16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. - John 3:16-18

Have you ever been declared, "Not Guilty?"

You see, God knew that you and I aren't capable of living the perfection he demands, and so he sent his one and only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. - Ecclesiastes 7:20

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. - John 3:18

Believe on the name of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and you will be saved; declared "Not Guilty!" before the throne of God. Declared "Not Guilty," are beautiful words from an all-forgiving Father in heaven.

Today, as you consider God’s Word, as you believe in Christ Jesus, your Savior, your risen Lord, rejoice that you are at peace with God, that you are indeed, a redeemed child of God.

Prayer

Almighty God and Father, precious Lord and Savior, clothed in the righteousness of Christ our Savior, you declare us "Not Guilty!" Your love for us is so great, you provided a substitute in the body of your one and only Son, Jesus Christ. In stead of casting us aside, instead you provided a way out of our sinful darkness into you heavenly light.

May God bless you richly as you dwell on his word.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-john-3-16-18-not-guilty/

“And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” Luke 12:29-31 (NIV)

Years ago, I flew to Chicago with my husband to visit his father. We landed just in time for lunch, but that wasn’t on the agenda … at least according to my father-in-law. He was just so excited to show us around Chicago—his hometown—that he didn’t want to slow down for a silly lunch stop.

So he took us on an all-points tour of the (then) Sears Tower, Lake Michigan, Moody Bible Institute, Wrigley Field, his old stomping grounds, as well as the family bike shop off Diversey Avenue, just to name a few hotspots.

Finally, by 4 p.m., he decided it was time for us to go get and experience a “Chicago-style” hot dog. It was then, and then only, that I was able to focus on where I was and whom we came to visit.

This story illustrates the tension we all often feel in life to fixate on temporal things. Typically, the “things” we worry about are not eating or drinking on any given day. But we can easily become distracted by some personal desire in our lives—letting it pull us away from the most important focus for life.

The only true and lasting satisfaction is found in a complete and undivided focus on God.

Some could easily interpret this to mean God will give us everything we want from this life on earth. However, this is really about God giving us everything we want and need in our eternal life in His kingdom.

That reward and blessing, my friends, is way more glorious and satisfying than anything this earth can provide—including a Chicago-style hotdog! Oh yeah! Way, way better than that!

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-distracted-by-worry-and-wants/

When was the last time you hoped for something and didn’t get it? All of us know what it is to face disappointments in life. It hurts when things don’t work out the way we thought they would.

Disappointment sours our stomaches, flutters our hearts, and pricks our minds. Some people can recover quickly from undesired outcomes, but others find themselves tempted to bitterness, anger, and despair as a result.

Dancing in the Face of Disappointment

Learning to dance in the face of disappointment is a tangible reality for the follower of Christ. Time and time again, the Scriptures exhort us to trust God’s ways with our times because his methods are righteous and his wisdom is impeccable. Disappointments will sting, but they needn’t slay. We can preach to our upsets and praise God that he only approves what will ultimately yield profitable fruit in our lives.

That which we fail to receive in this life must not be required for our enjoyment in God. If it was, we would have been granted it. Providence assures we get only what is necessary to abound and abide in Christ, nothing more and nothing less. Protection soothes our fears, quieting the notion that God is wrongly withholding something good from us. And promise ensures every desire, longing, and hope worth having will be more than satisfied when we cross the threshold into eternal paradise.

Disappointment weighs our spirits, but it doesn’t have to crush them. In Christ, we can dance with gratitude before a divinely closed door because we know it’s evidence—not an absence—of God’s love for his dearly adopted. As the famed hymn God Moves in Mysterious Ways consoles:

God’s purposes will ripen fast

Unfolding every hour

The bud may have a bitter taste

But sweet will be the flower.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-dancing-with-disappointment/

“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” Philippians 4:5 (ESV)

I have created quite the exception to this rule. I find that I am selective when it comes to who will receive a reasonable, gentle attitude from me. Surprisingly, I have a lot of grace for my children. I suppose it is really God’s grace in my life and theirs because he has allowed me to develop a fairly consistent gentle spirit with my kids. When I am in public, I am a fairly reasonable person as well. I enjoy small talk with clerks, attendants, cashiers, etc. Even when I am inconvenienced, in large part, I am able to remain composed, kind, and gentle. The trouble is that God’s design for my life is that I would be reasonable to ALL people. This is where the truth begins to unravel and I notice some ugly inconsistencies in my behavior.

My mother is a victim of my unkindness. She loves me unconditionally and somehow this gives me license to lose my temper, say rude things or become irritated with her over basically nothing.

Then, there is the matter of my husband. Too often, I decide that I am too tired, too irritable, too hungry or too stressed on any given day to control myself before him. I can let a myriad of things create an excuse so that a short temper, cross word, or heated rant becomes justified in my mind because my dear sweet husband will love me no matter what, and he can be the exception to the rule for the day.

God does not ask us to be reasonable on days when we get adequate sleep, alone time, enough exercise or a second cup of coffee. He does not say be gentle only to those who deserve it. The truth is that gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-let-your-reasonableness-be-known/

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 NIV

This weekend, I made a batch of cookies from scratch. When I grabbed one of the bags of brown sugar from my pantry, I felt hard, dried clods of sugar, rocklike and impenetrable. Trying to break them down with my hands, or even a kitchen mallet, was impossible. Fortunately, I had another bag of brown sugar to use.

I had read that if you put a piece of bread in with hardened brown sugar, it will draw moisture from the bread and get soft again. Without much hope, I placed a piece of sandwich bread in the bag and let it sit on the counter overnight.

The next morning, I was amazed! The 2-inch round, hardened balls of sugar were pliable.

This simple piece of bread taught me important lessons about my relationships. When I serve as a faith-filled person in a hardened group of people, they are drawing nourishment from me, whether I see it or not. God sends the life through me when I share my faith. Through simple acts of kindness, and an attitude of compassion, I can soften hardened or dried-out hearts with the Holy Spirit’s power.

I also considered the flip side of this lesson. Take the bread out of the bag, and the sugar will be fine for a while. But eventually, it will dry out again and be far less useful unless it receives moisture again. When I compare myself to that bag of sugar, I realize I need the kindness, compassion and love from others to keep my own heart soft and pliable.

You can look at both sides of this lesson too. What thoughts does it bring to mind? Which people does it place on your heart? Ask God to show you how to use that slice of bread in your life, depending on your needs. Remember that Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35), and he calls you to share life with others and draw life from others too.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-ephesians-4-being-kind-and-compassionate/

Forgiveness, often misunderstood in a variety of ways, is an extremely important element of our relationship with Jesus. It was important enough that Jesus gave forgiveness a prominent position in teaching the disciples how to pray. The freedom of forgiveness is a topic of much discussion between Jesus and His disciples, and between Jesus and the Father, even from the cross. Obviously, it is an issue we need to see with clarity and truth.

Understanding Forgiveness

Our starting point for understanding the freedom of forgiveness is to understand completely in our hearts what all we have been forgiven. This statement is a version of, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3) but is presented from the perspective of forgiving because we have been forgiven so much.

Jesus' Forgiveness

Having received the greatness of the mercy of Jesus for all of our sins, do we truly understand the depth of His forgiveness if we are holding others accountable to pay for their debts to us? Can they pay those debts? In truth, Jesus is the only one Who can pay for those debts. In releasing those debts into Jesus’ hands, I am acknowledging this truth and setting myself free from any bondage to the sin committed against me and finding my freedom in the forgiveness of others.

Jesus’ forgiveness is simply the grace and mercy offered through the blood of Jesus, that He would pay our debt.

Refusing to forgive others makes us a slave to their sin. Forgiveness sets us free, so that we can truly live the new life of freedom and peace offered – and paid for – by Jesus.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-matthew-7-3-the-freedom-of-forgiveness/

His Power Through Faith

If love is a mighty splendored thing, faith is close on its heels. Love, far from a mere fleeting ecstatic feeling, is the principle characteristic by which God identifies Himself. The Bible says that God “is” love (1 John 4:8, 16). Therefore, if ever we hope to attain to that holy principle of love, faith must facilitate our path to it.

Faith and Love

I am intrigued by the fact that the words “love” and “faith” occur together at least 20 times in the King James Version of the Bible. This must mean that faith and love, together, significantly impact our lives.

Think about it: if true love epitomizes God’s essence and this holy principle cannot be attained at its highest levels except we are in relationship with God, then faith must be the conduit to facilitate our way to attaining the standard. Was that too complicated? Let me say it this way: the only way we can truly love is if we have saving faith in God. Any other love is substandard and a far cry from the pinnacle of God’s intent.

Paul said it this way: “Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Ephesians 3:13–19

Did you get that?

Now, that’s a mouthful. More than that, it’s a life full - a life full of faith that works by love and purifies the soul.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-luke-17-6-faith-and-love/

The journey of Chrisitan faith is a winding road. At times, you will stand on your own two feet, and sometimes, you will stay on your knees. Of course, no one likes a trial. No one wakes up in the morning, stretches, and says, “Ah, what a beautiful day for a trial! I think I’d like to have a trial today!” But that doesn’t mean one won’t come.

There is a saying that goes like this: You are either out of a storm, in a storm, or going into a storm. And I completely agree. Every Wednesday, I have intercessory prayer for others. Each week for the last three years, I post a graphic and invite those who want prayer to send me their prayer requests. I usually get over 100 requests, and some even inbox me on Facebook or Instagram. Each Wednesday, I usually pray from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

I was praying to pass, and I didn't. I was discouraged and disappointed. I kept asking God why I couldn't pass this test. I heard nothing about the test––meanwhile, God answered my prayer requests for other people. Here's what's funny: Normally, when people ask me to pray for them, they rarely come back to tell me if the prayer was answered; but during the last three months, those who requested kept reporting back to me that my prayers for them were being answered. I was so excited until I got those test results.

Last Monday, I prayed with my prayer partner about the situation and said I was going to wait on God. Two hours later, I had a conversation with a former coworker that lead me to a meeting about a teaching job in a city not far from my family. I am already certified in that state. And this week, I accepted the job and will not only will I teach but the principal of the small Christian school. God provides. Lesson Learned.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-psalms-2714-the-art-of-waiting-on-the-lord/

He will again have compassion upon us. He will tread down our iniquities, and cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

Sin and Confession

“I can’t believe I did that! What was I thinking?” I moaned miserably to God, my mental voice rising to nearly a shriek as I came to the word, “thinking”. “What got into me that I would do such a stupid thing? Beyond stupid – I’ll call it what it was – sin, plain and simple.”

“Oh, never mind,” I mumbled in disgust as I continued my mental “conversation” with the Lord. “I know exactly what got into me – the devil! The enemy of my soul put the idea into my mind and tempted me, and I listened to him and went along with it, led like a dumb sheep to the slaughter. Lord, I’m so sorry!”

Around and Around We Go

Yet there I was later in the week, remembering what I had done, still grieving over it, and angry at myself.

There are many verses in both the Old and New Testaments that speak of God forgiving our sins. Besides the verse from Micah, 1 John 1:9 says that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Yet there I was, not taking Him at His word.

So why do I get myself into this vicious cycle? Why do any of us?

God completely forgives our sins, but He also takes it a step further, as you will see.

I want to leave you with this quote from the late, great, Corrie ten Boom who, with her sister, Betsie, was thrown into a concentration camp in Holland for the “crime” of hiding Jews from the invading Nazis (I highly recommend their story, The Hiding Place). Among many other wonderful “Corrie quotes” this one stands out for us today and illustrates God's "extra step":

“God casts all our sins into the depths of the sea. Then He puts up a sign: NO FISHING!"

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-micah-719-into-the-depths-of-the-sea/

So Much Division

If God appeared to you today and said, “I will give you one gift to use as you see fit,” what would you choose? Power? Wealth? Good health? Or would you choose something that is on God’s heart? Wisdom and understanding?

Each morning as I scroll through social media and flip through the news, I see so much division among our nation. Political, religious and economic division which separates us and calls us to take sides.

Merriam-Webster defines division as: “the act or process of dividing” or “the condition or an instance of being divided in opinion or interest.”

Solomon Seeking Wisdom and Understanding

I wonder how things might change if we stepped back to view these conflicts from God’s perspective and not our own.

If we choose to seek wisdom and understanding amidst these divisions instead of pursuing the need to be right.

The Bible is full of stories of people who chose this path of seeing God’s perspective to resolve their differences of opinion. One of my favorites is the story of King Solomon.

Solomon chose to pursue the things that were on God’s heart. We see evidence of this as God appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 2 Chron 1:7 (NIV)

Out of a humble heart posture, we see Solomon ask for the gifts of wisdom and knowledge. He could have asked for anything he wanted: wealth, being right, or even the defeat of his enemies.

Let’s choose to pray for God’s wisdom and understanding next time we feel called to draw a line in the sand and pick a side. Let’s pray for eyes to see others as God sees them. And let’s have a spirit of humility that pleases God as we speak His truth in love, not division.

Read the full. devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-seeking-wisdom-and-understanding/