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March 28, 2023 · 5:55 AM

Catch The Foxes

Recently my wife and I were watching a documentary on Bernie Madoff. He ran one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in modern history cheating people out of an estimated $65 million. The ended it with him going to jail and how his family paid the price for his wrongs. My wife then said, “I wonder when it all began. What was the first decision that lead to all this?” Like so many others in history who are infamous for their failures, it started with one small decision. A little compromise on their core values. Once that happens, the line of those values moves, and from there it’s a slow change into someone they don’t even recognize in the mirror.

When God had Saul anointed king of Israel, he was described as being handsome, tall and wealthy. On his way home from being told he would be king, the Spirit of the Lord came over him and he prophesied with the prophets. God helped him to defeat their enemies in battle as well. However, he began to make small compromises. He made a sacrifice which one Samuel could make because he was more worried about people than God. He then let his fear keep him from going into battle while his son went to fight. After that, he didn’t obey all the instructions of the Lord to destroy the Amalekites. When confronted, he made excuses for the compromise. Instead of repenting, he continued to compromise for the rest of his life, and the kingdom went to David.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Catch the foxes, the little foxes, before they ruin our vineyard in bloom” (GNT). One of the studies I read on this verse said that the foxes represent the compromises we have hidden in our heart and prevent our growth. We’re all faced with choices to compromise what we believe for the sake of convenience or culture. When we choose to make them, we slow our growth and can allow them to destroy the vineyard of our life where the fruits of the Spirit are to be growing. Our enemy always starts with little ones and he moves the line. If you find yourself in that position today, you can respond like Saul or David. Both made compromises, but only one was repentant. The kingdom was removed from one and restored to the other. God is forgiving and slow to anger. There’s no compromise He won’t forgive. Catch the small foxes before they destroy what He’s trying to build and grow in you.

Photo by Olga Kononenko on Unsplash

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March 24, 2023 · 6:30 AM

Trusting God’s Promises

From the time we’re little, we learned to ask the question, “Do you promise?” Why do we do that when someone tells us something? Because we want to make sure they follow through on their word. When I was a kid, you had to cross your heart and hope to die or stick a needle in your eye if you didn’t keep it. These guarantees gave validity to the other person that you were going to keep your word no matter what. You learned at an early age that if you go back on a promise, then others won’t trust anything you say. When you broke a promise, you had to either find new friends or find a way to rebuild the trust you had lost. Making and trusting promises are a character building part of growing up.

Merriam Webster defines promise as, “A legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance of a specified act.” When I think of that combined with the promises of God, it builds my faith. I have a right to expect God to do what He promised in the Bible. In fact, I’ve read that there are over 3,000 promises from God in the Bible, and many are made to me and you. If God promised something to you and I, we can know and trust that He will do it no matter what. He has never broken a promise and He’s not going to start breaking them now. Hold onto them, trust them and build your life on them because you can count on them.

Here are some Bible verses on trusting God’s promises.

1. But the humble of heart will inherit every promise and enjoy abundant peace.

Psalms 37:11 TPT

2. The believer replied, “Every promise of God proves true; he protects everyone who runs to him for help. So don’t second-guess him; he might take you to task and show up your lies.”

Proverbs 30:5-6 MSG

3. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.

Romans 4:20-22 NLT

4. The words and promises of the LORD are pure words, Like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.

PSALMS 12:6 AMP

5. Let your broken heart show your sorrow; tearing your clothes is not enough. Come back to the Lord your God. He is kind and full of mercy; he is patient and keeps his promise; he is always ready to forgive and not punish.

Joel 2:13 GNT

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March 23, 2023 · 6:30 AM

Praying Persistently

I’ve been known to be persistent. When I owned my own business, I had a government agency owe me a lot of money. They were taking their time to pay it, and it was making it difficult to pay my staff and bills. I started calling them once a day leaving messages. After a week, I decided to kick things into a different gear. I started calling every hour. I told them that I would keep calling every hour, and would even do it more frequently until they took my call and paid me. After I did that, they called me back and sent the check. 

I had to let them know I wasn’t going away and I was going to drive them nuts until they took care of my need. I took my inspiration from Luke 11 where Jesus told a parable of a person who had an unexpected guest show up in the night. He was out of food, so he went to his neighbor to ask for some. After the neighbor denied, he kept knocking until the neighbor gave in. Jesus then said we should be persistent like that in our prayers.

When it comes to prayer, I don’t ever want to be like a kid in a candy store throwing a tantrum for what he wants. They blindly throw themselves down, spin around, and make a scene until the parent gives in or disciplines them. I do, however, want to become persistent to the point that God knows that I’m not going away until He answers. Colossians 4:2 says, “Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God” (GNT).

I don’t know what you’re praying for today, but I know that you need to bombard Heaven with your request to the point that God knows you aren’t going away. Be thankful for all He has done in the past, and keep your mind focused on the need at hand. I can’t say that God has answered every prayer the way I’ve wanted Him to, but I can say that whatever His answer is, you an trust to be the right one. If you don’t have an answer yet, don’t stop praying; become more persistent in them.

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March 22, 2023 · 6:30 AM

A Potential Harvest

Several years ago, I bought several bags of seeds so I could teach my son the importance of sowing and reaping. Our garden is small and I could only plant a portion of the seeds. From the ones we planted, we got cucumbers, jalapeños, tomatoes, and a watermelon. From the ones we didn’t plant, we didn’t get anything. In fact, they’re still in their bag and haven’t produced anything. The potential is there to grow, but until they’re taken out of the bag, planted, and watered, they will only be seeds with great potential.

You and I are like those bags of seeds. As long as the seeds are in us, they only have the potential to do great things. Jesus called you and I to be sowers. We are to broadcast the seeds that are in us. They will never grow unless we disperse them and water them. We weren’t meant to just have potential. We were created to meet it and even exceed it. God can’t bless a seed that hasn’t been sown, and He can’t force us to plant. If we are willing to, He’s promised to bless it.

In Haggai 2:18-19, God said, “I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you” (NLT). God wants you to know that before you ever sow one seed, He has already blessed it. Before there is a harvest, God guarantees a blessing if we will simply do the work of a sower. He has placed potential in each one of us, but we have to be willing to let go.

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March 21, 2023 · 6:30 AM

Quality Time With God

After my wife and I were engaged, my dad bought each of us “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. In the book, we read how people give love and receive love. Each of us typically want to be loved in one to two ways. The book goes through the five love languages (physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts and quality time), and it also gives you an assessment to help you know what your love language is so that you and your spouse can keep your love tanks full.

We know from Genesis that we are made in God’s image. I think what that means is that we have a lot of God’s qualities in us. We know that He shows us love, therefore He wants to be shown love. We know that John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave…” he’s also given us the Gifts of the Spirit. I believe one of God’s major love languages is gifts. Abel showed God love by bringing Him the gift of his best lambs and it made God happy.

I also believe God’s other dominant love language is quality time. He loves to spend time with each of us. That’s why prayer is so important. I love Psalm 27. It’s loaded with good stuff. In verse 8 it says, “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming’” (NLT). I hear God saying, “Come spend some quality time with me,” to each of us. Do we respond like David?

It’s important to note that we often show love in the way we want to receive it. To keep a relationship healthy, we have to learn to show it in the language of the person we are in a relationship with. Quality time and gifts may not come naturally to you, so you’ll have to work at it. Take some time today to spend some quality time with God. I know you’re reading this as a part of that, but take some time to just sit in His presence so you can hear what He has to say. You’ll be surprised by how your relationship with God changes.

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March 17, 2023 · 5:30 AM

People Of Light

In the beginning, the first thing God spoke into existence was light. All life and growth are dependent on light. It’s no wonder that John compared Jesus to light and said that His light was the life of men. Jesus didn’t wait very long into His ministry before He called us to be light. Not only are we to dispel the darkness wherever we go, we are to bring life and growth. Don’t hide your light. There are too many people who need you to shine it into their lives. Be a person of light!

Here are some Bible verses on being people of light.

1. The light of the righteous [within him—grows brighter and] rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked [is a temporary light and] goes out.


‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭9‬ ‭AMP‬‬

2. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!


‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

3. “Believe in the light, then, while you have it, so that you will be the people of the light.” After Jesus said this, he went off and hid himself from them.


‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭36‬ ‭GNT‬‬

4. For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We do not belong to the night nor to darkness. So then let us not sleep [in spiritual indifference] as the rest [of the world does], but let us keep wide awake [alert and cautious] and let us be sober [self-controlled, calm, and wise].


‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭AMP‬‬

5. So don’t hide your light! Let it shine brightly before others, so that your commendable works will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven.


‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Thanks to Chris Moore for making this photo available on unsplash

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March 16, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Start Planting

One of my favorite quotes says, “I don’t measure my day by the harvest I bring in. I measure it by the Seeds I plant. For in planting seeds, I’m assuring a future harvest.” There are so many applications for this quote, but the common question it begs is, “What am I doing today to make sure I have enough tomorrow?” We all love it when we reap the rewards for things we’ve done in the past, but we can’t measure our successes by that. We must always be doing something that is going to make sure we have another harvest, but too many of us hesitate because we’re waiting for everything to be just right before we act.

The problem with planting is that there are no immediate results for your work. We live in a world where we are conditioned to instant gratification, but many times the things you plant are hidden beneath the surface germinating where you can’t see. However, the longer you wait to start planting, the further away the harvest will be. Conditions will never be just right to plant for the future, but don’t let that stop you from doing what God has called you to do today. Fear will lead to hesitation, and hesitation will lead to procrastination. After you procrastinate, you begin to make excuses as to why you can’t do it.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything” (GNT). Today’s the day to quit your excuses, to stop your hesitation and to put fear behind you. The longer you procrastinate, the less impact you’re going to have. When you step out in faith and do what God has called you to do, you’re trusting Him to bless it. When you wait for perfect conditions, you take faith out of the equation. Whatever it is that’s on your heart to do, find one thing you can do today to begin planting the seeds. Those seeds, no matter how few, will always produce a greater harvest than the ones that never get planted. Stop procrastinating and start planting.

Photo by Jed Owen 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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March 14, 2023 · 5:33 AM

God’s Ambassador

I was researching the difference between a diplomat and an ambassador. It shows that a diplomat is an occupation, while ambassador is a title of the highest ranking diplomat. Ambassadors represent their home country and have full authority to represent their government. I only know one ambassador personally. She travels the world building and strengthening ties between different countries and hers. Everywhere she goes, she’s on a mission to connect people with her cause. I’ve watched her tell stories, share videos and answer questions all in trying to get as many people as she can to visit her country and rescue their citizens who are scattered abroad.

Even if you haven’t read the book of Jonah, you know a little about his story. God called him to be an ambassador of Heaven to a city called Nineveh. However, Jonah didn’t want to be an ambassador. He didn’t like the people where God was trying to send him, so he went in the opposite direction. God caused a great storm to envelop the ship he was on until he confessed that he was running from God. They tossed him overboard and he was swallowed by a great fish that God had prepared for him. While in the darkness, he agreed to be the ambassador God called him to be. The fish spit him out and he started out for Nineveh. When he told the people God’s message for them, they repented and were spared from the wrath of God.

2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ’s representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God” (AMP). You and I are on a mission from Heaven just like Jonah. When you accepted Jesus, you became His ambassador to this world to share His love with them. Your goal is to connect as many people as you can to God so they can be reconciled to Him and receive their salvation. Like my ambassador friend, you must use any means necessary. Share your testimony, show videos of people who may be able to explain the message better than you and answer questions. You speak for Heaven and carry the authority of the Son of God because He lives within you. Don’t take your mission lightly. You have been commissioned and sent. Go and make disciples wherever you go as God’s ambassador.

Photo by RODNAE Productions:

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March 13, 2023 · 5:53 AM

Soul Care

Proverbs 24:30-31 says, “I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man lacking understanding and common sense; And, behold, it was all overgrown with thorns, And nettles were covering its surface, And its stone wall was broken down” (AMP). Like many proverbs, this can be taken at face value for what it is. However, many scholars believe it is intended as a parable as well. Some say this is a person who doesn’t take care of his soul. The thorns are bad habits, the nettles are wrong companions and the broken down wall is lack of following God’s plan leaving our lives defenseless. Either way you look at this, there’s something to learn.

In 2 Samuel 11, it was the time when kings went to war. They would go and fight to take each others crops to feed their people. Yet, the Bible says that David stayed home. He was neglecting his duty as king and allowing someone else to do the work. When the battle was all but won, David would show up and claim the victory. In this instance, he was wasn’t where he was supposed to be, nor doing what he was supposed to be doing. He was home walking on his roof when he saw Bathsheba. His spiritual walls were broken down and he sinned. Then, he thought he could cover up her pregnancy, but ended up murdering her husband when he refused to neglect his responsibilities. David’s lack of care for his field and vineyard cost him dearly. Thankfully he repented in Psalm 51 and asked for a renewed heart, steadfast and willing spirit, as well as joy so he could go back to tending his soul.

In Luke 21:36 Jesus warned, “Keep a constant watch over your soul, and pray for the courage and grace to prevail over these things that are destined to occur and that you will stand before the presence of the Son of Man with a clear conscience” (TPT). You and I can’t afford to neglect our soul. We must keep watch over it and tend it. We have an enemy who is seeking to devour us. When we neglect the little things around our soul, we create big problems for ourselves. The people we’re around and the habits we create will either build our defenses or allow them to be broken down. If you find that your walls are broken down and you’ve neglected what matters, be like David. Repent and seek forgiveness from God. He is able to restore the broken places in your life.

Photo by Magda Vrabetz on Unsplash

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March 10, 2023 · 5:34 AM

Pay Attention

There was a study done to see how well preschool children could pay attention while being distracted. When the distraction was going on, they had to repeat the instructions and reminders several times to keep the kids on task. I’m not sure the study would be much different for most of us. As we mature, we should build the capacity to pay attention even through distractions. Our lives have many distractions trying to pull us away from the things that matter and from what God is saying. Now more than ever, we need to learn to focus and block out distraction, so we can pay attention. “Paying” attention will cost you something, but the return on that investment is invaluable.

Here are some Bible verses on paying attention.

1. So pay careful attention to your hearts as you listen to my teaching, for to those who have open hearts, even more revelation will be given to them until it overflows. And for those who do not listen with open hearts, what little light they imagine themselves to have will be taken away.

Luke 8:18 TPT

2. Pay attention to what you are taught, and you will be successful; trust in the Lord and you will be happy.

Proverbs 16:20 GNT

3. Heed (pay attention to) instruction and be wise, And do not ignore or neglect it.

Proverbs 8:33 AMP

4. If I pay attention to all your commands, then I will not be put to shame.

Psalm 119:6 GNT

5. Then He (Jesus) said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By your own standard of measurement [that is, to the extent that you study spiritual truth and apply godly wisdom] it will be measured to you [and you will be given even greater ability to respond]—and more will be given to you besides.

Mark 4:24 AMP

Photo by fran innocenti on Unsplash

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