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Proverbs 4:20-22 NKJV My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
God’s word equates to life and health. As we study God’s word, our souls are refreshed, and our bodies are rejuvenated. If we’re feeling down or depressed, studying God’s word will release joy and peace. As we study God’s word, those ailments and health issues will go away.
How can studying a book bring life and health? Because it says so. This is something we have to accept by faith. Either we’re going to believe it or let our logic rob us of a blessing.
Someone may say, “I’ve read God’s word and I still feel terrible.” To receive life and health from God’s word, the scriptures tell us to meditate on God’s word (Joshua 1:8).
God’s word is not an ordinary book. It’s alive and has the power to change situations (Deuteronomy 32:47). Today, God’s word is in so many formats (book, online, app). Don’t just ignore the source that can positively benefit your life. Study and meditate on God’s word and receive life and health.
#key #for life #peace #health #is #to #meditate #Word #of #God
Deuteronomy 30:20 NIV and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
There are some who pray at night or in the morning, but after they say whatever they want to say, they move on. They don’t take the time to listen to God and see what He has to say.
There are some who talk to God throughout the day. They ask Him where they should go to lunch or what they should do for their presentation. This is good because God wants to be part of our lives. The downside to this type of communication is the distractions. We could be focused on something else, like working or driving.
There are times when God wants our undivided attention. We should carve out time in our day where we’re totally focused on God. It could be in the morning, the middle of the day, or at night. It doesn’t matter. We’re not doing all the talking. It’s an opportunity for us to talk with Him and allow Him to talk back. We’re not distracted with other things. We can clearly listen to what He has to say.
As God leads, give God your undivided attention periodically. What He can reveal can be life changing.
#listen #follow #commune #with #God #first #Holy #Spirit #love #peace #prosper #progress #abundant #life #Jesus #Christ #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
The word of God is designed to inspire us to believe what God has done through Jesus Christ. Just like God has inspiration through His word, Satan, too, has inspiration. Satan’s inspiration is our senses. Whatever we see, hear, or logically understand, Satan can use as his inspiration.
Satan inspires us to not believe or doubt God’s word. A good example of this is when Moses sent out 12 people to spy on the land that God had promised the Israelites in Numbers 13. Although God had promised them this land and they had already seen God do the miraculous, they were inspired by Satan to see the giants in the land and conclude they couldn’t overtake them.
We all have been inspired by Satan at some point in our lives. The goal is to ignore his inspiration and focus on what God said. If God said it, we can do it. The task may seem too big, society says we’re too old, our bank accounts show we don’t have enough money, and science says it’s impossible, but whatever God called you to do can be done.
Don’t allow Satan to use your senses to inspire you not to believe. Trust, lean, and rely on God and only be inspired by His word.
2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT For we live by believing and not by seeing.
#just #believe #trust #God #allin #Jesus #Holy #Spirit #guide #lead #direct #us #ignore #doubt #lies
Psalms 91:16 NKJV With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
Genesis 6:3 NKJV And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
As we can see, God promises us a long, satisfying 120-year life. In order to obtain this promise, most of us heard we have to believe and agree with God’s word. We must believe and agree that this satisfying 120-year life is God’s promise for us.
We believe and agree with God’s word, but what some people forget to do is cooperate with God’s word. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we must cooperate with this promise. We can’t confess a 120-year life and eat excessive sugar and fat. We can’t go around believing that we’ve received a long life and we’re not exercising. James 2:20 lets us know corresponding actions must be accompanied with our faith.
While believing and confessing a satisfying 120-year life, obey the Spirit of God. If He tells us to go to the doctor, go. If He tells us to jog another lap around the track, jog another lap. Whatever He’s saying, just do it.
With the guidance of the Holy Spirit (not our logic), cooperate with God’s promise for a long, satisfying life.
#cooperate #with #Holy #Spirit #meditate #on #the #Word #of #God #it #has #power #to #renew #our #strength #promises #in Jesus #Christ #long #abundant #life #devo #growth
Proverbs 15:28 NLT The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.
A lot of marriages, friendships, and jobs would’ve been saved if people would think before they speak. What happens is people get emotional and they let their emotions lead them to say whatever feels good to their flesh. They may say “I hate you”, “this job sucks anyway” or “you’re stupid,” all accompanied with some expletives.
First of all, our words have power and we shouldn’t say anything we don’t want coming to pass (Prov. 18:21).
Secondly, we may be dissatisfied with the person we’re speaking with, but there’s always a better way to say something. If you can’t think of a better way of saying something, learn to be silent.
Finally, in any situation, think before you speak. Think about the consequences of your statements. Think about how the other person will feel. Think about how you’re representing the Kingdom of God.
Don’t let your flesh get the glory by saying whatever you feel. Give God glory by controlling your emotions, covering your mouth, and allow Him to fight your battles.
#speak #light #light #represent #reflect #Christ #livingexample #receive #share #Jesus #righteousness #life #peace #found #in #Son #of #God #Spirit #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Romans 1:12 NLT When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.
When believers get together, it should be a time of encouragement. I should be able to tell you all the wonderful things God has done in my life as a result of placing my faith in the finished works of Jesus Christ and you should tell me yours. It shouldn’t be a pity party sharing how difficult life is. It should be an opportunity to get inspired by one another’s faith.
It doesn’t have to be a major event for us to share God’s goodness. It can be simple, such as getting a good parking spot or getting good sleep. Acknowledging these things brings God glory, too.
Let’s stop meeting together to gripe about what’s wrong in the church, the world, or in our own lives. Let’s start sharing our victories we’ve obtained through our faith in Jesus Christ in order to be encouraged and encourage those around us.
#encourage #support #others #love #one #another #speak #life #for #God #so #loved #us #freelove #Jesus #Christ #Savior #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Psalms 4:7 NLT You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
Some people think the only way to have joy is if we get all our prayers answered. They think once we get our “stuff,” then we’ll have joy. That way of thinking is limited.
God’s word says He’ll give us greater joy than those who have abundance. This lets us know we don’t need abundance in order to have joy. All we need is God. As we seek God, spend time in His presence, and allow Him to guide and direct our lives, we’ll have a solid foundation of joy. As a result of spending time with God, abundance will come, which will add to our joy.
Don’t limit your joy to having earthly things. Understand that true joy comes from having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
#joy #peace #Love #God #abundance #righteous #in #Jesus #changes #empowers #restores #gives #hope #appreciate #Christ #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Psalms 78:41-42 NKJV Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
Are you limiting God with small thinking or unbelief? Are you withholding God’s power by only giving Him assignments that you can see happening? If you are, stop it!!!
God doesn’t need us helping Him out by giving Him easy assignments. He wants assignments our logical minds can’t figure out how it’s going to happen. He wants assignments only He can do.
Seek the Lord. As we seek Him, He’ll drop a dream so big in our spirits until our first instinct is to shake our head in disbelief. Instead of running from that dream, meditate on it. The enemy will give you a thousand reasons why it can’t or won’t happen. Ignore him and force yourself to meditate on that dream.
Eventually, we’ll get to a place where the dream He dropped in our spirits will become our desire. We still may not know how it’s going to happen, but somehow someway we believe the power of God will bring that dream to pass.
Don’t shrink dreams or desires to your logic. Keep it big because you have a God who is bigger and will bring that dream to pass.
Inspired by Andrew Wommack
#dreambig #all #things #are #possible #through #Christ #Jesus #first #trust #God #and #dream
Philippians 2:13 NLT For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
There’s a song that says, “I got to clean up, what I messed up.” It signifies that we must do all the work to straighten our lives out. That’s not necessarily accurate. There is some amount of effort from us, but we don’t have to bear the burden.
The scripture says God is working in us and giving us the desire and power to do what pleases Him. Most of the effort is on God. Our responsibility is to listen to Him and obey His instructions.
We don’t have to stress and toil trying to figure out how we can stop sinning in this area or stop this bad habit. Come to the Father and allow Him to empower us to do what pleases Him.
#labor #to #enter #rest #in #Christ #Jesus #Abba #Father #God #loves #us #immensely #scripture #devo #growth
As we get older, you may hear more and more horror stories about people’s ailments, memory, strength, eyesight, and agility. We don’t have to accept this for ourselves.
Deuteronomy 34:7 states, Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.
Since God doesn’t show favoritism (Acts 10:34), then what He did for Moses, in principle, He’ll do for us. If Moses lived to 120 with great eyesight and strength, we can believe for the same thing.
Don’t let doctor’s reports, the news, friends, and family members try to “prepare” you for aging. Let your belief in the word of God prepare you for older age.
Here are some scriptures to believe and confess over yourself every day.
-Psalm 103:5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
-Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
-Psalm 91:16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”
-Deuteronomy 34:7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.
#meditate #on #the #Word #of #God #it #has #power #to #renew #our #strength #promises #in Jesus #Christ #scripture #devo #growth
Acts 3:9 NLT All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God.
When this man was healed of lameness, the people heard him praising God.
When some of us get blessed, we may whisper a quick “thank you Lord” under our breath, but no one else can hear us. It’s like we don’t want to seem like a Jesus fanatic or we’re ashamed of the very God who blessed us.
When people hear us praising God, it allows us to give our testimony. That testimony may encourage them to put their faith in God for their dreams and desires to come to pass. Our praise can also encourage them to outwardly praise God when something good happens to them. Our praise could cause someone to inquire about this God and Jesus we’re thanking. Then, we can lead them to Christ.
Give God praise! Remove yourself from the cares of people’s opinions and be free to praise our wonderful God.
#let #everything #that #has #breath #praise #the #Lord #God
Proverbs 14:30 NLT A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.
When we have peace, we’ll maintain a healthy body. Our organs function the way they’re supposed to function, our joints don’t hurt, and our blood work is good. On the other hand, when we have rotten fruit such as jealousy, hatred, malice, contempt, fear, and anger flowing through us, it’s literally destroying our bodies.
Peace is not the absence of problems. Peace flows through a person. That’s Jesus Christ. Isaiah 9:6 says Jesus is the Prince of Peace. As we focus on Him and what He’s done and magnify who He is in our lives, we’ll have and maintain peace. As we maintain peace, we’ll maintain our health. With a healthy body, we can live a more enjoyable life accomplishing God’s will.
Get rid of all the self-destroying attributes and focus on Jesus to maintain your peace.
#focus #Jesus #peace #joy #health #contentment #authority #in #Christ #nofear #sweet #sleep #meditate #trust #God #is #greaterthan #problems #self #love #life #love #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Deuteronomy 6:11-12 NLT The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.
It’s a natural temptation to our flesh to forget the Lord when everything is going well. When we got the job we wanted, the house we wanted, a spouse, and healthy children, it’s a temptation to minimize God. We may not read the bible as much, we may not spend as much time with the Father, and we may not go to church as frequently.
It was easy to do all those things when we realized only God could get us our desires. But once we became successful, some of us allowed our fellowship with God to slip.
Don’t allow the success in this life to take you away from your God. He’s the one who got us there. Let’s be grateful and cherish what He’s done.
#much #more #in #store #remember #God #is #so #good #thankful #praise #gratitude #grateful #blessed #Jesus #Christ #life #Spirit #love #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
2 Corinthians 9:10 NLT For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
For some, financial increase and prosperity are bad words for believers. They feel it magnifies greed and takes away from the more important things like salvation, God’s love, and being a blessing. This mentality is like going out to eat and saying eating the bread and salad is greedy because it takes away from the main course. The bread and the salad come with the meal.
It’s the same way with salvation. There are additional benefits that come with salvation. There’s protection, peace, healing, and yes, financial increase.
It’s funny how people consider financial increase as greed when we clearly see in scripture that God is responsible for the increase. And this increase is not solely to benefit ourselves. It’s to be more generous in the Kingdom of God and be a blessing to others.
Only wanting enough for ourselves is greedy. Having increase and prosperity is God’s will for the believer.
#love #people #reflect #Christ #give #generosity #share #Jesus #righteousness #life #peace #found #in #Son #of #God #Spirit #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Proverbs 1:32 NLT For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.
God doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed, but He wants everyone to repent (2 Peter 3:9). He wants everyone to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Although God wants everyone to turn to Him, there will be people who consider themselves “too intelligent” to turn to this “invisible God.” They’ll only rely on their five senses and human intellect to obtain information about life and the world around them. They look at believers as uninformed or simple-minded. The bible refers to them as fools (Psalm 14:1).
Don’t be a fool. Fools are destroyed. Trust and believe there’s a God in heaven who loves you and desires that you believe in Him and make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. If there’s a creation, there’s must be a Creator.
#share #tellit #Word #of #God #is #Truth #good #trust #believe #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #repent #new #goodness #scripture #peace #devotional #devo #growth
Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful”.
We make drastic changes when we hear predictions. When so called experts predict a bear or a bull market, a lot of us buy or sell our stocks. When meteorologists predict extreme cold weather, we cover our plants, gas our vehicles, and buy enough food to last throughout the cold.
When faulty humans make predictions, we immediately rearrange our entire lives, but when the faultless God of the universe makes a promise, we need to have reassurances. We need to have other people prophesy the same thing God already told us. We need to see a shooting star in the sky. We need to see some kind of sign. This shouldn’t be. The same way we’ll blindly believe mankind’s predictions is the same way we should believe God’s promises. In fact, we should believe God more than people because God has a 100% success rate.
When God gives a promise in His word or in our spirits, start preparing to receive it. Make room in the garage for that new car, buy jogging gear because that knee pain is about to go, or prepare to be a husband or a wife. Don’t be a skeptic. Trust that God will bring that promise to pass.
#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
God told you to eat an orange before you went to bed. That night, you had some of the best sleep of your life. The next night, you did it again, and your sleep was great. You do this all week and have great sleep. After a week, you continue to eat an orange, but your sleep wasn’t good. The next night, you eat orange again, but still, little sleep.
What happened? You’ve followed God’s instructions.
What happened was that you appreciated the routine and minimized the routine Giver. You loved what the routine could do, and you stopped listening to Who provided the instructions in the first place.
Some of us have pushed God out of certain parts of our lives because we found a routine that works for us. We’re no longer trying to hear from God. We found something we like, that works, and we’re sticking with it. That’s wrong. God is constantly doing things differently. We need to be able to listen and adapt. Part of our adaptation is seeking His will for that situation and being able to adjust if it’s something we haven’t done.
From sleeping to how you cook a meal, be sure to contact God for that situation to ensure your seeking and listening skills aren’t ruined by routine.
Proverbs 3:6 NLT Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
#follow #God #first #Holy #Spirit #love #peace #prosper #progress #abundant #life #Jesus #Christ #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Psalms 4:8 NLT In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
God promises us peaceful sleep. Not sometimes or only when the weather is right. His word promises us peaceful sleep.
God promises us peaceful sleep. Without medication, alcohol, or someone to sleep beside us, God Almighty promises us peaceful sleep.
Not only does He promise peaceful sleep, but He’ll keep us safe while we’re asleep. It doesn’t matter if it’s a house full of people or we’re by ourselves, God promises to keep us safe while we’re asleep. We don’t need a gun, a dog, an alarm system, or a night light to sleep. Trust that He’ll protect you as you sleep.
Use your authority that God has given you to obtain this promise. Every night or day believe, confess, and expect safe, peaceful sleep.
#authority #in #Christ #nofear #sweet #sleep #meditate #trust #God #is #greaterthan #problems #self #love #life #love #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Ephesians 5:20 NLT And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s goodness is experienced every single day. When we wake up, that’s God’s goodness. When we breathe, that’s God’s goodness. When we regularly go to work without an incident, that’s God’s goodness. These things are so common until most of us (including myself) don’t bother to say thank you. We’re so focused on major events happening in our lives until we miss the opportunity to thank Him.
When God’s goodness is normalized, ungratefulness can follow. A lot of us are waiting on the miraculous financial increase, the manifestation of healing in our bodies, or a large unexpected blessing to be sincerely thankful. There’s nothing wrong with being in expectation of big things, but if we solely focus on those things, we’ll disregard the daily things He’s doing.
Take a step back from focusing on those big dreams and see the daily things God does for us and be grateful. Our review of all He’s done and is doing will make us more appreciative.
#much #more #in #store #God #is #so #good #thankful #praise #gratitude #grateful #blessed #Jesus #Christ #life #Spirit #love #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Exodus 20:20 NLT “Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of Him will keep you from sinning!”
This is not a fear or terror and fright. This is a reverential fear. To fear God means to reverence or highly respect God.
When we fear God, that keeps us from sinning. We see examples of this in good marriages. When couples highly respect one another, that respect keeps them from committing adultery. It’s the same way with God. Because we highly respect God, we wouldn’t want to go against His plan for our lives. We wouldn’t want to desecrate His temple (our bodies) with drugs, sexual perversions, and excessive alcohol. We shouldn’t want to cheat on our taxes, knowing He’s watching us. None of this should seem right when we fear the Lord.
Examine your ways. See if you’re living a God-fearing life. If so, continue on. If not, allow the Holy Spirit to help you make the necessary changes to highly respect God in everything you do.
#surrender #Spirit #led #life #fear #trust #honor #revere #God #is #directing #leading #guiding #us #love #Jesus #Christ #obey #thrive #new #goodness #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Psalms 77:10-11 NLT And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.” But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
There may be times we feel like God has turned his back on us. We may feel like He’s not hearing our prayers, our cries for help, or see us in our problematic predicament. These feelings and thoughts are lies from the enemy.
Instead of allowing our minds to marinate in his lies, we must reflect on God’s goodness. We must bring ourselves to a place where we remember all the good things He’s done in our lives. This won’t happen automatically. We must do the work to flush out all the negative thoughts and recall on the goodness of God.
Recalling the goodness of God will keep our faith strong to continue to believe that if He’s done it before, He can do it again.
#faithful #God #keeps #His #promises #trust #Jesus #have #faith #keep #believing #recall #goodness #scripture #devo #bible #growth
Psalms 77:10-11 NLT And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.” But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
There may be times we feel like God has turned his back on us. We may feel like He’s not hearing our prayers, our cries for help, or see us in our problematic predicament. These feelings and thoughts are lies from the enemy.
Instead of allowing our minds to marinate in his lies, we must reflect on God’s goodness. We must bring ourselves to a place where we remember all the good things He’s done in our lives. This won’t happen automatically. We must do the work to flush out all the negative thoughts and recall on the goodness of God.
Recalling the goodness of God will keep our faith strong to continue to believe that if He’s done it before, He can do it again.
#have #faith #justbelieve #expect #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #life #power #authority #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Philippians 1:13-14 NLT For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.
Some people think the only way people will hear us is if we have influence. They think if they have a lot of money, followers, or fame that’s the only way people will listen. That’s factual to a degree, but Paul was chained in prison and still was able to make an impact for the Kingdom of God. He singlehandedly changed the lives of royalty.
Logically, one would think, why would royalty listen to this old prisoner? They had more power and money than he did, and they’re in a better position than he’s in.
But that’s the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ!!!
It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, rich or poor, famous or not. The gospel has the ability to pull the heartstrings of anyone. They may have way more than us naturally, but all of us can be humbled by the good news of Jesus Christ.
Don’t count yourself out for any reason. Be bold and tell others about the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
#receive #share #Jesus #righteousness #right #with #God #Loved #abundance #life #peace #found #in #Christ #Son #of #God #Spirit #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
If God told you that all your goals, dreams, and desires would come to pass if you began ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ to people you come in contact with, would you do it? Or, would you let your pride, reputation, and ultimately fear stop you from reaching your dreams?
In actuality, God already made this promise to us in Matthew 6:33. He tells us to seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Part of seeking the Kingdom of God is ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus says, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.
As a disciple, we’re to go and make more disciples. God uses Matthew 6:33 as a motivator to make disciples. Putting His Kingdom above everything else is not limited to making disciples, but making disciples is included in seeking the Kingdom.
Some are filled with so much love and compassion for God and others until that’s all the motivation they need. For others, they need a personal incentive to go and make disciples. Don’t feel bad or condemned for needing an incentive to minister the gospel. That’s why God put it in His word. Use that incentive to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:19-20 NLT Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
#share #tellit #God #is #good #love #life #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #new #grow #scripture #Word
Proverbs 21:20 NLT The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.
Just because you have money doesn’t mean you have to spend it.
Self-control is one of the biggest tools we need to be a wise financial steward. When things go on sale, we don’t have to buy it. When products seem life-changing, we don’t have to own it. When we see people taking vacations overseas, it doesn’t mean we need to book ours. Does that mean we can never have anything or do anything fun? Of course not, but wisdom is needed to know when to spend.
The best financial advisor is the Holy Spirit. He’ll tell us when to spend and save. Focus on His voice because our flesh can be loud when it comes to something we really want.
If you haven’t learned how to hear God’s voice yet, God placed financially wise people in the body of Christ. All we have to do is humble ourselves and ask someone for help.
Don’t be unwise with the resources God has given us. They are needed to expand the Kingdom of God, be a blessing to others, and to be wisely enjoyed.
#learn #grow #seek #God #help #wisdom #counsel #be #wise #teachable #Jesus #Christ #Savior #King #Friend #Holy #Spirit #Counselor #Guide #lean #rely #trust #stand #on #Word #devotional #scripture
Hosea 13:5-6 NLT I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and thirsty land. But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me.
When we needed that job, we were all in for God. When our bodies were experiencing pain and discomfort, we read our bibles twice as much. When we didn’t know how we were going to pay our bills, we sincerely praised God at church every week.
Now that we got the job, healing has manifested in our bodies, and our bills are paid, God tends to get our leftovers. When things are going well in life, it can be a temptation to forget about God. We don’t spend as much time with Him, we don’t study His word as much, and we make excuses as to why we can’t attend church.
When things are going well, we must make an intentional effort to remain focused on God. The same things that brought us to this peaceful and prosperous place in life (prayer, praise, and reading God’s word) will keep us there AND it will equip us for our next faith fight.
When things go well, don’t forget about God.
#God #first #Holy #Spirit #love #peace #prosper #progress #abundant #life #Jesus #Christ #repent #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Psalm 37:4 ESV Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
James 1:14-15 ESV But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
There are two types of desires. There are desires that come from God and desires that come from our flesh.
The desires that come from God benefit the Kingdom of God, benefit others, and ultimately are enjoyable to us. The desires that come from God are linked to His promises in His word. Desires such as wealth to expand the Kingdom of God and be a blessing, peace in our minds and in our families, and wisdom at our workplace are all examples of God-given desires.
The desires that come from our flesh only appeal to our sinful nature and if left unchecked, ultimately lead to death.
The desires that come from our flesh totally go against the word of God. Sexual perversion, greed, drunkenness, and gossiping are just a few examples of desires that come from our flesh. It starts off as a small temptation. If we keep feeding that temptation by thinking about it over and over again, it will turn into a desire. From there, it will evolve into a sinful action.
Be sure the desires that you have come from God and destroy the desires that come from our flesh by capturing rebellious thoughts that go against the word of God (2 Cor. 10:5).
#listen #meditate #God’s #Word #life #strength #fix #mind #thoughts #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Philippians 2:3 NLT Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
It’s easy to get tunnel vision and only focus on ourselves. We have goals and dreams we want to achieve, but if we neglect others while going after those goals, we’re magnifying ourselves, and that’s not good. Timothy 3:2 says in the last days, people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.
There’s nothing wrong with going after our goals and dreams, but we also need to think of others better than ourselves. That means, if our goals and dreams have to wait to help others, so be it. If God tells us to delay our vacation to help pay the rent for someone else, do what God says. We’re to think of others better than ourselves.
We should understand that people aren’t actually better than us, but if we think that way, we’ll overcome selfishness and want to do more for people.
This life is not all about us. It’s about being a blessing to others. So, pray for people, give to people, check on your loved ones, and let them know about the love of Christ.
#love #people #reflect #Christ #give #generosity #share #Jesus #righteousness #life #peace #found #in #Son #of #God #Spirit #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Galatians 6:2 ESV Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
This doesn’t mean we become a dumping ground for people’s problems. This means we uphold, sustain, or support one another.
As always, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us as to how to bear another’s burdens. It could be a weekly prayer call, monthly breakfast, or a daily text. Whatever He tells us to do, do it.
As we bear each other’s burdens, it lightens people’s load in life. It lets people realize God loves them enough to place people in their life to help them. It gives us a purpose in supporting the citizens of the Kingdom of God.
Be a blessing by bearing each other’s burdens.
Inspired by David Winston
#encourage #support #others #love #one #another #for #God #so #loved #us #freelove #Jesus #Christ #Savior #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Some believers (not all) have become bitter. They get saved, but over time, they let everyone know what’s wrong in the church. They feel some kind of way when they’re not satisfied in church, and they constantly complain.
Instead of pointing out the negatives in the church (and there are some negatives), find a solution. If you feel like the youth are running wild, implement a youth program in your church. If you feel like your church should do more for the community, be on the board. If you feel like your pastor is not accurately preaching the gospel, be their advisor or start a church yourself.
Standing back and criticizing pastors and the church on social media or with your friends is not helping anyone. It’s actually causing more division in the body of Christ. As the famous quote says, “Be the change you want to see.”
Hebrews 12:15 NLT Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
#bethechange #uproot #bitterness #live #free #in #Christ #God #help #others #stopcomplaining #befree #peace #harmony #loveothers #Jesus #loves #scripture #devo #Bible #growth
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.
Most of us wouldn’t mind getting $1,000,000 tomorrow. We can see ourselves doing great things with it. There’s nothing wrong with believing God to be wealthy to expand the Kingdom of God, be a blessing, and enjoy life (in that order).
In Exodus 12:36, the children of Israel went from being slaves to being wealthy instantly. They obviously didn’t know how to handle that kind of wealth because in Exodus 32, they ended up building and worshiping a golden calf.
If some of us get that kind of wealth, some of us would lose it in 5 years or less. With wealth comes responsibility. We need to seek God on where the money should go, learn how money works, and get wise counsel on how to manage that kind of money.
Once again, there’s nothing wrong with believing God to be wealthy. Just be sure to get God-given wisdom with that $1,000,000. If not, you’ll end up worshiping money instead of using it as a tool to do great things.
#learn #grow #seek #God #help #wisdom #counsel #be #wise #teachable #Jesus #Christ #Savior #King #Friend #Holy #Spirit #Counselor #Guide #lean #rely #trust #stand #on #Word #devotional #scripture
During Christmas, there are people who have a problem with gift giving. They think Christmas has nothing to do with giving or receiving gifts. They think it takes away from the heart of Christmas.
The heart of Christmas is gift giving. There would be no Christmas if God hadn’t sent His Son as a gift. God gave us His Son (John 3:16). God gave us the gift of grace (Eph. 2:8-9). We’re encouraged to give to the Kingdom and others (Luke 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:10). It’s understood that we give to our children (Matt. 7:11).
I’ll admit there are some who forget Jesus and totally make Christmas about gifts, but the concept of gift giving isn’t wrong. Don’t try to be so deep until you miss that gift giving is all throughout the bible, and it is highly encouraged. Be a giver.
Proverbs 11:25 NIV A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
#generosity #giving #be #generous #God #gave #us #His #best #Jesus #Christ #Savior #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Hosea 3:1 Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”
God shows His abundant mercy to us. Even when we turn our backs on God, He still loves and pursues us. He’s not holding our sins against us or reminding us of where we missed the mark. He’s actively pursuing us.
Satan will attempt to make us feel unworthy of God’s love when we miss it. He’ll let us know God isn’t pleased with us based on our performance, or we’ll have to start all over earning our “blessing points.” All lies.
Like a husband going after a cheating wife, God sees us intentionally missing the mark, but continues to pursue us, desiring a more intimate relationship with Him. This is God’s love for us.
#unfailing #neverending #Love #God #loves #us #celebrate #Jesus #changes #empowers #restores #gives #hope #appreciate #Christ #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Before the law: Genesis 15:6 NLT And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
During the law: Deuteronomy 6:25 NLT For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.
After the law: Romans 3:22 NLT 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.
Righteous means right standing with God. Above, we see 3 types of righteousness: before the law, during the law, and after the law. Before the law, Abram believed God, and he was counted as righteous. After the law, people were counted as righteous for obeying all the commands of the Lord. After the sacrifice of Jesus, anyone who placed their faith in Jesus was made righteous.
There are some who attempt to be made righteous like Abram. They believe what God says about them. They believe God loves them and they’re a good person. The problem with this type of righteousness is that there’s no redemption. They have no Savior. They’re still separated from God because of their sinful nature (Rom. 8:8).
There are some who attempt to be made righteous by keeping the law. They believe their performance in keeping the law makes them righteous. Romans 3:20 says no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. No matter how many laws they keep, their sin makes them appear filthy in the eyes of God (Isaiah 64:6).
Then there are those of us who have made Jesus Christ Lord. Our faith in His sacrifice for us, makes us righteous. No performance is necessary to receive this righteousness.
Our faith in what Jesus accomplished should be enough. However, there are still some believers who believe Jesus died for their sin, but they also think they need to keep the law to be fully accepted by God. For them, Jesus isn’t enough. They think they must do their part to be fully made righteous. The problem with this mentality is that as soon as they miss the mark (and they will), there’s feelings of guilt, shame, and condemnation. The burden to be made righteous is partially on them.
Understand any righteousness before Christ is obsolete. We CANNOT be made righteous on our own, and any attempt from us to assist Jesus for our righteousness disrespects the sacrifice of Jesus.
#jesus #is #everything #we #need #made #righteous #in #Christ #receive #Savior #Lord #trust #God #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Luke 2:10-11 NLT but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
It’s true, Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th. Some say he was born in August. Others suggest He was born in April. No one really knows the day He was born. We all should be glad He was born.
People, believers included, like to criticize people for celebrating His birth on December 25th. They say that’s a Pagan holiday or that day celebrates the birth of another god. Based on the Word, every day is a day that the Lord has made and we should rejoice and be glad in it (Ps. 118:24).
Although Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th, that’s the day most believers appreciate His birth. We should appreciate His birth every day, but that’s when most of us collectively celebrate His birth.
Christmas is not about Santa, reindeer, and snowmen. It’s about Jesus. If you don’t want to celebrate His birth on December 25th, that’s fine, but don’t criticize others who do. Let’s just make sure we all celebrate Him every day.
#celebrate #Jesus #Son #of #God #changes #empowers #restores #gives #hope #appreciate #Christ #Way #Truth #Life #Spirit #devo #grow #scripture #everyday #devotional
Daniel 11:32 KJV And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
If we pair this scripture with Hosea 4:6a, which says, “My people are being destroyed because they don’t know Me,” we can conclude that knowledge of God is extremely important.
There are people who claim to believe in God, but they don’t know God. They heard about God from others, but they don’t personally know Him. When they need a prayer answered, they hope He’ll come through, but they’re unsure. They heard about the miracles, but they don’t know if He’ll do one for them.
On the other hand, there are people who know about relating to God from an old covenant perspective, but they don’t know Him from a new covenant perspective. They still think their behavior and performance either get rewarded by God or bring punishment from God.
Knowledge of God comes through His word. God’s word tells us He loves us, and no mistake will take away His love (Rom. 8:31-39). God’s word lets us know He’ll answer our prayers when we ask according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). God’s word lets us know He’s not nor will He ever punish us based on our behavior (Rom. 4:8).
If we truly want to know God, we must accurately read His word. Don’t listen to fables or stories you’ve heard about God. Get to know Him for yourself by getting in His word.
#knowledge #know #goodFather #God #promises #protects #loves #defends #keeps #us #Jesus #Christ #the #same #yesterday #today #forever #consistent #love #persistent #grace #bible #scripture #wisdom
Genesis 17:17 NLT Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”
We may have read or God may have told us about a promise that seems farfetched to our logical minds. It may be healing of an “incurable” illness, a house way out of our price range, or a child after 50. The promise may seem so unlikely to happen until some of us will do what Abraham did and laugh in disbelief.
When we find ourselves laughing in disbelief, that’s when it’s time to change our minds with the word of God. We need to stop considering what the doctor said, what we see in our bank accounts, and the bad decisions we made is the past and truly believe the word of God. We need to act like the word of God is powerful enough to change any situation. We need to have faith.
It may take some time to renew our minds to the word of God, but if we consistently meditate on the promise, speak the promise, and thank God in advance for the promise, God’s word will come to pass in our lives.
#have #faith #wait #expect #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #manifest #possibilities #impossible #is #possible #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #renew #mind #grow #speak #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Hebrews 2:15 NLT Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
Jesus set free all who were slaves to the fear of death.
People who have made Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior have no reason to fear death. It doesn’t matter if we’re 19 or 99, we shouldn’t fear death.
The power of death was taken from Satan; all those who believe in Jesus immediately have eternal life. As soon as we leave this life, we’ll be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).
The only reason believers fear death is because of the misconception they have of their righteousness. They think their righteousness is based on their works or performance. They think if they don’t live a certain way, their actions will send them to hell.
The only people who are going to hell are people who rejected Jesus who paid the price for sin. Anyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ receives His righteousness. We can’t do enough righteous acts to be accepted by God, but if we place our faith in Him, we automatically become righteous (Isaiah 64:6; Rom. 3:22).
Trust God’s word. If you’ve made Jesus Christ Lord, know you’re righteous and you’re on your way to heaven once you leave this earth. So, there’s no reason to fear death because Jesus conquered death.
#no #fear #have #faith #made #righteous #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #right #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
James 2:10 NLT For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
There are still some who want to be accepted by God by keeping the law. They dress in a certain way, eat certain foods, and observe certain days, thinking they’re keeping the law. They live by a few laws, not realizing there are over 600 laws. The scripture says that if we break one law, we’re guilty of breaking all the laws.
We will never be accepted by God for keeping the law because we can’t keep the law. The only one who was able to keep the entire law was Jesus. Jesus fulfilled the law (Matt. 5:17). Our faith in Him fulfilling the law allows us to be accepted by God. Our faith in Him makes us holy and righteous (Rom. 3:22).
So, do we throw the law away and live recklessly? Of course not. Sin still has natural consequences, but God is not accepting us according to our performance in keeping the law. Our righteousness is through our faith in Christ alone.
Romans 8:3 NLT The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
#made #righteous #right #with #God #through #Jesus #Loved #abundance #life #peace #found #in #Christ #Son #of #God #Spirit #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
John 11:35 NLT Then Jesus wept.
Jesus didn’t weep because He was sad that His friend Lazarus died. Why would He cry, knowing He was going to raise him up a few minutes later? Jesus wept because of the unbelief of Mary and Martha.
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were very close friends. They knew who He was, and they saw what He could do. But now, Mary and Martha are sad and upset with Jesus for not being there sooner. They believed He could heal Lazarus while he was alive, but they didn’t believe He could raise him from the dead.
The unbelief of people who were close to Jesus was so disappointing until He wept.
Do you have a limited belief in the power of God? Do you think He can do some things, but not others? Do you believe He can still perform miracles, or is that not “logically possible?”
All He wants is our total belief to be on Him. Once our absolute faith and confidence is in Him, He can manifest what’s not naturally possible. Only believe.
#have #faith #be #strong #faithfight #expect #trust #faithful #God #keeps #promises #strength #life #power #authority #through #Jesus #Christ #Spirit #love #new #goodness #grow #scripture #Word #devotional #devo #growth
Graced To Do God's Will 