Devotionals

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25:4-5). Truth is objective, not subjective. Truth is absolute and not a sliding scale. The Truth is not open to redefinition to make it more winsome for new believers. The Truth does not seek to be politically correct because it refuses to tell people that they are safe believing lies. Truth is not trendy. As a Christian, it is not your job to make the Truth easier or more attractive. It is your job to love people by remaining faithful to the Truth. We can trust the Holy Spirit to take care of the rest, drawing people into God’s Kingdom. The ultimate Truth that cannot be compromised is that Jesus is our eternal hope. There are not many paths to God. There is only one, and that […]

“I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer” (Psalm 17:6). The true test of our character is not measured by the actions we take nor the attitudes we present when we are on stage with the spotlight shining on us. The true test of our character is measured when no one is watching but God. Many people make the mistake of wearing their spiritual maturity on their sleeves. But God is not impressed with how many Bible verses we know nor how many Sunday school lessons we teach. In fact, nothing we do can impress God. What God desires from us more than anything is a relationship. He designed us for this. We function best when we have others around us supporting us and challenging us to grow in our relationship with Him. And no relationship can thrive without communication. In 1 Samuel 22, we find David tucked […]

“Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4). Becoming a champion challenges our faith in more ways than we think. When we experience a great deal of success and numerous victories in our lives, human nature begins to enjoy the praises that are given to us. Before we know it, the excitement that people have for us changes the way we view life, and we start believing our own press. Instead of dwelling on who got us to this point, we begin dreaming about where we are going to take ourselves in the future. Humility is the mark of a true champion. Godly love is emblazoned on his or her heart. Most people can sniff out false humility miles before they get to it. They hear the cliché about how we had nothing to do with it, and they know we do not believe a word we are saying. Sincere humility, […]

“You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit” (Job 10:12). Inside each of us there is a hunger and a thirst for justice. We want to see the guilty person get his just due. Yet, when it comes to us, we want mercy and grace extended in our direction. We may be deserving of the worst kind of punishment, but we long for someone to give us a second chance before harshly condemning us. Although God is just in His ways, He also is merciful. In fact, God’s Word makes it simple: “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). God would rather extend mercy toward us than the harsh consequences of judgment. That is why Jesus gave His life for us—so we would not have to suffer the consequences of sin. Jesus paid the debt we owe for our sin. As believers pursuing the heart of God, we must emulate His heart. As […]

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). There is something contagious about a heart of love. People who are selfless with their love can make giant waves in this world, whereas those who cling to selfish desires cause only ripples. In fact, those who have hearts of love view the people around them as being most important. A heart that bears the marks of God’s intimate love is not a selfish heart. The Truth is that when we look directly into God’s heart of love, we are transformed forever. The selfish desires that once dominated our heart’s landscape vanish in an instant—replaced by a desire to lavish love on others. As God begins to transform our hearts through His grace and kindness, we become vessels willing to reciprocate this type of love. Something happens inside of […]

“My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge” (Psalm 62:7). In the New Testament, Jesus made it clear that we have to make a choice: Either we will serve God or we will serve something else. You can dedicate your life to living for the Lord, or you can spend your life living for yourself. However, to truly honor God in a way that places Him in high esteem over everything else, He must be at the center of your affections. Many people do good works. Some non-believers even do more good works than Christians. Yet, a look at the heart reveals their true motivation—whether their deeds are truly done for themselves or for the people they are serving. Some Christians are doing good works out of guilt or obligation, as opposed to the purest reason: love for God. To honor God is to serve Him out of our strong desire to see […]

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). Whether we realize it or not, faithfulness is at the heart of all relationships. It is the very thing that prevents families and societies from falling apart. And it is the one element that has the ability to encourage us to persevere in times of failure and heartache. The psalmist writes, “The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full” (Psalm 31:23). Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the apostle Paul lists faithfulness as one of the fruit of the Spirit. In fact, one of the first things we learn about God is that He is faithful. As children, we often sing the song “Jesus Loves Me,” and we know He does. No matter what we have done in the past or what we will […]

“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands” (2 John 1:6). In his book of devotions Morning and Evening, Charles Spurgeon wrote, “[T]he first thing God requires of His child is obedience.” But human nature often rebels against obedience. The Bible is full of examples of individuals who disobeyed God. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Lot’s wife blatantly looked back to see the destruction of Sodom. Jonah refused to go to Nineveh. Moses struck the rock, instead of speaking to it as God commanded. We all can remember incidents when we have disobeyed—whether it was against an authority figure, a law of the land, or a Biblical principle. Most likely, we even remember our punishment or the consequences we suffered. The act of disobedience brings guilt, sadness, and shame. There is no long-lasting pleasure in getting our own way. It brings grief to our heavenly Father because He longs for us to walk with […]

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). After Jonah allowed God to use him, we see the greatest miracle in the book of Jonah: the salvation of the Ninevites. These cruel pagan people experienced one of the greatest revivals in Biblical history. The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. . . . When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:5-6, 10) You may doubt your abilities or eloquence in sharing about Christ. You may […]

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We can trace the origins of our storms to three primary sources. Some storms are of our own making—the direct consequence of sin in our lives. Other storms are caused by the actions of other people, and some are simply intended to test us. Read Jonah 1:4-16. In Jonah’s case, his storm was a direct consequence of his disobedience. When storms result from our sin, we must first repent of that sin before even attempting to work through the consequences.  My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, . . . Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? . . . No discipline […]

“A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity” (Psalm 37:10-11). King Saul was on the hunt, but he wasn’t pursuing another army or some vile enemy of Israel. He was hoping to kill David, the man God had anointed to take his place on the throne. Along the way, Saul entered a cave. Unbeknownst to the murderous king, David crept up slowly behind him and cut off a corner of his robe. It wasn’t until Saul was back out in the wilderness that he heard David shouting from the mouth of the cave: “Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed'” (1 Samuel 24:10). Read Psalm 37. Have you ever wondered why some of the world’s most […]

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). When David was just a young man, he killed a giant named Goliath. People revel in victories like David’s. They like to know that it’s not always about who’s bigger, meaner, and better armed. That’s because we all face giants in our lives. Read Psalm 8. These giants are usually not of the nine-and-a-half-foot variety. The giants I’m talking about are the giants of fear, anxiety, worry, discouragement, and despondency. Sometimes they take the form of addiction, restlessness, envy, bitterness, or anger. But whatever they may be, these giants have one purpose in mind: to render the children of the living God ineffective. So, the question is: How do we defeat these giants? In our culture, we often try to understand ourselves and the problems we face without understanding God and His purpose for life. Many churches preach messages that encourage people […]