Tag Archives: Devotional

January 8, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Guarding The Seed

One of the most exciting things in life is when God puts a vision in your heart of where He wants to lead you and how He wants to use you. For most of us, we’re so excited that we want to share that with someone. What often happens is that the people whom you think would encourage you and be excited with you about it are often the ones who will discourage you from doing it. They’ll either blow it off, tell you why it can’t happen or outright oppose it. The enemy kills more seeds this way than in any other. Your disappointment turns into lack of moving forward and the vision goes dormant. Remember the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy that which God plants in you. Protect it until it has taken root.

In Genesis 37 we read the story of Joseph. One night God gave him a dream where he and his brothers were tying up grain when his stood up and their bowed to his. The next day he was so excited about this vision he told his brothers. They mocked him for the dream. When he dreamed that the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed to him, he told them again. This time his father scolded him for the dream God gave him. His brothers grew jealous of the dream God had given him, began to hate him and started planning to kill him over it. Even thought they sold him into slavery and he went to prison for years, God accomplished the dream He gave him. When things were darkest in his life, God was still growing the seed the enemy tried to steal and was positioning Joseph for it to come to pass.

In 1 Timothy 6:20 Paul warned Timothy of this very thing. He wrote, “Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge” (NLT). To guard it well you will first need to purpose in your heart to follow God’s vision and plan before you tell others what God has planted. You need to begin moving in the direction of the vision and acting on it. When the people you respect and love say opposing words, guard the seed and remember your promise to God to fulfill it. The larger the dream, the greater the opposition. Even if you feel like the seed has been stolen in this way, trust God’s plan like Joseph. It may be dark now, but that’s the condition a seed needs in order to grow. God does not take back His gifts nor His callings (Romans 11:29). Begin watering that seed and guard it well. God is still working.

Photo by Jennifer Delmarre on Unsplash

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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January 6, 2026 · 5:52 AM

Grow And Guard

Not long after God created everything, He planted the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:15 says, “Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it” (GNT). Think about that for a second. God created this perfect world and garden, then asked man to cultivate it and guard it. To cultivate it is to take what it was in its raw form and to help it become more. God was asking Adam to grow it to more than what it was. When God asked him to guard it, He was asking Adam to take responsibility for what had been given to him as well. In this moment, God created a partnership with man to work together with purpose.

One of my favorite parables comes from Matthew 25. A man was going on a trip and he entrusted his property to three servants. Verse 15 says, “He gave to each one according to his ability: to one he gave five thousand gold coins, to another he gave two thousand, and to another he gave one thousand. Then he left on his trip.” Did you catch that? He entrusted something to each one according to his abilities. He wanted them to cultivate, grow and guard what was placed in their hand. The first two doubled the coins while the other hid his. The first two who grew and guarded their gift were told, “Well done, you good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!” The owner shared the growth with them in the partnership.

In 2 Timothy 1:6 Paul reminds Timothy, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you” (NLT). What is Paul asking Timothy to do? He wants him to cultivate the gift, to grow it and to not let it die. He wants him to guard it and steward it well. The same challenge is given to us as was given to Adam, the servants and Timothy. Why has God given you that He’s asking you to cultivate and to guard? Where do you need to partner with God to see growth? The talents that God gives you are His gift to you. How you grow and guard them are your gift to Him. The more we increase them and care for them, the more He will share with you in this partnership.

Photo by Jed Owen on Unsplash

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January 5, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Consecrate Yourselves

In Joshua 3, the people of Israel stood at the Jordan river looking at the Promised Land that God had promised for generations. They had not yet marched around Jericho. They hadn’t faced any giants in the new land. They were simply standing there between what has been and what will be. It’s a moment we’ve all stood in. It’s the start of something new and different. In that moment of anticipation, Joshua said, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (ESV). He didn’t tell them to strategize. He didn’t tell them to sharpen their weapons either. He simply said to consecrate yourselves.

I love this moment and what God was asking them to do. Before there would be any victories or amazing things done by God, the people would have to consecrate themselves. That means that they would dedicate their whole selves to God, set themselves apart from the way others lived and to present themselves to God as a living sacrifice. To consecrate yourself is to clear away things from your life and to make room for God so He can fill it. It’s a spiritual posture that says, “I put aside my plans for what’s ahead and make myself available for what you want to do next.” It takes a moment of uncertainty and gives God permission to direct us where He wants to lead us. It puts both what’s ahead and what is being left behind in His hands.

I believe we are standing in a threshold moment of what has been and what will be. God says in Isaiah 43:18-19, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Today is a day of consecration where we let go of the former things and embrace the new things God wants to do. Consecration starts with surrender. What do you need to lay down before you step into the Jordan? Seek God today on what that is and then let it go. When we trust Him with all of our heart, He will direct our paths. God will always bring clarity where we bring surrender and consecration.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

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January 2, 2026 · 5:49 AM

Becoming New

With a new year come new resolutions, new commitments and new changes. People like to ask what your New Year’s resolution is. Almost everyone makes one, but few ever keep the new changes in their life. However, when you become a Christian, the old passes away and you become a new creation. With this newness of life comes a lot of new things including a new way of living. You become a new person from the inside out. This new year, I want to encourage you to return to that first love you had when all things became new. Find new ways to serve, new ways to worship and new ways to grow in Christ.

Here are some Bible verses on becoming a new person:

1. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 NLT

2. Night’s darkness is dissolving away as a new day of destiny dawns. So we must once and for all strip away what is done in the shadows of darkness, removing it like filthy clothes. And once and for all we clothe ourselves with the radiance of light as our weapon.

Romans 13:12 TPT

3. Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, And praise Him in the congregation of His godly ones (believers).

Psalms 149:1 AMP

4. So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.

Ephesians 4:22-24 GNT

5. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.

Mark 2:22 NLT

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December 31, 2025 · 5:37 AM

Daily Discipline

It’s the time of year when people reflect back on all they’ve done. I’ve watched several videos that have highlighted all people have accomplished this year, I’ve seen posts about all the change that people have gone through too. As you reflect on big moments and big changes too, I want to remind you that big moments are created by small acts. Zig Ziglar used to say that if you take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves. Big problems are created by neglecting the daily disciplines. Big breakthroughs are the result of being consistent in small details no one sees. What seems mundane and unimportant in the moment is often the catalyst for big change in our lives.

In 1 Kings 18 we meet a prophet named Obadiah who worked in the palace of King Arab and Jezebel. His work conditions weren’t conducive to his faith or position. Yet he remained faithful to his calling despite what his circumstances were. God had withheld rain for over three years because of their wickedness. At this moment, God sent Elijah to bring a reckoning and rain. When Obadiah ran into him, he was afraid the king would kill him. He reminded Elijah that once he had hidden 100 prophets whom Jezebel was trying to kill. He hid them in caves and took them food and water. These small, daily acts took quiet discipline and consistency to keep the prophets safe. God saw what was done in secret and rewarded him with this big moment with Elijah because of it.

In Luke 16:10 Jesus told us of a heavenly principle. He said, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones” (NLT). God sees your quiet prayers that no one else does. He sees your silent sacrifices that seem to go unnoticed by people that matter. He sees the daily disciplines that you keep waiting to bear fruit. Don’t quit. You’re being faithful in seemingly little things, and because you are, He’ll openly reward you with big things. God shapes us in the hidden places long before He elevates us in public ones. He uses the daily moments to help us value obedience over visibility. If you want bigger responsibilities, bigger moments or bigger opportunities then be faithful in small responsibilities, little moments and quiet opportunities. Your daily discipline is the doorway to greater things.

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December 30, 2025 · 5:52 AM

Changing Targets

As I think about goals and targets for the next year, I can’t help but think of Matthew Emmons. He was an Olympian in the 2004 games. He was so far ahead of everyone in the 50 meter three position rifle event that all he had to do was hit the target to win gold. He lined up his sights, squeezed the trigger and hit the bullseye. However, his score didn’t change. He looked through his scope again to confirm. There it was still. Bullseye. He realized there was no applause either. That’s when it was told that he cross fired into someone else’s target. He ended up eighth place in the event. His story reminds us that we can hit the bullseye on the wrong target in life too.

In Mark 10:17, Jesus was walking down the road when a young man ran up and knelt down before Him. The young man asked what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus quoted several of the Ten Commandments. The guy got excited and said that he had observed them since he was little, but he felt like there was a greater target to hit. Jesus told him to sell all he had, give it to the poor and follow Him. That young man walked away sad because his other target was wealth and he hit the bullseye. He didn’t want to give up his target for God’s. We don’t know what became of him, but he is a cautionary tale of someone who had the wrong target in life and refused to change.

Psalm 25:4 is a prayer that says, “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow” (NLT). We can all pray this prayer over the next year or our next steps. However, like the rich, young ruler, we will then have to make a choice. Will we keep going down the path we’ve started down or will we change paths and targets? You can make excuses about how much time and effort you put into the wrong target, but at the end of the day it’s still not God’s target for you. You can walk away sad from what God has for you or you can switch targets and follow God’s road to victory. There are plenty of people who have gone through their lives aiming at the wrong things. As you reset and take aim for the next year, make sure it’s the target God has for you.

Photo by Grok

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December 29, 2025 · 5:43 AM

Planting Seeds Of Change

As we head into another year, I like to both look back at the last one and ahead to the new one. Each year brings its own set of changes that we didn’t plan for or anticipate. We can only react to those things as they come. However, there are things we can be proactive about that create our own change for the future. My favorite quote says, “I don’t measure my day by the harvest that I bring in. Instead I measure it by the seeds that I plant. For in planting seeds, I ensure a future harvest.” What seeds of change are you planting for next year and beyond? What are you doing today to make tomorrow different?

In Genesis 26 it says that there was a severe famine in the land and Isaac moved to the land of the Philistines. Verse 12 says, “When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him” (NLT). He had been forced to move from circumstances beyond his co trip. He could have used that as an excuse to not plant. He could have used the famine as an excuse too, but he didn’t. Instead we see that Isaac planted seeds and reaped an incredible harvest. God blessed what he sowed. Not only did he reap a huge harvest, the next couple of verses say that he acquired lots of livestock as well.

2 Corinthians 9:6 says, “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” It’s easy to make excuses for not doing things today. The timing may never feel right to take risks, make changes or plant seeds. Plant anyway. God will only multiply the harvest of seeds that are planted. Even if you plant a few seeds, you will still reap a small harvest. What areas of your life do you want God to bless? Plant seeds there. What areas of growth do you want to experience? Plant seeds there. God is ready to bless and give you an increase, but you have to plant seeds. He created the law of sowing and reaping. Don’t delay another day. Start planting seeds of change for next year now.

Photo by Binyamin Mellish on Pexels.

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December 24, 2025 · 5:54 AM

Quiet Obedience

Most everyone has seen the footage of the moon landing and have heard the words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The world watched the video in breathless anticipation. At the time, no one knew of a lady named Katherine Johnson whose calculations made it possible. She worked far away from the cameras in a segregated office, quietly calculating to make the trip possible. No one heard from her that day as the world celebrated, yet she was there. In fact, John Glenn wouldn’t launch until Katherine had verified the numbers it was her quiet work in anonymity that made the dream possible.

On Matthew and Luke, we read of a person that was present throughout Mary’s pregnancy and birth, yet we never hear a word from him. We know Joseph didn’t want to shame Mary when he found out she was pregnant. We also know that when the angel visited him, he obeyed and quietly followed God’s plan. There was no spotlight on Joseph throughout the story of our savior’s birth, but if you look closely you will see a man who had steady obedience when it wasn’t convenient. Not only did he protect Mary’s character, he also protected his family when Herod was coming to kill the boys. He shows us that many times we won’t be seen or heard from by the masses for following our calling. Most of what each of us do is done in quiet obedience.

Colossians 3:23 says, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (NLT). Your role in the kingdom may not be as visible as John Glenn’s. You may not be able to bring noteworthy gifts that all would admire like the wisemen. However, can you still be faithful in anonymity? Can you quietly go about your work for the kingdom doing your part without recognition? Remember your work for the kingdom is not for the applause of people, but rather for God. Whatever your role is, do it well and do it faithfully whether it’s ever recognized by people. We are all co-laborers in Christ. One role is not more important than the other. As you give gifts this Christmas to family and friends, don’t forget to give God the gift of quiet obedience that plays an important role in His story.

Picture by Google Gemini

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December 23, 2025 · 6:02 AM

Gifts For Tomorrow

In Matthew 2, we find the story of the wise men who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I’ve always heard about how they represented Jesus’s roles: gold for His kingship, frankincense for His divinity and myrrh for his sacrificial death. That’s probably true, but practically they were for the next season. The family was going to be uprooted in the middle of the night in the next few days and have to live in a foreign country. These gifts more than likely provided for their needs while living in Egypt. Remember they were poor based on their offering in the Temple at Jesus’s dedication. God sent them provision ahead of their need.

A similar thing happened to the Israelites as they left Egypt in the middle of the night. After the tenth plague in Exodus 12, the Israelites were kicked out quickly which is why they were told to eat the Passover meal quickly with their sandals on and staff in hand. Having been slaves, they had little to no money to provide for their journey to the Promised Land to become an established nation in their own land. Verses 35-36 says, “And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!” (NLT) God again sent their provision ahead of their need.

In Matthew 7:11 Jesus said, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” God is not reactive. He equips His people with gifts before their next season. He doesn’t let us walk into our next season empty handed. He provides gifts of relationships, resources and encouragement at just the right time. When I think of the wise men during Christmas, I think of how God gives before we know to ask, prepares us before we see and provides for us at just the right time with what we need. He is never late, never unprepared and He provides us with gifts before we know we need them. His pattern is that He gives good gifts for tomorrow.

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December 22, 2025 · 5:53 AM

Enough For God

Radio personality Paul Harvey once told the story of a little girl named Hattie May Wiatt. She lived near a small church in Philadelphia that she attended. One Sunday she tried to go to the children’s church, but she was turned away because it was too full. A few days later she told the pastor, “I’m going to help build a bigger church so more kids can come.” She began saving her money, but died unexpectedly not long after. Her mom found a small purse containing 57 cents with a note that read, “To help build a bigger church.” When the pastor told the congregation, it inspired generosity and people gave so much they built a larger kids area, larger sanctuary and Bible school that later became Temple University and Temple hospital.

We know the story in Luke 2 of how there was a census and each person and family had to go to their ancestral hometown. Since Joseph was a descendant of King David, he and Mary went to Bethlehem. When they arrived, everything was full. An unnamed innkeeper told them he was full too and there was no room for the couple. We don’t know what was said, but the innkeeper offered them lodging in the stable, which is where she gave birth to Jesus. It wasn’t much, or pretty or ideal, but it was what he had available for them. God took what he offered and turned it into a place that hosted the birth of our savior. We don’t talk about the innkeeper much, but because he offered what little he had, history remembers what he did.

2 Corinthians 8:12 says, “Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have” (NLT). Many of us wish we had more money, more talents or more time. Then we downplay what little we do, but God doesn’t ask us for what we don’t have. He asks for what we have available to Him. Little Hattie May gave 57 cents that God turned into a movement. The innkeeper gave a stable and God turned it into a sanctuary for His Son. What will you give God? Don’t downplay what little you have. God can take what you give and create big things with it. He’s not asking for what you wish you had, only what you have available. This Christmas, choose to give God something that you do have available. Take that step of faith. It’s enough for God.

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