Our Daily Devo

1 John 4:19 "We love Him because He loved us." When we make God the centerpiece of our family lives, specifically our marriages, well it is a game-changer. When you embrace Our Heveanly Father's love as individuals that one thing, but when you embrace it as a couple, well that is a powerful force. A marriage committed to one another and committed to God is a successful one no doubt. It enriches not only your lives but the lives of your children, your friends, your church, your community, and God's kingdom, not only here on earth but throughout eternity.

Matthew 6:33 "The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you." Let's face the facts, our life is a series of choices. From the moment we wake in the morning until the time we go to sleep at night, we make countless choices. Choices about what we do, the words we use, and how we direct our thoughts. Jesus has given us every reason to make wise choice but often the daily grind of life leads us astray. So as we consider what type of Christian we want to become, what type of life we want to lead, we must ask ourselves whether we're sitting on the fence or standing in the light. The choice is ours, and so are the consequences.

Romans 12:19 "Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." Bitterness is a spiritual sickness. If we get caught up in it, it will consume our soul. So how can we rid ourselves of this destructive emotional feeling? We must prayerfully ask God to cleanse our hearts. We must also learn to catch ourselves when thoughts of bitterness or hatred arise. In our Christian faith we are taught that when we judge others, we are subject to be judged. Let us refrain from judging and instead leave the judging to our Father in heaven.

Psalm 112:7 "They won't be afraid of bad news; their hearts are steady because they trust the Lord." If God is good, and He made the world, why do bad things happen? Part of that is easy to answer and another part not. Sometimes people disobey God's commandments and invite sadness and heartache into God's beautiful world. But other times bad things happen and no one is to blame. Things just happen and we simply don't know why. But in heaven, we will understand the reasons why and God's plan will be revealed. Until then, we can trust that God is good and that in the end, He will make things right.

Matthew 6:34 "Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" While planning and preparation are good practices for our future lives, we must not worry too much about the unknowns of tomorrow such that it prevents us from taking the next best step today. If you look at where you stand today I am sure you have much to be thankful for even though it may be different from what you planned. That is the beauty of life. It is a process. And when we put our trust and faith in our heavenly Father we are blessed along this beautiful journey of life. When we give thanks, have faith, our future will be bright. So, have faith in tomorrow and focus on what God is calling you to do today.

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will." Our world seems to deliver and an endless stream of messages of how we should be, how we should look, behave, the possessions we should have. Those expectations are impossible to meet, however, Our Heavenly Father's are not. You see He created you just the way you are, where you are. God sees you as already perfect. If you find yourself continuously striving to meet the world's expectations ask yourself who you are trying to please and why. If you are trying to impress other people it is time to reconsider your priorities. Your first responsibility is to our Heavenly Father and then to your family. They love you the way you are, where you are.

Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" The Christian bible is the most popular publication of all time. To date, it has been printed more than 5 billion times. That is more than 10 times any other book in history. It continues to be a top seller year in and year out. The Bible, God's written word, has a profound connection with our human hearts. We desire it, we need it. We often find ourselves wandering through life looking for our purpose and our path. As lost sheep, we need the direction of God's written word and the example of Jesus. We have the opportunity to enrich our lives, find ourselves, and light our paths through connection with the Holy Bible. When we make it a part of our routines; reading and reflecting, we find ourselves and we more clearly see our paths.

Psalm 94:19 "In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul" God calls us to live beyond and above anxiety. He calls us to live by faith, not by fear. He instructs us to trust Him completely, this day and forever. But sometimes, trusting God is difficult, especially when we become caught up in the constant demands of this anxious world. When we feel anxious we must turn our thoughts to Him and His love. We must take our concerns to Him in prayer, and to the best or our abilities leave them there. Whatever "it" is He is big enough to handle it.

John 18:11 "Shall I not drink from the cup the Father has given me?" All of us from time to time endure hard days that absolutely challenge our faith. As human beings with limited understanding, we can never fully understand the plans our heavenly father has for us. Nevertheless, as believers, we can always trust in Him. Just as Jesus poured out His heart to His father the night before His death, we too know that this life has hardships in spite of our father's infinite love for us. some of the most powerful bible verses are those that reflect both despair and trust. May we, as believers, trust that God's love for us is bigger than anything we will face here on this earth.

Nehemiah 6:1-4 "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" Nehemiah had important work to do. You see he was rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem and he took that task very seriously. When rivals from a neighboring community called him down (they had harmful thoughts towards him), he declined and stayed focused on his work at hand. Nehemiah believed he had been called by God to do this important work. What is God calling you to do today. Is he calling you to turn the ordinary into extraordinary? Is He calling you to an opportunity to serve and enrich the lives of others while glorifying Him. You see we are all called to do great work, His work. Even if it doesn't seem important to you in this moment, take the work He has given you seriously, do it well, and use it as an opportunity to build His kingdom.