Daily Devotions

Just The Way You Are

May 28, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 119:73
Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

 

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

 

     The miracle of birth is an extraordinary event. No matter how many billions of babies are born, the miracle of birth will always be just that, a miracle. Modern medicine can assist in the fertilization of the living cells that begin the process, but even they cannot make growth and birth happen. Medical professionals must still wait and watch as God performs His miraculous work in the process of bringing forth yet another living and breathing soul. Man is capable of destroying a life but cannot create life. Only God has the miracle-working power to do that.

 

     In addition to being the creator of our physical bodies and birth, God also fashions us into what we are and what we can become. He decides our height, genetic makeup, and those natural God-given talents. He gives us the ability to touch and feel, hurt and cry, to care, and to show compassion. Not only has He created you, but He has also fashioned you into what He and He alone desired and designed you to be. You are not a mistake. You did not just happen without design. God lovingly created you just as you are. Moreover, He loves you just as you are. He sent His Son Jesus to die for your sins just as you are. Today He can use you to glorify Him, just as you are.

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     Since God made you, fashioned you, and therefore knows you better than you can even know yourself, does it not make sense for you to want to get to know Him better as well? Call on Him and thank Him for His never-ending love for you JUST AS YOU ARE.

 

How will you develop a way to get to know your creator better?

 

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:  May 28, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(O.T.-1,   N.T. & PS.-2,   Prov. – Monthly)}
2 Samuel 16, 17 / Psalm 119:65-80
Proverbs 28 / Hebrews 3-5

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Kings 22  /  John 9:1-23

 

They Did It First!

May 21, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 21:1-2
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

 

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

 

     Excuses, what are they? I had a friend at our church who has since gone home to be with the Lord, who continually told me the definition of an excuse was “the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.”

 

     I am certain that we have all made up an excuse at one time or another. Instead of being completely honest with someone, we rather tell a part truth. Sadly, we sometimes make up excuses and rehearse them to ourselves. It often will begin when you start to wonder, should I be reading this, watching this, or listening to this? Should I be going there, hanging out with them, or even talking this way? Should I be drinking this, taking this, or smoking this? What is the excuse we give ourselves? Well, it may be, “l saw Mr. or Miss Christian doing it, so if it is ok for them, it must be ok.” We begin to make excuses for our life, yet inside we have a funny feeling, and we know something is not right. However, we have tried to convince ourselves if God will let them get by with it, He is sure to do the same for us.

 

     Did you ever stop to think; that maybe they are watching you and thinking the same thing? Maybe they are judging their life by what they see you doing.

 

     The Bible says that man will find a way to make everything they do seem ok in his own eyes. God, on the other hand, looks at your heart. He knows what you know deep down inside. He knows of the feeling you have knowing this is wrong or right. Do you know why God knows? He put that feeling there to help you make the right choices.

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

      I heard a while back a phrase that helps me occasionally. It said, “If in doubt, don’t.” We should all operate under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word and not according to someone that we might see at church or at work. Let us be an example of Christ and for Christ. 

 

Does living a life for Christ cause you to mirror another person’s life?

 

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:  May 21, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(O.T.-1,   N.T. & PS.-2,   Prov. – Monthly)}
2 Samuel 1, 2 / Psalm 117
Proverbs 21 / Acts 24

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Kings 9-10  /  John 6:1-33

 

It’s Just A Comma

May 14, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

 

     The Bible says that not one jot or tittle written within it will ever go undone. This means they must be important. So, what is a jot and tittle? A jot is the tenth and the smallest letter written in Hebrew. It is written above the line and would look similar to an apostrophe in English. A tittle is an even smaller defining mark or stroke on a letter in Hebrew. To change or omit either completely changes the meaning of the words written.

 

     Today, I want to point out a mark used in the English language. It is neither a jot nor a tittle, but a comma which some people may miss. It is in the first verse of Romans 12 between holy and acceptable. Look at the verse again. Do you see it now? Without the comma, some may read this as if it were to say, “wholly acceptable.” This would mean completely acceptable. We do need to be completely acceptable. However, reading it this way does not define how to become acceptable. With the comma in the proper place, it says that first, we must be Holy. This means we are to be set apart for God’s use. We must first be willing to be set apart from worldly desires and lust. Also, set apart unto God. To be used by Him as He desires. If we will give our life over to God, then we will be acceptable or pleasing unto Him. The next few words in this phrase tell us why. This is because it is a reasonable thing to do. We must realize, this is the only reasonable thing to do for our God who sent His Son to die for us and has blessed us with all spiritual blessing.

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     

Are you still not sure how to be holy, and acceptable? That is why verse two is there. God does not want us to wonder how to figure this out. Just read the second verse and it will all be clear. It is by a renewed mind transformed by God’s Holy Word.

 

Are you both Holy and Acceptable, for the work of the Lord today?

 

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:  May 14, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(O.T.-1,   N.T. & PS.-2,   Prov. – Monthly)}
1 Samuel 18, 19 / Psalm 110
Proverbs 14 / Romans 11, 12

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
2 Samuel 21-22  / John 2

 

Do You Measure Up?

May 7, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

1 Samuel 6:20
And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     How is it that bank tellers can spot counterfeit bills so quickly? I have been told it is because they handle thousands of dollars in real cash every single day. So then, when a phony piece of currency passes through their hands, it feels different, and it looks different because it is different.

     In the eyes of one another, we might look ok. However, what comparisons are we using? Are we not simply comparing our own goodness, our own likes, and dislikes, and our good (or bad) tastes to one another? That is not how God measures us. God measures us by comparing us to His Son Jesus Christ. When held up next to Jesus, can anyone stand up to that evaluation? Surprisingly, there are two answers to this question.

     First, the answer would have to be NO. There is no conceivable way that any sinful person, no matter how good they may be, or how many good deeds they may have done, or even how religious they are, can ever compare to the absolute sinless perfection and unmatched love of Jesus Christ. The Bible refers to our best abilities as filthy rags before a Holy God.

     The second answer is YES. How, might you ask? Well, in ourselves, we can never match up. However, when we accept Jesus as Saviour, God no longer looks at us alone. He now sees us IN CHRIST JESUS. Since we are in Christ, God sees His Son’s sinless perfection and we are MADE righteous in Christ. 

  

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     Were it not for the righteousness of Christ, we could never stand in the presence of God. However, because of His righteousness, we can live with Him eternally. That alone should give you a lot to thank Him for today.

What or who are you comparing yourself to
when measuring your Christian life?

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:  May 7, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(O.T.-1,   N.T. & PS.-2,   Prov. – Monthly)}
1 Samuel 6, 7 – Psalm 106:16-33
Proverbs 7 – Ephesians 5, 6

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
2 Samuel 4-6  /  Luke 23:1-26

Never Changing In An Ever-Changing World

April 30, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 102:27
But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     People try to be so kind to one another. Good Christian people stand and look a fellow believer in the eye and then stretch the truth just as far as they can. After years of being apart, they will say something like, “You have not changed a bit.” Now you and I both know that without the help of cosmetic surgery, this statement is probably not exactly the truth. Your ideas, your belief in some things, your physical abilities, and even your outward appearance all change as time passes by. Everything seems to change with time.

     However, there is someone who never changes, God. God is not like man. He never ever changes at all. Time has absolutely no effect on Him. In fact, He created time for us to be able to measure days, weeks, and months. He has never really had a need for time. Not one thing about him ever changes. Not His ideas, His beliefs, not His abilities, and not even His appearance. God never ever changes.

     What a great and glorious truth for those of us who have put all our faith and trust in him. Whatever He has said will always be true. Salvation is by faith. Always has been, and it always will be. We then can live our lives by faith. Then, when God decides the time has come, we will live eternally with Him by faith. Have faith in the fact that He never ever changes anything He has said. Now that is security. 

  

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

    

     It is so comforting to know that in an ever-changing world, there is still one thing we can hold onto as a constant. We can trust and hold onto God’s unchanging hand!

What can you list in life that is ever-changing and never stable?
What can you list besides Christ that is never changing and always stable? 

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:  April 30, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(O.T.-1,   N.T. & PS.-2,   Prov. – Monthly)}
Judges 17 – Psalm 102:18-28
Proverbs 30-31 – 2 Corinthians 8, 9

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Samuel 16-17   –  Luke 19:28-48