Category: Devotionals

In the past few weeks, several Caribbean islands, as well as the states of Florida and Texas have experienced hurricanes that have been like no other hurricane before them. After Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc in Texas, Hurricane Irma whipped through the Atlantic, decimating several islands. Irma then tore up the Gulf coast of Florida, bringing destruction with it. The size and force of Hurricane Irma were historic and sent people in southern Florida fleeing for their lives. These storms were immense and had meteorologists amazed at just how immense and fierce they were.

When we look at God’s love for us, we should be just as amazed as the meteorologists were as they watched these storms. God’s love is stronger than a hurricane. It is more powerful than the strongest winds produced by these monster storms. But, unlike a hurricane, God’s love does not wreak havoc in our lives, it does not bring destruction with it. God’s love brings peace into our hearts, and salvation to the lives of those who accept His love by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ.

God’s love is so strong that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sins (John 3:16). The intensity of God’s love was evident at Calvary, as Jesus was nailed to a cross and gave His final breath, taking upon Himself the sins of us all. That love is available to all who believe that Jesus died for us, turn from their sins, and allow Him to be Lord of their lives as they follow Him. Because of God’s great love for us, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). His love gives us victory over sin and there is nothing that can separate us from His love, not tribulation, not distress or persecution, not famine, nakedness, danger or sword (Romans 8:35).

What does it mean to show your true colors? It means to reveal yourself as you really are, rather than as you appear to be to others. It means showing your true character rather than hiding behind a mask intended to deceive others or mislead them into thinking you something else.

The phrase “show one’s true colors” has a nautical origin. The word “colors” refers to the flag that a ship is required to fly while at sea. It was once common for a pirate ship to sail under “false colors” by flying a friendly flag that enabled the ship to get in close quarters to a ship that it intended to capture. Once the pirate ship got close enough to the other ship, the friendly flag would be taken down and the ship’s “true colors” would be revealed.

The “true colors” of a believer should be reflective of a changed life, a life being lived in a way that reflects Christ. If we are truly living in Christ, He will be our treasure and where our treasure is, there our hearts will be as well (). Our “true colors” should also be reflected in our conduct. The things that we do should be done with humility, which will reveal a wisdom that comes from God (James 3:13). This is a wisdom that is pure, that is peaceable; a wisdom that is gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits. It is a wisdom that is never partial and always sincere; a wisdom that comes only from God (James 3:17).

On the other hand, earthly wisdom reveals itself in ungodly ways. Earthly wisdom fosters selfish ambition and jealousy (James 3:14-15). We live for ourselves only and not for God and certainly not for other people. The conduct that follows this type of wisdom does not foster peace but rather disorder and sin (James 3:16).

As believers, our true colors should not reflect earthly wisdom. We should always seek godly wisdom rather than earthly wisdom. Godly wisdom can change our lives, allowing us to become more like Christ. And, when we become more like Him, His “true colors” become ours, colors that we can then display in a world that so desperately needs them.

When an actor takes on a role, he looks for the character’s motivation. In a play or a movie, just as in the real world, a person goes through life with objectives. There are things that he needs, things that he wants. That person’s desire to accomplish or attain those things make up his motivation. An actor looks at the character he is playing and tries to determine his motivation – what drives him to do the things he does, to behave in the way he behaves. Motivation is important to the actor if he wants to portray his character effectively.

As believers, motivation is important to our worship. What is our reason for worshipping God? Why do we worship Him? Are we worshipping Him because of what we get from it or are we worshipping Him because He is worthy of our praise? Do we worship only when we like the music or even when we don’t? Do we worship Him only when we feel like it, or do we worship Him at all times? Do we worship Him only in church on Sundays or are we ready and willing to worship Him wherever we are?

Our motivation in worship should be to give God the glory that He deserves. We should worship Him because He is worthy. Worship should not be about what we want from it. Worship is not about the music. When we enter into worship based on whether or not we like the songs the worship team happens to be singing, we are making the music an idol. Worship is not about us. It’s about God. We are to worship Him with all that we have, no matter how we feel or what we are going through.

Worship is not about a place or a time (John 4:21-24). We should worship Him in church on Sundays, but that should not be the only place and time we worship. We can and should worship Him at home, in our cars, in anyplace we may be and at all times. A look through the Bible will show that true worshipers worshipped God everywhere – in the temple, in the wilderness, in caves, and even in prison (Acts 16:25).

Our motivation in worship should be to praise the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Creator and Sustainer of life simply because He is worthy of our praise. Psalm 95:1-7 provides a great illustration of what our heart’s intent should be when we worship God, what our motivation should be. We should worship Him with joy in our hearts because He is a great God and the great King above all gods (Psalm 95: 1-3). All that we see was created by Him and belongs to Him. We should praise Him because He is our God, and we are His people, the flock that He cares for (Psalm 95:7).

“The proof is in the pudding.” This idiom that dates back to the 1920’s came into common use in the 1950’s. It is a shortened version of a proverb that says, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” In various forms, this proverb dates back to the 14th century. The meaning of this proverb is that in order to know that something is good, one has to try it first. In the case of the pudding, we don’t need proof that it is pudding, but rather if it is good pudding. The only way to know that is by tasting the pudding.

When we are followers of Christ, we call ourselves Christians. But what is the evidence that we are, in fact, true followers of Christ. We can call ourselves Christian, but what is the proof? Perhaps we call ourselves Christians because we believe in God and we believe that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead. Those things are necessary, but does that prove we are Christians? Perhaps we say we are Christians because we go to church every Sunday. Going to church is important but going to church doesn’t make us Christians any more than going to McDonald’s makes us a hamburger. So, what is the proof that we are Christians?

Being a Christian means that we strive to be Christ-like. We strive to live a life that allows Him to be seen through us. How can we do this? How can the world see without a doubt that we are what we say we are? First and foremost, the world will see we are Christians if we love each other (John 13:35). Jesus demonstrated His love for us by giving His life for us. We need to have that kind of love for each other, a love that knows no bounds, a love that is willing to give all for others (John 15:13).

The world will also see that we are Christians if we have the mind of Christ. What does that mean? We have the mind of Christ when we demonstrate unity with each other. We must all have the same mindset and the same love (Philippians 2:2). We must demonstrate humility, not by doing things out of selfish ambition or out of conceit, but rather by counting the needs and interests of others as more important than our own needs (Philippians 2:3-4).

Being a Christian means dying to oneself and living for Christ. The world needs Christ. It needs to see Christ in us. We must reflect Him in the way we live our lives and the way we treat others. The proof of the pudding may be in the eating, but the proof of the Christian is in the living.

As the weather begins to change, illness begins to increase. Colds and flu become more prevalent. But there are things that we can do to prevent or avoid illness and stay healthy. The key to staying healthy is to treat our bodies right. This means making sure that we eat well, exercise, get enough sleep, get enough fresh air. Preventative measures for avoiding illness also include things like getting a flu shot and washing our hands before and after handling things like door knobs.

We can think of sin as a spiritual illness that affects the soul. Just as there are ways to prevent or avoid physical illness, when it comes to sin, there are also things that we can do to avoid it and prevent it. The first thing is to meditate on God’s Word, reading it daily and studying it. The Bible tells us that Scripture is God-breathed. Because it comes from God, it is useful for teaching, for correction, and for learning to live righteously (2 Timothy 3:16). Scripture, God’s living Word, also helps us to avoid sin when we store it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11).

A second way of avoiding sin is to have a prayerful dependence on God. We need to seek His help in avoiding sin and temptation. When Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer, part of that prayer was seeking God’s help in avoiding temptation and being delivered from evil (Matthew 6:13). On the night before He died, Jesus warned His disciples to watch and pray in order that they could avoid entering into temptation (Matthew 26:41). Temptations will come, but God is faithful. When we are dependent on Him, when we seek His help in prayer, He will provide a way out of temptation so that we do not sin (1 Corinthians 10:13).

A third thing that we can do to avoid sin is to actively seek to do good rather than evil. Psalm 34:14 tells us that we should turn from evil and seek good; we should seek peace and pursue it. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death ( ). But, if we seek good and turn from evil, we will live and God will be with us. We should not just avoid evil, but hate it while loving good (Amos 5:14-15). As believers, it is important that we imitate good rather than evil. When we do not just seek to do good, but actually do it, we are from God (3 John 11).

Meditate on the Word, be dependent on God through prayer, and actively seek to do good. When you do these things, you can avoid the spiritual illness of sin and stay spiritually healthy.

The year is 1933. America is in the middle of the Great Depression. In an orphanage in New York City, an eleven-year-old orphan girl is taken by the assistant to a billionaire to spend the Christmas holiday at the mansion of her employer. Soon, this spunky and ever-optimistic orphan girl wins the heart of the billionaire and, in the end, he decides to adopt her. The little girl is Annie and the billionaire is Oliver “Daddy Warbucks. And the rags to riches story, of course, is from the Broadway musical “Annie,” based on a comic strip called Little Orphan Annie.

When Annie was adopted by “Daddy” Warbucks, she was given the right to be called his child. She no longer needed to live in the orphanage, where she would spend her days slaving away along with the other orphans who lived there with her. When we receive God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior, when we believe in His name, we are given the right to be called children of God (John 1:12). We receive adoption as His children and are able to call Him Abba and Father (Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:15).

When Annie became the adopted child of “Daddy Warbucks, she became his heir. All of his riches would one day pass to her. When we become children of God through salvation in Jesus Christ, because of God’s grace, we also become heirs. We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). As heirs of God, what do we inherit? We inherit the kingdom of God (Matthew 25:34). We inherit the Word of God (Psalm 119:111). And, we inherit the Lord Himself; He becomes the strength of our hearts and our portion forever (Psalm 73:26). And the best part is that this inheritance, unlike any earthly inheritance, is guaranteed for eternity (1 Peter 1:3-5).

There are many insurance companies out there competing for your business and they all want to give you a sense of confidence and comfort. They want you to know that, when you need them most, they will be there for you. So, they use slogans such as, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” or “You’re in good hands with Allstate.” They want you to look at them as a source of stability so, a company like Prudential uses the Rock of Gibraltar as its logo along with the slogan, “Get a piece of the rock.”

We all need to have things like life insurance, homeowner’s insurance, and auto insurance because they give us protection against the unforeseen and often inevitable circumstances of life, such as death, accidents, and other loss. So, we choose one of these companies and invest our money and confidence in it. But, when it comes to our spiritual lives, when it comes to our heart and soul, the only insurance policy we need is God.

No matter what we are dealing with in life, God is there. He is always with us and will never forsake us. In our times of trouble, He is with us. Through pain and loss, He is with us. He is even with us when we turn from Him, no matter how far from Him we may run and how dark a place we run to. Psalm 139:7-10 tells us that there is no place we can go that He is not there with us. He is there when we are in a good place, and He is there when we are in darkness.

Whether we are in a dark place as a result of sin, or because our circumstances have driven us there, we can be sure that God is with us. But, more than that, we can be sure that, if we call on Him, our cries will be heard and He will lift us out of the pit we are in and set our feet on solid ground (Psalm 40:1-3). When we need God, He is there. With Him, we are always in good hands. And, through His Son, Jesus, He has provided a Rock that we can stand on.

Have you ever bought a product with a lifetime guarantee? I’m sure most of us have. If you have, you likely did so because you believed the product would last for many years. After all, a lifetime guarantee means the product will last a lifetime, right? Now, here’s another question. Do you still have that product that was supposed to last a lifetime? Chances are, the lifetime guarantee was really not for your lifetime but the lifetime of the product itself. And exactly what is the lifetime of a product? Basically, a lifetime guarantee may not even worth the paper it was written on.

God has given us a lifetime guarantee. His guarantee is in writing, found in His Word. And His guarantee is not just worth the paper it is written on. It is worth more than all the wealth in the world. So, what exactly is this lifetime guarantee we have from God? God’s lifetime guarantee is found in the book of Isaiah: “I will be your God throughout your lifetime–until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” (Isaiah 46:4, NLT)

God guarantees that He will always be our God. We are His creation and He will care for us, carry us through our lives and save us. That salvation comes in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ, who He gave as a ransom for our sins so that we may have eternal life. Jesus Himself said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)

The lifetime guarantee that God gives us in Isaiah 46:4, like all of God’s promises, is one we can truly count on. His guarantee will last not just for our lifetime here on earth, but for eternity.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“It isn’t my fault. That’s the way I was brought up.”

“It wasn’t me. It was him!”

“She made me do it!”

The blame game. At one time or another, we have all likely taken part in it. Rather than take responsibility for our own actions when we are wrong, we look to pin the blame on something or someone else. After all, it’s easier to blame someone else than to accept responsibility. When we are wrong or have done something wrong, our human nature is often to go on the defensive, so we look to shift the responsibility away from ourselves.

The blame game has been in existence since the creation of man. It began in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. When God confronted them with their disobedience, the blaming began (Genesis 3:8-13). Adam blamed Eve. He even blamed God because, after all, God created her! Eve blamed the serpent. The fact is, they each made a decision to do exactly what they had been told not to do, but neither of them was willing to take responsibility for their own actions.

God created each of us with free will. We have the ability to choose things for ourselves, to choose to do what is right or what is wrong. But, along with free will comes responsibility. We are responsible for the actions we take and the things that we choose. But, man’s sinful, fallen nature leans toward choosing that which is wrong and then looking for someone else to blame. And, that someone can be another person, a circumstance, or even God. Fortunately, God has given us a way to choose to do what is right and avoid the blame game.

When we live according to the flesh, according to our sinful nature, we live in opposition to God and cannot please Him (Romans 8:7-8). But God has given us His Holy Spirit to help us. When we turn from our sin and accept Christ as Savior, the Spirit of God dwells in us. When the Spirit dwells in us, we are able to set our minds on the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5). The result for us is life and peace (Romans 8:6).

The loss of peripheral vision is called tunnel vision. When a person suffers from tunnel vision, he retains only central vision, the result of which is a constricted circular field of vision which resembles a tunnel. The term tunnel vision can also be applied to someone who is reluctant to consider alternatives to his preferred line of thought. That person is so set on looking at things one way that he is not open to seeing things differently.

When it comes to looking at people, God has a kind of tunnel vision. Scripture tells us that the eyes of the Lord are focused on the righteous. The righteous occupy God’s central field of vision. And not only are His eyes focused on the righteous, but His ears are inclined to them as well, so that He hears their cry (Psalm 34:15). God is on the side of the righteous, protecting them and shielding them (Psalm 34:17).

On the other hand, God’s face is turned against those who do evil (Psalm 34:16). But, while His eyes may be focused on the righteous, the wicked or unrighteous should not think that this means they can get away with sin and wickedness. God sees all and knows all. And while the righteous, those who live a Christ-like life, will be delivered by God on the day of the Lord, those who live sinfully, rejecting the Lord, will receive the judgment that they have earned.

It’s clear that the better place to be is in God’s “tunnel vision,” to be among those whom He will redeem and deliver from the judgment that we all truly deserve as a result of sin. And the way to stay in the center of God’s vision is to turn from sin, to stand with His Son, Jesus Christ, to accept Him as Savior, and to walk in His ways.