Devotionals

Isaiah 6:8 

We all have excuses to disqualify ourselves from God's service.

• "I'm not physically well"
• "I've got this temper problem"
• "I can't speak very well in public"
• "I don't have a lot of education"
• "My past is too raunchy!"
• "You see, I'm a divorcee"
• "I was once in a mental hospital"

And on and on and on.

Psalm 19:13

Life on earth is really nothing more than a string of moments, one after another. And I do not want my testimony for Jesus Christ to be shattered by a single moment of indulging my flesh.

I don't want one moment of rage or pride or arrogance to cast a shadow over a lifetime of walking with my Lord. 

Frankly, I fear that possibility. And do you know what? I want to fear that possibility. When I stop fearing it, I am in grave danger.

Proverbs 15:32

People who are accountable usually have four qualities:

Vulnerability—capable of being wounded, shown to be wrong, even admitting it before being confronted.

Teachability—a willingness to learn, being quick to hear and respond to reproof, being open to counsel.

Availability—accessible, touchable, able to be interrupted.

Honesty—committed to the truth regardless how much it hurts, a willingness to admit the truth no matter how difficult or humiliating the admission may be. Hating all that is phoney or false.

Proverbs 1:23

Joshua 1:9

Did you know that worry erases the promises of God from your mind?

Proverbs 2:2

Psalm 119:71

Psalm 31:6-7

You may be going through a trial so overwhelming that it's borderline unbearable. 

You want to see the end of the tunnel. Which is only natural, because once we see that little speck of light, we feel we can make it through to the finish. 

But God's tunnels are often twisting, too complex and dark to see the light for many days. 

In such settings He says, "In that dark, twisting, seemingly endless period of time, trust Me. Stop running scared! Stop fearing!"

John 13:35

If our message is a mirror image of the message of the world, the world yawns and goes on its way, saying, "What else is new? I've heard all that since I was born." But if the Christian lifestyle and motivation and answers are different, the world cannot help but sit up and take notice, thinking:

How is it that I cannot conquer this habit but he has?

Why is their love so deep and lasting and ours so shallow and fickle?

How is it that she can forgive and never hold a grudge, but I can't get over a wrong?

Lamentations 3:22