Tag Archives: Devotional

May 6, 2025 · 5:33 AM

Bitter To Better

In the book of Ruth, Naomi thought her story was over. She was forced to leave her home due to a famine. While living in a foreign land, her husband died. Some time later both of her sons died leaving her without a way to provide for herself. She tried sending both her daughters in law back to their parents so she could return home, but Ruth famously stuck with her. When they arrived in Bethlehem, people recognized her and couldn’t believe it was Naomi. She replied, “She said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi (sweetness); call me Mara (bitter), for the Almighty has caused me great grief and bitterness’” (AMP). Even though she felt like her life had turned bitter, people still called her Naomi.

What seemed like the end of her story, was really a new beginning. God was quietly putting the pieces of her new life together. He led Ruth to the field that belonged to Boaz to glean and find food. Her willingness to stick with Naomi impressed Boaz and he protected her. Not only that, he was able to redeem Naomi’s family name, heritage and legacy by marrying Ruth. When they were married and had a son named Obed (worshipper), the town people said, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer (grandson, as heir) today, and may his name become famous in Israel.” Naomi’s life is a testimony that when it seems you’ve lost everything, God can create a new beginning.

Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].” God doesn’t leave us in our pain or loss. He heals our broken heart and bandages our wounds so we can heal. Just like He was working behind the scenes for Naomi, He’s working for you. When we’re blinded by our pain, He sees a future we can’t in that moment. Your story isn’t over when one chapter ends. God uses pain and devastation to birth new life and create fertile ground for new growth. God can take us from bitter to better as we allow Him to heal our brokenness and comfort us in our sorrow.

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

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May 5, 2025 · 5:25 AM

New Life In Christ

Have you ever seen a caterpillar crawl? Their entire existence is earthbound. They are driven by instinct to eat leaves. They live limited lives that lack beauty and freedom until they enter the chrysalis process. Inside the cocoon, the old body dissolves and a new body is formed. There is a form of death in the metamorphosis as the caterpillar ceases to exist. A butterfly emerges from the cocoon no longer limited to crawling. Its wings have vibrant colors that embody freedom. This isn’t an improved caterpillar. It’s a new creation without the limitations of the old life.

Becoming a Christian is much like that. Jesus didn’t come to make improvements to your life. He came to give you new life as a new creation. Before Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus, Saul found his identity in his performance, lineage and knowledge. After his encounter, he became a new person with a new identity. He was no longer defined by his past but by Christ living in him. He was no longer living life being led by his fleshly desires. Instead, he began to live as one who was led by the Spirit of God living in him.

Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (AMP). To be crucified with Christ is to nail our old life on the cross. It’s a daily choice to put to death its desires in our life so we can live as new creations led by the Spirit who lives in you. Jesus died and resurrected to give you new life through Him, and you get to start this new life right where you are. Christianity is not a modification of your behavior, but a metamorphosis of who you are. Now live as a new creation.

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May 2, 2025 · 5:53 AM

Defiant Trust

One of my favorite things about the book of Job is that pulls the veil back for us. We get to read how Satan went to Heaven and sought permission to test Job. We know it was Satan causing all the calamity, death and loss for Job. However, Job didn’t get to know about that. He went through all his loss having to trust God and not blame Him. It’s easy to trust God when you’re living the blessed life, but can you still trust Him when everything is slipping through your fingers and it feels like He’s out to get you? Job fell and worshipped in that moment. In the face of such loss, Job showed defiant trust in God.

Here are some Bible verses on trusting God:

1. Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.

Job 13:15 NKJV

2. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalms 37:5 NLT

3. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV

4. But in the day that I’m afraid, I lay all my fears before you and trust in you with all my heart.

Psalms 56:3 TPT

5. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which can never be shaken, never be moved.

Psalm 125:1 GNT

Photo by Max Andrey on Pexels.

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May 1, 2025 · 5:30 AM

Quit Panicking

One of the most common Christian myths many of us believe is that when I do what God asks me to, there won’t be any issues and things will go smoothly. For me, it seems like when I step out in faith and do what God asks, things often start going wrong. There are times it feels like I’ve jumped out of an airplane, but I’m not the one who gets to pull the cord on the parachute. The ground starts getting closer and I start to panic. I cry out, “God, where are you? Did you tell me to do this? Why haven’t you worked on my behalf yet? Don’t you care about my reputation? My family? I thought you were going to work out everything for my good.” At that point, it’s easy to start questioning if I really heard God or if I’m really in His will because I’m looking at external factors and I’m believing the myth that everything should be smooth sailing when I’m in His will through obedience.

In Mark 4, after a long day of teaching, night was falling and Jesus said, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake” (TPT). They all piled in a boat, and several people from the crowd got in boats to follow them across the lake. Being tired from teaching, Jesus decided to call it a night. He laid down and fell asleep. That’s when a ferocious storm came rolling in with violent winds that were rocking the boat and causing it to take on so much water that they were afraid of sinking. In verse 39, they had a similar prayer to mine. They woke Jesus up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re all about to die?” Jesus, once He was fully awake, steps out, rebukes the wind and calms the sea. I’m sure He gave them a disappointed look as He said, “Why are you so afraid? Haven’t you learned to trust yet?”

Those words are ringing in my ears today as I shift my focus from my circumstances to who He is. When things don’t go the way we thought they should after our obedience, fear creeps in. Fear of failure. Fear of being embarrassed. Fear of going broke. Fear of our own ship going down. The storm you’re in may be great, but He is greater. It may feel like He’s asleep, but He knows what you’re going through. Push through the fear and panic, and trust that if He’s called you to it, He’ll get you through it. A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, and easy times never stretch our faith. Yes, it might have been a big leap you took, but your faith has so much more room to grow. Now is not the time for panic. It’s the time for prayer and faith. He hasn’t ever failed you, and He won’t start failing you today.

Photo by Sydin Rahman 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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April 30, 2025 · 5:45 AM

Guarantees Of Obedience

Following God’s plan doesn’t always bring immediate victory. In the 1940’s the Ten Boom family saw how the Germans were treating the Jews. They felt like God wanted them to protect any Jew that needed help. They built a hideaway room in their house and over time saved hundreds. However, they were turned in to the authorities, separated and sent to concentration camps themselves. The father died quickly, while his two daughters, Corrie and Betsie, endured the death camps. Betsie died while in one, and Corrie was released later. Their obedience saved hundreds, but cost them dearly.

In Judges 20, the men of a city in the tribe of Benjamin had raped and murdered a Levite’s wife. The other tribes came to bring correction, but the tribe of Benjamin joined forces and decided to fight back. The other tribes prayed and asked God who should lead the battle. He said Judah. They went to battle and lost. They wept and prayed and asked God if they should fight. He told them yes. They went to battle again, but thousands more lost their lives as they lost. They wept, fasted and prayed asking again. God sent them to battle again, but this time they won. They nearly destroyed the entire tribe of Benjamin.

In Isaiah 43:2 God said, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (NLT). God doesn’t promise everything will always be good or that you’ll never get hurt or always understand. Instead, He promises to be with you as you go through losses and difficulties. Obedience doesn’t guarantee victory, but it does guarantee His presence to be with you. He never abandoned the Ten Boom family, nor the tribes of Israel in their battles. Instead, He stands with us in the fire, seals the door in the flood and comforts us in tragedy. His presence in those times is our victory.

Photo by Vlad Bagacian on Pexels.

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April 29, 2025 · 5:57 AM

Confession And Restoration

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, I was in my teens. I remember vividly seeing prominent people in the faith succumb to sin and have to admit it publicly. There were famous ministers, TV preachers and even Christian’s singers who failed. I remember that Christians, for the most part, joined the world in tearing them down and shunning them. As is appropriate, they were removed from their ministry, but beyond that, they were shunned. Some went to prison, some to therapy and at least one became homeless. Watching their stories and how they were treated made me wonder if restoration was possible or if God could ever use them again. Then I wondered, “If I failed, could God still use me after I repented?”

In Judges 13-16, we read the story of Samson. He was called of God and set apart from before he was born to lead and deliver Israel. When he became a man, he was used by God to destroy Philistine towns and kill thousands of their people. However, fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah, which was against God’s rules on marrying pagan wives. She convinced him to give up the secret to his anointing and removed his hair. Chapter 16 verse 20 says, “He didn’t realize the Lord had left him” (NLT). He was publicly defeated, shamed and punished. Then at the end of the chapter, he prayed and asked God to use him again. His last act killed more of their enemies than at any other time in his life.

David was another prominent person who sinned and was called out. I love Psalm 51, which is his prayer for repentance. He asks God for mercy, to wash him clean of his guilt and to have a clean heart and a right spirit. Then verse 12 says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” After he faced his consequences, God not only restored that joy, but continued to use him. Stories like Samson and David show us that when we repent, God can still use us. We will face consequences for our actions, but God doesn’t give us a life sentence. If you’ve failed God, you must come clean, confess and repent. That’s the first step to having your joy restored and being used by God again.

Note: Every person mentioned here could have prevented their fall by being accountable to someone. Accountability is something we all need in our lives to help us walk upright with the Lord, whether we’re ministers or not. Find someone who you can trust to tell everything to so they can help you in your areas of weakness and temptation.

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April 28, 2025 · 5:40 AM

Put It Into Practice

I’ve known people who have read “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” They can talk about the habits extensively because they know them so well. However, they never implemented any of them into their life and nothing changed for them. I’ve known others who have read “How To Win Friends And Influence People” that were similar. They can tell me about the interpersonal skills it provides, yet not receive any of the benefits because they don’t put them into practice. Both of these books have the ability to help them if they would do more than read them.

In Matthew 7 Jesus is teaching about the same thing, but many different ways. He tells them of the narrow gate to Heaven and the broad gate to Hell. He then teaches about judging a tree by its fruit. If it doesn’t produce fruit, it’s chopped down. Then He taught about the people who will show up to Heaven saying they knew Him, but He did not know them. Finally, He tells the story of two builders. In verse 24 He says, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” (NLT). Those who listen without obeying are foolish builders.

James 1:22 puts it this way, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” God didn’t give us His Word to just listen to. We must implant it in our heart, allow it to bring correction and to change who we are. That only comes by being a doer of the Word. If we are going to be wise builders of our lives, we must build them on the Rock of Jesus and obey what He taught. Both He and James drew a line between those who read it and those who live it. Be a person who obeys the Word of God. It is quick, powerful and able to equip you for every good work. You must put it into practice and allow it to do its work in your life.

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April 25, 2025 · 5:57 AM

Sharing Is Caring

When I was a kid, my parents would force me to share things with my siblings or other people. I didn’t like having to share. As humans, we’re naturally selfish. Then I began to share from selfish motives. Id say, “I’ll share this with you if you share that with me.” It’s the opposite of God’s idea of sharing. His idea is sacrificial and used to build people up rather than transactional. When we share things Biblically, we transform lives by sharing our faith, sharing their burdens or sharing our blessings. When we share God’s way, we glorify Him rather than serving ourselves. What is God asking you to share with someone?

Here are some Bible verses on sharing:

I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective and powerful because of your accurate knowledge of every good thing which is ours in Christ.

Philemon 1:6 AMP

2. Whoever receives a prophet because he is God’s messenger will share a prophet’s reward. And whoever welcomes a righteous person because he follows me will also share in his reward. And whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of my disciples, I promise you, he will not go unrewarded.

Matthew 10:41-42 TPT

3. The people asked him, “What are we to do, then?” He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it.”

Luke 3:10-11 GNT

4. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 NLT

5. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

Hebrews 13:16 NLT

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April 24, 2025 · 5:30 AM

The Law Of Favor

If you were to stand on a chair and jump. 100 times out of 100 jumps you would go down. No matter how many times you try it, you will always go down. Why? Because the Law of Gravity is at work. You don’t have to believe in gravity for it to make you go down. You don’t have to see gravity for it to work. Laws work no matter what. You and I would never challenge the Law of Gravity because we’ve seen it at work our entire lives. Isaac Newton simply observed it, tested it and put it into words giving it at name.

God’s laws are no different that the laws of nature that He created. They work 100% of the time whether you believe in God or not. The Bible is full of these laws and they are constantly at work in our lives. For example, you will reap what you sow. If we think of it in the farming context, if you plant corn kernels, you will grow corn. You can’t plant a corn kernel and expect a potato. If you plant kindness in others, you can expect kindness. If you give, it will be given to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over because this is God’s law.

Another law at work is found in Proverbs 11:25. It says, “Those who live to bless others will have blessings heaped upon them, and the one who pours out his life to pour out blessings will be saturated with favor” (TPT). This law works just like the others. If you will live to bless others and pour your life out, you will find God’s hand of blessing and favor. My wife and I like to say, “Favor ain’t fair,” because it’s in direct proportion to your blessing others. You don’t have to have money to bless someone. Spend time with them, walk through their struggles with them, send an encouraging message, show them unconditional love or anything that reflects Christ. If you do these things, the Law of Favor will go into effect for you.

Photo by Luis Alexander Minchola Jiménez 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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April 23, 2025 · 5:28 AM

Completely Satisfied

Not long after Tom Brady won his first Super Bowl, he was interviewed. They asked him what it was like to achieve a life long dream. He said in the moment it was great, but that feeling went away and he wondered if that was really all there was in life. He was looking for more. In a recent interview with Will Smith, he was asked what it’s like to be worth $350 million. He said, Will Smith “Once you’ve bought everything you want and there’s literally nothing on earth else that you want to buy, I just wish that was a gift that everybody could have because there’s nothing that material can do to satisfy you. You realize none of it can make you happy” (people.com).

Solomon, who was one of the wisest people to ever live, also became one of the wealthiest people too. He had it all: a kingdom, money, fame, women and servants. In the book of Ecclesiastes, he talks about having tried everything he can to give him pleasure, but it was all vanity. He was saying that it’s all fleeting and unsatisfying. In chapter 5 verse 10 he wrote, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its gain. This too is vanity (emptiness)” (AMP). He, like so many of us, chased and hungered after things of this world in order to fill a hole inside that only God can fill.

In Matthew 5:6, Jesus said, “Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.” There’s nothing in this world that can bring true fulfillment to your life. The hunger you have can only be satisfied by a relationship with God. We’ve all thought, “If only I had this or accomplished that, then…” You’ll find like Tom Brady and Will Smith did that it won’t bring what you think it will. True satisfaction is found in actively pursuing God because those who seek Him find Him. We were created by Him and for Him. Until we find our identity and worth in Him, everything else is empty.

Photo by Richard Burlton on Unsplash

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