Be Not Afraid!
July 29, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Mark 6:50
For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     Troubles seem to come at terrible times. But then, when is a good time to have trouble? However, problems still always seem to take us by surprise. Sometimes, it starts small with a minor situation, and then the problem gets bigger and bigger. Or it may be that instead of that particular problem getting bigger, more and more problems accumulate on top of the one you already have. The pressure often feels too much to bear. We try, scheme, and work at fixing them, but many times the harder we try, the worse the situation becomes. Then old Satan causes us to start believing we must have done something terrible for all this to be happening to us. Why else would God allow all this to happen? In addition, we often become afraid to go to Jesus with our problems.

     Well, it is possible that there may be an area of your life that you may still need to yield to Him. However, it could also be that He wants you to learn to rely on Him more. It could be that you have not spoken with Him in a while, and He simply longs to hear your voice! Perhaps, He is trying to tell you something, but you have not opened the pages of your Bible in so long that you do not hear Him speak. He may want to deliver into your life the peace that only He can provide. In any case, the last three words of today’s verse ought to bring us comfort. Whatever the reason for our situation, God is still in control. He says to you, Christian, “Be not afraid!”

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     To be afraid of Jesus makes no sense at all. He loves you more than you can ever know. He wants only what is best for you. To be so ashamed of what we may have done that we will not reach out to God is the Devil’s way of keeping you from real joy. Remember, all sin has been taken care of in His love for you on the cross. Confess it, and He will restore the fellowship you had before. What He wants most with you and what you should want with Him is an everyday, personal, one-on-one relationship. “Be Not Afraid.”

Have you ever felt afraid of God?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  July 29, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
2 Kings 11, 12 / Psalm 26
Proverbs 29 / Mark 6

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Job 30-31 / Acts 23

Sound The Alarm, This Is Important

July 22, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Joel 2:1
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

 

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

 

     God told the children of Israel decades before the Tribulation Period to be prepared. Was God’s time clock off? Why in the world would He have them ready way before Jesus had even been born? Before Jesus had died on the cross of Calvary and risen? Before He even ascended back into heaven?

 

     He was telling them exactly what He was telling us, watch and be ready to see what I will do. He wanted them to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. To be vigilant, for His hand is always at work. He wanted them to be ready to serve Him at a moment’s notice. To continually watch to see how they might be a willing and joyful servant. He knew this was how they would want to be found, watching and serving as He might return at just any time.

 

     He is telling us the same thing today. Blow the trumpet. Let everyone know. Sound the alarm. The churches need to preach the gospel. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble. Share with everyone about the power and might of God and His judgment to come. For the day of the Lord cometh, yes, friend, it will not be long until He returns for His own. He knows this is how we would want to be found, watching and serving at the moment of His return. He might return at any time. Watch and be ready.

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

 

     Today might be the day He comes. Are you really prepared? Have you told everyone you need to tell? His return very well might be today.

 

Do you really believe that today could be the day?

 

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

 

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

 

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

 

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  July 22, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
Joel / Psalm 20
Proverbs 22 / Matthew 27

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Job 5-8 / Acts 19:1-20

 

You Have Been Invited

July 17, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Matthew 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     For most of us, we could not even imagine receiving an invitation to a dinner party being thrown by the President. When he was asked how many will be at the party, the President said, “That will depend on how many respond to the invitation.” It was his desire for everyone who received an invitation to come. However, he also knew some would find something else to be more important or think the invitation was a joke and not respond to it. All were invited, but only those who responded were chosen to sit with the president that day.

     Many people have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Untold millions upon millions have heard the good news that by trusting Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Saviour you can be saved. Many have been told Jesus died for them on the cross of Calvary, was buried in a cold damp tomb, and rose again the third day. Countless numbers of people know He went to heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father. Nevertheless, only a fraction of those who have heard accept the call to be saved. There are so many people, who do not receive salvation, and they do so by refusing Jesus’ invitation. Many say not today, later, and go off into eternity without Christ. Only a few are chosen to sit at the wedding banquet with Jesus. Not everyone invited by God will be among the chosen of God. Millions will wait and reject Christ until it is too late.

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     The invitation is there. The call has gone out. Are you listening today? Have you heard and responded to His plea to take Him as Saviour? If you have, rejoice in the fact you are among the chosen to sit with Christ. If not, it is all up to you. The invitation is there right now. I promise it is not a joke, and there is nothing more important in all of eternity. You have been invited.

Have you accepted God’s invitation of a lifetime?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  July 17, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
Ecclesiastes 1, 2 / Psalm 17
Proverbs 17 / Matthew 22

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Neh. 13  / Acts 16:1-24

Who is God Living With?

July 15, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 15:1
LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

 

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

 

     At the time of the writing of Psalm 15:1, the question and answer were somewhat clear. Who shall abide in the temple and dwell in the holy hill? The answer then would have been the Priests. They were the only ones allowed to dwell in the temple and stay there continually. Why? Because this was a place where God’s presence resided. What characterized a priest? Well, some of the answers are given in the verses that follow Psalm 15:1. The type of man God would allow in this Holy place was to be an upright, right-living, truthful, and kind person. He must be a person who cannot stand sin and loves the children of God. Someone generous with the needy and not greedy with what God had given to him. God would share a residence with this type of person.

 

     Seeing that today our body is the temple of the Living God, we might ask the question a bit differently. Who is God living with today? In Hebrews, it says we are now, as believers, of a royal priesthood. Therefore, we are the priests He lives with today. Is the person God is living with, which is YOU if you are saved, doing their best to provide a suitable living companion for God? Are we a Psalm 15 man or woman? We should count it all glory and honor to have Him as a guest in our temple. Who are we asking Him to live with?

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

 

     As we go through our day today, we might think of our body as a vessel that carries God from place to place. As you look at, listen to, and speak with people, imagine God peering through your eyes to see what is out there. He leans toward your ear to hear what is being said. He is trying hard to speak through your lips to tell people He is in there. Is His dwelling place today HOLY?

 

If we remember that our body is the dwelling place of our Holy God,
what might it cause us to do differently with His dwelling place?

 

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

 

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

 

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

 

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  July 15, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
Solomon 1-4 / Psalm 15
Proverbs 15 / Matthew 19, 20

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Neh. 9-10 / Acts 15:1-27

 

What Are You Talking About?

July 8, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 8:8-9
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

 

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

 

     Have you ever tried to explain something technical to someone who has no idea what you were talking about? Perhaps you are one of those great computer experts who know all the different things about megabits, gigabits, terabits, mosquito bites, and all those different things. When you talk with someone who has trouble setting the alarm on their alarm clock, you might as well be talking about brain surgery. Why, because they have no current understanding of the clear knowledge you have. Could they understand what you were saying if they wanted to? Sure, by taking the time to read on computers and gaining knowledge on the topic. Then you can explain it to them, and they will understand. On the other hand, you could take the time to teach them about the topic by breaking it down into simple words so they might understand it.

 

     We can often find ourselves in a very similar situation when we, as Christians, go out into the world to tell a person about Jesus Christ. Everything we tell them is foreign to the understanding of someone who has never met Him. So, how do we share the Gospel? In the same way, you would explain Salvation to a child. One bit of understanding at a time. Always pray that the Holy Spirit will bring to their understanding the truths of the Gospel you are presenting.

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

 

     It might be the person you have been trying to witness to for so long, the one who keeps shutting you down, who really does not understand. Pride may keep them from asking you, “What do you mean when you say that?” So, instead, they just brush you off. Pray for them to receive understanding. Also, pray that God will give you clarity of speech to share the message in a way they might understand. It is a simple message if we just tell it that way.

 

What words do you use when trying to share Christ with a lost friend?

 

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

 

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

 

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

 

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  July 8, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
2 Chronicles 22, 23 / Psalm 8
Proverbs 8 / Matthew 11

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Ezra 1-3 / Acts 10:23-48