Tag Archives: Devotional

November 6, 2026 · 5:50 AM

Treasuring The Right Things

When I was in junior high, I bought the Air Jordan 3’s. I had to mow a lot of yards to be able to get them. A few weeks after I purchased them, I was staying in a hotel and the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night. The first thing I did was grab those shoes before I evacuated. That emergency showed what I treasured in my life above everything else. As an adult, there are different things that I treasure and hold dear. The Bible also gives us some things we should treasure and value above everything else. Remember, your heart will always be where your treasure is. What really matters to you? What do you treasure?

Here are some Bible verses on things we need to treasure:

1. I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure.

Psalms 119:162 NKJV

2. My son, keep my words And treasure my commandments within you.

Proverbs 7:1 NASB2020

3. The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He will be the security and stability of your times, A treasure of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the LORD is your treasure.

Isaiah 33:5-6 AMP

4. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:2-3 NLT

5. The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].

Matthew 13:44 AMP

Photo by Ashin K Suresh on Unsplash

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November 5, 2026 · 5:30 AM

Even If He Doesn’t

One of the toughest things we need to have with our faith is a “What if He doesn’t” attitude. What if He doesn’t heal your family member? Will you still trust Him? What if He doesn’t save your marriage? Will you still love Him? What if He doesn’t help me get this job? Will you still follow Him? What if He doesn’t answer your prayer? Will you still serve Him? These are tough questions, but necessary to ask yourself. God doesn’t always do the things we believe He should. Even when we believe with everything in us that He can and will answer our prayer, sometimes He doesn’t. Trusting Him after that is something we all must learn to do. We have to remember that He sees the bigger picture and that His ways are higher than ours.

In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego wouldn’t bow to their captor’s god. The king brought them in and commanded them to do it or die. He asked them if they thought there was any god who could save them from burning in a fiery furnace. They told him that God was able to do it. Then, in verse 18, they added, “But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up” (GNT). They were willing to sacrifice their lives trusting God, even if He didn’t answer their prayer and save their lives. It’s the type of faith that we all need to have. It’s the type of faith we must determine to have before we get into a situation that will challenge us at our core.

Psalm 34:1 says, “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises” (NLT). We can’t just praise God when things are going great and when our prayers are being answered. We must learn to praise Him at ALL times. When He doesn’t answer our most desperate prayer, praise Him. When everything in life is going wrong, praise Him. Our praise, trust and love for God cannot be based on our feelings or circumstances. It must run deep within us to the point that it is who we are. Determine today that even if He doesn’t respond the way you deeply believe He should, you will bless and praise Him anyway.

Photo by Paul Garaizar 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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November 3, 2026 · 5:52 AM

Holding On To Hope

A couple of years ago our family walked through a difficult season. My son told me, “I don’t understand, Dad. Why didn’t God answer our prayers? We fasted. We prayed. We did everything right. It doesn’t make sense.” He wasn’t wrong. We had plenty of faith that God would answer, yet here we were picking up the pieces of pain. I had to remind him, and myself, that our hope and faith in God isn’t based on the moment we’re in. We can look back throughout history and our lives and see that God is good. It may not seem like it when we’re in the middle of circumstances that aren’t going our way, but God has been faithful throughout generations. There are times when we have to hold tightly to our faith when we don’t understand what God is doing on the present moment.

In Genesis, God told Sarah she was going to have a child in her old age. She had prayed for decades to have one, but knew her circumstances showed it wasn’t going to happen. Her circumstances seemed to prove that God’s promise wouldn’t come true, yet she trusted God’s faithfulness over the way things appeared. Hebrews 11:11 wrote about her faith by saying, “It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise” (NLT). She had faith and believed that God would keep His promise even though everything she had been taught said it was impossible. She gave birth to Isaac late in life and had a daily reminder of God’s ability to keep His promise.

Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” It’s hard sometimes to hold on tightly to the hope we have without wavering, but the good news is that God’s faithfulness doesn’t depend on our strength. He is faithful even when we are unfaithful. When our circumstances seem to show the opposite of what we think should happen, God is still in control. He’s not just looking at the moment. He’s looking at the whole picture with an eternal perspective. We can trust Him to keep His promise and to make decisions based on His perspective and not our emotions. When our circumstances seem to disagree with God, look beyond the moment and trust in who He has always been. Keep holding on to that hope.

Photo by Filipe Resmini on Unsplash

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November 2, 2026 · 5:49 AM

Give It To God

I was talking to a group of people and asked them to share some of the things that they were worried about. After fielding several answers, I saw a common thread and paused the discussion. I called out the things they had said, but pointed out that the things they were worried about could have been prevented if they had taken care of the little things before they turned into big things. Then I asked them to think about what worried them that was beyond their control or ability to repair. I then asked how many of them had prayed about it. Almost all had raised their hands. I then pointed out that there’s a difference in praying about something only God can do and in giving something to God that only He can do.

In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah couldn’t have children. She was ridiculed and shamed for it. While they were visiting the Tabernacle in Shiloh, she decided to go pray about it. She was in such great distress about it and crying that her lips were moving, but words weren’t coming out. The priest saw her and thought she was drunk. She explained that she was discouraged and just pouring her heart out to the Lord. The priest then told her to go in peace and trust that God would grant her request. That’s when she gave it to God. Verse 18 says, “Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad” (NLT). When she decided to give it to God, her countenance and mood changed.

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” Notice that it doesn’t just tell us to take our worries and cares to God. It tells us to give them to Him. He care about the things that consume your mind and keep you up. He care about the things that bring you distress and anguish. Yes, you need to take them to Him in prayer, but there is a difference in casting your burden on the Lord and in talking to Him about it. The way we give it to Him is to release the outcome to His decision and to quit rehearsing scenarios in our mind. When they come up, remind yourself that you’ve given it to God and that you will still trust Him if He chooses an outcome that’s different from the one you want. It may take a while to retrain your brain, but it is possible to be able to let go and let God.

Photo by Herish Natheer on Unsplash

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October 30, 2026 · 6:00 AM

Shine On

I’m still amazed when I go outside at night and see a full moon. I’m shocked how bright it is for an object that on,y reflects light and can’t produce any. I think it’s a great example of what the Bible means when it tells us that as believers we are to shine in this world. We have no real light if our own. We are to be reflecting the light of Jesus so others can see Him in the darkness of this world. We shine His light brightest when others can see His character and truth through us. The good news is that we don’t have to produce the light. As we live our lives led by His Spirit, the light of Christ will shine through and give you the opportunity to point them to the Savior.

Here are some verses about shining God’s light:

1. The God who said, “Out of darkness the light shall shine!” is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6 GNT

2. Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the LORD]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the LORD has risen upon you.

Isaiah 60:1 AMP

3. The wise leaders will shine with all the brightness of the sky. And those who have taught many people to do what is right will shine like the stars forever.

Daniel 12:3 GNT

4. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Philippians 2:14-15 NLT

5. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 NIV

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October 28, 2026 · 5:44 AM

When God’s Delayed

Do you ever stop to think how we’ve built our lives on getting things quickly? Mail was too slow and now you can send an email to get it to them in seconds. You can call someone on the other side of the world and talk instantly. You could hop on a plane and be there within a few hours to see them face to face. We have Ubers and Cybercabs that will pick us up in a matter of minutes to take us where we want to go. We can have groceries delivered within the hour without having to go to the store. Even Amazon next day delivery was too slow. Now they’re delivering your goods by drone same day. It’s no wonder we don’t like to wait and run out of patience when we do have to.

In Daniel 10 he had received a disturbing vision from God and asked for understanding of it. He fasted and prayed for three weeks without an answer. It was then that an angel visited him to bring him an answer. In verse 12 the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer” (NLT). The very first day he prayed, God heard him and sent the answer on its way. However the angel bringing the answer was opposed in the spiritual realm. I believe because Daniel kept praying, even though he didn’t receive an answer instantly, the angel was able to battle through and bring the answer.

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” When we’re used to getting things instantly, it’s easy to give up on prayers when God doesn’t answer right away. However, don’t give up. Keep praying. Depending on what or who you’re praying for, it may be years. Don’t stop. Wait patiently for the Lord. He heard your prayer the first day that you prayed it. We can’t see what’s going on in the spiritual realm nor can we truly understand God’s timing. What we do know is that your prayers are heard by God the first day you say them. I want to encourage you today to not give up in the waiting. Keep knocking, keep seeking and keep asking because to the ones who knock, doors will be opened. To the ones who continue to seek, they will find. It’s the ones who keep asking that get their answers even if they are delayed by our standards. Be brave. Be patient and keep waiting.

Photo by Karl Martin Sætren on Unsplash

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October 27, 2026 · 5:52 AM

Training For Godliness

When I go into the gym, I see lots of people training. Some are on treadmills, some are pulling weights with a harness and some are lifting weights. In order to grow stronger, people do reps or repetitious movements with the weights. Then they do sets of those reps. It’s visible who has been doing it for a while. However, one of the crazy stats I read said that over 60% of gym memberships are never used. People sign up with good intentions, but find reasons not to go. They like the result of the reps and the idea of someone who trains, but when it comes to showing up, doing the reps and building their strength, they’re not willing to go through what it takes.

In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 Paul wrote, “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. ‘Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come’” (NLT). When he says, “Train yourself to be godly,” he uses the word gymnazo, which means to exercise and to discipline and condition yourself like you would at a gym. He’s telling us we don’t grow stronger in our faith by arguing with people. Instead we grow strong through repetition of spiritual disciplines like prayer, reading our Bible and using the gifts God’s given us. It isn’t easy and it will cost you something to train yourself to be godly.

Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” The writer reminds us that being disciplined is costly and unenjoyable at times, but it produces the strength we need. Like doing reps in the gym, we must be repetitious in our obedience, our surrender to the Spirit over our flesh and in our disciples. The good news is that there are blessings promised to us for sticking with it. We reap the harvest of spiritual growth, spiritual strength and living the way God asks us to. Don’t give up in your training or make excuses why you can’t today. Keep training for godliness.

Photo by Oswald Elsaboath on Unsplash

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October 26, 2026 · 5:40 AM

Staying Moldable

When’s the last time you played with Play-Doh? It may have been a while, but I bet you can still smell it. One of the best things about it is how moldable it is. You can mash it, roll it, shape it and start over. I remember watching the commercials of all the different molds they had. Kids would put the Play-Doh in the mold and it would come out in the shape of the mold. Another great thing is that as long as you keep it in the environment it was created to be in, it will last a long time. However, if you leave it out, it will get hard and crusty. Once it is no longer mold able, the only thing to do is to throw it away. It’s no longer useful.

In Jeremiah 18, God had the prophet go to the house of a potter. Like Play-Doh, the clay is moldable until it is placed in the fire. In verse 3-4 Jeremiah says, “So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over” (NLT). God then reminded the people the He is the potter and we are the clay. He can mold us and shape us as long as we are willing. However some refused to submit to the potter to be shaped by Him. They wanted to choose their own destiny. They became like Play-Doh that had been left out of the canister. They brought disaster on themselves until they would repent.

Isaiah 64:8 says, “And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.” How moldable are you in the Father’s hands? Are you fighting for your own way or are you submitting to what He wants to do? He has a purpose and a plan for your life. We stay moldable by surrendering to His will for our life. The center of His wheel is like being in the center of a potter’s wheel. It’s where the potter can take out what doesn’t belong and He can create a masterpiece. Take time today to pray letting God know that you submit to His plan for you. Let Him know you are willing to be shaped by Him. After all, He is the potter and we are the clay.

Photo by Meruyert Gonullu from Pexels.

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October 23, 2026 · 5:10 AM

Ready For Opportunity

I’ve always heard it said that if you wait until opportunity knocks to get ready, then you’ll miss it. How many conversations have you walked away from saying, “I wish I had said this instead of that?” The Bible tells us to be ready always to give an answer to those who ask about the hope that lives in you. Are you ready to give your testimony? Are you ready to help someone in need if God asked out of you? What do you need to do to be ready for whatever opportunities God places in front of you? Be ready the next time God gives you any opportunity to build and strengthen His kingdom by preparing today.

Here are some Bible verses on being ready for opportunities:

1. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Galatians 6:10 NKJV

2. As the Lord’s servant, you must not quarrel. You must be kind toward all, a good and patient teacher, who is gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth.

2 Timothy 2:24-25 GNT

3. Laziness casts one into a deep sleep [unmindful of lost opportunity], And the idle person will suffer hunger. He who keeps and obeys the commandment [of the LORD] keeps (guards) his own life, But he who is careless of his ways and conduct will die.

Proverbs 19:15-16 AMP

4. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV

5. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Colossians 4:5-6 NLT

Photo courtesy of Aaron Burden on Unsplash.

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October 21, 2026 · 5:35 AM

A Lifeline Of Encouragement

When you’ve been through something tragic or life altering, you begin to hear lies in your mind disguised as the truth. One I heard was, “You’re the only one who has ever gone through this.” While it was true that no one had been through my exact circumstance, others had been through similar. That lie isolates you. It says that no one can understand you, feel your pain or be able to help you unless they’ve been through that exact thing. Because I’ve heard and experienced those lies, I’ve confronted them in others as I’ve sought to bring them encouragement. The devil roams like a roaring lion seeking to isolate you so he can devour you. There’s strength in receiving and giving encouragement to others to fight off his attacks.

In Luke 22 Jesus knew that Peter and the disciples were going to go through a traumatic experience. He also knew Peter was going to betray Him and feel unworthy to serve Him anymore. In verses 22-23 Jesus told Peter, “Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain; but I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith]” (AMP). What would become Peter’s lowest point in his life, would be the exact thing God would use to qualify him to encourage and comfort others.

Isaiah 35:4 tell us, “Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you’” (NLT). Each of us holds a lifeline of encouragement in our hands. Each of us have needed encouragement and also have the ability to encourage. This verse tells us we need to speak up when we feel that prompting. Your words of encouragement may be the faith boost they need to remember that God sees them and has not abandoned them. He is coming to save them and will not leave them helpless.

Photo by Viktoriia Ananeva on Unsplash.

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