Category Archives: Daily Devotional

Messages from the daily devotional

Job Answered || Part 1

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Job 42:1 imageThis is part of a multipart series. After the series is finished I’ll come back here and create an index for each part.

This series is going to focus on finding healing in repentance and prayer.

For part one we’ll focus on Job answering Yahweh.

Heres Job’s answer to Yahweh in verses 2-6

2 “I know that you (Yahweh) can do all things and that no plan of yours can be ruined. 3 You (Yahweh) asked, ‘Who is this that made my purpose unclear by saying things that are not true?’ Surely I (Job) spoke of things I did not understand; I talked of things too wonderful for me to know. 4 You (Yahweh) said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will ask you questions, and you must answer me.’ 5 My (Job’s) ears had heard of you before, but now my eyes have seen you. 6 So now I hate myself; I will change my heart and life. I will sit in the dust and ashes.”

Job realized his utter brokenness. He realized that he was being selfish. He turned the selfishness into hate to change his heart and life by sitting in the dust and ashes. How much lower can one get?

When Yahweh showed Himself to Job, it caused Job to reflect on his life and how he’d been living. It caused him to realize the gravity of the situation and how utterly broken he was.

We need to look in the mirror, while Yahweh stands right by us, and realize our utter brokenness and how much we need Yahweh.

How do you see yourself? Are you utterly broken? Have you been living selfishly?

Take stock of your life. Have a conversation with Yahweh. Surrender it all to Him.

Me: I’m being humbled daily at my utter selfishness about my living situation. I’ve been set straight and in no uncertain terms am I to complain about it anymore. Yahweh is in control and is handling things. Thank You Yahweh!

Comment with your thoughts and let us know how Yahweh is working in your life.

Series Index:
Part 1  ||  Part 2  ||  Part 3

Justification

Today’s Word is quoted from the Celebrate Daily Devotion. I felt its message was too strong not to share it.

The word “propitiation” is a difficult term, meaning “to appease wrath.” Man in his sin cannot approach a God of justice who must judge sin. God’s justice can be appeased only by the punishment of sin. But God in His love desires fellowship with man whom He created in His image. 

Fellowship with a holy God could only be realized through atoning for the sins that separated mankind from God and His covenant promises. So God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for atonement or reconciliation with separated mankind. It is the shed blood of Christ that ultimately satisfied the requirements of God’s justice. God’s judgment was fully put upon Christ, the blameless sacrifice, for all sin both past and present. And it is only through faith in the blood of Christ that mankind is justified in God’s eyes. The blood of Christ then becomes the bond that joins people to God, entitling them to God’s covenant provisions and providing right relationship with Him. 

The blood of Christ guarantees our standing as children of the holy God!

Comment and share how Jesus saved you.

Praise and worship Yahweh and let the Holy Spirit wash through and fill you to overflowing.

Watch this music video:

Healing Through Obedience

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There’s two types of healing, 
immediate and progressive. Immediate is rare. Why? Yahweh requires obedience.

Progressive healing happens frequently. Why?

In the midst of whatever physical affliction we may face, we must learn by kneeling in prayer, standing in faith, and walking in obedience. 

When we’re in alignment and obedient to Yahweh prayers get answered, and people heal.

Whatever you’re facing; there’s no resolution or healing. Ask yourself, “why?”.

I’ve had my own experiences of non healing and non resolution. Once I got in alignment and became obedient, healing and resolution came.

What’s your experience? Comment your thoughts and be blessed and bless others.

Do you need prayer? Click here to send your request.

Casting Out Fear

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scripture imageWe have a lot of fear. The fear I’m referring to is dread, dire, and fright. This type of fear is unhealthy and is imperfect. The other kind of fear is healthy. It’s a motivation, like Noah the Ark builder.

As always, the answer to this problem is in Yahweh’s Word. John said the antidote for fear is perfect love. As we learn to love Jesus more and make real that love in our relationships with people, fear is pushed from our lives: but perfect love casts out fear. Even some believers have not yet learned to live without fear. John patiently told them: But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. As we continue to show ourselves to the Lord, love begins to force out tormenting and deadly fears.

Turn your fear over to Yahweh and let His love be made perfect and cast out fear. Tell us how Yahweh’s love has been made perfect in you.

For me, I have experienced abuse in my past. I held onto unforgiveness and hate. It was killing me. I gave it all to Yahweh and I’m alive and loving Yahweh and sharing His Good News. Your turn!

Self-Worth Part 2

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Romans 12:1-3 imageIt’s not about self-love nor loving yourself more.

Let’s face it. Our human nature in and of itself is selfish. We want what we want when we want it.

There’s a lot of stuff out there in the world that says we need to love ourselves and do it more in order to be better people and be worthy.

That’s just the opposite to what Yahweh says in His word.

In Romans 12:1-3 Paul wrote to the people:

So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect. Because God has given me a special gift, I have something to say to everyone among you. Do not think you are better than you are. You must decide what you really are by the amount of faith God has given you. (Emphasis added)

Do not be shaped by this world. Do not think you are better than you are.

By focusing on self we are taking focus away from Yahweh.

In Matthew 6:33-34 he writes to the people:

Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Emphasis added)

Therefore, our only hope to succeed in putting God first is to begin by trusting fully in His promise to cover our sinfulness with His righteous life.

In 1 John 4:10 it says: This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us. He sent his Son to die in our place to take away our sins.

Jesus’ life was characterized by submission to the Father’s will, service to others, and prayer. It is interesting that Jesus never chased after worldly ambition in any way and never followed the glory of this world.

We’re to be imitators of Jesus. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.

There was only one goal that Jesus considered worthy of His talents–the glory of the Father.

The world will tell us to be someone, to achieve, to live the good life in this world. All that is a lie. It does not bring fulfillment but only pain and disappointment to those who give their lives to it.

In 1 Timothy 6:6-9 it says: Serving God does make us very rich, if we are satisfied with what we have. We brought nothing into the world, so we can take nothing out. But, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that. Those who want to become rich bring temptation to themselves and are caught in a trap. They want many foolish and harmful things that ruin and destroy people.

I say that because most people tie up their identity and worth in things, stuff in the world.

We are children of the most high God, Yahweh. When we identify with that and live our lives to bring honor and glory to Yahweh we are valuable and worthy to Him.

That’s more important because our home is in Heaven with Yahweh, not earth. Earth is only a pit-stop along our journey.

In Hebrews 2:6-7 it says: But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor.

It can be difficult, in the day to day of driving to work, running errands, and making dinner, to remember that we are not of this world. That we did not come from it, and will not come back to it in the end. We become used to the routine, when all the while, we are wearing crowns of glory right atop our heads. How can it be that the man stuck in traffic next to you is just beneath the angels in heaven in terms of holiness? Because we are the sons and daughters of a King, who crazy loves us. Even while making dinner.

Wear your crown imagecrown, and believe you’re worthy of it. Your Father, Yahweh, says you are.

 

 

Quote:

God sees tremendous value in His children because when He looks at them, He sees Jesus. – Mike Mobley

Self-Worth Part 1

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ephesians 1:3-9 imageWe are Yahweh’s valuable treasure

Our worth is not of the “self” at all; rather, it is worth given to us by God. We are of inestimable value to Him because of the price He paid to make us worthy — the death of His Son, Jesus, on the cross, and His resurrection.

In the scripture image: Ephesians 1:3‭-‬9 Yahweh says:
He has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. He chose us before the world was made so that we would be his holy people — people without blame before him. God chose to make us His own children through Jesus. We are set free through the blood of Jesus. His grace is sufficient. We are so valuable to Him that He let us know His secret purpose, the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus, His Son. It was His plan all along.

Our self-worth is too often based on what other people tell us about ourselves. The one, true authority on our self-worth is Jesus, and since He gave His own life up for us by dying on a cross, that should tell us just how valuable we really are.

When you cannot believe that anyone in the world would love you, know that Yahweh loves you. He declared it on the cross, shouts it in His word, the Bible, and whispers it to you in his acts of love.

In the following parts more truth will unfold and it will become clearer how valuable and worthy you truly are.

Little peek into the next message: It’s not about self-love, nor loving yourself more.

Who do you allow to tell you your self-worth and value?

If you’d like prayer contact us here. We have a team of prayer warriors ready to lift you up.

Forgiveness | Part 4

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Forgiveness Part 4 imageFive-Steps to Forgiveness

  1. Admit the pain
    1. Any offense creates pain. In an effort to ignore it we deny the pain. It’s our pride that stops us from dealing with it. We take an attitude of ignoring it because we don’t want to admit it hurt. This allows resentment to build and fester creating bitterness, which is a spiritual disease. This causes us to gradually isolate and alienate ourselves from God and the church body. This behavior keeps us from healing.
    2. Instead, understanding the offense is the beginning of healing.
  2. Work through the confusion
    1. When an offense happens, we, need to clearly and carefully figure out responsibilities in the situation. We need to establish solid ground within ourselves — to lay boundaries and safeguard them when limits are invaded.
  3. Look for facts
    1. Once we understand who’s responsible for what we can move to the next step to figure why the offender offended us. This keeps us from being persistent on a single purpose to get revenge. It may behoove us, if possible, to question others to gain information on the matter, or, as the saying goes, walk a mile in the offender’s shoes.
    2. No excuses. Information alone is important.
    3. When the truth appears it’s easier to move forward into restoration.
  4. Grant facts to be wisdom
    1. Often when facts become clear our self-talk overrides reality and throws us into a pity party, bitterness, and anger.
    2. It takes a brave effort to move past the pain, to understand, and say “I forgive you.” Do not relive the events over and over. It’s done.
      Think about the torture Jesus was put through. He could’ve easily gone violent ninja and took the lot of them out. What did He do though? In Luke 23:34a – Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” He forgave them.
    3. Forgiveness is a gift of God’s grace. The wonder of it is that God gives us wisdom into our own heart and involves us with Him in the freeing the offender.
  5. Choose to renounce the whole situation
    1. Here’s story to relay renouncing hurts/offenses:
The Trouble Tree – Author Unknown
The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.
On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
“Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied.” I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.”
He paused. “Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick ’em up, there ain’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”

I know this is a simple story. However, when we give up reliving events over and over they diminish their impact. They don’t seem quite as offensive as we first allowed them to be. It’s all about our attitude.

When we are offended, stop, think about how Jesus handled offenses. Allow the Holy Spirit to wash over you and fill you will God’s grace.

Forgiveness – Part 3

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Forgiveness-Prt3_Micah_7_18-20What forgiveness is!

Forgiveness is returning to God the right to take care of justice.
By refusing to transfer the right to exact punishment or revenge, we are telling God we don’t trust him to take care of matters.
Forgiveness is a process, not an event.
It might take some time to work through our emotional problems before we can truly forgive. Forgiveness doesn’t happen overnight. However, as soon as we can, we should decide to forgive, but it probably is not going to happen right after a tragic situation. It’s okay.
We have to forgive every time.
If we find ourselves constantly forgiving, though, we might need to take a look at the dance we are doing with the other person that sets us up to be continually hurt, attacked, or abused.
If they don’t repent, we still have to forgive.
Even if they never ask, we still need to forgive. We should memorize and repeat over and over: Forgiveness is about our attitude, not their action.
We might forgive too quickly to avoid pain or to manipulate the situation.
Forgiveness releases pain and frees us from focusing on the other person. Too often when we’re in the midst of the turmoil after a tragedy, we desperately look for a quick fix to make it all go away. Some women want to “hurry up” and forgive so the pain will end, or so they can get along with the other person. We have to be careful not to simply cover our wounds and retard the healing process.
Forgiveness starts with a mental decision.
The emotional part of forgiveness is finally being able to let go of the resentment. Emotional healing may or may not follow quickly after we forgive. It takes time.

Forgiveness quotes:

“Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.” – Oscar Wilde
“He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.” – George Herbert

If Yahweh doesn’t hold onto sin and He throws them away why do we continue to hold onto them, being unforgiving?

There’s another quote that I like that goes like this:

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes

Will you set yourself free, now?

Share your testimony and bless others.

Forgiveness – Part 2

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forgiveness part 2 imageWhat forgiveness is not.

Forgiveness is not allowing the offender/offense to be released.
We can and should still hold others accountable for their actions or lack thereof.
Forgiveness is not letting the offense continue over and over again.
We don’t have to tolerate, nor should we keep ourselves open to, lack of respect or any form of abuse.
Forgiveness does not mean we have to return to being the victim.
Forgiving is not saying, “What you did was okay, so go ahead and walk all over me.” Nor is it playing the martyr (a person who undergoes severe or constant suffering), because it perpetuates our victim role.
Forgiveness is not the same as reconciling (making peace).
We can forgive someone even if we are unable to get along with him/her again.
Forgiveness is not based on others’ actions but on our attitude.
People will continue to hurt us through life. We can either look away from them or stay stuck and angry, or we can begin to keep our minds on our loving relationship with God, knowing and trusting in what is good.
Forgiveness does not mean forgetting.
It’s normal for memories to be triggered in the future. When thoughts of past hurts occur, it’s what we do with them that counts. When we find ourselves focusing on a past offense, we can learn to say, “Thank you, Yahweh, for this reminder of how important forgiveness is.”

It’s important to forgive because Yahweh sees your heart and knows it. Sincerely forgiving allows Yahweh to forgive you.

In today’s scripture, verse 26 says that if we don’t forgive neither will Yahweh forgive us. What that’s saying is that unforgiveness eats away at your soul and will make it die and turning you into a bitter and angry person toward Yahweh and the world. 

The quote below says it very well:

One great errand to the throne of grace is to pray for the pardon of our sins; and care about this ought to be our daily concern. – Matthew Henry

Release your unforgiveness to Yahweh. Allow His peace to wash over you and allow yourself forgiveness as you forgive others too.

Share your testimony and bless others!

Forgiveness – Part 1

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Matthew 26:27-28 imageOur first step is learning what forgiveness is and is not.

What is forgiveness? There’s many definitions from different people. What is the dictionary’s definition?

The dictionary says it means: to pardon (excuse) an offense or an offender.

Forgiving an offense or offender is not an easy thing for most people to do. Why is that?

The one thing we need to keep in mind is that satan has a hand in helping us hold onto negativity. It gives him the upper hand in our emotional state. He likes to keep us down and out. I’m not immune. It’s happened to me and on occasion still happens.

What’s the big deal about forgiveness? Why is it so important? In this series I’ll do my best to break it down to help make it clearer to see.

One thing is for sure. The longer we hold onto unforgiveness the harder it is to let go. The more damage it will do. Why? That will be covered in this series as well.

“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.” Maya Angelou

We need healthy boundaries so we are able to learn to give ourselves permission to forgive.

In today’s scripture Jesus gives an example of himself forgiving us by us accepting his blood as the new agreement for forgiveness of sin.

In the next part I’ll share what that means and why it’s important.

In the meantime, give yourselves permission to forgive. Spend time in prayer with Yahweh and allow the Holy Spirit to wash over you and feel the gift of His forgiveness in your life.

Have you experienced forgiveness? If so, comment, and share with us and bless someone today.