John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever….
My default these days seems to be grumpy, and that is not good. “Choose Joy” is more than a gimmick, it is a life philosophy, and my precious Savior has given me what I need to choose joy, no matter my circumstances. He has given me the Holy Spirit, who is always with me, to help me navigate life on earth. The Holy Spirit can and will help me tap into my Savior’s joy. I just have to make the first move. Jesus, Help me.
Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised….You always resist the Holy Spirit!”
With this grumpy disconnect between my head and my heart, I feel stiff-necked and resistant. My Savior came to give me life abundantly (John 10:10). He does not want me in this grumpy space. I cannot glorify Him if I don’t open my heart to His joy. Jesus, Help me.
Eph 3:16 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this message. Thank You for the Advocate, the Helper, the Holy Spirit inside me that keeps me connected to You despite the best efforts of this world to draw me away. Help me to breakdown the interior barriers keeping me from embracing Your joy fully and completely. Adjust my attitude. Draw me closer to You, Lord. Help me to claim Your joy in my life and to glorify Your name. Amen.
Eph 3:17 …so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith….
Have a blessed day.
The message of Christ…. (devo reflection)
John 13:34 A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused widespread devastation to the southeastern US. My oldest was 4 months old, and I vividly remember holding him, sobbing, as I watched the destruction unfold on tv. Eventually, interspersed with the horror and destruction, were scenes of hope—people donating water, cleaning supplies, food, money, man-hours to help those suffering. There was no lengthy interview before helping, there was no assurance that the ones helped voted, loved, worshiped, believed in the same manner as the ones helping. People needed help, and people helped. End of story.
1 John 4:20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he sees cannot love God whom he has not seen.
In many ways, that experience shaped my active expression of faith. Repeatedly, the Bible tells us to love one another. As God loved us, we should love one another. To me, that means recognizing the divinely authored life in each person (even if they don’t), treating them with love, respect, kindness (even if they don’t)—not because they deserve it but because my Savior does that for me even though I don’t deserve. I take to heart the internet meme “Love everybody. I’ll sort them out later. ~God” To me, that embodies the message of Christ.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this deep conviction that You call us to love and serve Your people. Help me to love others as You love me—deeply, fiercely, unconditionally. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Have a blessed day.
Rooted in Him…. (devo reflection)
2 John 1:9 …The one abiding in the teaching [of Christ], this one has both the Father and the Son.
It is no secret that I operate by routine. The biggest part of my morning routine for the last five or more years has been rooted in bible study, prayer, reading, and reflection. This daily routine, accomplished before anyone else in my house is stirring (usually), helps me root myself, anchor my day, in my beloved Savior. Thank You, Jesus.
John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
This morning I did not stick with my routine. I had an obligation that had to be completed at a specific time, and I just didn’t set an alarm to allow for study, prayer, and reflection beforehand. The result was that my morning felt off. I was a bit on edge, a bit grumpy, a bit short tempered. Of course, there are many variables that could account for the change in mood, but I sincerely believe that NOT beginning my morning rooted in My Savior played a huge role. Help me, Jesus.
1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for sitting with me quietly each morning, for whispering Your truth to my heart. Thank You for the peace that comes with abiding in You daily and for never being too busy to take time for me. Thank You for loving me more than I could ever deserve. Help me to show others Your deep love. Draw us closer. Amen.
John 15:23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching, and We will come to them and make Our home with them.”
Have a blessed day.
Handling the naysayers…. (devo reflection)
John 6:41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
Jesus faced critics. He faced those who thought, derisively, “Who does He think He is?!? That’s Joseph and Mary’s Son. There’s nothing special about Him!” When I am struggling with those who are putting me down, who are questioning why I think I have a right to do something, my compassionate Savior understands because He has lived it Himself. Thank You, Jesus.
John 6:42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He say, ‘I came down from heaven‘?”
As I reread these verses this morning, I am struck by the way He handles the naysayers. I internalize everything. The doubts others express become doubts I feel I have to wade through, to justify. But not my precious Savior. He knows who He is. He knows Whose He is. His reaction is much more of a “shake the dust off your feet” (Luke 9:5) instead of a “take the doubts to heart and struggle with your identity.” Thank You, Jesus.
John 6:43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for such a positive example of how to handle doubters, especially when we are engaged in Your kingdom work. There is so much that I don’t know, Lord, so much that I don’t understand, but I know that You love me fiercely. I know that You want me to show others Your love, especially those who don’t understand it, who don’t realize they can’t earn it or be worthy of it, that Your love is Your gift to Your children, freely and lavishly given. Give me strength to tell others. Draw me closer. Amen.
John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them….
Have a blessed day.
Pearls of wisdom…. (devo reflection)
1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did. (NIV)
There is so much packed in this verse. The commentary* provides two pearls of wisdom I want to explore further. The first is: “To be or abide in God or in Christ implies an habitual condition….” In other words, if we are truly abiding, residing, in Christ, then it’s not just something we do when we feel like. It is a continual state, meaning that just like Jesus on the Mount of Olives, we pray, continually, “…not My will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus, Help me.
1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked. (BSB)
The other pearl contained in the commentary* on this verse states: “Christian love teaches us to value our brother’s soul….” So, who is my brother? In Matt 12:50, Jesus says, “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” But Jesus repeatedly goes out of His way to tell others about His Father (Remember the woman at the well? The prisoner crucified at His right hand? The soldiers, casting lots, that He prayed for at His death?) God is love. Jesus is love. They want us to value their creation, all those with life. Jesus, Help me.
1 John 2:6 If we say we are His, we must follow the example of Christ. (CEV)
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture, for the reminder that abiding in You is a way of life, not a whim. Help me to keep my pride in check so that in every circumstance I can seek Your will instead of my own. Help me to look past my prejudices and to see You in all those around me. Help me to treat them with unconditional positive regard, to treat all others with the same loving care with which You have always treated me. Help me to follow Your example, to do as You have done for me. Draw me closer. Amen.
John 13:15 I have set an example so that you should do as I have done for you.
Have a blessed day.
*The commentary referred to in this reflection is from BibleHub.com for 1 John 2:6 and can be found by following this link. Scroll to the bottom and look at both the Pulpit Commentary and the Matthew Henry Commentary.
Humbling and powerful…. (devo reflection)
John 10:10 …I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Last night I went to see the Christian band Big Daddy Weave in concert. It is the second time I’ve been able to see them, the second time in a smaller, church venue, and the second time I had the distinct impression that their music comes from a place of deep love for their Savior. It was a humbling, powerful experience.
Rom 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
I was reminded during the concert that God, the Creator of the universe, the Savior of the world, loves us so deeply, so completely, that He refuses to force us into relationship with Him. He will go to the ends of the earth to find us, to save us, He sent His Son in exchange for our sins, but He will not force us into relationship. He lets us choose Him, which is both humbling and powerful.
Rom 2:4 …Don’t you know that the reason God is good to you is because He wants you to turn to Him?
Lord, Thank You for this day, this scripture, Your deep and abiding love for us. Thank You for the heartfelt music and message from last night’s concert. Thank You for loving us so deeply, so fiercely, so completely. Thank You for going to the ends of the earth to find us, for leaving the 99 to save us, for allowing us to choose You, for the inherent beauty of that choice. Draw us closer. Amen.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Have a blessed day.
That God may be glorified…. (devo reflection)
Romans 15:5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had….
The commentary I read this morning about this scripture, specifically verse 7, contained the following gem: “The great end in all our actions must be that God may be glorified; nothing more….” What a simple yet profound statement. If we have the same mind toward each other that Christ had toward us, how different would our actions and interactions be? If we focus on His will, not our own, how different would our results be?
Romans 15:6 …so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, I know I am guilty of putting my wants, needs, and attitudes before Your will, but what I want most in my life is to glorify You—in my thoughts, my actions, my words, and my attitudes. Help me to keep that goal—glorifying You, shining Your light—at the forefront of all I do. Before I think, act, speak, help me to ask how my thoughts, actions, and words will glorify Your name.
Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, and for Your will for my life. My selfish streak can be quite wide and stubborn, Lord, but I want to glorify You more than anything. Root out all that is selfish and self-serving within me, Lord, so that in all things I can earnestly and honestly say, “Thy will be done.” Draw me closer, Lord. Amen.
John 17:21 May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us….
Have a blessed day.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do…. (devo reflection)
Proverbs 16:3 Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed. (NLT)
I find various translations of bible verses fascinating, perhaps because of my teaching background. I will often go to BibleHub to see the different translations as I’m deciding which most closely matches what God has placed on my heart each morning. Usually, the difference is so slight, most any translation will work. This verse, however, really struck me.
Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. (NIV)
I’m currently working through some online professional development in preparation for the new school year. One of the motifs I’m noticing is the idea of living and teaching boldly, which also means being prepared, at times, to fail boldly. I sincerely believe that just because the LORD has established my steps does not guarantee I will meet my own definition of success in the venture. Sometimes He needs me to fail spectacularly so that I can learn the lessons He needs me to learn.
Romans 8:37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for leading me to ponder the idea of success when it comes to Your will for my life. I sincerely believe that if I lay my plans at Your feet each day, asking for Your guidance, that You will direct my path. I also believe that if my path brings me closer to You and helps me to shine Your light in this world, then I will indeed achieve overwhelming eternal victory, even if I do not achieve my personal definition of success. Draw me closer, LORD. Amen.
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Have a blessed day.