God. Choose to believe His word over the facts. Like Abraham, we must worship rather than worry. We must choose the promise over the probability. We must let God’s voice speak louder in our life. This kind of nitty gritty faith isn’t easy, but it is the bedrock of where we can have hope even when there’s no hope. It’s where we can stand on God’s promises when faith and facts collide.

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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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March 2, 2026 · 5:48 AM

God Of The Impossible

In May of 1940 during World War Two, there were over 300,000 Allied troops awaiting evacuation at Dunkirk when they became trapped by German forces. They were cut off from every direction and were pushed into a pocket on the French coast with no escape route. Churches held a national day of prayer to seek God’s help. Just then, when hope was lost, there was a shift in the weather which caused the normally rough waters of the English Channel to be calm allowing small boats to move back and forth to rescue the soldiers. When the Royal Navy realized they couldn’t get everyone, they put out a call for help. Over 800 civilian vessels joined the rescue mission. Not only that, a dense fog rolled in that grounded German aircraft from attacking. Every solder was rescued. It’s seen more as divine intervention than a military success.

In 2 Kings 7, the Aramean army had besieged Samaria. While they were running out of food, a famine hit the land too. Desperation set in as no help arrived. That’s when Elijah stepped up and told them the next day they would have sufficient food and supplies. The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, “That couldn’t happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!” But Elisha replied, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!” (NLT). That night, the Lord caused the Arameans to hear galloping horses and chariots. They fled in fear, leaving everything behind, thinking the Egyptians were coming to help. Four men found all the supplies, went back to tell the king. The people rushed out to get food. As they did, they trampled over the kings servant making true everything God had promised.

Matthew 19:26 says, “Jesus looked at them intently and said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.’” If you’re facing an impossible situation today where there seems to be no possible way, I want to remind you that we serve the God of impossible things. I believe God can change any condition, any outcome or any diagnosis. Impossible is the starting point for God’s intervention. We’ve seen it all throughout the Bible and history. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. What He did back then, He can still do today. God often moves suddenly in situations where hope is lost. When we’ve done all we can, we need to pray, trust and believe. He doesn’t need time. He just needs a moment. Faith doesn’t look at the odds. It focuses on God who says everything is possible.

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February 27, 2026 · 6:06 AM

God Is Always With You

When Israel left Egypt, God was with them in the desert leading them with a cloud by day and a fire by night. Many times and various ways, God showed the people He was with them. Then He became flesh and blood and dwelled among us in the person of Jesus. For 3 years He walked with the disciples teaching them. Then as He was about to ascend into Heaven, He told them He would be with them until the end. Ten days later the Holy Spirit came to live inside believers fulfilling His promise. To this day, God continues to be with us – to be with you. He has never left you and He won’t abandon you. He will not leave you alone in this world. His presence is there with you now present, active and committed to your good. Take a moment to thank Him for being with you and spend a few minutes, with no distractions, and just rest in His presence today.

Here are some Bible verses saying that God is with you. Read them out loud if you need to.

1. The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid; what can anyone do to me?

Psalm 118:6 GNT

2. I repeat, be strong and brave! Do not yield to fear nor be discouraged, for I am Yahweh your God, and I will be with you wherever you go!

Joshua 1:9 TPT

3. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 NLT

4. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20 AMP

5. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalms 23:4 NKJV

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February 26, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Changing Your Thoughts

Growing up, I was taught that what I thought about mattered. In children’s church I memorized Philippians 4:8. It says, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (NLT). If I said something or did something that was out of line, people at church understood it was a reflection of what was going on in my mind. They would then ask, “Is that true? Honorable? Right?” They would go down the list. It created a filter to run things through as thoughts entered my mind.

Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks within himself, so is he” (TPT). You will always become a reflection of your thought life. If you’re constantly thinking about issues, problems, lies, revenge, etc., your life is going to show it. Those things get into your heart and show up in your actions. If you think about things that are true, honorable, right, pure, etc., those will also get into your heart and show up in your actions. The things you dwell on in your mind can have a positive or negative affect on your life and your relationships with others. It’s important to develop a filter from God’s Word to run your thoughts through. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (NLT). It takes some discipline to capture thoughts and realign your thinking.

Everyone of us face situations that are out of our control. Situations create internal feelings. Those feelings create thoughts, and those thoughts create actions. If you want to change how you react or behave, you have to change those thoughts. If you want to change those thoughts, you have to change how you feel because you can’t change the situation normally. You have to capture those thoughts and feelings when they come in. Challenge them by holding them up to the standard of God’s Word. If the don’t align, then you must change them to dwell and think on what is true. Insert what God says about the situation rather than what your feelings say. Remember how and what you think will affect every area of your life. Creating a standard to hold your thoughts up against before you let them filter into your life will change your life.

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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