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Hebrews 2:1 NLT So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.
John 17:17 says, “God’s word is truth.” If we don’t consistently listen to God’s word, we may drift away. We can find ourselves doing things we have no business doing, listening to things we shouldn’t be listening to, and saying things we shouldn’t be saying.
Drifting away doesn’t always include “big” sins such as, sexual immorality or murder, but it could include a callous heart towards people, a negative attitude, or doubt.
Listening to and studying God’s word keeps us close to Him, and it produces the faith we need to overcome the world (Romans 10:17; 1 John 5:4).
#transform #grow #Word #of #God #is #Truth #good #faithful #love #peace #prosper #life #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
John 17:17 NIV Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
People say facts, but call it truth. They’ll say they’re sick, the country is going to hell, they’re struggling financially, they’re depressed, or they’re worried.
These may be facts, but it’s not the truth. The things in God’s word are the truth. Using the same examples from above, the truth is we’re healed (1 Pet. 2:24), this nation is blessed (Ps. 33:12), we’re abundantly supplied (2 Cor. 9:8), we have joy (Gal. 5:22), or we’re worry-free (1 Pet. 5:7).
What God says about us in His word is the truth. To fully benefit from this truth, there are a few things we must do. First, we must be saved (Rom. 10:9). None of this works without salvation. Secondly, we must believe in the finished works of Jesus. Everything that comes with salvation is ours. Finally, we must act on what we believe. There are a few things we must do to display our belief and trust in God’s word.
Here are some examples. Through our salvation we’re healed, being abundantly supplied is connected with our giving, and being worry-free is associated with giving our cares to God.
Once we’ve done our part of accepting Jesus Christ as Lord, believe in the finished works of Jesus, and act on His word, we can boldly tell the truth.
God’s word is truth. Stop magnifying facts and tell the truth.
#transform #grow #Word #of #God #is #Truth #good #faithful #love #peace #prosper #life #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
James 4:2 NIV You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.
If God requires us to ask for what we want or else we won’t have it, surely we need to ask each other for what we want or else we won’t get it.
So many people are going without simply because they haven’t asked. People are remaining single because they haven’t asked the person they’re attracted to if they’re single. People are not receiving a raise because they didn’t ask their supervisor for it. People are not being fulfilled in marriages because they’re not asking their spouse to love them the way they want to be loved.
Some of us don’t ask because we don’t want to get disappointed. However, when we rely on the timing and the favor of God, we’ll never be disappointed. For instance, if we’re seeking a promotion at work, we ask God first. As soon as we asked God, we know we have it (1 John 5:14-15). Now, we seek God on the timing to ask our boss for that promotion. God may tell us to ask them next Friday. From the time we received our instructions, we’re in expectation for the favor of God to work on our behalf. When next Friday comes, we ask our boss and they agree to our promotion.
Someone may ask, “What if you don’t get the promotion on Friday?” We stay in faith, expecting the favor of God to work on the heart of our boss and/or expect the favor of God to bring additional resources into the company that will supply the finances for our promotion.
Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. We have God, His word, His favor, and angels working on our behalf.
#faith #waiting #hope #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #live #keepgoing #believe #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Romans 3:21-22 NLT But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
So many people want to add something to what Jesus has done to equal righteousness.
They want to add Jesus + Behavior Modification, Jesus + Fasting, Jesus + Church Attendance, or Jesus + Bible Reading.
All of these are good, but they don’t need to be added to Jesus to become righteous. Our belief in Jesus paying for our sins on the cross and our belief in His resurrection making intercession for us makes us righteous. Everything else is a byproduct of our righteousness.
Don’t get me wrong, changing bad behavior and reading the Bible are good things, but that doesn’t produce righteousness. Our belief in Jesus alone makes us righteous.
#receive #Jesus #righteousness #right #with #God #Loved #abundance #life #peace #found #in #Christ #Son #of #God #Spirit #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Proverbs 17:9 NLT Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.
People will do things that can hurt us. It could be parents, spouses, children, or close friends.
Regardless of what they do, it’s highly necessary to forgive them. We don’t forgive them because of how kind we are. We forgive them because of God’s love, grace, and forgiveness towards us. Forgiveness also gives us peace of mind.
On the other hand, not forgiving them and dwelling on what they’ve done to us will cause separation and division. Our unforgiveness doesn’t represent God or His forgiveness towards us. Unforgiveness also takes a toll on us mentally, emotionally, and physically.
There is no benefit in living in unforgiveness. Forgiveness represents God and His love.
#God #helps #us #forgive #be #free #release #hurt #loveothers #Jesus #Christ #loves #scripture #devo #Bible #growth
Psalms 22:24 NLT For He has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned His back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.
When we face difficult situations and hardships, Satan likes to accuse God of ignoring our cries for help. That’s a lie.
God has not, nor will He ever, ignore our cries for help. Even if we haven’t done everything right and we put ourselves in that unfortunate circumstance, God will help us by providing instructions to overcome.
Our way of escape may not come immediately, but as we listen to His voice and follow His plan instead of ours, we’ll experience victory.
Don’t let the enemy lie to you. God hears our cries for help, and He’s there to rescue us every time.
#faith #waiting #hope #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #live #keepgoing #believe #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Ephesians 4:23 NLT Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
When we get saved, our spirits are born-again. However, our thoughts and attitudes are still the same.
In order to change our thoughts and attitudes, we must allow the Holy Spirit to change them. The Holy Spirit will tell us not to say something, apologize to that person, don’t watch that reel, or forgive him or her. The Holy Spirit can only make suggestions. Ultimately, it’s up to us to apply His suggestions to our lives.
The Holy Spirit’s instructions will agree with the written word of God. He’s not going to tell us to get them back, worry about that, or treat someone better than someone else. Everything He tells us will align with the word of God.
Renewing our thoughts and attitudes is a lifelong process. Don’t think you have ever arrived. As long as we can be negatively influenced by the flesh, the Holy Spirit will be there to counter those influences with the word of God.
#transform #grow #permission #to #evolve #change #mature #progress #God #is #good #faithful #love #peace #prosper #life #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have the victory. Through Jesus Christ, we have the victory.
We have the victory over everything. We have the victory over sickness, victory over impatience, victory over lack, victory over fear, and victory over drama. Any negative situation we’re experiencing, through Christ we have the victory.
Our victory is not automatic. Our victory comes from believing who we are in Christ, believing what we have in Christ, and acting on what we believe through our speech and Holy Spirit-led actions. This is known as faith. By faith, we have the victory over everything.
Stop looking at negative situations and circumstances thinking this is your new normal. If it doesn’t line up with the word of God, by faith, change it and have a victorious life.
In the name of Jesus, we have the victory!
#victory #by #faith #in #Jesus #trust #God #first #enjoy #life #love #experience #Spirit #freedom #Christ #new #scripture #Word #devotional #blessing #people #growth
Isaiah 55:9 NLT For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
A lot of the things in the Kingdom of God are counterintuitive. We give to get, mentally let go of our concerns to get them handled, forgive and love to be healed of hurt, and don’t react to receive vengeance. This goes against everything in our flesh and everything we’ve been taught in society. This is so counterintuitive until it doesn’t compute in the minds of some people, believers included.
Regardless of whether it computes or not, this is the way in the Kingdom of God. We are either going to comply with it or risk forfeiting some Kingdom benefits. By not complying, we’ll forfeit peace of mind, abundance in finances, our health related to unforgiveness, and we limit God’s ability in our lives because we don’t trust His ways.
This is not a heaven or hell issue. This is a quality of life issue. We’ll go to heaven holding on to everything we have, worrying about everything, and living in unforgiveness, but the quality of our lives will be poor. Start trusting the ways of God and enjoy the abundant life He wants you to have (John 10:10).
Proverbs 16:3 AMPC Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.
#peace #quality #life #more #abundantly #trust #God #first #enjoy #Jesus #love #experience #Spirit #freedom #Christ #new #scripture #Word #devotional #blessing #people #growth
2 Samuel 9:7 NIV “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
For those who don’t know, Johnathan was a great friend to David. When Johnathan’s father, king Saul, lost his mind and tried to kill David, Johnathan would warn David of king Saul’s intentions. When David became king, he desired to show kindness to anyone in King Saul’s linage for Johnathan’s sake.
It’s important to be kind and loving to everyone simply because we’re children of a kind and loving God. But our kindness could potentially impact people associated with us.
Our child may get a job based on how we treated the hiring manager’s father when we worked at that company. Our grandchildren could receive unexpected money from the church receptionist based on our positive interactions with her. Even when we leave this earth, God will ensure that someone associated with us will reap the harvest from the positive seeds we’ve sown.
So, be kind to all because our kindness will be a blessing to people associated with us.
#plant #sow #kindness #watch #it #grow #Jesus #Holy #Spirit #trust #God #is #generous #love #life #Christ #love #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #blessing #people #growth
2 Peter 1:12-13 NLT Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.
As believers, we will hear similar messages from ministers. Familiar topics include salvation, faith, forgiveness, love, and holiness. Don’t minimize messages you’ve heard before. View them as reminders.
God’s word is always giving birth to new revelation on similar topics. He may reveal something to us in a scripture we’ve never seen before. Also, Romans 10:17 says, faith comes by continously hearing. So, don’t tune out messages you’ve heard before. These messages are building your faith.
These reminders have been divinely placed in our lives to help us grow in those areas. These reminders can help us learn it to the point where we can teach others.
Praise God for His reminders in His word.
#refresh #renew #listen #again #hear #Word #Life #Jesus #Christ #receive #revelation #freedom #Spirit #of #God #fall #fresh #scripture #devo #grow
Psalms 57:2 NLT I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill His purpose for me.
A big question a lot of us have is, what’s my purpose? Is it sports, entertainment, the medical field, ministry, graphic design, or something else?
Instead of living in wonder or going from industry to industry trying to see what feels right, go to God who fulfills His purpose for us. When we surrender ourselves to Him and become a willing vessel, He’ll tell us our purpose. He’ll tell us what major we should have in college and what industry He wants us to be in. If we’re beyond school, He’ll tell us our purpose based on where we are currently. It’s never too late.
It’s just wise for us to go to our Creator to see why He created us. Go to God for purpose.
#purpose #filled #life #ask #Spirit #led #trust #God #is #directing #leading #guiding #us #love #life #Jesus #Christ #obey #thrive #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Has God ever told you to do something and you didn’t see the point? For instance, He may have told you to wear a red shirt. Out of obedience, you wore it, but nothing really happened. No one complimented you in it. There wasn’t anyone you could share the gospel with because they commented on it, and you didn’t see anyone you could give it to. When you get home, in your head, you’re saying, what’s the point?
This is obedience practice. In obedience practice, God teaches us a few things.
1. We practice sensitizing our spiritual ears to know God’s voice. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
2. We practice denying our flesh. You may have wanted to wear the blue shirt that day, or the white shirt would be more logical based on how hot it is, but you denied the flesh and submitted to God’s will.
3. When we obey, we practice being in expectation to receive good from God. Isaiah 1:19 says, “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.” God promises good will happen when we obey so, even if nothing immediately happens because we wore a red shirt, we can expect something good from God.
Ultimately, we’ll be put in a serious situation where our obedience matters, and we’ll be able to make the right decision. We’ll know His voice, we’ll deny logic and how we feel about the situation, and we’ll expect good results.
Don’t dismiss the seemingly insignificant things God tells you to do. It’s obedience practice, and it will benefit in the long run.
Acts 9:10-11 NLT Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied. The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now.
#peace #Spirit #HolySpirit #trust #God #is #directing #leading #guiding #us #love #life #Jesus #Christ #obey #thrive #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Ephesians 5:12 NLT It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.
Did you hear, Lisa cheated on John. I heard John started selling weed to make a little extra money. John’s brother, Roy, got locked up for doing the same thing. That whole family is a mess.
No, what’s a mess is a believer gossiping about the things ungodly people do in secret.
If we know someone is not saved, how do you expect them to act? A sinner will sin. Instead of talking about them behind their backs, go talk to them about making Jesus Lord over their lives, pray for their deliverance from the enemy, or see if they’ll go to church with you.
Don’t spread awareness of the problem. Lead them to The Solution to their problems. Lead them to Christ.
#share #Jesus #God #Holy #Spirit #be #kind #show #love #speak #life #Christ #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
1 Timothy 5:17-18 NLT Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!”
There have been pastors and preachers who took money that was designated for church affairs for themselves. The media highlighted it, the pastor went to jail, and now a lot of people don’t give to the church or they’re very skeptical when giving.
At the same time, there are pastors who work hard, ensuring their congregation and communities have meals, money to pay their rent, clothes, transportation, spiritual and natural education, visits at the hospital, funerals, and so much more. The media doesn’t cover it, but because of the pastors mentioned above, people don’t give to the church or the pastors doing the hard work.
It’s wise to know where our money goes, which is why we should attend a church with full transparency. But if we see our pastors working hard for the congregation and the community, why not pay them? With the sacrifices they make, why shouldn’t they be living comfortably?
Don’t be deceived into not giving to the church, thinking all preachers are taking people’s money. Do your homework and check to see if the pastor and the church are doing what they said. If they are, pay the preacher.
#God #first #Kingdom #giving #Holy #Spirit #generous #kind #prosper #progress #abundant #life #Jesus #Christ #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo
God instructs us to pray, study His word, fast, and be led by the Holy Spirit. These things are designed to constantly develop a more intimate relationship with God.
Some of us don’t value or see the benefit of following these instructions. We put other things in front of the things of God. We put things that are appealing to our flesh, such as TV, games, social media, and socializing with our friends. It’s difficult to develop an intimate relationship with God when we only read a quick devotion, maybe a verse or two from the bible, and 60 seconds of prayer. If we truly understood the benefit of the things of God, we would do it more often.
As we seek and prioritize the things of God, we not only develop a solid relationship with God, but we’ll receive guidance and direction for our lives, we’ll have more peace and wisdom, and we’ll position ourselves to receive everything God has promised (Matthew 6:33; John 16:13; Isaiah 26:3; 1 Corinthians 2:12-14).
Let’s maximize our time with the things of God to further develop our relationship with our loving Father.
James 4:8 NLT Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
#time #priorities #God #first #Holy #Spirit #good #kind #faithful #love #peace #prosper #progress #abundant #life #Jesus #Christ #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
1 Thessalonians 5:18 PEV Always thank God, no matter what happens to you. You see, you belong to Jesus Christ, so God wants you to do those things.
Some people let situations steal their thankfulness. They could have been recently divorced, laid off a job, struggling financially, or their children are misbehaving. One may think they’re exempt from being thankful. They’re not. We can always find a reason to be thankful. Certain situations make thankfulness difficult to find, but it’s possible.
If a person got a divorce, they can be thankful there won’t be any arguments in front of the children. Got laid off? Be thankful God promised to supply all our needs and we’ve developed some work experience (Phil. 4:19). If you’re struggling financially, be thankful for the wisdom and discipline to budget the little finances you have. Be thankful your financial struggles won’t last forever. If your child is misbehaving, be thankful you have a child.
There will always be a reason to thank God. We just have to put our emotions aside and give God thanks for what He’s done.
#grateful #blessed #thankful #choose #joy #have #faith #trust #believe #thank #God #in #all #things #glory #Jesus #Christ #greaterthan #sickness #problems #life #Spirit #love #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
A lot of us are busy. We either internally make ourselves busy to pass the time, or we’re organically busy based on the life we’ve established.
Our busyness is a detriment to hearing the voice of God. God is constantly speaking to us, but we’re so busy until we can’t hear His voice. We’re too busy if don’t have time to sit still and have a conversation with God. If the only time we talk to God is when we’re multitasking with other things, we’re too busy.
God wants us to handle our responsibilities, but if our responsibilities come between us and Him, we need to let some things go. We need to reduce our social media time, limit the activities we put our children in, reduce our social activities to one night a week, or minimize the games we play.
Whatever needs to be done to consistently have quality time with God is what we need to do. This includes getting up earlier, staying up later, fasting once a month, or just saying no to some things.
Let’s unbusy ourselves to spend time with our loving Father.
Luke 9:18a (NLT) One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone…
#time #priorities #Holy #Spirit #good #kind #faithful #love #peace #prosper #progress #abundant #life #Jesus #Christ #God #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Proverbs 6:16-17 AMPC These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
One of the things God hates is a proud look or a spirit that makes one overestimate themselves and underestimate others.
The world will try and make you think that you’re better than someone else because of your financial status, education, the amount of influence you have, or the house you live in. God hates it if we take on that spirit of superiority. No matter how educated we are, and no matter how much money we have, we are not better than ANYONE else.
In the body of Christ, there are people who take on this spirit of superiority. There are believers who see other believers struggling with sin, but because they don’t sin like they do, they internally elevate themselves above that person. There is no sin greater than another. We’re all one Jesus away from eternal damnation, so there’s no reason to make ourselves appear superior based on anything we’ve done. Don’t look down on them. God hates that. Pray with and for them.
Leave this proud spirit of superiority in hell. It doesn’t benefit the Kingdom of God, and it doesn’t benefit any of us.
#saved #by #faith #God #is #good #kind #faithful #love #peace #life #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Isaiah 42:8 NLT “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.
God will not, nor should He, share His glory with anyone or anything else.
When something good happens to us, give Him all the glory. Don’t split His glory with counselors, medicine, mentors, education, supervisors, or our experience. Give Him all the glory.
Of course, we can honor the people God used to help us, but ultimately the glory belongs to Him (Rom. 13:7).
For every good thing that happens to us, let’s give Him all the glory and praise.
#share #tellit #magnify #God #is #greaterthan #sickness #problems #life #all #glory #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
When Transformers came out in the 80’s, their slogan was “more than meets the eye.” The premise behind the Transformers toy line is that an individual toy’s parts can be shifted about to change it from a vehicle, a device, or an animal to a robot action figure.
This concept shouldn’t be new to believers. As we renew our minds to the word of God, we are guaranteed to be transformed (Rom. 12:2). How we process things should shift, how we handle difficulties should change, and how we see ourselves should improve. We shouldn’t be the same as we were 5 years ago. Even our relationship with God should evolve.
Transformation is necessary for the believer and we should be transforming continuously.
Romans 12:2 NLT 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.
#transform #grow #permission #to #evolve #change #mature #progress #God #is #good #faithful #love #peace #prosper #life #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Graced To Do God's Will 