Bible Inspired - Devotionals

Sample and See!

8/3/2020

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him." -Psalm 34:8 (NIV)

My daughter likes it when there are free samples at the grocery store. Sometimes she will even taste things that she would otherwise not try. In our lives, we should allow others to "sample" the power and love of God!

When we "taste" the blessings of God, we know that they are good. However, there may be times when we or others just pass them without recognizing God's role in our lives. We need to recognize God's goodness and we need to live so others can see it, too. If we live for God, we can allow others to sample God's love and power. We can help others taste and see the goodness of God and then find refuge in Him!

Allow others to see and sample the good taste of God and then find refuge in Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your goodness. Help me to share Your goodness with others. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Self-Control with God!

8/2/2020

"A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." -Proverbs 25:28 (ESV)

It is easy for me to react. Whether with positive or negative emotions, we may respond without too much thought. However, uncontrolled reactions may not lead to the results that we intend. To get the best results, we need to be sure we have self-control!

If we act recklessly, we may not see our intended results. Yet we know it can be hard to control how we react. This is why we need to be sure we rely on God for guidance in our lives. We need to talk to Him and listen to His reply. We need to allow Him to have control. When we do these things, we can develop our self-control in God. We can then be sure that we are not broken and without walls!

Talk to God and develop self-control through Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your help and guidance in my life. Help me to have self-control in all I do. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Joy in Service

8/1/2020

"Gladden the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon You." -Psalm 86:4-5 (ESV)

Alistair Begg said, "It is impossible to serve God without serving others." As we serve, we can do so because we feel we have to or we can serve in joy. Our attitude in service may not only determine the outcome but how it impacts both others and ourselves!

We should serve others and serve God. As we serve, we should pray to God. We can then listen to God's reply and allow God to fill our service with joy. Approaching service with God in our hearts, we can experience joy. We can feel God's forgiveness and love. In addition to our feelings, others will be able to see God working both in us and through us. We can have a joyful, serving soul and inspire others through the love of God!

Serve God and others with His love so they can experience joy in His presence!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the joy and gladness that only You can provide. Help me to serve others with Your love so they can experience joy in Your presence. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Finding Flaws?

7/31/2020

"As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him." -Psalm 18:30 (NIV)

It is easy to find flaws or faults in many things. Sometimes it may feel as if we are drawn to see the slightest imperfections in things that are otherwise good. While it may be good to see what is wrong in order to fix it, we need to remember that we will not find perfection in the things of this world. We will always find flaws!

Even though we may find flaws in the things of this world, we can find perfection. If we choose to seek God, we can find perfection in Him and in His ways. We will not be led astray. We will not need to keep searching. In addition to finding perfection in God, we can find peace in His protection and in His plan to remove our flaws. Through God's grace and mercy, we can one day be perfected in His eternal love!

Continue finding flaws in this world or find perfection in God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your perfection and Your perfect love for me. Please redeem me and restore me in Your eternal love and redemption. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray, amen.

Love as Children of God

7/30/2020

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him." -I John 3:1 (ESV)

We may have different traits or treasures that have been passed down to us. Whether we cherish a special item or see our personalities or features reflected in our ancestors, we get a sense of belonging from these things. When we consider God, our Father, we should see His love in our lives!

God loves us and freely gives His love to us. Because of His love and redemption, we are His children. He passes down to us many blessings. As we live in God, we should share these things with others. We should take the treasures and traits from God and allow others to see Him as their Heavenly Father, too!

Know God and His love as His child, then share these blessings with others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and blessings. Help me to share with others so they can know You as their Heavenly Father, too. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Even When It's Hard

7/29/2020

"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." -Romans 13:10 (ESV)

There are times when people give us many reasons to be upset, maybe even making it hard to love them. Even though it may be difficult, we need to find ways to love, because we need to do no harm. We should try to love our neighbor and do right!

God calls us to love, but He does more than this. God shows us His love, even to the extent of sacrificing His own Son for us. God will also fill us with love. When we are filled with God's love, we can do better at loving our neighbors and not doing wrong, even when it is hard!

Draw on God's love to show love to everyone, even to those that make it hard.

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love. Help me to do no wrong and to show love to everyone. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Devoted to Prayer

7/28/2020

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." -Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

Life can give us many different emotions. We can feel anxious or joyful. We can be angry, sad, or happy. Through everything that we face we need to remember that there is a constant - God. To talk to God, we need to be devoted to prayer!

We need to be sure we are in communication with God through prayer. Whether we are being watchful, in need of help, or celebrating, God wants to talk with us. We can go to God and trust that the Holy Spirit will help us talk to and hear God. As we devote ourselves to prayer, we can find peace in God's presence in our lives.

Be devoted to prayer as you talk and listen to God's presence in your life.

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being with me. Help me to always find You in prayer and to listen to Your direction in my life. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Deserve or Owe?

7/27/2020

"Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." -Romans 13:7 (NIV)

We may have heard at some point that "respect is a two-way street." To get respect you have to give respect. When we think about our lives, we need to consider not just what we think we deserve, but also what we owe to those around us.

As followers of God, we are called to give what we owe. Jesus talks about the same idea that is expressed in Romans. We should pay taxes if we owe them and repay our debts. However, what we owe may not just be monetary. We also need to give respect and honor to those that deserve it. In living for God, we can be examples by not just focusing on what we think we deserve, but by fulfilling what we owe and remembering that if we are struggling with what we owe, we can call on God to help us!

Allow God to help you fulfill what you owe!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your grace and mercy that overcome the debt that I owe You. Help me to give to everyone what I owe them. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Find Contentment

7/26/2020

"For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." -I Timothy 6:7-8 (NIV)

It is easy to want more. We may see things or feel a desire to do more, to get more, or to be more. It is good to have motivation to become better, but we also need to find contentment in our lives!

Finding contentment can begin by finding God. We can find hope, encouragement, safety and love in Him. We can appreciate all of our blessings. While we still want to grow and become better, we can find support and guidance through talking to God and learning from His Word. No matter what we may want to have or become, we need to start by being content with God and His blessings!

Find contentment by finding God and being thankful for your blessings!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and all that You provide in my life. Help me to find contentment in You and Your blessings. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Keep Walking!

7/25/2020

"He will not let your foot slip--He who watches over you will not slumber." -Psalm 121:3 (NIV)

There are many different issues we face or situations that we must walk through in life. Sometimes, we can get tired and want to give up. The walk may be hard or look dangerous. However, we need to keep walking!

As long as we are walking with God, we can be assured that He is with us and will not let us slip and fall. We can rely on Him for guidance so we know which path to take. We can lean on Him when we feel exhausted. With God, we are able to keep walking and go farther than we ever thought we could on our own. We just need to continue to talk to God and keep walking!

Talk to God, lean on Him, and keep walking through whatever you are facing!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being there for me and for allowing me to keep walking. Help me to continually listen to and rely on You. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Look Around!

7/24/2020

"'Don’t be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.'" -Mark 16:6 (NIV)

It is common on Easter to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. We may greet each other with, "He is risen. He is risen, indeed!" While it is good to celebrate that Jesus is alive, we need to remember this more than just on Easter!

Jesus is alive. We should not look for Him in a grave or only in the pages of the Bible. We need to look in our hearts and look around to see Jesus. As we see and feel the presence of Jesus, we can celebrate that He is risen and is alive, not just on Easter, but every day!

Jesus is alive! Celebrate Him every day!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Your Son to save me. Praise and glory to You! Through Him I pray, amen.

Walk With the Wise!

7/23/2020

"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." -Proverbs 13:20 (ESV)

Jay-Z is quoted as saying, "A wise man once told me don't argue with fools cause people from a distance can't tell who is who." If we want to become wise, we can't get caught up in arguing with fools. Instead, we need to walk with the wise and take time to listen!

God is wise and can provide us with wisdom beyond what we could find on our own. He also places wise people in our lives to help us gain wisdom. Whether we are listening directly to God or to those He places in our lives, we need need to listen. We to open our hearts and minds to God's presence and activity in our lives. With God, we can walk with the wise and become wise!

Walk with God and become wise!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being in my life and for the wise people that are in my life. Help me to listen and gain wisdom. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Good Decisions!

7/22/2020

"For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." -James 3:16 (NIV)

We make many decisions throughout a day, a week, and our lives. There may be many reasons why we make decisions. Some of these reasons may be conscious and some may be unconscious. Either way, we need to make sure that our motivations or reasons are pure!

God is ready to help us with our decisions. We should talk to Him and listen to His reply. We should allow God to fill our hearts and then act on the love and wisdom that He provides. We need to be sure that our motivations are righteous in God's eyes. When our reasons and decisions are rooted in God, we can avoid envy and selfish ambition and in the process avoid disorder and evil!

Root your decisions in God and avoid evil!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the guidance that only You can provide. Help me to have righteous and pure motivations for all my decisions. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Show It in Service!

7/21/2020

"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." - Romans 12:11 (ESV)

One Sunday our Pastor spoke about worship and praise. He talked about the need for all of us to be filled with the spirit and life that God provides for us. When we are filled with God, we should outwardly express the joy and love that we find in God - in our worship and service!

God is life and love. When we serve the Lord, we need to be full of this life! Our actions should show God's presence in and impact on our lives. We should show excitement. We should be fervent in our spirit, our commitment to God, and our service of others. As we follow God, we need to be alive and awake, not slow and slothful!

Show the excitement and joy through your service to God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the joy, love, and strength You bring to my life. Help me to be fervent and enthusiastic as I serve You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Overcome!

7/20/2020

"For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." - I John 5:4 (NIV)

In a recent conversation, part of the discussion focused on how to overcome defensiveness. We all have probably become defensive or dealt with others who are defensive. There are many things in this world that we need to overcome, including when people are defensive and do not want to listen. We can begin to overcome with a Godly heart!

God calls us to work in this world while we are here. God has a message and love for all of us. We need to accept salvation through Jesus Christ and then move forward knowing that we have overcome this world. As we continue to talk to God through prayer and study His Word, we can prepare to spread His message in helping others overcome the issues of this world!

Accept salvation through Jesus, overcome this world, and then help others overcome this world!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for saving me and for helping me overcome this world. Use me to spread Your love and message so more people can overcome this world. In Jesus I pray, amen.

No Harm!

7/19/2020

"Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." -Romans 13:10 (NIV)

Someone recently posted a picture of a sign that said, "Turn off the news and love one another!" We can get caught up in all that is wrong in the world. We can lose sight of the good and loving things in the world. We need to be sure that we are spreading love and not harm!

We need to be informed, but we need to be sure that we respond in ways that show love. We do not want to remain silent in the face of evil, but we also do not want to make the situation worse. God is love and we are called to show this love as we interact with one another. We need to know God and His love. We need to allow His love to fill our hearts and guide our actions. When we act out of God's love, we are sure to do no harm!

Do not do harm. Allow God's love to fill your heart and guide your actions!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love. Please fill me with Your love and help me to act out of this love. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Transform Not Conform!

7/18/2020

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." -Romans 12:2 (ESV)

When doing projects around the house, there are things that I change as time goes by. The choices that I made when I first moved in are different than the vision that I have now. The same is true for life. As time goes on, we change and grow. As we grow, we need to be sure that we do not change for the sake of conforming to this world!

The text in Romans reminds us that the world may pressure us to conform, but we need to be aware of these forces and their impact on our lives. Instead of allowing these pressures to make us conform, we need to live in God and allow Him to be transformed. With God, we can be renewed, we can be transformed, we can be redeemed. In God, we can do more than conform and survive, we can be transformed and work to make the world a better place!

Do not just conform to the world. Turn to God, be transformed, and make the world a better place.

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your willingness to transform me. Help me to accept Your work in my life and enable me to make the world a better place in Your Name. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Clean Up and Do Right!

7/17/2020

"Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong." -Isaiah 1:16 (NIV)

The other day my daughter and I were giving the dog a bath. Getting a bath is not his favorite thing, so my daughter was reassuring him that he would feel better once he was all clean. We, too, can feel better when we are clean, but not just physically clean!

We can get physically clean, but we cannot make ourselves clean in other areas of our lives without help. We are fortunate that Jesus came to remove our sin and make ourselves clean. Once we accept Jesus and are cleansed of our sin, we need to do our best to stop doing wrong and start doing right. Once we are washed and clean and doing right, we can feel better!

Feel better by getting cleaned - both inside and out - through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Jesus to die for me and to wash me clean of sin. Help me to do what is right in Your eyes. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Be Alive!

7/16/2020

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit." -I Peter 3:18 (ESV)

There are certain events in life that may make us feel alive. We can relish in these moments, but many of them do not last. We may continue searching for moments that make us feel alive, but there is an option that doesn't end!

Through Jesus, we can feel alive now and forever! It is through His sacrifice that we can be redeemed and made alive in the spirit. When we are alive in the Spirit and in God, we can always turn to Him for a boost, to feel alive, and to continue making a difference in the world for His Kingdom!

Be alive by accepting forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Your Son to save me. Help me to be alive and to live so others can see You through me. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Healing Wisdom

7/15/2020

"Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." -Proverbs 3:7-8 (ESV)

Most people want to be wise and well. We pay for education, books, experiences, or programs to help us learn and gain wisdom. We also search for the best doctors, medicines, and treatments. All of these things are important, but we need to remember the source of all good things!

When we search for wisdom and healing, we need to be sure we are searching in the right place. We cannot rely on our own eyes, our own minds, and our own actions. We need to be sure we are turning away from evil and toward all that is good in God! We need to talk to God through prayer, read His Word, and listen to Him. As we talk and listen to Him, we can find wisdom, healing, and refreshment!

Talk to God and listen to Him so you can gain healing wisdom!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the wisdom and healing that You provide. Help me to hear and follow You so I can experience Your wisdom and healing. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Anxiety to Joy!

7/14/2020

"When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy." -Psalm 94:19 (NIV)

What do we do when we are anxious? The outcomes may include physical and emotional responses. We can feel the tension in our bodies or experience our mind racing. Even though our body responds without our conscious decisions, we can have a choice in our reaction.

When we feel anxious and are faced with situations that cause anxiety, we do not have to face them on our own. We can call on God to help us. We can learn to deal with anxiety by trusting in Him and in the ways that He provides for us to overcome anxiety. We can find joy in His promises, in His compassion, in His strength, and in the people and methods that He provides in our lives to help us. When we call on God and trust Him, we can learn to turn anxiety to joy!

When facing anxiety, call on God, trust Him, and listen to the help He provides so you can have joy!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being with me. Help me when I feel anxious or face anxiety so I can find joy in You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Shout for Joy!

7/13/2020

"My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You--I whom You have delivered." -Psalm 71:23 (NIV)

There are times that may seem grim. We hear about all that is wrong around us without taking the time to think about the good that we see. In the midst of all that we experience, we need to be thankful for the good in our lives!

We need to take the time to acknowledge the good in our lives. Once we acknowledge this good, we need to express our gratitude to God. God provides for us, He saves and delivers us from the turmoil in the world and in our lives. We need to give thanks to Him by shouting for joy and praising Him!

Shout for joy as you give thanks for all that God has done in your life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You do in my life. All praise and glory to You for delivering me and protecting me now and forever. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Strong & Courageous!

7/12/2020

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)

The world can be a scary place. As we live in the world, we learn that there are injustices around us. There is hate and there are lies. We can choose to be afraid and remain silent in the face of all that is wrong in the world or we can choose to be brave and stand up for what is right!

God calls us to work for His Kingdom. We cannot work for Him if we are hiding in fear or remaining silent. In order to promote God's love, truth, and justice, we need to stand up and stand out in the world. We can only do this through the strength and courage that comes from God. We need to constantly talk to Him in prayer and rely on Him so we can be strong and courageous with Him by our side! With God, we can make a difference in this world!

Be strong and courageous by moving forward with God by your side!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being by my side. Please grant me the wisdom, strength, and courage to always be fighting for justice in this world and forever. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Find Peace!

7/11/2020

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." -John 14:27 (NIV)

There may not seem like there is much peace in the world. We see divides between people on many different issues. However, most people want to find peace. How do we find peace?

The peace that we find from the world is temporary. It will not last through even our lifetime. There is a way to find peace. We can find peace in Jesus. We can be saved through Jesus and draw nearer to God. We can find peace in His love, compassion, and comfort. The peace that we receive from God through Jesus is greater than any peace we will find from the world and the peace we receive from God will last for eternity!

Find peace from God through Jesus Christ!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You do in my life. Help me to find peace in You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Focus on God for Today!

7/10/2020

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

There are times when we may be so busy thinking about the past or planning for the future that we forget about today. It is good to learn from the past. It is also good to have some idea about where we are headed in the future. However, we should not get too wrapped up in these things that we start to worry about what we cannot control!

No matter whether we are thinking about and learning from the past or preparing for tomorrow, we should not worry. Instead, we need to focus on God and on His will in our lives. When our focus is on God, we do not need to worry. God will guide us through whatever the day presents to us. God will also be with us, so we can be ready for what is to come. Instead of worrying, we can focus on God and on today!

Focus on God for today and allow Him to lead you through it!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being with me. Help me to focus on You and on Your guidance for today. In Jesus I pray, amen.